Upper Lake >> Lake County Wine Studio (LCWS) is hosting a wine tasting event featuring wine releases from Calvino Jones Wines with winemaker Quincy Steele, and artist reception with photography by Jeff Tangen today 5-8 p.m. and Saturday 4-7 p.m.. Musical guest today will be Majide.
The $12.50 ($10 per person for studio club members) wine sampler with paired appetizers created by Cache Creek Catering, will feature the 2012 Sauvignon Blanc with a white bean and olive tapenade with crostini; 2012 Old Vine Zinfandel and cheese fondue with marble potatoes; 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon with an artisan salami Cabernet party mix and the 2012 Red Blend with roasted pork tenderloin and onion with a dried cherry compote.
Born and raised in Anderson Valley and Kelseyville, Steele grew up working in his family’s winery and vineyards. He was sure he wasn’t going to make wine professionally, so he studied history and English for a couple years as an undergraduate before taking a year to work in a winery in Australia. Realizing his passion for making wine, and traveling, eating and drinking, he went back to school to study chemistry, biology, enology and viticulture. Along the way he worked in a few wineries in California, Argentina, and recently Burgundy, and cooked in a few restaurants around the country. Somewhere in that mix he started a Lake County focused line of wines called Writer’s Block, and a smaller production more specific winemaking project called Calvino Jones from vineyards in Anderson Valley and Lake County. While he considers himself a thoughtful, relatively young and experienced winemaker, he might sum up his work with wine by the phrase, “The intimate games I play with yeast.”
Tangen has lived in Northern California wine country for the last 30 years, 18 of which he has been in Lake County. The artist took up photography as a serious venture in 2006. He began by specializing in vineyards and wine related themes, but soon found much more to capture with his lens. Tangent considers his photography as an emotional experience. He won’t press the shutter unless he feels like saying WOW at the scene he is viewing. With a little good fortune and skill, he can convey that same “wow” to the viewer of his images.
“The majority of what makes good photography is waiting for the right light. I often think of the title ‘Until We Meet Again’ that I gave to one of my images. Both the image and the title express the thought that magnificent scenes are often short and fleeting but will repeat themselves,” Tangen said.
He has won a number of awards for his work and has exhibited both in the U.S. and Europe. Many of his images have been used in magazines, catalogs, brochures, billboards and advertisements, and even an appearance on Good Morning America.
“I love the beauty of Lake County. There is so much diversity in both landscape and culture. I hope to enjoy that for many years to come,” Tangen said.
LCWS is both a gallery for display of arts and a tasting room, wine bar and retail shop for the wines of Lake County. Artist’s shows are held on a monthly basis with art and wine receptions held the first Friday and subsequent Saturday of each month.
The gallery is located at 9505 Main St. in Upper Lake. It is open Thursday, Saturday and Sunday from 1 to 7 p.m. and Friday from 1 to 8 p.m.. For more information callthe studio at (707) 275-8030.
