Two dozen tasting rooms, weekly Open Mic at the Irish Pub, and a Main Street that runs on local-and-tourist time.
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Murphys is the wine country stop on the way up the 4. Fifteen minutes below Arnold, about an hour from Stockton, and the place most out-of-towners picture when they hear Calaveras.
Main Street has roughly two dozen tasting rooms inside a walkable couple of blocks. Newsome Harlow at one end with the fire pit and the casual-locals crowd. Val du Vino is a personal favorite of mine for an easy afternoon flight. Hovey Winery in the historic Albert Michelson house, now known for Tempranillo, Albarino, and Verdelho (founder Chuck Hovey passed in 2019; the winery is run by a group of his close friends). Lavender Ridge, owned by Rich and Siri Gilpin since 2000, with cheese pairings and a lavender boutique attached. Hours vary by room: Newsome Harlow opens Mondays at noon, Ironstone is Friday through Sunday, Lavender Ridge and Hovey are daily. Parking is free if you can find it after 11am on a Saturday.
What I tell people who haven't been: the food is better than the wine reputation suggests. Grounds, on Main since 1992, is where Chef/Owner River Klass cooks French-technique breakfast and dinner. He also owns Firewood, the wood-fired pizza spot down the block. V Restaurant tucked into the same building as Grounds (Suite L), opened by Michael and Melissa Ninos in 2004, is the most upscale room in the county. Thursday through Sunday, reservations matter. Both Grounds and V share an outdoor courtyard out back: protected from wind and sun, dog-friendly, one of our family's year-round go-to spots. Alchemy across the street is the unhurried beer-and-wine spot for lunch or dinner with a group. The Watering Hole on Big Trees Road has 40 draft beers, a serious bottle list, chef-driven pub food from owner Jason Wright, and a creek-side patio with a fire pit. Closed Wednesdays, which has burned me more than once.
The Murphys Irish Pub is the Main Street music venue, though they're closed Monday and Tuesday. Open Mic is Wednesdays at 6pm. The rest of the week is a rotating calendar of bands, acoustic acts, and karaoke posted on murphysirishpubca.com. The Murphys Historic Hotel saloon dates to 1856 and claims to be the longest continuously operated hotel in California. Documented guests include Mark Twain, Ulysses S. Grant, John Jacob Astor, Horatio Alger Jr., and Charles 'Black Bart' Boles. It's more for the history than the music lineup, but it counts. Aria Bakery at 458 Main opens at 7am for cinnamon rolls and Temple Coffee espresso. Gold Country Roasters at 78 Scott Street, a block off Main, is the other morning ritual; their house roast is the Angels Camp Blend, and they close at 2:30pm. If you're doing one big day on Main Street, my standing recipe is: park once, coffee at Aria, three tasting rooms (Newsome Harlow, Lavender Ridge, Frog's Tooth), lunch at Alchemy, ice cream at Joma's, and you're loose enough to keep going.
🍇 Wine-Down Wednesdays — because learning about wine should be as enjoyable as drinking it. Every Wednesday from 11 AM–5 PM, Anne Marie and Doug guide guests through a casual tasting experience filled with stories, tips, and delicious discoveries.
Our Trivia is 3 rounds, all Multiple Choice. Crafted by our own Doug Conrad and presented by Phil Gomez. Come out for a night of learning and laughter!
The Watering Hole hosts a free weekly summer concert series on Thursday evenings from 5-7 pm, featuring local bands and rotating featured breweries on their outdoor lawn. Running from late May through October 2026.
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“Open Mic” Tonight 7 pm @ The Val du Vino Winery Music Barn. All are welcome, so bring friends and family. Address of The Winery is 634 French Gulch Road, Murphys and the Music Barn is just up the hill from Val du Vino Winery, I look forward to seeing y’all tonight! Darrel
Enjoy awesome wines and wonderful local musicians every Friday from 6pm-8pm on the comfortable and spacious Boyle MacDonald Wines Rooftop. No music on the First Friday of August and September so you can attend First Fridays Free Concerts in the Community Park! Wine tasting flights are served from 12pm-5pm. Wines are served by the glass and bottle beginning at 5pm. We do not take reservations. No loitering. 21 and older only, please. Thanks!
One email Thursday morning with what's coming up in Murphys and the rest of the corridor. No spam, no ads.
The Murphys Irish Pub at 415 Main is the busiest live music room in town, though they're closed Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday is Open Mic at 6pm. The rest of the week rotates bands, acoustic acts, and karaoke; the current calendar is on murphysirishpubca.com. The Watering Hole runs a smaller program on weekends, and Stevenot Winery in Vallecito does summer weekend bands.
About 24 tasting rooms within walking distance of each other on or just off Main, with another handful out in Vallecito. The names locals send people to first: Newsome Harlow, Hovey, Lavender Ridge, Frog's Tooth, Gossamer Cellars. Ironstone Vineyards is the destination winery and worth its own afternoon, but it's a five-minute drive out Six Mile Road, not on Main Street.
Grounds on Main, run by Chef/Owner River Klass since 1992, for breakfast and the kind of dinner you don't expect from a Main Street storefront. Alchemy across the street for the deep beer-and-wine list and group meals. V Restaurant in the back of Grounds' building (Suite L), opened by Michael and Melissa Ninos in 2004, for special occasions and the most upscale room in the county. The Watering Hole on Big Trees Road for craft beer and pub food on a creek-side patio.
Both. Ironstone has the amphitheater, wine caves, gardens, and a brick-oven pizza spot (Gold Leaf Bistro). Joma's makes ice cream on Main Street, and Nelson's Candy a few doors down is a five-generation family candy shop, closed Tuesdays. Firewood does wood-fired pizza for the easy family dinner. The tasting rooms themselves are built around adults; the kid-friendly stuff is at the edges.
On a quiet Wednesday no, on a Saturday or during Murphys Irish Day absolutely. V Restaurant takes reservations. Frog's Tooth recommends them. Most tasting rooms are walk-in, but parties of six or more should call ahead, especially November through April when hours thin out.
Main Street itself is walkable end to end, about a 10-minute stroll past most of the tasting rooms and restaurants. For longer hops (Ironstone, Indian Rock, Vallecito, or back to your rental), use Murphy's Taxi: 209.795.7777 for calls, 209.404.6229 for weekday texts only. Owner Tim Vargas. Hours Mon-Thu 8am-6pm, Fri-Sat to 8pm (7pm Nov-May), Sundays by pre-booking only. There is no Uber or Lyft in Calaveras County.
