LAKEPORT — The Pretari family picks a ton of grapes grown off Konocti Bay Road, crushes them, and flows the juice through the fermentation process, from a vat, to steel then oak barrels and into bottles.
“It”s a fun thing to do,” Barry Hickson, one of the Pretari winemakers said. “Anyone who hasn”t tried it should take a chance.”
David Pretari and his family served their homemade wine Saturday in Lakeport at the Lake County Home Winemakers Festival. They won a ribbon for their zinfandel.
Twenty-one winemakers from around the state and nine Lake County wineries poured libations along with 14 home brewers at the 8th annual Lake County Home Winemakers Festival, winemaker Ed Bublitz said, who recruited home winemakers for the event. The event benefits the Clear Lake Performing Arts, which supports the Lake County Symphony, scholarships and music education in elementary schools.
“The wines are surprisingly very, very good,” Bublitz said.
Organizers moved the event from downtown Kelseyville, where it was held the last seven years, to Library Park in Lakeport to combat the heat. Vendors and organizations lined the Park Street selling crafts and food and local businesses donated items for a silent auction.
Theda Sheffield came from Woodland for the event. She said she likes meeting the winemakers and learning about the process.
“It personalizes the wine,” Sheffield said.
She said during 30 years of wine tasting, she and her college friend, Julie Pimentel of Lakeport, have seen home winemakers and small wineries grow and become well-known brands.
Pimentel said they love wine.
“We like to promote Lake County wines because nobody knows about them and they”re great,” she said.
Best in Show awards went to Scott and Sue Simkover of Kelseyville”s Smiling Dogs Ranch for their 2009 Merlot and to Greg Conley, of Conley Wines in Middletown, for his 2002 Port.
Conley said he got into home winemaking in 1997 because his son works at a winery and pushed him to start. He said he has the perfect basement in Middletown to use as a wine cellar.
“You”ve got to have the right spot,” Conley said. “If you don”t have the right conditions, it won”t work.”
He said winemaking is also a fun family project. On his wine labels a quote reads, “Bringing family and friends together.”
Donna Chisholm, Lakeport, sipped the Pretari family winemakers” zinfandel from a homemade wineglass holder necklace. She said the wine was “very smooth.”
Chisholm said she”s never made wine, but she usually likes to drink white wine.
“I think it would be fun to make it,” Chisholm said. “But I don”t know where I would put all the bottles of wine.”
Contact Katy Sweeny at kdsweeny@gmail.com or call her directly at 263-5636, ext. 37.
