About Carpe Vino
Carpe Vino is an historic gem on the plaza of Old Town Auburn
“An Oasis of Civility in Gold Country”
Carpe Vino is a unique hospitality venture—a wine shop, wine bar and restaurant, all in one, housed in an historic structure in Old Town Auburn, CA, right off of I-80, about midway between San Francisco and Reno, 40 miles east of Sacramento.
We position our business as “an oasis of civility in the heart of Gold Country.” Auburn was a rough-and-tumble Gold Rush town and one of the first eastbound stops on the Transcontinental Railroad built in the 1860s. When we launched Carpe Vino in August 2002, the town was (and in many ways still is) an insular place. Though the community has been overrun with transplants from the Bay Area, traditions and sensibilities die hard here.
Auburn is at the far reaches of the Sacramento sphere, and beyond our city’s border lies the vast wilderness of the Tahoe National Forest. For that reason, we have sought customers from far beyond Auburn, reaching out to people who love the rich history of Old Town Auburn and who appreciate fine wine, fine dining and a unique atmosphere for enjoying true pleasures of life.
The best place in the world to enjoy a nice glass of Zinfandel
The main structure housing Carpe Vino’s wine bar was built in about 1860 and was formerly the Union Saloon; it was frequented by Union soldiers during the Civil War, by the rough men who built the railroad and especially gold miners who poured in after 1848 following the discovery of gold at Sutter’s Mill. Much gold was actually discovered in the ravines around Old Town, but the tents of miners were soon supplanted by hotels, saloons and “sporting houses”. For our complete history, including a brush with silent movie actress, Mary Pickford, go to www.carpevinoauburn.com.
You’ll also find detailed information about Carpe Vino’s wine program and all the details about our restaurant (rated four stars by the Sacramento Bee), chef, menu and our approach to the hospitality business. You can also browse our online wine shop and you just might find some of the wines that I discover along the Vintage Highway.
Sure, it’s okay to fire up a stoogie here
Dinner for 30 in the Wine Mine behind Carpe Vino
This blog will follow my monthly trips into wine country across California, Oregon, Washington and, some day, around the country. As the owner of Carpe Vino, a wine shop, wine bar and fine dining restaurant in Auburn, CA, I have direct access to the leading wineries and winemakers in the business. I’ll be traveling the back roads of wine country to find the true gems, small production wines made by truly passionate people. In my nightly blogs on the road, I’ll tell their stories and describe what I’ve seen, learned and tasted.
