Rim Rock Now

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Sons of Italy featuring: High Notes, Nice
Info: 707-274-1150.

Karaoke Night, Nice
Info: 707-262-4000, 800-809-3636, or www.rrrc.com.

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Meet the Winemakers: Greg Graziano, Jim and MJ Scott, Naughty Boy Vineyards, Upper Lake
Info: 707-275-2244, or www.broughtonhospitality.com.

DJ Night, Nice
Info: 707-262-4000, 800-809-3636, or www.rrrc.com.

Friday, June 6, 2008

First Friday Fling, Lakeport
Info: 707-263-6658 or www.lakecountyartscouncil.com

Classic Concerts by the Lake: Gary Allen, Kelseyville
Info: 707-279-4281, 800- 660-LAKE, or www.konoctiharbor.com.

Saturday, June 7, 2008

Windows to the Universe Planetarium Show, Kelseyville
Info: 707-262-3499 or www.taylorobservatory.org

Wild West Day, Upperlake
Info: 707-275-2000 or www.upperlakeca.com

Chicken-Que Renaissance Festival, Lakeport
Info: 707-263-3810 or donacarrier@nctac.com.

Friday & Saturday, June 13 & 14, 2008

Live Music Nights, Nice
Info: 707-262-4000, 800-809-3636, or www.rrrc.com.

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Kickin’ in the Country, Kelseyville
Info: 707-349-6633.

DJ Night, Nice
Info: 707-262-4000, 800-809-3636, or www.rrrc.com.

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Kulture Shock Car Show, Lakeport
Info: 707-263-3283, or www.kultureshockcarshow.com.

Wine and Food Pairing and Concert in the Garden, Nice
Info: 707-274-9373, www.tuliphillwinery.com.

Saturday and Sunday, June 21-22, 2008

Middletown Days, Middletown
Info: 707-987-9310

Art and Wine in the Pines, Cobb
Info: 707-928-4201, or cobbmtartists@mchsi.com

Saturday, June 28, 2008

Lake County Home Wine Makers Festival, Kelseyville
Info: 707-277-8172 or edandchar@earthlink.net

Clearlake International Worm Races, Clearlake
Info: 707-994-3600 or www.clearlakechamber.com

A little bit of history and a little bit of economics helps us understand the popularity of Lake County’s volcanic soil and ideal climates for growing wine grapes.  There’s no better resource for this information than WineBusiness.com, from where we’ve excerpted the following brief introduction.  Visit their website for more information on Lake County and it’s 135 grape growers.

Lake County was a major wine producer before Prohibition, with more than 10,000 acres of vineyards and 28 wineries, according to the Lake County Winegrape Growers. Most were replaced by pears, which the county became known for.

The wine business languished, though over time, a few visionaries, like Guenoc’s Orville Magoon, Jess Jackson and Robert Romiguiere, developed new vineyards. Most of these vineyards were in the Big Valley, a low-lying area west of dormant Mount Konocti, and in Guenoc Valley, an isolated area in the southeastern part of the county similar in climate and soils to Pope Valley in Napa County. Both are rich valleys that tend to produce vegetative vines, but they’re fine for Sauvignon Blanc, and Lake County has been best known for supplying excellent inexpensive grapes to many wineries outside the countyusually without credit. These vineyards, however, didn’t produce impressive red wine in general, the most lucrative wine in the last few decades.

Of late, new growers have been developing new vineyards, choosing better hillside locations for the red vines. They are especially suitable for Cabernet Sauvignon and other Bordeaux varietals as well as Petite Sirah and Zinfandel, which are making a comeback, as well as Syrah.

The county’s 135 growers once again manage almost 10,000 acres of planted vineyards, though not all are producing. There are 10 wineries, most less than two years old. Fully 85 percent of its fruit, however, is shipped to wineries in Napa, Sonoma and Mendocino. Though Lake’s growers have clocked relatively little recent history, their results demonstrate that parts of the county can produce wines of high quality and at significantly lower land costs than in Napa or Sonoma nearby.

It’s reported that land in Red Hills costs about $3,500 per acre when major growers started buying it, but grower Clay Shannon said that planted vineyard land now sells for about $30,000 to $35,000 per acre, though few owners are selling land.

Did you know that Lake County grapes are found in superior wines that represent excellent value?  Here is a sample inventory of Lake County wines that K&L Wine Merchants, an upscale wine retailer in Redwood City, California has carried.  Go to http://www.klwines.com for tasting notes, or directly to winery websites for more information.

K&L Featured Selections

2005 Seventy Five Wine Company “Amber Knolls” Lake County Cabernet Sauvignon

2006 Shannon Ridge Lake County Cabernet Sauvignon

2006 Shannon Ridge Lake County Chardonnay

2005 Alpen Cellars Trinity County Pinot Noir Top Pick!

2005 Joel Gott “815 Blend” California Cabernet Sauvignon

2006 Lang & Reed North Coast Cabernet Franc

2005 Hawk Crest California Cabernet Sauvignon

2006 Joel Gott California Sauvignon Blanc

2004 Wild Hog “Nova Vineyard” Lake County Zinfandel

2005 Obsidian Ridge “Obsidian Ridge Vineyard,” Red Hills Lake County Cabernet Sauvignon

2006 Gregory Graham “Bartolucci Vineyard” Lake County Viognier

2004 Dynamite North Coast Cabernet Sauvignon

2005 Paradise Ridge “The Convict” Rockpile Zinfandel

2005 Jelly Jar “Nova Vineyard” Old Vine Zinfandel Lake County

2004 Kent Rasmussen “Esoterica” High Valley Petit Verdot

2005 Enkidu “Diener Ranch” Red Hills Petite Sirah

2006 Pellegrini “Leveroni Vineyard” Lake County Sauvignon Blanc

2006 Enkidu “Humbaba” Red

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Meet the Winemakers: Shannon Ridge Vineyards, Upper Lake
Info: 707-275-2244, or broughtonhospitality.com

Friday, May 2, 2008

First Friday Fling, Lakeport
Info: 707-263-6658, www.lakecountyartscouncil.com

Friday through Saturday, May 2-4, 2008

Lakeport Yacht Club Spring Regatta 2008, Lakeport
Info: 707-279-2192, or www.lakeportyachtclub.com

Saturday, May 3, 2008

Treasures and Trash Sale, Lower Lake
Info: 707-995-3565, or llmuseum@jps.net

Art & Nature, Upper Lake
Info: 707-995-1398, or www.lakecountylandtrust.org

Open Mic with Poetry Music and other Cultural Events, Lakeport
Info: 707-263-1210

Classic Concerts by the Lake: Miranda Lambert, Kelseyville
Info: 707-279-4281, 800- 660-LAKE, or www.konoctiharbor.com.

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Sons of Italy featuring: High Notes, Nice
Info: 707-274-1150.

Saturday, May 10, 2008

Kiss-A-Pig, Lakeport
Info: 707-263-5092, or lakeport@lakeportchamber.com

Lake County’s Windows to the Universe, Kelseyville
Info: 707-262-3499, or www.taylorobservatory.org

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Mothers Day Lunch and Cruise, Kelseyville
Info: 707-994-5432 or www.paddlewheel.com

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Concerts with Conversations: Lakeside Chamber Players, Upperlake
Info: 707-275-2244, or info@tallmanhotel.com, or www.tallmanhotel.com

Thursday through Sunday, May 15-18, 2008

The 25th Annual Catfish Derby, Clearlake Oaks
Info: 707-998-1006, or 888-CL-DERBY, or www.clearlakeoaks.org

Saturday, May 17, 2008

Americana Dinner/4th of July Fundraiser, Clearlake
Info: 707-994-3600, or clearlakechamber@mchsi.com

Saturday and Sunday, May 17-18, 2008

Lake County Passion Play, Upperlake
Info: 707-279-0349, or www.lakecountypassionplay.org

Saturday and Sunday, May 24-25, 2008

Memorial Day Parade & Celebration, Lakeport
Info: 707-279-8606, 707-263-6222, or www.lakeportchamber.com

Friday and Saturday, May 30-31, 2008

Car Roundup 2008, Lakeport
Info: 707-262-1508, 707-263-5092, or www.lakeportchamber.com

Your very own wine country home! A fantasy? Or a very possible dream? It’s real, it’s affordable, and its just minutes from Napa in Lake County.  Whether your dream is to plant grapes and drink your own wine, or simply enjoy the beauty of surrounding vineyards, it’s all here in Lake County at  Rim Rock Ranch. Let us count the ways:

1. Lake County — and Rim Rock — boast rich red soils, gentle slopes and perfect weather conducive to producing the highest quality grapes such as Petite Sirah, Cabernet and Sauvignon Blanc. Our ideal growing conditions are bringing winemakers who say “it’s the stuff people die for.”

2. Lake County is an easy drive from the Bay Area, yet you feel like you’re worlds away. Think Tuscany or Provence. Lake County is definitely the quiet side of the wine country.

3. Land here is a good investment, a real chance to get in at the bottom and see your dream appreciate.

4. Wine tasting in Lake County is like it used to be in Napa - small, friendly, and without all the tour-buses.

5. Lake County has the cleanest air in all of California. We don’t even need to smog check our cars.

6. Lake County — and especially Rim Rock Ranch Vineyard Estates — is gorgeous country, with terrain and natural beauty very similar to Napa, because it’s just over the Napa border.

7.  Why go on an exotic vacation for breathtaking sunsets when you can watch them from your own font own porch? It’s just as stunning here. And a lot less expensive.

8.  There is no traffic. Lake County is beautifully rural. No traffic jams. No parking problems. No hassles.

9. And no crowds either, just abundant amenities and recreational activities!

10. It’s affordable. Okay, we said that. But it bears repeating. You get twice as much for your dollar in Lake County because land here costs half as much as Napa or Sonoma.

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Sixth Annual Winemaker Dinner Series, Kelseyville
Info: 707-278-0129 or www.sawshopbistro.com

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Sons of Italy featuring: High Notes, Nice
Info: 707-274-1150.

Karaoke Night Idol Contest, Nice
Info: 707-262-4000, 800-809-3636, or www.rrrc.com.

Thursday, April 3, 2008

Meet the Winemakers: T.J. and Tammy Mickel, Eden Crest Vineyards, Upper Lake
Info: 707-275-2244, or www.broughtonhospitality.com.

DJ Night, Nice
Info: 707-262-4000, 800-809-3636, or www.rrrc.com.

Friday, April 4, 2008

First Friday Fling, Lakeport
Info: 707-263-6658 or www.lakecountyartscouncil.com

Friday - Saturday, April 4 - 5, 2008

Band Night: Kool Katz, Nice
Info: 707-262-4000, 800-809-3636, or www.rrrc.com

Saturday, April 5, 2008

Fashion Festival 2008, Lower Lake
Info: 707-995-3565 or llmuseum@jps.net

Lake County’s Windows to the Universe, Kelseyville
Info: 707-262-3499 or www.taylorobservatory.org

Open Mic, Lakeport
Info: 707-263-1210.

Senior Lunch Cruise, Lucerne
Info: 707-994-5432 or www.paddlewheel.com

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Sons of Italy featuring: High Notes, Nice
Info: 707-274-1150.

Karaoke Night, Nice
Info: 707-262-4000, 800-809-3636, or www.rrrc.com.

Friday - Saturday, April 11 - 12, 2008

DJ Night, Nice
Info: 707-262-4000, 800-809-3636, or www.rrrc.com.

Saturday, April 12, 2008

No Sales Tax, Nice
Info: 707-274-9373, chriss@tuliphillwinery.com or www.tuliphillwinery.com

Wild West Shoot Out, Kelseyville
Info: 707-349-8559.

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Karaoke Night, Nice
Info: 707-262-4000, 800-809-3636, or www.rrrc.com.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Concerts with Conversations, Upper Lake
Info: 707-275-2244 or info@tallmanhotel.com

DJ Night, Nice
Info: 707-262-4000, 800-809-3636, or www.rrrc.com

Friday, April 18, 2008

Some Remote and Distant Place (play), Lower Lake
Info, tickets: 707-263-4454, 707-263-6658, 707-995-3565 or www.lakecountyartscouncil.com.

Saturday, April 26, 2008

Spring Wildflower Brunch, Clear Lake State Park, Kelseyville
Info: 800-525-3743 or www.heronfestival.org

Saturday-Sunday, April 26-27, 2008

Heron Festival, Clear Lake State Park, Kelseyville
Info: 800-525-3743 or www.heronfestival.com

Blue Lakes Trout Derby, Blue Lakes
Info: 707-275-2718 or www.thenarrowresort.com

Sunday, April 27, 2008

Heron Festival Continental Breakfast, Clear Lake State Park, Kelseyville
Info: 800-525-3743 or www.heronfestival.org

April 2008 Ongoing Events

Radio Controlled Car Races, Lakeport
Info: 707-483-4792 or www.lakeporthobbies.com

Guided Bird Walks at Rodman Slough, Upper Lake
Info: 707-279-0923 or www.lakecountylandtrust.org

Langtry Estate and Vineyard Tours, Middleton
Info: 707-987-2385

Wine Tasting Vineyard Tour, Clearlake Oaks
Info: 707-998-9656 or www.shannonridge.com

Lunch and Dinner Cruises, Lucerne
Info: 707-994-5432 or www.paddlewheel.com

Historic Family Ranch Day Trip: The Wildflower Tour, Clearlake Oaks
Info: 707-998-4471 or elevenrosesranch.com

Saturday, March 1, 2008

Open mic poetry, music, and other cultural performances, Lakeport
Info: 707-263-1210.

Spring Fling Luncheon with renowned speaker Rebecca Kimbel, Nice
Info: 707-994-3873 or bozorgnia6@asl.com.

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Sixth Annual Winemaker Dinner Series, Kelseyville
Info: 707-278-0129 or www.sawshopbistro.com

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Sons of Italy featuring: High Notes, Nice
Info: 707-274-1150.

Thursday, March 6, 2008

Meet the Winemakers! Featuring special dishes to properly compliment featured wines.
Info: 707-275-2244, or www.broughtonhospitality.com.

Friday, March 7, 2008

First Friday Fling, Lakeport
Info: 707-263-6658 or www.lakecountyartscouncil.com
Friday and Saturday, March 7-8, 2008

Coyote Film Festival, Middletown
Info: (707) 928-0323, or www.CoyoteFilmFestival.org.

Saturday, March 8, 2008

Lake County’s Windows to the Universe, Kelseyville
Info: 707-262-3499 or www.taylorobservatory.org

Wine Tasting and Art Show, Clearlake
Info: 707-994-7335

Scout Carnival. Games, food, demonstrations, pillow fights, cake walk, and more! Lakeport
Info: 707-279-2129.

Green My Home workshop, Lucerne Senior Center
Info: 707-998-0135, rtnc@sonic.net, or 707-263-2368, deniser@co.lake.ca.us.

Sunday March 9, 2008

Wine Tasting and Art Show, Clearlake
Info: 707-994-7335

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Sons of Italy featuring: High Notes, Nice
Info: 707-274-1150.

Saturday and Sunday, March 15-16, 2008

21st Annual Holder Ford Team Tournament, Lakeport
Info: 707-263-5603 or www.lakeportchamber.com

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Concerts with Conversations, Upper Lake
Info: 707-275-2244, info@tallmanhotel.com, or www.tallmanhotel.com

Saturday, March 29, 2008

Obedience Trial and Rally Trial, Third-annual dog competition, Kelseyville
Info: 707-279-2490, email: lckc@saber.net, or www.lckcnc.org.

Saturday and Sunday, March 29-30, 2008

Festival of Tulips, Nice
Info: 707-274-9373 or www.tuliphillwinery.com

Sunday, March 30, 2008

Stars of Lake County, Kelseyville
Info: 707-263-5092 or www.lakeportchamber.com.

March 2008 Ongoing Events:

October, 7, 2007- July 23, 2008: Radio Controlled Car Races, Lakeport
Info: 707-483-4792 or www.lakeporthobbies.com

Saturdays: Guided Bird Walks at Rodman Slough, Upperlake
Info: 707-279-0923, 707-994-2024, or www.lakecountylandtrust.org

Tuesdays through Saturday: Battery-operated electric motorcar Langtry Estate and vineyard tours, Middleton
Info: 707-987-2385 (Reservation Required.)

Saturdays and Sundays: Wine Tasting Vineyard Tour, Clearlake Oaks
Info: (707) 998-9656; www.shannonridge.com.

Lunch & Dinner Cruises, Lucerne
Info: (707) 994-5432, www.paddlewheel.com