FINLEY – Can ice cream and sauvignon blanc be a winning combination? The Lake County Winegrape Commission thought so as it staged the latest in its series of winegrape growers workshops, “The State of Sauvignon Blanc,” at the Big Valley Grange during the month of August.
Nearly 40 Lake County growers attended the workshop and were treated to ice cream floats provided by LuLu’s Ice Cream of Kelseyville whose owners are also winegrape growers in the Kelseyville area. Click here to read more. . .
The current state of the economy has taken a toll on all industries, including that of wine grapes. That, however, has not stopped Lake County from continuing to carve its own identity within the wine grape industry. Read what Western Farm Press has to say about Lake County’s growing wine grape industry:
Lake County wine grape industry gaining identity despite economy
“Whatever allure and romanticism Weiss assumed was in premium wine grape growing almost two decades ago have run head long into the stark economic realities of growing California wine grapes today. Imports and the U.S. recession have hammered U.S. wine sales, particularly premium and ultra premium wines. Premium varietal grape prices have suffered right along with the wine. This year Weiss experienced that once again…”
The Lake County Winegrape Growers has launched a new marketing campaign. The effort is called “Lake County Rising” and is a nod to the growing reputation the region is experiencing as a world-class winegrape and wine producing area.
The people over at Wine Star have written an article after experiencing the “Wines of the Lake” tasting event. Take a look and see how it went for them:
Lake County Wines Delight with Unique Varietals
“Even competing with the Giants game and the rain, we had a decent turn out last night for the “Wines of the Lake” tasting, featuring eight wines from Lake County. The tasting was led by Pietro of Rosa d’Oro Winery and John McDermaid of McDermaid Family Wines. They began with an overview of what makes Lake County unique; describing the higher altitude, the impact of Clear Lake on the vineyards, and the swings in temperature from the low 100F’s during the day to a drop of 50F overnight. We also learned that Lake County has 5 AVA’s (American Viticulture Appellations)…”
See a presentation summary of what makes Lake County so special.
The Yountville section of the 44 mile long Napa Valley Vine Trail will be open to walkers and bike riders on October 22. The path between California Drive and Madison Street has a tree tunnel and panoramic views of the hills and vineyards west of Town. There will be signs for riders can travelling up Solano Avenue from the south and routes that continues on Highway 29, Yount Mill Road, or Yountville Cross Road to head north. For more information about Vine Trail developments, please visit www.vinetrail.org.
2006 Grand Vin, Lake County, $65
“A beautiful wine that will redefine the way you view Lake County. Mostly Merlot, with a drop of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, its extraordinarily rich and refined in the mouth, a lovely wine to drink now. Shows new oak-inspired raspberry, cherry, red currant and Indian spice flavors that linger into a long finish.”
See Wine Enthusiast Top Shelf article: Click Here
On the elevated ridges and flanks of the Mayacamas Mountains to the west and the Vaca Range to the east, Lake County’s 8,380 acres of vineyards ring one of the oldest geological lakes in North America. Under cobalt blue skies that boast the purest air in California, one hundred and forty growers cultivate vines in an astounding array of soils, from rocky volcanic highlands to mountain valleys lined with gravelly river courses.