LAKEPORT — More than 40 home winemaking enthusiasts from around Northern California, will join with most of Lake County”s leading wineries on Saturday, in the eighth annual Home Wine Makers Festival, taking place for the first time in Lakeport”s Library Park. The event is the major fundraiser for non-profit Clear Lake Performing Arts, the county”s major music-support group.
Home brewers, too, will provide samples of their best beers and ales, with their efforts being judged not only by attendees but also members of the Beer Judge Certification Program of the American Home Brewers Association. Wines will be judged in seven different classifications and more than two dozen varietals and blends by a panel of professionals.
Entry fees at the gate are $20 per person and include a commemorative wine glass. Tickets may be obtained in advance for $15 from most area wineries, chambers of commerce, bookstores and other businesses. Sales of discounted tickets end at 6 p.m. on Friday.
Attendees can expect to sample most of what Lake County produces in fine wines and vote for their favorites, as well as enjoying the music of the popular David Neft duo. Many wineries schedule special promotional sales to coincide with the Festival.
Arts and crafts groups and individuals, as well as food vendors, also play a key role in the Festival, with 19 of the former and five of the latter participating.
The women of the CLPA Auxiliary ? the fund-raising arm of the parent organization ?are also holding a major silent auction and raffle, with dozens of prizes provided by many Lake County businesses and individuals.
The Winefest — its abbreviated name — originally took place in Kelseyville, but last year temperatures on that community”s Main Street, prompting organizers to seek a venue with more grass and shade.
The festival is open to the public from 1 to 5 p.m., but participants are urged to have their exhibits in place no later than noon. Those seeking directions should visit the main CLPA Booth adjacent to the gazebo. For advance information, call 277-7076 or e-mail murrayjc@sbcglobal.net.
