LOWER LAKE – After much anticipation and hard work by people around the county and country, the very first “People's Choice Wine Awards” will be held this Saturday, Oct. 3.

Hosted by the Lake County Winery Association at Six Sigma Ranch and Winery, the competition will determine the winners in the first ever, comprehensive judging of Lake County wines.

The competition will culminate in a tasting that will take place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Six Sigma Ranch and Winery, 13372 Spruce Grove Rd., Lower Lake.

Kaj Ahlmann, chairman of the Lake County Winery Association, said the competition is a great way to spread the word about Lake County's outstanding wines.

The contest is in two parts, the first of which took place in August when a panel of professional wine judges narrowed down the field of 168 wines down to 38 of the best that Lake County has to offer.

The prestigious panel of judges, made up of wine experts from around the country, included Steve Heimoff of The Wine Enthusiast Magazine; Deborah Parker Wong of The Tasting Panel Magazine; Traci Dutton of Culinary Institute of America; Doug Frost, master sommelier and master of wine; Chris Sawyer, “sommelier to the stars”; Tom DiNardo, sommelier and wine appraiser; Bob Foster, California Grapevine Newsletter; Alan Goldfarb, AppellationAmerica.com; Mike Dunne, Sacramento Bee; and Martha Dunne, Winegigs.com.

The second part of the competition is where the “people’s choice” aspect is engaged, and that is what is taking place this Saturday.

The public is invited to come and judge for themselves the best of what Lake County's wines. Attendees of the inaugural event will have the opportunity to blind taste all 38 of the judges’ nominations.

In addition to the finalists there will be 20 other wines to sample which earned from the judges awards of distinction.

Food will also be available, provided by Teo’s Lakeside Bistro, Nice; Main Street Pizza, Lakeport; Bigg's 155 Diner, Lakeport; and Twin Pine Casino's Manzanita Restaurant, Middletown.

Tickets are $25. You must be 21 years of age or older to purchase.

For more information, call 707-994-4068 or 707-355-2762 or visit www.lakecountywineries.org .

Ross A. Christensen is Lake County News' food and wine writer. Follow him on Twitter, http://twitter.com/Foodiefreak .