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

1. Although red wine can only be produced from red grapes, white wine can be produced from both red and white grapes.

2. There are some 20 million acres of grapes planted across the world; grapes are ranked as the world’s number one fruit crop thanks to this number.

3. On average, there are approximately 75 grapes in each cluster.

4. Wine has so many organic chemical compounds it is considered more complex than blood serum.

5. The shape of the shallow and wide-mouthed Champagne or sparkling wine glass is thought to be a tribute to the “breast” of Marie Antoinette, but the Greek’s claim it is a tribute to Helen of Troy.

6. The average life span of a grapevine is 25 years, but grapevines are capable of producing grapes for 100 years or more.

7.  A glass of wine (about 4 oz.) contains about 85 calories.

8. The wine industry generates over 145,000 jobs in California.

9. The phrase “rule of thumb” was first coined when brewers did not have thermometers and would dip a thumb or finger into the liquid to determine the ideal temperature for adding yeast.

10. The first corkscrew was invented in the mid-1800s.

11. When Mount Vesuvius buried Pompeii in volcanic lava, it also buried more than 200 wine bars.

12. The number of commercial wineries in the U.S. has tripled since the 1980’s.

13. Portugal is the world’s leading cork producer.

14. One acre of grapevines equals about 800 gallons of wine.

15. Foot treading of grapes is still used in producing a small quantity of the best port wines.

Although investing in land can be easier then traditional property, there are still a few common mistakes that many new investors make. Be sure to avoid these 8 common mistakes that could cost you thousands of dollars.

1.    Get Rich Quick!
It is not uncommon for new land investors to assume they make money fast in the real estate market. However, land investment is a slow and steady process, and patience will make you more successful in the long run.

2.   Buying Inexpensive Land
Buying land just because it’s cheap is a big mistake. You want to find land that has potential for future growth, and competitively cheap land is often land that some one is trying to get off their hands. If you happen to find a great deal, that’s fine. Just make sure to do ample research.

3.    Purchasing Foreign Land Without Research
When buying land overseas, it is important to do extensive research on the areas where you invest. Make sure the area is politically and economically sound.

4.    Not Getting Help
Investing in land is not the kind of project you want to take on alone. It is a good idea to seek out a small team of specialists to help you through all the steps and make sure you don’t miss any important details.

5.    Not Checking the Bank Account
It seems simple enough, check your bank and make sure you can afford the land before you buy it. Specifically, make sure you can afford the entire project: hiring specialists to help, having the money to buy the land, having the money to do what you want with the land…

6.    Putting all Your Eggs in one Basket
Investing in land does not always work exactly how you would like it to. Make sure you have a plan B, C, and even D.

7.    Falling for the Property
There’s nothing wrong with loving a property at first sight, but don’t forget to take off your love goggles long enough to make sure it has everything you need.

8.    Not making a Check-List
This one’s important: have a well-planned checklist handy at all times. You never know when you’re going to get a call on a piece of property you like and you’ll be expected to ask questions. Being prepared will put you well above other buyers and will impress sellers.

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.

There are so many wine glass shapes and manufacturers that it can become overwhelming when you’re trying to buy the right glasses for enjoying the colors, tastes, and aromas of wine.  We’ve found the Wine Doctor a great resource with opinions like these…

1. When choosing wine glasses pay attention to the material from which it is made. Part of the enjoyment of wine is appreciation of the color. The color can also impart a lot of information about the wine, giving clues to the grapes used, the age of the wine, and so on. Consequently, wine glasses made from colored or frosted glass, or worse still solid materials such as pewter or silver, are useless.

2. When choosing wine glasses, make sure that you select glasses, which are of a sufficient size. The bowl should be large enough to allow a fair measure to be poured, whilst leaving enough room for the wine to be gently swirled without spilling the wine. This swirling action is to release aromas from the wine, and is therefore vitally important.

3. The glass must have a stem, not just for aesthetic reasons, but mainly so that the wine glass may be held without covering the bowl in greasy fingerprints. Holding by the stem also ensures that warmth from the hand does not increase the temperature of a wine that has been served chilled. Watch any accomplished wine taster and you will notice that their hand very rarely touches the bowl, as it quickly becomes second nature to hold the glass only by the stem or base.

4. So, in choosing our wine glasses, we have selected a style made from clear glass, which has a stem, and is of a decent size. There are other important considerations also. The shape of the bowl is of considerable importance. Good wine glasses taper in somewhat at the top, so that the aperture is narrower than the bowl lower down. A wine taster will use a swirling action to release precious aromas from the wine, and this tapered shape serves to concentrate the aromas towards the nose. This design is particularly evident in glasses designed for Pinot Noir, in which appreciation of the full range of aromas is so important in enjoying the wine.

And there you have the basics of choosing the right wine glasses.  For more on this topic, visit www.theWineDoctor.com

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

Owning a horse is a big decision, as they require a lot of attention and effort to keep healthy. Please enjoy this beginners guide to raising a horse from Rim Rock Ranch.

Food:
Too much feed can leave your horse with excessive energy and even health problems. A steady diet of good hay or forage feeds is best. Horses need “snacks” throughout the day due to their capacious digestive system, so you should put hay in the barn or the horse to pasture.

Water:
Horses bodies are about 70 % water, and they can require up to 12 gallons of water each day. You should make sure your horse always have a supply of clean, fresh water.

Shelter:
At some point or another all horses will need shelter. A sturdy, roomy shelter shed for two horses should be about 5 x 10 meters wide and 2.5 meters high.

Company and Personal Space:
Horses love their personal space. Allowing your horse to have at least 15 feet of space on all sides while grazing will keep them happy. However, horses are also social creatures. It is a good idea to give “friends” to keep them company. Be careful not to put rivaling horses near each other.

Grooming:
Another important factor in taking care of a horse is grooming. You should always have a Hoof Pick, a currycomb, and a stiff brush nearby. However, grooming techniques can vary from horse to horse so it’s a good idea to research how to properly groom your specific horse.

Dental Care:
Horses require routine dental care, especially as they become older. Fall is the best time to check a horse’s teeth before winter-feeding of coarse hays.

Mucking-out:
Another important part of keeping your horse healthy is “mucking-out” their stall daily. Mucking-out is a term for removing waste, dirt, and soiled bedding a horse’s stall. You should always maintain a clean, comfortable, sanitary bed for your horse or horses.

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