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Photo of the Month
Winter Wonderland in Lake County
Photo Credit - Tim Moen |
Greetings!
Visit Lake County is the official resource for upcoming events, fun activities, exciting wineries, and cool places to stay - all designed to help you make the most out of your next visit to Lake County. If you'd like personal assistance planning your stay, just call (800) LAKESIDE to speak with one of our friendly Lake County concierges. - The Visit Lake County team |
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Holiday Wine Shop Weekend - November 17-18 
A weekend to explore Lake County wine flavors for upcoming holiday meals, gifts, and to celebrate the season.
Sample new releases, check out gift ideas and special deals, and enjoy holiday yumms. Wines at select locations will be available at incredible
holiday wine pricing--a great time to stock the holiday wine cellar.
More than 25 participating wineries will open their doors for this "Holiday Open House."
Hours: 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday, November 17-18, 2012
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Stay
Twin Pine Casino & Hotel, Middletown
The only place to play and stay in Wine Country...Twin Pine Casino & Hotel is much more...casino, hotel, dining, wine tasting, and entertainment. Celebrate 18 years of fun with the $30,000 Anniversary Giveaway.
Casino - 25,000 sq. ft. of gaming space with 516 of the latest slot machines, table games, and live poker.
Hotel - Deluxe rooms and luxury suites with 42" flat-screen HDTVs, 1 king or 2 queen beds, free Wi-Fi, and in-room refrigerator.
Dining - Manzanita Restaurant serves freshly prepared dishes that are locally sourced. Grapevine Bar & Lounge has free entertainment, dance floor, full bar, HDTV for sporting events - all in a smoke-free environment. Marketplace Express features specialty coffee drinks, espresso, muffins, pastries, cookies, salads, and sandwiches.
Gift Shop/Wine Tasting - Enjoy some of the best wines from Lake, Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino Counties and other renowned regions. Sunday-Thursday 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday-Saturday 8 a.m. to midnight.
Winery of the Month - Ceago Vinegarden. Wine tasting Friday, November 16 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and wine pairing dinner Friday and Saturday, November 16 and 17 from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Entertainment - Live entertainment every Friday and Saturday, 9 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.
22223 Highway 29, Middletown
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Taste
The Shannon family is devoted to producing wines that are true to the grape variety, high quality, and distinct terroir of the vineyards they farm - making them some of the finest expressions of Lake County wine.
Shannon Ridge Family of Wines is dedicated to creating a family of wines that consumers love - top-quality wines at affordable prices. The family is passionate about preserving the land in Lake County, not only for their children but also for the wild creatures that share the property. Their sustainability practices include a flock of 1,000 sheep that clean the vineyards and trim the vineyard canopy, reducing the need for chemicals and fossil fuels while also providing natural fertilizer.
Lake County Vineyards - Nestled in the Mayacamas Mountain Range just north of Napa, Lake County has the cleanest air in California and the oldest lake in North America. The vineyard in Lake County is in a region of steep mountain vineyards with soils formed millennia ago by volcanic lava flows from Round Mountain and Mount Konocti.
Open daily 10:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
1315 East Highway 20, Clearlake Oaks
(707) 998-9656, www.shannonridge.com |
Farm to Table
Contributed by: Lake County Farmers' Finest
Cake-
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temp
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
3 medium firm, but ripe pears cut into bite-sized chunks
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
6 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup butter
2 cups powdered sugar
3/4 tsp vanilla
Generously butter a 10" round cake pan and set aside. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, set aside. In a mixer, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and sour cream and mix just until ingredients are incorporated. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture until thoroughly incorporated. Batter will be sticky. With spatula or large spoon, carefully fold the pear chunks into the batter. Set aside.
Place 1/2 of the batter in the bottom of cake pan. Sprinkle with 1/2 the brown sugar mixture. Pour in the rest of the batter and sprinkle with remaining sugar mixture on top. Bake for 50-60 minutes until top is firm and cake tester comes out clean.
Beat cream cheese with butter until smooth. Beat in powdered sugar and vanilla. Gradually add milk until icing is smooth and spreadable. Drizzle icing on cake. |
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Finding Treasures...
Art in Rural Places
Need something special this holiday season for someone who has everything? Lake County
artists create and sell one-of-a-kind works of art that make great gifts.
The Art House Gallery in Clearlake is featuring handmade ornaments by many different artists. The ornaments make affordable gifts and can be purchased during the gallery's Third Friday Gala on November 16 and through December.
Main Street Gallery in Lakeport will be hosting the monthly First Friday Fling November 2 and again December 7. Enjoy art, wine, and appetizers and find the perfect gift. Join the silent auction on December 7 for a chance to win one of several glass painted/decorated items.
The Cobb Mountain Artists' Art in the Pines Christmas Show at Mariah Meadows on November 10 and 11 will have jewelers, painters, potters, glass artists, fabric artists, woodworkers, felting, sculpture, and more.
Enjoy music, a silent auction, and art in the beautiful redwoods amid the fall colors.
Harbor Village Artists in Lucerne features an array of art in the Lakeside Art Studio.
Diego's Gallery in Upper Lake features jewelry, paintings, gourd art, and basketry. All make great gifts.
For a complete list of galleries in Lake County, visit www.lakecounty.com |
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Lake County - Not Just a Summer Destination
While Lake County is famous for its beautiful Clear Lake for fishing and watersports, Lake County also offers much to do
year-round.
Make a weekend out of the trip to Lake County. Visit one of the historic museums such as the Lake County Historical Courthouse Museum in Lakeport, the Lower Lake Historic Schoolhouse Museum, the Stone House Museum in Hidden Valley Lake, or Ely Stage Stop and Country Museum in Kelseyville. Visit an art gallery or two along the way.
Spend the night at Twin Pine Casino or at one of several quaint Bed and Breakfasts.
Enjoy wine tasting at the newly opened Thorn Hill Vineyards tasting room or, if wine is not your cup of tea, try Kelseyville Brewing Company for a great locally brewed beer.
Enjoy a romantic dinner at the Saw Shop Gallery Bistro where food and art become one or at Riviera Hills Restaurant with its spectacular views of Clear Lake. For the family, visit Guido's Pizza in Kelseyville for great pizza and arcade games or Lakeside Lanes for BBQ at Richardson's Ribs and then enjoy bowling, lazer tag, and the full arcade.
 Discover the dark, star-filled night skies of Lake County at Taylor Observatory-Norton Planetarium. From Thanksgiving weekend through New Year's weekend, enjoy "Mystery of the Christmas Star."
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If you're planning a visit or considering re-locating to Lake County, find out what this beautiful area has to offer. Take a Video Tour of Lake County |
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