Elizabeth Wilson
Staff Writer
Last in a two-part series
LAKE COUNTY ? From Finger Lakes, New York to Santa Barbara on up to Lake County, emerging wine regions are busting into the agritourism business.
What differentiates Lake County from other regions, wine grape growers say, is both its proximity to world-renowned Napa Valley, but also a unique character that sets it apart from the well-trodden Silverado Trail, where wineries are positioned cheek by jowl ? a steady stream of Ferraris and BMW”s zooming along as though trying to prevent the smell of rotting grape skins from clinging to their leather seats.
Not to say that Lake County is less refined ? we too have that distinct harvest-time smell. But there is no denying the county offers something a little more rustic than neighboring Napa. All part of the appeal, say residents, who like that there are fewer stoplights here than you can count on your fingers, and that the tallest building is the four-story courthouse in Lakeport.
Despite it all the burgeoning wine industry has eased into the county with very few ripples. There are some who adamantly wish to retain walnut orchards and pears as the county”s main crops, but for the most part the response has been positive, growers say.
One local patron at Kelseyville”s new wine bar, Focused on Wine, characterized the easy-going nature of the Lake County wine-tasting experience in one sentence: “Stephanie here (the owner of Focused on Wine) is such an excellent sommelier. And do you know what makes her that way? (the small crowd that had gathered leaned in, eager to learn the secret to wine-expertise) Well, she”s from Somalia!”
A satisfyingly raucous laughter arose around the room, and despite the glossy oak counters and racks of fine wines, you knew you were in Lake County.
One year ago, 11 of Lake County”s 14 wineries had tasting rooms, but this July, 18 of the now 22 wineries offered wine tasting during the third annual Lake County Wine Adventure. And ticket sales were the best yet, with over 1,500 people purchasing tickets to participate, as compared to last year”s sales of 1,200 tickets. Many of those purchasing tickets were locals, according to the Lake County Winegrowers Commission.
The big names building the wineries are being drawn to the area for various reasons; the land in Lake County sells for 10 percent of similar land in Napa, but the costs are shooting up at rates higher than neighboring counties. A mere four years ago a planted acre could be purchased for about $18,000.
Today that land would sell for around $35,000 ? still a bargain compared to the $350,000 you could expect to pay in Napa. The grapes are good quality and garner high prices?sometimes $2,200 or more per ton, and the dry weather and cold winters translate into less mildew and pest problems than in other wine regions.
Rick Gunier, director of marketing for Shannon Ridge Tasting Room and Winery says an appealing part of growing grapes in Lake County is the relative ease of the operation as compared to other crops.
“Almost all of our harvesting is done with a mechanical harvester, which means we can replace 40 people per shift, versus pears that have a lot more issues with finding people during harvest. Other crops have to hassle with pesticides, but for grapes, we mostly use sulfur, and our biggest issue isn”t bugs, it”s mildew. The little guys die off each winter?so all of this makes Lake County attractive to larger names, like the Myers family with Snows Lake,” said Gunier.
According to viticulturalist Charlie Hossom of Snows Lake Vineyards, there are many acres of ideal land for grape growing left to be discovered, and a keen eye can tell by the vegetation growing on the land whether or not grapes would thrive there. “Ideally, you want grapes to be on slopes that are well drained and aerated. Volcanic soils where we are produce a high wine quality,” said Hossom.
With very few heat spikes over 100 degrees, especially in the higher elevation vineyards above 2,000 feet , where cooling breezes can cause temperatures to dip down 40 degrees at night, this year”s crop looks normal in quality and number of tons, according to Gunier. “We”re looking at a quality crop this year that we”re hoping will have a good, balanced fruit structure,” he said.
Part One was published in Thursday”s edition of the Lake County Record-Bee, and is available at our website, www.record-bee.com. Contact Elizabeth Wilson at ewilson@record-bee.com
