The Road to Twisted

Twisted Oak is a winery in Calaveras County, California. Go east about three miles from Angels Camp on California Highway 4 to the picturesque Vallecito area. At Red Hill Road, you’ll see an old wooden outbuilding apparently being help up by the Twisted Oak banner. This building is now crammed with rubber chickens. Look for the ones trying to escape. The private road to the winery (and tasting room) is a winding, uphill gravel experience of great Sierra foothill views and lots of smiles provided by the people who run this business. It’s probably the best half-mile of driving fun in the state.

The winery uses the rubber chicken as a symbol of its commitment to fun, at least that’s how I see it. I’ve never talked with them about it. The rubber chicken has been a comedy prop at least as long as I can remember; as soon as you see a rubber chicken you have to at least smile if not laugh outright. Although I couldn’t find any evidence, I think the rubber chicken comedy prop goes back to at least vaudeville days. If you take the twisted road up to Twisted Oak, you’ll see plenty of them. And at the top of the hill, you’ll surely be in a good mood.

If you really want to have some fun, try to outdo them. Walk in wearing a clown nose or get dressed up as an Easter bunny – give them something to remember you by! They’ll appreciate it – especially if you go out carrying a case of their wine; I hear it’s quite good.

This is not some centuries-old and stuffy European type winery; fun and creativity are paramount here. How else might you explain wine with names such as:

The Spaniard

Murgatroyd

Pig Stai

River of Skulls

and

*%#&@! (known colloquially as “Potty Mouth”)

Their Web site is:

http://www.twistedoak.com/

Enjoy the ride.

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