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Welcome to Conti Estate / Vineyards & Winery
 Conti Estate / Charles B. Mitchell Vineyards & Winery (Conti) is located in Fair Play, California – a town in south El Dorado County and in the Sierra Foothills and Fair Play appellations. Annual production is currently 15,000 cases per year and will be increasing to 20,000 cases within the next year.
Conti produces the following five varietals; Sauvignon Blanc, Petite Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. In addition to estate-grown grapes, fruit from within El Dorado County and the surrounding Sierra Foothills is used to make fine hard-crafted wine in the long-standing tradition of this winery. The majority of the wine is sold out of the tasting room and through our wine club, which is one of the largest wine clubs in the area.
The key to the winery's success is its high quality vinifera wine. Research shows that consumers are drinking higher quality wines that are in the $10.00 to $25.00 range, and Conti provides a variety of delightfully good wines within this price range.
Conti's vineyards and winery are in the heart of the Sierra Foothills, in a premier wine region called Fair Play, named for the local township born in the Gold Rush era. Over 150 years ago, this region was a thriving wine producing area, supplying the Italian segment of the '49er population.
The vineyard property has had a colorful history since that time, first as a promising repository for gold, then as a homestead and orchard by the turn of the century, allowing generations of families the opportunity to live off this abundant land.
In the mid-1960's, UC Davis, recognizing the land's possibilities, developed its own test plot of potential varietals in an effort to revitalize the Fair Play region as a premier grape growing area.
In the counties of El Dorado, Amador and Calaveras within the Sierra Foothills appellation, soils are primarily made of granite that slowly decomposes into rocks and sand. Granite soils produce wines with stony flavors that add structure and textural firmness, balancing the sweet fruit flavors of wine.
The area is best known for the Zinfandel, yet when it comes to Rhone-variety grapes like Syrah, Grenache, Roussanne and Viognier, the Sierra Foothills seemingly have at least one advantage over their wine making peers to the west: granite.
This region is now enjoying a wine renaissance, thanks to the findings at UC Davis in their research and the efforts of local grape-growing and winemaker pioneers. The Fair Play appellation was recently approved by the US government and is now the newest wine appellation in the American market.
Our mission is to provide the highest quality wines from the Sierra Foothills and Fair Play appellation. We want to produce wines for the enjoyment of everyday drinking and special occasions. The winery also provides an enjoyable lifestyle and fun atmosphere for all employees and visitors.
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