Mensam Mundum – World Table: Weekend rains didn’t dampen enthusiasm for Lake County Wine Adventure
- ESTHER OERTEL
- Posted On
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Overcast skies, rain, and even hail didn’t put a damper on the enthusiasm of visitors and locals participating in this year’s Lake County Wine Adventure.
Twenty wineries throughout the county, from Upper Lake to Middletown, hosted tastings for the annual passport event organized by the Lake County Winery Association.
Some wineries offered food, as well, often thoughtfully paired with their wines.
While day-of ticket sales are still being tallied, Helena Walsh, executive director of the Lake County Winery Association, estimated that close to 1,000 participated in this year’s Wine Adventure.
My husband and I toured the county and enjoyed many of the wineries over the weekend. We began our adventure on Saturday at Langtry Estate and Vineyards in Middletown, one of the check-in points for the event.
It was quiet when we entered, but I was glad to learn that the pelting rain hadn’t kept people away. According to Buffy Thomas, who was pouring at the wine bar, we had just missed a lively time when dozens of people arrived promptly at 11 a.m. to check in.
Three of Langtry’s wines were offered, two made with their Petit Syrah grapes, and bouquets of lavender graced the tables.
When we arrived at Six Sigma Ranch, Vineyards & Winery, proprietor Kaj Ahlmann was on hand to greet each visitor as they arrived.
Six Sigma is a true working ranch, and on the 2-mile jaunt from the road to their historic tasting room, a former stagecoach depot, we were treated to views of pastured cattle and sheep.
We also caught glimpses of the bike trails built on the ranch for competitive high school events. One such event was held the weekend prior to the Wine Adventure, and we were told by Ahlmann that nearly 5,000 people visited the grounds over that two-day period.
Four of their wines were poured in a tent which protected visitors from the inclement weather, each matched with a tasty bite of food. Visitors were handed a plate with all four hors d’oeuvres upon arrival, which made for convenient pairing.
Ahlmann shared that despite the rain, there were no complaints from visitors; in fact, some saw it as an opportunity to purchase wine since excessive heat wouldn’t spoil it when stored in their vehicle.
I chatted with Wendy and Daniel Kodur, residents of Newark, Calif., in the tasting tent and learned that they traveled to Lake County to join Kelseyville friends on the Wine Adventure, their first. Both were impressed with the welcoming spirit they encountered at the wineries.
The sun shone beautifully on the Brassfield Estate when we visited on Sunday morning. The impressive Tuscan-style villa was buzzing with visitors there to taste the wine.
Hand-crafted California olive oils and imported balsamic vinegars were on display just outside the tasting room on a covered patio. A wide variety of flavors were available for tasting which made it a popular spot.
Young parents Mike and Jeannette from Oakland invited their children’s grandparents along as extra hands so they could experience the event.
With a cumulative total of nine Wine Adventures under their belt, they’re true veterans and consider the event to be Lake County’s “open house.”
They said that the quality of Lake County wines, as well as their great value, keeps them coming back year after year. They especially appreciate the wide-open spaces at Brassfield which their children enjoy.
As we left the Brassfield Estate, the sun retreated and rain followed us to our next destination. We learned later that hail fell in Lower Lake just before we passed through.
It was a family affair at the Gregory Graham Estate Vineyards & Winery, with Marianne Graham’s brother, Patrick, at the entrance and her mother (whose name tag said “MOM”), pouring chardonnay at the first tasting station. Gregory and Marianne Graham were also on hand to chat with visitors.
Of the wineries we visited, this one had the most generous food offerings. Pulled pork sliders (along with coconut slaw and mac and cheese) were paired with their 2012 Estate Syrah, and for dessert, fried waffle balls were paired deliciously with Zinfandel and Moscato wines.
As we were leaving I stopped to chat with a trio of friends, all locals, Denise Combs, Lisa Baker and Laura Sammel, who were on their second winery stop of the day.
All three were enthusiastic about their winery visits thus far. Baker, a two-year resident and two-time participant, has found the Wine Adventure a good way to be introduced to both the county and its wines.
Combs and Sammel are Certified Tourism Ambassadors, and said that in addition to personal enjoyment, they appreciate that the Wine Adventure draws people into the county and provides them with a positive experience.
Just up the road from the Gregory Graham Estate is Vigilance Winery & Vineyards, where wines from the Shannon family were served overlooking sweeping views of vineyards. Clear Lake shone like a blue jewel just beyond them.
This winery had a nosh on offer with each wine they served. According to my husband, the triangles of pastry with raspberry and chocolate paired nicely with their bourbon barrel-aged Buck Shack Cabernet.
Our next destination was Thorn Hill Vineyards. I had passed by this winery often while traversing Highway 29 over the years, and was glad to have the opportunity to stop in.
Winemaker and co-owner Amy Thorn greeted visitors and poured wines at a station near the door.
Four wines, each creatively paired with a flavorsome tidbit, were available in the cozy tasting room, complete with a fire hearthside to dispel the day’s gloom.
It was interesting to learn that Thorn and her husband purchased the land after tasting a Cabernet from the same region, the Red Hills AVA. She said that with one sip she knew that this was the place she wanted to develop their winery.
After leaving Thorn Hill, we headed to Boatique Winery, which is nestled in the hills leading up to Cobb Mountain.
True to its name, this winery boasts an impressive collection of museum-quality wooden boats, all polished to a luminous shine, along with a few vintage automobiles.
Their first pour was a bubbly chardonnay, and guests were welcome to make their own snack mix at a popcorn bar.
While at Boatique, I met best friends and Lake County residents Katelyn Andersen and Shannon Billeci, who were dressed in 1950s-style ensembles. They enjoy wine-tasting and make the Wine Adventure an annual outing.
They tipped me off to an ice sculpture at nearby Laujor Estate, and since it was nearing the end of the day, my husband and I decided to head over there for a quick visit.
As we walked down the hill from our car to the Laujor tasting room, we noticed that those leaving were sporting colored daisies in their hair or behind their ears.
When we entered the tasting room, we saw why: Laujor Estate had a well-orchestrated 1960s “Summer of Love” theme going on.
Nearly everyone representing Laujor, from the owner/winemaker to volunteer pourers, were outfitted in apparel from the era, and flowers were dispensed to visitors upon tasting wine.
Fire pits were aflame on the patio, where one could taste Cabernet paired with meatballs accompanied by a wine sauce.
My favorite part of our visit there was the “wine luge” ice sculpture in the shape of a VW love bus. Two volunteers, Lu and Marti, poured wine through tubing in the luge so it was dispensed cold.
The wine used is dubbed Mystique, and I was told it was half Cabernet, half Sauvignon Blanc, with a spritz of Syrah.
Afterwards, I was given a peace sign sticker to celebrate the rite of passage.
We had just enough time to visit one more winery, so we drove north to Olof Cellars, which sits in the beautiful valley between Kelseyville and Lakeport with views of Mt. Konocti.
Though it was near the conclusion of the Wine Adventure, owners Eric and Cindi Olof warmly welcomed us and others who had opted to end the day at this venue.
Since I was the designated driver for the weekend, very little wine passed my lips. I was about to make an exception, however, for a wine I had heard about from another adventurer.
Without much detail, I was told that Olof Cellars had a “white wine for red wine drinkers” and I was intrigued enough to try it.
It turns out this wine is made from Nebbiolo, a red Italian varietal. For the Olof Cellars White Nebbiolo I tasted, the skins were removed, giving the wine a rich golden color.
The delightful flavor was worth every sip, and it was perfectly paired with a mango flatbread and sweet slaw with salmon.
I had a chance to converse with Eric Olof, a self-taught winemaker, and learned that he planted Italian and French varietals that thrive in our Mediterranean-like climate. As far as he knows, he’s the only U.S. winemaker that presses Nebbiolo grapes.
As much as I wished I could have visited all 20 participating wineries, time constraints prevented it. Even so, the weekend was immensely rich, and as I looked through the many photos I took over the weekend, I was impressed, as always, by the diversity of our wineries and the sheer beauty of our county.
Esther Oertel is a writer and passionate home cook from a family of chefs. She grew up in a restaurant, where she began creating recipes from a young age. She’s taught culinary classes in a variety of venues in Lake County and previously wrote “The Veggie Girl” column for Lake County News. Most recently she’s taught culinary classes at Sur La Table in Santa Rosa, Calif. She lives in Middletown, Calif.