Great Wine, Food and More: Surprising Sacramento California

San Francisco, San Diego and Los Angeles get the most attention from travel agents. But the California capital of Sacramento is finding its own way these days and definitely deserving of your business.

Air Canada on May 17 began non-stop, year-round flights between Vancouver/YVR and Sacramento, making the city that much easier for Canadians to visit, and for Canadian agents to book.

It’s a surprising city in a lot of ways, with excellent food, great local wines, engaging coffee shops, friendly locals and more. “Old Town” is a western-feeling spot on the Sacramento River that’s very popular with tourists, but I was more taken with the sleek hotels and lovely restaurants in the booming downtown region when I was there a few months ago.

Here’s a look at some great things you should check out in a California city that’s much easier on your wallet – and on our Canadian dollar - than some.

WINE TASTING

Just a few minutes from downtown, The Old Sugar Mill is a towering old brick building that used to process sugar beets and now house more than a dozen wine-tasting rooms. There’s also a shady picnic area. Try the red wines at Clarksburg for a nice treat. I loved the C. Vociferous blend, which one of the workers described as “a pissed off Petite Sirah.” Bogle Winery is reached by a pretty road that takes you past farmhouses and Sacramento River levees. They’re often available in Canada.

DINING

Grange Restaurant and Bar is a great dining spot inside the stately Citizen Hotel. I had a terrific tequila drink with chile and grapefruit called an Aye Carumba. A large serving of perfect scallops came with mustard seeds and greens and a slab of smoked bacon. I also had a great salad with local greens, persimmons, feta cheese and almonds. Zocalo is a beautiful Mexican restaurant built inside a former car dealership. The pork shoulder tacos are out-of-this-world good. Old Soul is a funky coffee spot and roastery in an alley a short walk away.

ACTIVITIES AND TOURS

A cycling or running tour to check out the vivid murals in downtown Sacramento is a great way to spend a couple hours. You’ll find colourful, blue, purple and pink likenesses of Lady Gaga and haunting paintings of young children, along with stylized California bears and other designs by artists from all around the world. You’ll also cruise past cool neighborhoods with fun pubs and restaurants carved out of old warehouses and factories.

The California state capitol building is a gleaming white palace with a gorgeous copper dome. The state offers free tours that show off gleaming wood balustrades, intricate mosaic floors and the spacious interior dome. You’ll also find portraits of former governors, including Arnold Schwarzenegger and Ronald Reagan.

Old Sacramento is a fun spot with dozens of historic buildings and an “Old West” feel from the state’s Gold Rush days. Shop for souvenirs or head to The Spud Shack, which serves “fries from around the world,” including poutine. The California State Railroad Museum in Old Sacramento is regarded as one of the top rail museums in the U.S. One of the displays is an old Canadian National sleeper car.

The Golden 1 Center is one of the sleekest arenas in the U.S. and home to the Sacramento Kings of the NBA. The food options are endless; everything from southern barbeque to chicken on a donut (and you thought Canadians were crazy). They also have a Sierra Nevada draught beer house, a vodka bar and a tequila bar. Hiccup.

ON THE HORIZON

The Bank is a beautiful, 1912 bank building downtown that’s being transformed into a spacious food and drink emporium, with bars located in old basement vaults and a bright, spacious main space that will serve up cool drinks and local food from some of the city’s top dining places. It should open by early fall. https://www.thebank629j.com/

STAYING

The Kimpton Sawyer is a sleek, new hotel in the heart of downtown; walking distance to great shops and restaurants. You’ll find high ceilings, big bathrooms, free wine in the evening and a sexy rooftop pool that feels more South Beach than Sacramento.

AIR CANADA INFORMATION: www.aircanada.ca