January 21, 2014
Jose Garcia, Octavio Calvillo, Moises Aguilar and Juan Ramirez Arroyo from the Master Vigneron Academy Class of 2013. Graduation of the class will take place February 4.
See story below.
A Note from the Commission President ...

 

With harvest and the holidays behind us, it is such a pleasure to enjoy these beautiful crisp, clear January days. And while New Year greetings are still being exchanged, the topic that seems to immediately follow is the need for rain.

 

On Friday, Gov. Jerry Brown officially declared a statewide drought emergency citing the state's lowest level of rainfall in 153 years and asking residents and businesses to voluntarily reduce water consumption by 20 percent.

 

With that in mind, the Commission is collaborating with the Lake County Farm Bureau to host a workshop with an eye to water, so stay tuned for details. Meanwhile, resources and conservation tips are available at:  http://cdfa.ca.gov/drought and http://www.saveourh2o.org.

 

Don't miss Momentum! on Thursday, January 23 - this second seminar in our series will provide targeted information to better understand the market demand for Lake County winegrapes and wines and what buyers expect. It's a great opportunity to ask questions directly of industry experts and mingle with others in our local wine community. Be sure to register today!

 

Next month, the Commission will celebrate the graduation of our Master Vigneron Academy's Class of 2013 on February 4, host a small-grower sustainability workshop on February 11, present a Taste of Lake County to key sommeliers in San Francisco (also on February 11), and present our final Momentum! seminar with keynote speaker Andy Beckstoffer on February 20.

  

Congratulations to Shannon Ridge and Vigilance wineries for garnering three Best of Class honors at the 2014 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition! The awards went to Shannon Ridge's 2012 Sauvignon Blanc, and Vigilance's 2011 Cimarron and 2012 Chardonnay.

 

See you all at Momentum!

Cheers,

Debra

In This Issue
Lake County
in the Media
Terry Dereniuk joins the Lake County Winery Association as its new executive director.  Read more and find additional articles on the Commission's web site.

On the radio ...
"The Elixir of Lake County:  The New Wine Country of Northern California" on The Taira St. John Show, KPFZ Radio 88.1 FM, Wednesdays, 2:00-3:00 pm, and replayed Mondays, 1:00-2:00 pm
Upcoming guests:
01-29-14 - Gloria Flaherty, President, Lake Family Resource Center

02-05-14 - Mark Burch, Winemaker, Chacewater Winery, and Julie Hoskins, Chic Le Chef 

02-12-14 - Margaret Silveira, City Manager, City of Lakeport  

 

Informative Momentum! Seminar Series Continues

 

 KELSEYVILLE - The Lake County Winegrape Commission (LCWC) is pleased to present the second seminar in a three-seminar series titled "Momentum!" on Thursday, January 23, 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Soper-Reese Theatre, 275 S. Main St., Lakeport.    

Keynote presentations from Dan Aguilar, managing director of Silicon Valley Bank's Wine Division, and Christian Miller, proprietor of Full Glass Research and research director of Wine Opinions, will highlight the session.

 

 Don't miss this exciting presentation.
Advance registration strongly recommended. Sign up now!  

 

REGISTER HERE


MVAcademyMaster Vigneron Academy Graduates Class of 2013

LAKEPORT - The Lake County Winegrape Commission is graduating its second class of Master Vigneron Academy participants, a select group of supervisors and foremen from Lake County vineyards. Seven individuals completed this year's courses and will be honored at a graduation ceremony February 4, from 11:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m., at the Soper-Reese Theatre.

 

The Academy graduates for 2013 are Moises Aguilar and Francisco Duarte, Beckstoffer Vineyards, Red Hills; Octavio and Adolfo Calvillo, Rogers Vineyards; Jason Webb, Stonehouse Cellars; Juan Ramirez Arroyo, Robinson Lake Vineyards; and Jose Garcia, JAC, Lake County.

Sustainable Winegrowing Workshop Scheduled

KELSEYVILLE - Thanks to a decision by the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance (CSWA), a pilot program will assist 4-6 "small acreage" winegrape growers in Lake County with achieving sustainable winegrowing certification for their vineyards.

 

A workshop for interested winegrape growers is scheduled for February 11, 9:00-11:00 a.m., at the Lake County Winegrape Commission office, 3895 Main Street. Growers who would qualify as "small acreage" (10 to 50 acres of vineyards) and who are able and willing to meet the obligations and prerequisites are invited to participate, according to Paul Zellman, Education Programs director with the Commission.

The deadline for registration for the orientation meeting is February 4. To register or to inquire about the program, call Zellman at 707-621-2668 or send him an email at [email protected].

FRIENDLY REMINDER:

For any grower considering crop insurance for the coming 2014 harvest, crop insurance policies MUST BE SIGNED BY JANUARY 31, 2014. Contact your insurance provider for details.
Upcoming Events
Lake County Winegrape Commission events can be found on the Commission's web site Calendar. Check out this month's happenings!

Momentum!
Thursday, January 23
Soper-Reese Theatre, Main Street, Lakeport
Second in a series of seminars for winegrape growers, winery owners, winemakers and tasting room managers.
Register Online

Master Vigneron 2013 Graduation
February 4
Soper-Reese Theatre, Main Street, Lakeport

Small-Grower Sustainability Workshop
February 11
Lake County Winegrape Commission office, Main Street, Kelseyville

Taste of Lake County  
February 11
San Francisco
Presentation to key sommeliers
Meet Our Affiliate Sponsors
Ag Unlimited Lyman logo

Ag Unlimited/The Lyman Group

Ag Unlimited/The Lyman Group, a North

Coast California agribusiness company, is "working closely with Lake County growers and hopefully helping to maximize production," says Lake County location manager Bill Oldham. 

Read more 

 

Westgate Petroleum logo Westgate Petroleum
As a wholesale distributor of fuel and lubricants, Westgate Petroleum serves a number of industrial, commercial, and retail customers - including winegrape growers - throughout Lake, Mendocino, Sonoma, and Napa counties as well as the southern section of Humboldt County.
Affiliate Sponsors
Vintage Nurseries logo
Umpqua logo
Allied Grape Grower logo
North Coast Vineyard Services logo

Bob Bartley Pump logo

PG&E logo

Ag Unlimited logo

Novavine logo
Savings Bank logo
Ranch Systems logo
Lincoln Leavitt logo
American AgCredit logo
Guillaume logo

Ranch winery logo

Peterson logo


Ag Unlimited Lyman logo
Westgate Petroleum logo
Turrentine logo

Bellissimo logo