Fair Play

Regarding Viticulture, it was pretty quiet around Fair Play in the 20th century. A declining population, coupled with the difficulty of transporting fruit and wine to distant markets had taken a toll on the farmers and ranchers in the more remote portions of El Dorado County. The reawakening of Fair Play as a wine growing region didn't really occur until the planting of an experimental vineyard on Ben Simm's Diamond Bar Ranch in 1967 (This vineyard is now owned by Charles B. Mitchell). By studying the trial vineyard, it was determined, that among others, but most notable, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chardonnay could be expected to produce excellent dry table wines in the Fair Play region. Currently, the total acreage of wine grapes is approximately 350 acres, of which about 250 acres are currently in production.