Part 1 0f 4 Posts. . .

I awoke Saturday morning with sun blazing through the windows of my Airstream, where I was parked for three days at the Gregory Graham Winery in Lake County. Moose, my year-old Italian greyhound, was asleep under the comforter, and I had to basically boot him out of the trailer to do his business. He glared back at me standing between two rows of Cabernet vines with his ears pinned back against his skull, a sure sign he was not happy in the frigid morning air, but he peed none-the-less.

After making coffee, I had my second consecutive meal of Raisin Bran cereal with strawberries and sheep’s milk. Friday night I was prepared to cap a perfect day by grilling a steak to pair with a very nice Paso Robles Tempranillo from Four Vines called “Loco”, but a fierce wind storm erupted out of nowhere through the hillside passes surrounding Clear Lake just below the vineyard where the Airstream was parked under a giant walnut tree. Lighting the grill was not possible, so I discovered that the creaminess of the sheep’s milk, the crunch of the bran and the sweetness of fresh strawberries rouse the rich, dense fruit flavors of the Tempranillo. You should try it. . .not.

So, I can hear you thinking. . .of all the places to travel, what was Gary doing in Lake County? Good question, actually. I’ve driven Rte. 20 across the top of Clear Lake many times on my way to the coast, but other than stopping at Ceago Vinegarden, an interesting newer estate built from old Fetzer money, there wasn’t a hook to make me pull over. This stretch of road clinging to the lake reminds me of when I was a kid in Chicago, trekking up to Wisconsin and staying in a tiny, moldy cabin with my family. It was raw, primitive and uncomfortable; all I wanted to do was go home after the first damp night.

When you think of the top growing regions in California, Lake County doesn’t even come up on the radar. For a host of reasons, it’s just not part of the conversation among wine buyers. . .when have you heard someone say, “Wow, I just had this fabulous bottle of Cab. . .from Lake County.” In terms of consumer consciousness, Lake County might as well be on the moon. . .but I have the sense this will change, and it will change quickly as the wine community here gets its act together and as more external wineries highlight “Lake County” on the wines they are making from fruit sourced here.

I decided to make a Vintage Highway stop in Lake County after doing some research for our Wine Club tasting notes for a Molnar Family Pinot Noir and learned that the fruit for Obsidian Cabernet—part of the family’s Tricycle group of labels—is made from grapes grown at about 3,000 feet in the Red Hills AVA of Lake County. That struck me as very interesting since Molnar Family is regarded as the founding family of Carneros, with a stellar vineyard at the furthest northern edge of San Francisco Bay. If Molnar has established a vineyard in Lake County, the place must be for real.

Then I began noticing that we’re introducing more and more Lake County wines in Carpe Vino. Jelly Jar, a wildly popular Zinfandel made in Napa is produced from fruit sourced in Lake County, as is Sonoma’s Jus Soli Zinfandel (Madder Vineyard, Lake County). And then there is Gregory Graham, late of Rombauer for 21 years.  We’ve sold a ton of his incredible Zinfandel, and that’s why Moose, the Airstream and I were parked in Greg’s Cab vineyard with a drop-dead gorgeous view of the mountains surrounding Clear Lake.

More evidence that Lake County is for real:  French phenom Stéphane Derenoncourt–who consults for some 70 wineries around the globe–recently released a 2006 Lake Count Red Hills Cabernet Savignon that Wine Spectator’s James Laube awared 92 points (June 15, 2010).  It  is $40 per bottle, a pittance compared to Derenoncourt’s soldout Napa Cab that went for $220 per pop.  Laube’s column extols the numerous virtues of Lake County’s wine industry, yet presents a dispassionate assestment of its challenges and liablities.

I have yet to taste the Derenoncourt Lake County Cab, but I’ve ordered six bottles through the winery’s web site (www.derenoncourtcalifornia.com), and I’m talking to Stéphane’s people about bringing the wine into Carpe Vino if we can get it wholesale.  It is confirmation from superstars such as Derenoncourt that could help catapult this AVA from relative obscurity.

And there are other notables involved here.  Andy Beckstoffer owns a vineyard; Jed Steele, formerly of Kendall Jackson, toils along side his son, Quincy.  And Robledo Family Winery has just opened a new tasting room here, extending their reach into this burgeoning region.  Patriarch Reynaldo Robledo last month was a guest at the state dinner hosted by President Obama to honor the visit of Mexico’s President Felipe Calderon, where five cases of  the 2007 Robledo Los Carneros Chardonnay were served ($38).

Entering the sweet spot of Lake County after turning left on to Rte. 53 and dropping down to Lower Lake, I understood why I did not more fully appreciate this region. Grape growing and wine making encompasses the rim of the entire lake, and I had seen but a fraction of the action. Thriving vineyards climb the steep slopes at regular intervals, but, remarkably, there is scant signage pointing the way to the individual wineries that are the foundation of this nascent agri-industry.

These days, it takes a lot to get me excited, but even a crusty old character like me could not resist the allure of this place.  I was smitten by the magnificent landscape; by the bootstrapped family wineries; by the fabulous, affordable wines I found on virtually every stop.

I’ll fill you in the next few posts on what I learned and my impressions of this gratifying stop on the Vintage Highway.

Next:  Six Sigma Ranch & Winery