Morton Family Cellars sits in the Apple Hill area of Camino, California — El Dorado County, in the Sierra Foothills. Here's how we fit into the wine country around us, and a few real neighbors worth visiting.
Morton Family Cellars is in Camino, California, in the Apple Hill area of El Dorado County — not Amador County, though the two are often mentioned together. Both sit within the broader Sierra Foothills wine region (also called California's Gold Country), a band of mountain vineyards running along Highway 49 and Highway 50 from Placerville south through Fair Play and into Amador's Shenandoah Valley.
Apple Hill's wineries, ours included, are planted at some of the highest elevations in the region — our estate Biama Vineyard sits at 3,200 feet. If you're up for a longer day, Amador County's Shenandoah Valley is a real wine destination in its own right, known for Zinfandel and old-vine plantings, but it's a separate trip: about 45–60 minutes south of Camino, better suited to a second day than a same-afternoon add-on.
For a single afternoon, the wineries below are the ones actually close to us — in Camino or a short drive away in Placerville, on the same stretch of Apple Hill you're already visiting.
A few genuine neighbors on the Apple Hill wine trail — verified, not guessed at.
Just off Highway 50 in Camino, in a converted late-1800s horse barn on an old pear and apple ranch. Known for Barbera, Cabernet Sauvignon, and hard cider alongside the wine.
A Camino tasting room built exclusively around El Dorado County fruit, right off Highway 50 in the heart of Apple Hill — an easy add to the same afternoon.
A Camino estate winery planted in 1973 at roughly 3,000 feet — a similar high-elevation site to our own vineyard — known for mountain-grown Cabernet Franc, Zinfandel, and Riesling.
A short drive away in Placerville, at what's often called the gateway to Apple Hill. Small-production Barbera, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petite Sirah.
If you're building an Apple Hill wine day, here's what makes us worth the first stop.
Wild yeast, minimal sulfites, nothing engineered — naturally fermented wines made from our own hand-harvested estate fruit. Read more on our natural wine page.
Every Friday, 6–9 PM, no cover, 21+ — indoors in our restored 1960s speakeasy or outdoors on the vineyard patio, depending on the season. See Friday Night Karaoke.
Part wine, part snow cone, entirely the reason people turn off the highway in Camino. Our signature pour — see Wine Slushies.
Leashed, well-behaved dogs are always welcome on our vineyard patio — no special arrangements needed. Details on our dog-friendly page.
Directions, hours, tastings, and everything else you need to make us your first stop — see Plan Your Visit. Want the full menu of what's here beyond the wine? Check out our wines and the tasting room.
Plan Your Visit