Shannon Ridge Showdown - October 18-19, 2008

Come join us October 18-19 as Shannon Ridge hosts the final race of the 8 race series of the USA Cycling National Ultra Endurance Series.

http://www.shannonridgeshowdown.com/

The following is from USA Cycling website:

2008 USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Calendars announced

Colorado Springs, Colo. (December 18, 2007)—With more than $150,000 on the line to off-road cyclists next season, the 2008 USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Calendars were announced today by the national governing body.

After introducing the National Calendar concept in 2007, the 2008 edition once again recognizes three separate calendars in order to provide mountain bike athletes across the country with consistent national-level racing in their chosen discipline.

The 2008 USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Cross Country Calendar welcomes eight new events and features four UCI-sanctioned races and the USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships. The calendar begins in early spring with the 20th Annual Keyesville Classic in Lake Isabella, Calif., March 15-16 and concludes seven months later with the Piney Hills Fall Classic in Ruston, La., Oct. 25-26.

New events on the 24-race Cross Country Calendar include the Keyesville Classic as well as the Rabbit Valley Rampage in Fruita, Colo., the Massanutten Hoo-Ha in McGayhesville, Va., the East Coast National in Windham, N.Y., the Full Tilt in Telluride (Colo.), the Ladies Loppet in Callaway, Minn., the Tamarack (Idaho) National and the Fall Classic in Breckenridge, Colo.

Races that offer international ranking points as part of the UCI Calendar include the Fontana National in California and the Deer Valley National in Park City, Utah – both UCI Category-1 events. Category-2 UCI races in 2008 include the NOVA National in Fountain Hills, Ariz. and the Santa Ynez National in Southern California. Also recognized as a Category-1 event on the 2008 USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Cross Country Calendar is next year’s USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships at Mount Snow Resort in West Dover, Vt. next July. The national championships also provide athletes with the opportunity to accumulate international ranking points.

Ten races are featured on the 2008 USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Gravity Calendar – four of which are also on the UCI Calendar. Four of the ten races are also new to the National Calendar.

The National Gravity Calendar also opens with the Keyesville Classic in March before concluding with the Whiteface Third Annual 5k Downhill in Wilmington, N.Y. on Aug. 31. New events include the Keyesville Classic as well as the Sol Survivor in Sol Vista, Colo., the Third Annual Capital Cup at Wisp in McHenry, Md. and the Sol Squared, also in Sol Vista, Colo.

Three events – the Chile Challenge, the Blast the Mass and the Keystone Classic – are part of the UCI Calendar, while the USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships also offer UCI points to competitors.

After featuring six events last season, the 2008 USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Ultra-Endurance Calendar will include eight races. Added to the Calendar next season are two national championship events – the USA Cycling Mountain Bike Marathon National Championships in Breckenridge, Colo. on July 4 and the USA Cycling 24-Hour Mountain Bike National Championships in Wausau, Wis., Aug. 2-3. The last event on the Calendar – the Shannon Ridge Showdown in Clear Lake Oaks, Calif., Oct. 18-19 – is also new. Once again the Calendar begins with the Mas O Menos 100k in Terlingua, Texas, Feb. 14-16.

“The 42 events on next season’s National Calendars represent the best off-road races in the United States in terms of organization, prize lists and prestige,” explained Kelli Lusk, USA Cycling’s newly-appointed Mountain Bike Events and Program Director. “With races in 19 states and all regions of the country, we’ve managed to once again put together a sizeable series-long calendar that provides elite athletes with top-quality racing across all disciplines of competitive mountain biking.”

Once again, athletes will accumulate points over the course of the season as they pursue overall titles in six categories. The Cross Country Calendar will again feature traditional Olympic-style cross country races. Gravity Calendar events include downhill, 4-cross, super-D and dual slalom events. Ultra-Endurance calendar races will feature marathons, 100-kilometer, and 12- and 24-hour competitions.

In 2007, USA Cycling crowned Georgia Gould (Ketchum, Idaho/Luna) and Canadian Geoff Kabush overall champions of the National Cross Country Calendar. Melissa Buhl (Chandler, Ariz./KHS) and Australian Jared Graves took home National Gravity Calendar titles. Nat Ross (Golden, Colo./Subaru-Gary Fisher) and Rebecca Rusch (Ketchum, Idaho/Red Bull-Specialized) claimed overall victories in the National Ultra-Endurance Calendar.

For compete 2008 calendars, click on the corresponding links below:

USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Cross Country Calendar

USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Gravity Calendar

USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Ultra-Endurance Calendar

About USA CyclingRecognized by the U.S. Olympic Committee and the Union Cycliste Internationale, USA Cycling promotes American cycling through its 60,000 members and 2,500 annual events. USA Cycling associations include the BMX Association (BMX), National Off-Road Bicycle Association (mountain bike), U.S. Cycling Federation (road/track), the National Collegiate Cycling Association and the U.S. Professional Racing Organization (professional men’s road). For more information, visit www.usacycling.org or contact USA Cycling Director of Communications, Andy Lee at 719-866-4867.

Shannon Ridge attends Lake County Wine Auction

October 20, 2008
Kelseyville, California

Lake County Wine Alliance annual wine auction at Buckingham Golf & Country Club 2855 Eastlake DriveKelseyville, CA 95451

Shannon Ridge group before heading to the Lake County Wine Auction. From Left, Chris Baker, Karen Minor, Mike and Adawn Wood, Clay and Margarita Shhannon, Mary Anne and John Girty and Taylor Sullivan.

KELSEYVILLE – Bidding began slowly at Saturday night’s annual Lake County Wine Auction where silent and live auction lots totaling 100 in number were expected to rake in $125,000 for Lake County charities.
Live auction bidding, conducted by Archie McLaren, picked up speed and humor when Dr. Paula Dhanda of Kelseyville interrupted the bidding for lot 6, a private tasting, tour and lunch at Ceago Vinegarden, with a personal testimonial.
Bidding had slowed to near $3,000 for the 12-person lunch, when Dhanda took the microphone to tell the more than 400 ticket-holders how much she had enjoyed her $6,000 purchase from a prior year’s event. And the crowd roared when she added that she was Ceago owner Jim Fetzer’s gynecologist.
Clay Shannon, of Shannon Ridge Vineyards and Winery, whose ranch neighbors Fetzer’s Ceago, ended up winning the lot – twice - at $3,600 each, if Jim would agree to remove a tree for him. Clay Shannon and Jim Fetzer of Ceago discuss the finer points of Clay's bid on a private function for 12 guests at Fetzer's Ceago property.

Lake County Wine Auction Chair Marie Beery said about 70 percent of the attendees were from Lake County, adding that some of that number are second-home owners in the area.
The event is hosted by the Lake County Wine Alliance at the Buckingham Golf and Country Club and is held in a large tent on the golf course.
Master of Ceremonies Narsai David, food and wine editor at KCBS in San Francisco, welcomed the crowd, noting that Lake County is experiencing a “renaissance” in winegrowing, with 8,000 acres currently in grape vine production.
Alliance President Margaret Walker reminisced about planning the first wine auction 10 years ago. She said the event was hosted by just five wineries and 10 restaurants. The five wineries were Ployez, Wildhurst, Steele, Kendall-Jackson and Guenoc Wineries.
On Saturday some 21 Lake County wineries were on hand to pour their wines.

Pick RIGHT! Pick RIPE! Shannon Ridge Vineyards and Winery harvest going full bore.

150 workers picking by hand, day and night to pick grapes at optimum ripeness. That's what we do at Shannon Ridge for our wines when Clay calls the pick.

What does all this mean?

As sugars develop in the grapes there is a time to get started picking and there is the time that some buyers of grapes want you to pick. Most buyers are concerned with time so they opt for a "Quick pick" by utilizing mechanical harvesters to get the grapes into their wineries as soon as possible. This method is good and less costly than hand picking. On the downside, you don't have trained eyes looking for the clusters that are at prime ripeness and therefore some "Green" grapes will almost always be present in mechanically harvested grapes.

Example: Buyer "A" wants 20 tons of Cabernet Sauvignon at 24 degrees brix (Brix: A measurement of sugar content in grapes, indicating their degree of ripeness. Vineyard managers and winemakers look for a certain level of Brix before harvesting. The textbook conversion rate for brix to alcohol is .56. For example, if grapes were picked at 24 degrees brix the finished alcohol would be 13.4%.). While this sounds good, it is what the contract buyer wants and eventually they can manipulate the wines in the lab to create a style they are looking for. What a great grower making his own wines (eg: Clay Shannon) will do is call the pick at the optimum sugar level in order to showcase what his vineyards are capable of producing. THIS IS WHAT CLAY DOES. And does it very well. This in itself sets Shannon Ridge apart from many competitors. That's why the wines are so good and will continue to be so.

Harvest is in full swing at Shannon Ridge for our Red Grapes. Crews are working non-stop to insure all grapes are picked at optimum sugar levels. Clay is in the vineyards calling the vineyards blocks to be picked. All Red Grapes at Shannon Ridge are "Hand Harvested" for insuring the best quality grapes to produce our wines.

In the words of John Girty, VP of Sales and Marketing "Clay is "The Man""...I tend to agree.

Mr. "The Man", please keep up the great work and we will tirelessly continue to make sure every human being on the planet hears about Shannon Ridge.

Chris
Keeping the "Buzz" alive

Shannon Ridge "Hottest New Brand" introduced in Raleigh, NC.

Raleigh, NC. Brier Creek Country Club

Over 1000 customers of Empire Distributors of NC, INC. attended the annual trade show and tasting of the best wines Empire has to offer. The show was held at the Brier Creek Country Club and featured over 50 beer and wine suppliers pouring their best for the Raleigh area restaurateurs, wine shops and retail grocery chain customers. All the "Buzz" was around the "Hottest new brand" in town, SHANNON RIDGE.
At times, the crowds were 4 people deep as they waited patiently to hear the story of this special place called High Valley in Lake County and to learn more about the Shannon family and how their roots got started in the wine business. All wines were tasting especially well and the common consensus was that the Barbera 2006 was the stand out wine on the table and probably one of the best wines at the show.

A special thanks to the following supporters for bringing in Shannon Ridge wines to their shops and restaurants:

Bob Simon, an overall great guy and Owner of The Beef Barn in Greenville, NC (Great food and tremendous wine selections) Bob has been instrumental in creating the Greenville Wine Festival which will hold it's 3rd Annual event on March 1, 2008. Be sure to mark your calendar to attend.

Bob and Susan Crenshaw, tremendous people who truly give back to their community each year with their involvement in an annual fundraiser. They have raised over $114,000 over the last 12 years and all the money has gone to local charities. Visit Bob and Susan at Health Habit, Natural Foods - Fine Wines in Goldsboro, NC.

Ed and Sue Weems, owners of the Hottest new Boutique Grocery store in the Raleigh, NC market, Capital City Grocery. Take a nice stroll and enjoy a glass of Shannon Ridge Sauvignon Blanc while shopping for your favorite grocery, beer, wine, sushi etc.

Thanks to all the other customers for stopping by and trying our wines. We will continue to be successful because of the great folks like you and we can't succeed without your support.

Special thanks to all the folks at Empire for believing in us and spreading the word......

Shannon Ridge Vineyards harvest of red grapes in full swing.

Clearlake Oaks, lake County, California.

Here are some photos shared by Rick Gunier of the harvest taking place at Shannon Ridge.

We are in full swing on picking our red grapes. Most by hand, but some of the larger contracts were for Machine picked Cabernet Sauvignon and we are harvesting several truck loads a day. This is our 2007 coming off the vine on its way to the winery for fermentation.

Here is photo of our NEW director of Wine Production for Shannon Ridge Vineyards and Winery. Mike Wood.

Welcome aboard Mike!

For the past 22 year he has worked for Lake County's Guenoc Estate Winery (Langtry Estate and Vineyards), the last 7 years as the winemaker for the California brand. Mike also handled the winemaker position for the last 6 years for both Mount St. Helena Vineyard and Winery of Middletown and his own label Shed Horn Cellars. Married to his high school sweetheart Adawn, they reside with their 2 daughters in Cobb Mountain, Ca.

Southern Wine & Spirits of South Carolina launches Shannon Ridge wines.

Friday October 5, 2007

Southern Wine & Spirits of South Carolina gathered their entire sales staff for a series of supplier presentations leading into the holidays. We are very honored to be selected to come in and launch Shannon Ridge wines in the state. A Big "Thank You" to Tom Collins, Steve Baker, Blake Johnson and all the management and sales staff from Southern for the effort being put forth on behalf of Shannon Ridge.

Shannon Ridge Wines poured at Opici trade shows

Here's a shot just before the crowds swarmed the table looking for the famous wines from Lake County...SHANNON RIDGE!

Opici held their first ever trade shows in upstate New York, first in Buffalo and then Rochester. Both shows were well attended and great support from the management of Opici as well as all sales reps. Shannon Ridge wines showed very well and created quite a buzz, especially in Rochester. Thanks to all the great folks at Opici for allowing us the opportunity to show our wines to your customers. John Girty is heading your way for the next two shows in Albany and Syracuse.

Shannon...must be Irish. Shannon Ridge announces Empire Distributors of Asheville, North Carolina distributor

Another good looking group of Shannon Ridge distributor sales reps and managers from Empire Distributors of Asheville, NC. Appropriately standing in front of the Irish Pub bar...hmmm, Irish, Shannon, Wine..it's all beginning to make sense to me now.

To order Shannon Ridge wines in the Asheville, Hendersonville, Boone, Highlands, Blowing Rock areas of North Carolina, please contact Empire Distributors of Asheville at 828-687-8662 and ask for Rebecca in Customer Service.

Shannon Ridge wines poured at Asheville, NC Art Museum fundraiser

Far left, Brent Skidmore, Director, Craft Campus, Research Professor of Art at the University of North Carolina, Asheville. Center, Allison Sipes with husband Robert, Vice President of Progress Energy. Far right Cheryl Hemmer, Brent's wife, all enjoying the fruits of Shannon Ridge wines.

Asheville North Carolina is constantly showing up in National magazines as the coolest place in the country to live. Outside Magazine rated the 30 Best Towns in America that are Fit, Fun and Packed with Adventure and Asheville was the #1 in the Southeast, US.

Asheville is nestled in the heart of the Appalachian mountains, close to Mt. Pisgah at 5,721 ft, The French Broad river runs through it and Asheville serves up more that 2,000 miles of hiking and Mtn Biking trails, whitewater creeking and eclectic bars, restaurants and interesting nightlife (check out the Orange Peel Social Aid & Pleasure Club where the Smashing Pumpkins announced an Artists in Residence extended stay performance). Actress Andy McDowell calls Asheville home as does the famous Biltmore House, a 200+ room mansion that was once the summer home of the famous Vanderbilt family. I poured Shannon Ridge at the Asheville Art Museum's annual fundraiser http://www.ashevilleart.org/ where the "Who's Who" of Asheville came out to support the local arts community. Our wines had just arrived at the distributors door that morning so for all those folks wanting to know where to buy Shannon Ridge...go to your local wine shop and ask them to order the wines from Empire Distributors. 828-687-8662. They will have them to you in a day or so....thanks for all the support.

P.S. several folks came back to the table and said that the Shannon Ridge 2006 Barbera was the best wine at the event! Woo hoo!

Good article mentions Shannon Ridge - from 2005

Right after the new AVA was established on July 1, 2005 this article was written...enjoy.
Three States Add New Wine AppellationsWineries in California, Minnesota and Washington can use the designations on future labels
Lynn Alley
Posted: Thursday, August 11, 2005
As of Aug. 1, the United States has three new wine appellations: one each in California, Washington and Minnesota.
By far the largest of the three American Viticultural Areas recently approved by the federal government is Horse Heaven Hills in south-central Washington. The state's seventh AVA, which was named after the bands of wild horses that once roamed its hills, lies entirely within the established Columbia Valley AVA and encompasses 570,000 acres along the Columbia River in portions of Klickitat, Yakima and Benton counties. This generally warm, dry and windy area of open plains and hills is bordered on the north by Yakima Valley and lies about 30 miles west of the Walla Walla area.
Horse Heaven Hills has more than 6,000 acres of vineyards, which are planted with more than 20 varieties of grapes, the majority of which are Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon and Syrah. Among the vineyards in the new AVA are Canoe Ridge and Champoux, which was planted in 1972 and is known for Cabernet. Grapes from Horse Heaven Hills are used by Andrew Will, Betz Family, Chateau Ste. Michelle, Hogue Cellars and Woodward Canyon wineries, to name a few.

The second-largest of the new appellations is the 14,000-acre High Valley AVA, in the eastern portion of California's Lake County, about 85 miles north of San Francisco. The valley, 9 miles long and 3 miles wide, is nestled in the mountains above Clear Lake's northeastern shores and ranges in elevation from about 1,700 feet to above 3,000 feet. The valley's east-west orientation pulls in cool marine air, making the temperature generally lower than in the rest of Lake County's growing regions. Its soils are alluvial, red volcanic cinders and pumicelike gravel and stones.
About 1,000 acres of vineyards are planted in High Valley. Red varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Zinfandel, Merlot, Petite Sirah and Tempranillo are grown on the ridges, while cooler-weather varieties such as Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio and Pinot Noir are grown on the valley floor. High Valley's winegrowing history dates to the 19th century, but during Prohibition, the vines were replaced with other agricultural crops. New wineries have since sprung up, including Shannon Ridge, Brassfield Estate Winery (which submitted the AVA petition), Monte Lago and High Valley Vineyard.

The smallest of the three new AVAs is Alexandria Lakes, located in central Minnesota, in Douglas County. Although it encompasses 17 square miles, the appellation has only one winery and a few small vineyards.
Created by glacial activity at the end of the last ice age, the Alexandria Lakes region sees an average annual snowfall of 47 inches and winter temperatures in the 20s and below, although the area's six freshwater lakes help moderate temperatures. Carlos Creek Winery owner Bob Johnson has grafted his vines onto Swiss and Austrian rootstocks to better equip them for the cold climate. He grows 38 acres of Cabernet, Chardonnay, Merlot and Pinot Noir, along with smatterings of Frontenac, Gewürtztraminer, Muscat Canelli and Riesling. He also buys grapes from California.

Good looking group of Shannon Ridge sales reps...

Empire Distributors of Charlotte, NC. On Premise sales staff. Look at all those smiles after tasting Shannon Ridge Wines. This group will soon have Shannon Ridge in a restaurant or wine shop near you. For more information on where to find Shannon Ridge Wines in Charlotte, please call Empire Distributors at 704-588-9463 and ask for customer service.

These folks Rock!

Results of the poll

Our most un-scientific poll for the future glass for our Sauvignon Blanc has closed with the winner going to the Clear Glass bottle. Look for it with the release of our 2007 Sauvignon Blanc.

Busy Busy Bee

Things are going great! After the announcement by Wine & Spirits magazine that our 2006 Sauvignon Blanc (91 points) was selected as a "Top 100 Best Wine Buy" of the year, we are getting inundated with distributors wanting to represent us. I just want anyone reading this to know that we are appreciative of all the inquiries and please note that we are doing due diligence to make sure that we partner with distributors that understand what it takes to grow a family owned quality wine producing company. We strongly believe in developing relationships with our distributors that are mutually beneficial, long lasting and supportive. The true meaning of partnership. With that being said, I'm proud to announce that the following distributors have been assigned in the east:

North Carolina:
Empire Distributors for the Charlotte, Raleigh, Wilmington and Asheville markets.
Empire is a family owned distributor. Check out their website at www.empiredist.com

South Carolina:
Southern Wine & Spirits of South Carolina.
SWS is the largest distributor of Wine & Spirits in the country. We are proud to be associated with the fine folks in South Carolina, visit their website at http://www.southernwine.com/OfficesNationwide/SouthCarolina/SCHome/tabid/196/Default.aspx

West Virginia:
Well last week I put 1200 miles on the 4runner but the trip was well worth it, We assigned the brand to Atomic Distributing in Huntington, WV and Beverage Distributors in Clarksburg. Thanks to Robbie Phipps at Atomic and Jim Iaquinta at Beverage Distributors for believing in us.

There are quite a few more irons in the fire so to speak as we continue to evaluate the markets of DC, Maryland, Texas, Virginia, Kentucky, Georgia, Alabama and Colorado.

Be patient, we will be in your market soon. The demand for the wines has been tremendous.

San Diego Union Tribune’s “Wines for Labor Day BBQs” tasting.

Dear SR Team,
Below is a nice review of the 2006 Barbera from the San Diego Union Tribune’s “Wines for Labor Day BBQs” tasting. I’ve also included a note from the wine writer who does the reviews, she is a big fan of Shannon Ridge.


“I gotta tell you that the Shannon Ridge wines are a happy surprise - I've liked just about everything from them and the Barbera totally rocks! So does the price point.
Cheers!
Sue Straight”


http://www.wine.signonsandiego.com/pages/story.php?StoryID=262

Panel Favorite Red Wine! shannonridge Shannon Ridge Winery 2006 Barbara, Lake County $20“Smooth as a baby’s butt.” That’s what one of my panelists said about this delicious, quaffable, smooth red wine. Aromas and flavors of blackberry, black cherry, vanilla and baking spices are all wrapped up in a richly textured mouthfeel. Almost too easy to drink!

Customer preference poll - New glass for Sauvignon Blanc

Our in-depth R&D department(headed up by VP of Sales) is trying to determine what is the best bottle for next year's Sauvignon blanc. Stay with our lightly green tinted bottle or really try and show off the exceptional clarity our Sauvignon Blanc has and put it in a Crystal clear bottle.
We are taking the question to our Shannon Ridge friends and conducting a very un-scientific survey.
Here are a couple of photos showing where we are and what it might look like in new packaging. New packaging is on the left.
Please leave comments below or fill in the poll to the right....all feedback appreciated, Chris

The Govenator endorses California Food and Wine.

From Decanter magazine...
Schwarzenegger to promote Californian wine, food
August 23, 2007

Panos Kakaviatos

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is set to promote the state's wine and food in a series of TV ads. Modelled after a successful string of California tourism advertisements featuring actors like Clint Eastwood, the new spots will feature 'stars of California's food and wine world,' said Nancy Light, communications director of California's Wine Institute. Light told decanter.com that well known chefs and winemakers would be featured. It was too early to disclose names, she said. It has not been announced exactly what part the governor will play. The television spots, which start in February, will be funded through a five-year promotional partnership, announced this week, between the California Travel & Tourism Commission (CTTC), a private non profit company, and the Wine Institute. 'California is the most visited state in the US for food and wine-related activities,' said CTTC Executive Director Caroline Beteta in a press release. America's largest wine producer, California has nearly 2,300 wineries and accounts for 90% of US wine production. According to statistics quoted in the CTTC statement, the top 17% of American leisure travellers – some 27.3m people – have engaged in culinary or wine-related activities when travelling. Well-educated and more affluent than other US travellers, they cross most age groups, and take almost seven domestic and international trips per year: 15% more than the average US leisure traveller. To further develop such travel, the partnership will also fund a new culinary website and sponsor publicity and special events over the next five years, Light said.

Current awards for Shannon Ridge...not bad for a new winery...

2007 Awards & Accolades

2006 Sauvignon Blanc
100 Best Buys of the Year – Wine & Spirits Magazine
91 POINTS- Wine & Spirits Magazine – Vote “Top 6 in America”
GOLD and BEST of CLASS North Coast AVA-California State Fair
GOLD and Chairman’s Best of Class - Long Beach Grand Cru
GOLD- Pacific Rim Wine Competition
GOLD- San Diego International Wine Competition
SILVER-Critics Challenge
SILVER-Riverside Wine Competition
Silver-North of the Gate
87 POINTS – Wine Spectator

2003 Zinfandel
GOLD- San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition

2005 Barbera
GOLD- Dallas Morning News Wine Competition
PLATINUM-Critics Challenge
SILVER- Pacific Rim Wine Competition

2005 Cabernet Sauvignon
GOLD-Long Beach Grand Cru
SILVER-Riverside Wine Competition
SILVER-Critics Challenge
SILVER- San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition
SILVER- Florida State Fair Wine Competition
SILVER- Houston Wine Competition

2005 Syrah
Gold-North of the Gate
SILVER- Pacific Rim Wine Competition
SILVER- San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition

2003 Petite Sirah
GOLD/SWEEPSTAKE WINNER- San Diego Wine Competition
GOLD- Florida State Fair Wine Competition
90 POINTS- Wine Enthusiast Magazines
SILVER-Riverside Wine Competition

2006 Viognier
GOLD-Long Beach Grand Cru

The kind of "Dear John" letter you like to receive.....

The following is from an email that John Girty, Vice President of Sales & Marketing received Monday morning from Wine and Spirits magazine:

Dear John:

I'm happy to report that your Shannon Ridge 2006 Lake County Sauvignon Blanc will be featured as one of the "100 Best Buys of the Year" in our upcoming November 2007 BUYING GUIDE annual issue.

The "100 Best Buy" listing will be accompanied by the score (91 in your case) and review we gave the wine when we first recommended it earlier this year.

The BUYING GUIDE is our biggest and most popular issue of the year, featuring Wineries of the Year, Top Wines and Best Buys of the Year, Grower of the Year, Wine Personality of the Year, the year's best new wine books, wine accessories, a calendar of wine events for 2007, holiday gift ideas and more. Its our best-read issue.

Our NovemberBUYING GUIDE will be published October 16.

Family Winemakers tasting, San Francisco, CA

Family Winemakers tasting started yesterday. My week began in Georgia moved to Alabama, back home in time to throw a "going away" party for my youngest son Nick as he prepares to move to Boulder, Colorado and then on a plane to San Francisco. I'm sitting in my room at the Hyatt and looking out the window at the San Francisco bay covered in fog. Only the base of the bay bridge is visible....fog horns sounding in the background....what a great city!

After a couple of cab rides I arrive at the Fort Mason Center, a National Historic Landmark and part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, the Center houses about 30 nonprofit organizations and is the setting for more than 15,000 meetings, conferences, performances, and special events, attended by 1.5 million visitors each year. Lines have already formed around both sides of the building with consumers and trade waiting for the 12:00 hour so they can rush in for the magic juice we call wine. Overall there are over 300 family owned wineries, some very small only producing a single varietal, others with a full range. Very quickly, the building is full and the sound level is ever increasing with the shuffle of feet, clinking of glasses and the sound of caps being turned and corks being pulled. Here are a few photos of our table and some crowd shots to give you a feel of the event.

.

After the show, Clay, Margarita and I are headed back to the Hyatt when Clay spots Joey Luiz, our tasting room manager walking down the street. We pull over and give Joey a ride back to his car which was like 300 miles away according to Clay (10 minute drive equals 300 miles to Clay at this point). We are out to dinner with the group and have a thoroughly enjoyable dinner discussing wine making, grape growing and overall how to continue to grow quality and awareness of this incredible growing area in Lake County. We are committed to getting Lake County back to the World Class status it had prior to prohibition.

Today's show is for trade only so I look forward to another great day of educating folks about Shannon Ridge and the Lake County wine growing industry.

Let the Harvest begin!

Crews started this morning as the sun came up on what looks to be Lake County's first vineyard to start harvesting Shannon Ridge winegrapes.
The first varietal to be picked was Sauvignon Blanc from the Morine Ranch vineyard above Clearlake Oaks.
As the sun came up harvest crews were already picking Shannon Ridge's Sauvignon Blanc, One of the first vineyards to begin picking this years winegrapes.
(Below) Hand crews are used on the mountain side Shannon Ridge Winery's Morine Ranch above Clearlake Oaks
(Below) Vineyard manager Celestino Castaneda jumps in the bin for up close inspection of the first bin to be harvested.
Thanks to
Rick Gunier

Vineyards, the good, the bad and the ugly!

Over the years I've conducted many wine training sessions, educational dinners, tastings, judgings etc. It seems that the questions are always somewhat similar, people want to know more about the wine or where it was grown, but one question has always stood out. I was asked by a customer once why, as they were traveling in California Wine Country, that some vineyards were huge, overgrown and almost touching the ground while others looked like nicely manicured lawns. My answer was that one owner just let the vines grow (remember, like english ivy, vines will grow like crazy if you let them) and accepted whatever quality the grapes might bring while the nicely manicured look actually produced more consistent high quality grapes. "How could that be", she asked. Well, as the vines grow uncontrolled, the canopy thickens and creates a shelter effect over the grapes which reduces air flow (air flow helps prevent mildew and fungus growth) and limits fruit maturation due to less direct exposure to sunlight. The well manicured vineyard keeps the canopy (leaf) growth to a minimum which keeps good air flow and fruit exposure for more uniform fruit development. There are various ways to trim back the canopy, specialized machinery that cuts the overgrowth back with blades or bursts of high pressure air which shatters the leaves but dosen't damage the grape clusters..or the old fashion (costly) way of having a crew manually go through and trim back the canopy. While in California several weeks back I was walking through our vineyards and was reminded of this question while viewing not only how beautiful Shannon Ridge vineyards are but how it is necessary to keep the vineyards maintained in order to grow the highest quality grapes. Our director of Marketing, Rick Gunier also reminded me of this yesterday (Thanks Rick!) and sent a few photos he took yesterday of the vineyards, enjoy!







P.S. Grape harvest began in the Sacramento Valley yesterday.





Rick wrote"While up on the ranch today I noticed the care we take of our vines. Thought you might like to blog a little about it.
We go great lengths to protect our Tempranillo vines, Our bird friends also love them. So to keep the crop for our wine lovers we have to use netting over each roll that boarders our natural rural neighborhood.

Corks vs Screwcaps

Watch this video from the Bruce Sanderson Wine Spectator interview with Michel Laroche of Domaine Laroche in Chablis who began experimenting with screwcap vs corks on his 2002 vintage Chablis after cork taint had affected 10% of his 2001 vintage.
Now you see why more high quality wineries are going to Stelvin closures (screwcaps). (P.S. Shannon Ridge delivers the freshest wine via Stelvin closures)

Chris

Family Winemakers of California Tasting 2007

Aug 19 - 20 Come vist Shannon Ridge at the Family Winemakers of California Tasting 2007 (San Francisco, CA) I'm flying out on Sunday morning August 19th and will be pouring product alongside Clay and Margarita, John Girty, Rick Gunier and other members of the team...hope to see you there.

www.familywinemakers.org.

Family Winemakers of California will hold their annual tasting on August 19 and 20 in San Francisco, California. “Tasting 2007” is open to the wine trade, media and consumers on Sunday, August 19 at Fort Mason Center’s Festival Pavilion. It will be an opportunity to taste great wines and meet the winemakers and owners behind some of California finest wineries. Over 400 wineries poured 1,000 wines and upwards of 30 wineries make their debut at the event. For more information, visit

Wine Boom: 22 local area wineries translated into $75 million for Lake County in 2006

There's no doubt Lake County is one of the fastest growing wine regions in the state of California. Jumping from only four wineries six years ago, and 14 wineries one year ago, today there are a total of 22 wineries. Last year's crop translated into a $75 million industry for Lake County in terms of wine that was produced from its grapes. So, you may ask, what is the reason for this relatively sudden local wine industry boom?

Read entire article here Part 1

Read article here Part 2

Mountain Fruit growing...future of California grape growing?

View the video below for an interesting view of how global warming could affect the future of grape growing in the areas of Napa and Sonoma. Good thing we are further North and growing fruit in a mountain area.....

Lake County wineries vote to form trade group

LAKEPORT, Aug. 3, 2007 – The Lake County Winegrape Commission today announced that several local wineries have come together to form the Lake County Wineries Association to promote greater public awareness of the wine region.

click here to read the article in it's entirety:
Lake County wineries vote to form trade group

View our presentation on video

This is a little better. I used my video camera and taped it off the computer. Hopefully my techno son Nick can come through with some flash programming to realy clean this up. Video is better and sound has been added....please watch. We are coming to a state near you soon........


Shannon Ridge Vineyards & Winery presentation

Chris

A kid in a candy store..or, how I became "Cowboy Chris"

So Clay and I are working the Florida market two weeks before I actually started with Shannon Ridge when suddenly on the drive from Orlando to Ocala to work a tasting for ABC Fine Wine & Spirits Clay mumbles and points to a bilboard advertisement for "Western World Superstore". He's on the phone selling grapes to some Napa winery so all he can do is grunt and point at the sign. Being as astute as I am in interpreting grunts and pointing, I ascertain that Mr. Shannon has a fancy for "all things Western" so we pull off the highway and head towards "Western World Superstore". We walk in and Clay is as giddy as a school girl that just had the Captain of the Football team wink at her. Boots, Boots, and more Boots. Did I mention Cowboy Boots? Clay is so so excited at the number of cowboy boots this place has that he can hardly contain himself. Granted, this is a guy that mostly wears cowboy boots every day. Oh yeah, so do the kids and his wife Margarita. I wouldn't be surprised if on my next visit that the dogs, the horses and the sheep all had some form of cowboy boots on. Anyway, Clay's enthusiasm is spreading and before you know it I'm trying on boots. I'm thinking to myself how crazy it is for this city slicker to be trying on boots. I did have a pair of cowboy boots when I was around 18-20 years old and the memory of how uncomfortable they were still lingers with me today. End result...I get caught up in Clay's enthusiasm and fork over $180 and now have myself a dandy brand new pair of Ariat Boots. I Love them and wearing them on the ranch (Shannon Ranch) was great. I felt right at home. Now you can call me "Cowboy Chris" only when I have my boots on (shopping for a hat next) ....Rumor has it that John Girty will be shopping for some boots when he is in Texas........ceb

High Valley AVA-

The beautiful and appropriately named High Valley is one of California’s newest American Viticultural Areas (AVA). With vineyards mostly planted between 1,800 and 2,200 feet above sea level this lofty appellation towers over Lake County. Due to its lofty environment, combined with the natural east/west orientation of the valley - which pulls in coastal breezes - and the northern exposure of the vineyards, High Valley represents relatively cool climate viticulture in Lake County. Despite only recently gaining AVA status, High Valley has a long, albeit interrupted tradition in grape growing. In the 19th century the valley was a significant grape growing region, but this once booming industry was abruptly halted by Prohibition in the early 20th century. Thankfully, the region has reemerged as an important and distinct viticultural region. A combination of California’s traditional star grapes including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Sirah, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot and Sauvignon Blanc make up the varietal mix planted on the volcanic slopes found in this region. As cool climate regions are gaining notoriety in California, the High Valley AVA should soon stand tall amongst its peers as a premium grape growing region in the state. Shannon Ridge vineyards are all located in the High Valley AVA.



A visit to Lake County's High Valley AVA
Wines & Vines, Dec, 2005 by Paul Franson
Shannon Ridge Vineyards
Clay and Margarita Shannon own Shannon Ridge Vineyards, which contains some of the most dramatic sites in California. Planted on rolling deep red soils, some rise at almost 40% grade. Because the soil drains so well, however, there's no erosion.
The volcanic soils, steep ridges and constant cooling winds distinguish the vineyards. The vineyards line the mountain rims along the southeast edge of the High Valley AVA. At 2,200 feet, the Terre Vermeille vineyard looks over Clear Lake, which provides cooling winds during long summer days.
Clay Shannon's vines are mostly red varietals, including the usual varieties plus Petite Sirah. He has propagated buds from 15 Zinfandel vines brought to the area in 1875, and also has Sauvignon Blanc on north-facing slopes. Shannon gets some of the highest prices in Lake County, at $2,200 per ton, but also makes a small amount of wine under his own name. The winery has opened a tasting room in an old school on Highway 20 in Clearlake Oaks. The wines are made by Marco DeGiulio at Cardinale and Livingston-Moffett in Napa Valley.
The Shannons' first vineyard was Terre Vermeille, a cinder cone just south of Round Mountain. Along one side lie the red soils from the volcanic flows and along the other, weathered-grey volcanic ash and loams. These vineyards hang on steep west- and north-facing slopes. The first were planted in 1995 with Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc and Zinfandel, and more recently, they've added Petite Verdot, Barbera, Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
Over the ridge from Terre Vermeille, on a steep south-facing slope, is the Morine Ranch, dropping precipitously down toward Clear Lake on a 38-40% pitch. Here, Rhone varietals are planted. Two small vineyards connect Terre Vermeille with the Caldwell Ranch. First is La Sierra, a 25-acre vineyard planted in Petite Sirah, Cabernet Franc, Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon and the leased Ogulin Vineyard, with 19 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon. These two vineyards are at an elevation of approximately 2,200 feet and face north and south. The 360-acre Caldwell Ranch includes 70 to 80 acres of vineyards, including the impossibly steep Petite Sirah vineyard, plus Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Tempranillo, Zinfandel, Mourvedre and Sauvignon Blanc.

New distributor assignment for South Carolina

Paperwork is in the process for licensing in the state of South Carolina. Shannon Ridge wines will be distributed state wide by Southern Wine & Spirits of South Carolina.

SOUTHERN WINE AND SPIRITS OF AMERICA, INC.: A TRADITION OF SERVICE, A COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE, A RECORD OF GROWTH
Since its founding in 1968, Southern Wine and Spirits of America, Inc. (Southern), is a nationally recognized wine and spirits distributor known for its historic commitment to delivering the highest standards of customer service and creative marketing programs and partnerships. The Company is also known for its best-in-industry professional and well-trained sales, operational and support staff, its ongoing investments in and contributions to hospitality and beverage education for its staff, its customers and to many national educational institutions. In addition, Southern is justly respected for its deeply held belief in the importance of giving back, for being a socially responsible corporate citizen and for making generous contributions to national, state and local charitable organizations.
Today, Southern operates in 28 states, including its original Florida market, where its corporate headquarters is located in Miami. Over the past 38 years, pursuing a determined strategy to expand through internal growth as well as through the acquisition of established wholesalers, Southern Wine and Spirits of America expanded its Florida operations into California in 1969, Nevada in 1976, Arizona in 1992, South Carolina in 1993, Pennsylvania in 1995, Hawaii in 1996, Kentucky in 1998, New Mexico in 2000, Colorado in 2001, Illinois in 2002, New York in 2004, Maine, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia in 2005. In 2006, the Company began operations in Alabama; and, in a partnership arrangement, now operates in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming as well. In 2007, the Company entered Ohio, the country's third largest Control jurisdiction.
As the country’s largest wine and spirits distributor, Southern is nationally recognized by its supplier partners as well as by its customers for its state-of-the-art distribution capabilities as well as its leading-edge information technology. And as the leader in the wine and spirits distribution business in the United States, Southern’s executives and all its team members are committed to performing their responsibilities by adhering to the highest professional and ethical standards in all their corporate, civic and charitable activities.

Shannon Ridge..... in good company!

How about this-

In addition to the 91 points and Top 6 American Sauvignon Blancs that our 2006 Sauvignon Blanc received in the August 2007 issue of Wine & Spirits magazine, Wine Spectator recently rated Sauvignon Blancs. These wines were tasted for the California Sauvignon Blanc report in the Aug. 31, 2007, issue of Wine Spectator magazine. I highlighted some of the well know California brands. The complete list will be published in the August 31st issue.

SHANNON RIDGE Sauvignon Blanc Lake County 2006 87 $16

SHANNON RIDGE Sauvignon Blanc Lake County 2006 87 $16

TURNBULL Oakville White Label 2005 87 $30
SILVERADO VINEYARDS Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley Miller Ranch 2005 87 $18
PELLEGRINI Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley 2005 87 $30
FLORA SPRINGS Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley Soliloquy 2005 87 $25
CAKEBREAD Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley 2005 87 $22
CAKEBREAD Sauvignon Blanc Dry Creek Valley Taylor's Vineyard Musqué 2005 87 $25 STAG'S LEAP WINE CELLARS Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley 2005 86 $22
SPRING MOUNTAIN Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley 2005 86 $32
MURPHY-GOODE Fumé Blanc Alexander Valley 2003 86 $13
MARKHAM Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley 2005 86 $16
DYNAMITE Sauvignon Blanc Lake County Kelsey Creek 2005 86 $13
DRY CREEK Fumé Blanc Sonoma County 2005 86 $14
CHALK HILL Sauvignon Blanc Chalk Hill 2004 86 $25
MATANZAS CREEK Sauvignon Blanc Sonoma County 2005 85 $20
GUENOC Sauvignon Blanc Lake County 2006 85 $16
GREEN & RED Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley Catacula Vineyard 2006 85 $20
FETZER Sauvignon Blanc California Valley Oaks 2006 85 $9
CLINE White Truck California 2005 85 $11
BRASSFIELD Sauvignon Blanc High Valley High Serenity Ranch 2005 84 $15
CONCANNON Sauvignon Blanc Monterey County Reserve 2005 81 $18

BREAKING NEWS!!!!! Awards from the Long Beach Grand Cru Wine Competition

FYI - Long Beach Grand Cru Wine Competition just announced their results (Wed am) and it was a very good day for Shannon Ridge Wines!


List of awards:
2005 Cabernet Sauvignon, High Valley [G]
2006 Sauvignon Blanc, Lake County [CBC]
2006 Viognier, Lake County [G]

[B] = Bronze medal
[S] = Silver medal
[G] = Gold medal
[CBC] = Chairmans Best of Class
[SW] = Sweepstakes winner

California Wne Country...no place like it!

What a great week in Lake County! I can't believe how this place has been kept secret from most of the tourist crowd. Clear Lake is incredible and the view from the vineyards is spectacular. Cleanest air in California and grapes to rival even the best growing areas of the world.

Tuesday: Travel day (10+ hrs, fortunately USAirways has the best on time record and friendliest folks in air travel....NOT!)

Wednesday, Good 90 minute workout at the Renaissance Clubsport on the spinning bike..have to keep my legs working in preparation for the Off Road Assault on Mt Mitchell on Sunday.

I met John Girty, VP of Sales & Marketing at the club and headed out to Napa Wine Company to view the bottling of the 91 point 2006 Shannon Ridge Sauvignon Blanc. We met Clay Shannon and started the drive into Lake County to Shannon Ranch and the vineyards. Stopped along the way to check out some great land on the back side of Napa that Clay is interested in for more Cabernet Sauvignon (Heitz gets grapes from this area). Then it was on to the ranch for a property tour with Clay. Incredible area for growing grapes and just chillin out. Clay and Margarita have 800 acres and looking to add more. We visited the Cross Springs property that was owned by Tenessee Ernie Ford. 125 acres of pristine property with a sizable pond and the Cross Spring that pumps out over 400 gallons of spring water a minute. Drove the back side of the property and up to the top of Round Mountain, an ancient volcano last active over 10,000 years ago. The views are incredible and wildlife abundant. Finished up the property tour and headed back to Clay and Margarita's house (located in the vineyards, 2.5 miles from the main road) for dinner with the other members of the family, Masha (daughter), Ivan (son), Rick (Director of Marketing), Tony (Vineyard Management), John (VP, Sales & Marketing), Michelle (Doer of all things Shannon Ranch) and Joey (Tasting Room Manager). Margarita was the Chef du Jour and prepared a fantastic meal which we enjoyed outdoors on the deck overlooking the vineyards. John received a gift and recognition for his efforts over the last 6+ months of getting product sold and opening states. He has been a one man band until his new partner in crime joined (that would be me). A great evening was had by all (you could tell by all the empty wine bottles).

From top, John Girty & Margarita Shannon -----Ivan Shannon working in the shop---- Masha Shannon aboard Captain with Dad, Clay ---


Thursday: Photo shoot scheduled for 8AM. Professional photographer to get shots of the vineyards and personnel. Meeting at Shannon Ranches office to discuss marketing needs and meet with Chris and Jonathan from Digital Produce to discuss web design ideas. Meeting is over and John and I head back to Napa Wine Company to view the 2006 Reds being bottled and to grab some samples for me to take back to NC. Here is the wall of Cabernet Sauvignon....coming soon to a state near you!

California...here I come!

Just rolled into Walnut Creek and checked in at the Renaissance Clubsport. Meeting tomorrow with the winemaking team and witnessing the THOUSANDS of cases of red wine being bottled. I'm sure that wall of wine has my name written on it so keep your eyes open cause Shannon Ridge is coming your way.......photos about this week will be posted later...ceb

Good week in New York!

John finally arrives to NY after 16 hrs of travel...I save 2 slices of Pizza for him but he gets in too late to have them.

We started on Tuesday working the Rochester market after meeting with Jeff Walker the Western District Manager Upstate for the Opici Wine Company of New York for a quick breakfast. I worked with Walter Liss and John was off with Don Murphy. Walter had some great account calls set up for the day. I sold my first 3 cases (Woo Hoo) to Pedulla's INC Wines & Liquors, a big Thank You to Brian. We had some good success and for lunch we met with Kelly Towers, Restaurant & Bar Manager at Belhurst Castle and tasted through the wines. Kelly liked all 5 varietals we tasted with her and she promised us that she will feature Shannon Ridge wines by the glass for the month of September when the tourist season is high. Thanks Kelly, this means a tremendous amount to all of us at Shannon Ridge. Thanks to all the accounts in the Rochester market that embraced the Shannon Ridge wines. Your willingness to help grow the brand is greatly appreciated. That night john and I headed to Syracuse to check into the hotel and meet Mike Proch, Vice President of Sales Upstate for Opici. Cocktails and dinner suggested by Charlene Gentile at Gentiles Restaurant with a nightcap of wine (of course) with Mike as we plan our next day. After a meeting with Mike we hit the street. I work with Bridget Bullock and John is with Derek. Bridget has great accounts for us to see and right off the bat we sell 12 cases to Bob at Liquor Express in Baldwinsville, NY. Bob schedules Bridget to come back in and conduct a tasting to help bring customer awareness to the Shannon Ridge wines. Thanks to Bob, Tracy at Mac Kinnon Liquors, Charlene at Gentiles for pouring the Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon by the glass and all others in the Syracuse market. Next stop...Hudson Valley, 3.5 hours away according to Tom Tom GPS. Next morning I work with Karl Hillringhouse a Wine & Spirits Consultant for Opici. Karl is a great guy and also has good appointments set for us. First stop is to meet with JL (aka John-Louis Kronfeld) the General Manager of Star Wines & Liquors in Monroe, NY. JL says that their internet sales of wine is sky rocketing...be sure to check out their website (and order some Shannon Ridge wines). Another great day of sales 1 account at a time. Special thanks to the following folks for making this a great first week at the new job...

The Opici family and representatives for distributing our wines.

Patrick A. Botten, Executive Vice President & General Manager (and a BMW Driving Instructor to boot)

Michael Proch, VP of Sales Upstate

Jeffery Walker, Western District Manager Upstate

Don Murphy, Walter Liss, Bridget Bullock, Karl Hillringhouse and all the other Consultants.

Kristin Colombo, Regional Sales Manager Long Island for helping me find John Girty.

Emily at the front desk of Opici...you are one of a kind and keep that place in order.

Rennie Alba, NY District Manager

Erin Leopold, Brinley & Company (Good Rum)

Ken at Ryan's Wine & Spirits

Bob at Liquor Express

Tracy at Mac Kinnon Liquors

Johnny Matthew at Hilltop Wines & Liquors

Kenn & Elena Brodmerkel at Cornwall Wines & Spirits (Kenn is a great photographer)

Nick at Palmieri Wines & Spirits

Ryan Joo at Samsondale Wine MerchantJL at Star Wines & Liquors

Kelly Towers at Belhurst

Brian at Pedulla's Inc. Wines & Liquors

Jim & Doretta O'Conner at Cobblestone Cork and Bottle

Polly & Jim at Vineyards Discount Wine & Spirits

Murphy the wonder dog

Travel woes, 1st day on the job...

As I'm packing for a week in NY, John calls to say that his flight out of Oakland is delayed and he probably won't be in Rochester until midnight...Ouch! After a 4:30AM wakeup call that is going to be some tough traveling across country. We switched the rental car into my name and off I am back to NY. No one said building a brand was going to be easy.



Currently at Shannon Ridge we are producing Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Petite Sirah, Barbera, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and Syrah.

About 500 cases of Lake County Chardonnay is coming on board in August...I had some of the juice when we were in Florida a few weeks back and it is really, really good.



What makes the wines good? Place of origin. Lake county and especially the High Valley AVA (American Viticulture Area) where grape growing is considered Mountain Vineyards. Average 30-40 degree slopes at 2000 to 24oo feet with red pumice volcanic soils. Cool nights to keep the acids in blance and warm days to help fruit maturation. Soil content is left over from Round Mountain (cinder cone) and Mt. Konocti (lava dome) volcanic eruptions. This is one of the relatively undiscovered (by consumers. Winemakers have know of the great fruit coming out of Lake County for many years) wine regions in California.

Future distribution goals...
North Carolina/South Carolina by late August, Georgia, Virginia and DC by November.
Florida distributor by the end of the year...

later...ceb

So here goes...

First blog...I start with Shannon Ridge on Monday after 11 years with Ste. Michelle Wine Estates....and I'm very excited!!

I had a chance to work with Clay Shannon (owner) the week of June 18th in Florida and I have to say that he is one of those rare breeds..great sense of humor, honest, hard working as well as being very down to earth and focused. His vision of producing great wines from the grapes he grows in Lake County, California is tremendous. Clay is one of the country's top consulting viticulturist and currently the Chairman of the Lake County Wine Grape Growers. He has been selling his high quality grapes to many well known wineries in California for years (Clos du Bois, Beringer, Coppola, Hess, Pride Mountain, Steele etc). Clay has decided to start making his own wine with the family name on the label. He hired a former co-worker of mine, John Girty as Vice President and General Manager. John is in charge of assembling a national sales force and fortunately called me and persuaded me to take a look at Shannon Ridge. I flew to California and met with Clay, his wife Margarita, John and Rick Gunier (Director of Marketing). I was interviewing them as much as they were interviewing me. I knew from the moment that I stood at the top of the vineyards looking back over Clear Lake that I wanted to be a part of this...this is something special. I tendered my resignation to Ste. Michelle after 11 years and while posting some of the top growth year to date in the company (+40%). It was a total shock throughout the company as most viewed me as a lifer. I took some time off and did a little road trip with my oldest son Christopher via Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Toronto, Montreal, Halifax, Boston and back to Charlotte. Next week I spend the week in NY with John and the following week in California at the ranch....I'm wearing my new cowboy boots..yee hi. Stay tuned as this brand grows. I'll post results of distributor assignments, restaurants that are featuring Shannon Ridge wines and other industry news.......Chris