Shannon Ridge Vineyards exciting news!

04.08.2008

Beyond Grapes and Wine in Lake County
Two projects planned to bring greater exposure north of Napa

by Paul Franson

Rolling Knolls

Lower Lake, Calif. -- Two recent developments in Lake County could lead to much higher visibility for the lesser-known North Coast winegrowing region, which is seeking a critical mass of destinations to attract more visitors.Clay Shannon, who already owns Shannon Ridge Vineyards & Winery above Clearlake Oaks, has acquired the picturesque Rolling Knolls vineyard in the town of Lower Lake, and he plans to develop a recreational village on the property. Meanwhile, Langtry Estate and Vineyard has a new president who plans development including a trade-oriented recreational area, as well as wines.These developments are at the opposite end of Clear Lake, California's largest natural lake, from Jim Fetzer's Ceago del Lago, which already is creating buzz within the county.Shannon's latest acquisition includes approximately 240 acres of vineyards, two small cottages and an old walnut dehydrating structure. They will be converted into a tasting room, wine shop and gourmet deli. Shannon also plans to develop the property into a mixed-use destination for visitors to Lake County. He's working with St. Helena-based architect Carlo Di Fede of Triad Design Studio for an European-style community to include private guest cottages, a rustic tasting room, picnic facilities and dining patios, a stone chapel, recreational grounds, hiking trails and public restrooms."I want to create an old-world experience in wine country, just two and a half hours north of the San Francisco Bay Area," Shannon said. "This will be a destination location for wine aficionados, outdoor recreation enthusiasts and nature lovers. My goal is to preserve that land while offering visitors a unique experience in Lake County."The property backs up to the Anderson Marsh wetlands and park, public land owned by the state of California and accessible to visitors.Shannon also is working with the Lake County planning commission to develop a new winery on the property. His wines are now made at a facility in Napa County. He acquired the Rolling Knolls vineyard from the Greer family of Fremont, Calif., who owned the property since 1992.Shannon Ridge already has a tasting room for its wines. In June 2007, Shannon opened a renovated tasting room in a historic one-room schoolhouse on Highway 20 in Clearlake Oaks. Adjacent to the tasting room, the winery also completed the construction of a "vinegarden" and picnic table, which allows visitors to relax in a park-like setting while enjoying Shannon Ridge wines.Shannon is a well-known grower in Napa and Lake counties. He and his wife, Margarita, purchased 420 acres that included steep volcanic mountain vineyards in High Valley in 1995; they later expanded into making wine.The new vineyard is planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Zinfandel, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec, Petite Sirah and Sauvignon Blanc. Shannon will farm the property and plans to sell its fruit to other wineries. He commented that the Shannon Ridge wine brand is quickly expanding, and fruit from the Rolling Knolls vineyard will be used for future vintages of Shannon Ridge wines.For more informat ion about Shannon Ridge Vineyards and Winery, visit shannonridge.com.





415.453.9700 Fax: 415.453.2517info@winesandvines.com

A little note from Clay Shannon

Just received this email last night and thought it needed to be shared. I talked to Clay last night as he was finishing up a walk with the family through the vineyards. As I was driving home late from a tasting through the rain and traffic in Charlotte, I realized even more what a special place Clay and Margarita have developed in Lake County....everyone reading this should visit Shannon Ranch...the sooner the better.

From Clay:

"Ahhh , spring at shannon ridge, If you have not been here during this time of the year, you need to plan a trip. The weather mid 70s day, night 30s with frost daily. Snow on the mountains, frogs are croaking at the pond and the ducks are chasing each other around trying to get a little. All the oak trees are starting to grow and dropping yellow pollen all over the place. Wild flowers all over the place. Because we do very little weedspray we are starting to get a lot of California poppies growing all over the avenues. Even the buck brush and manzanita is blooming. All the grass on the hills is lush green and the vines are starting to grow. Budbreak here is way behind napa as we are in the mountains, much cooler here. Sunday it was in the low 60s in Sonoma county and napa and we had a high here that day of 46. our fire place still is going every night. Cumberland is taming down a little , I can touch him now. we wil have to sell more wine because that guy eats a bale of hay a week.
We are planting a few olive orchards on the ranch and lining some of our roads with olives. We will make olive oil some day.

Met with the county today at the rolling knolls vineyard ( I think we are going to call it “Maverick Ranch or wrangler ranch”), they said we can do whatever we want there as far as tasting rooms cottages and entertainment stuff. They will grease all the wheels for us to get any permit we want, I think.
That property truly is a trophy for us. If anyone likes turtle soup, come this way as there has to be a million turtles in that reservoir. I have never seen anything like it.

Anyhow not to be too talky, but it is truly gorgeous up here now. See you all soon.

Joey, Kim , please pass this on to wawnita and the tasting room staff.

PS, Joeys tasting room sales are up 35 % so far in feb and march, and we are shooting for 50% this month."

Shannon Ridge note from Clay Shannon:

Here is a great shot at our ranch from a heli.

Tell all your flat lander wine buddys to cowboy up!!!!!

Joe Cumberland is moving to the ranch on march 15th. (The new Bull)

Started the grafting process today for 16 acres of Reisling, get ready, should have crop in 09. 2010 spring release

Shannon Ridge Vice President goes COWBOY!

I'd say that's a mighty big hat you got there Cowboy!

John Girty finally goes cowboy...now we just need to get him some boots!

Here's another photo...courtesy of the newest Shannon Ridge employee, Kathy Brock.

New article about Shannon Ridge appears in Venture Magazine

http://www.venture-magazine.com/content/view/377/31/

Excerpt:

Shannon Ridge Vineyards & Winery: Room to Breathe
Cover Story
By Brooke Knudson
Thursday, 14 February 2008

Shannon Ridge Vineyards & Winery’s Lake County property abounds with shallow and gravelly volcanic soils that help grapes thrive because of their ability to quickly drain water.
Premier Business Partners:
Landmark Label
When you’re a part of an industry that contributes more than $52 billion to the state’s economy, it takes more than a fancy bottle to maintain a competitive edge. Fortunately for Clay and Margarita Shannon, owners of Shannon Ridge Vineyards & Winery, their 20 years of experience in the industry has taught them a few things about what it takes to build a winery business in California.
But the husband-and-wife duo didn’t come into the business looking only to gain the upper-hand on the competition. Their story also has hints of innovative thinking and a few notes of good luck.
The Shannons hatched the idea to launch a vineyard management and development company in Lake County, Calif. They had worked several years for mega-producer Sutter Home, which used wine grapes grown locally in its various blends.

Continue reading at :
http://www.venture-magazine.com/content/view/377/31/

A little history of Lake County and Wine Grapes

Compliments of the Lake County Wine Grape Growers:

History:
Lake County has been growing winegrapes since the mid 19th Century, when early settlers recognized that the climates and soils of the region would produce fruit and wines of excellent quality. Expansive vineyards were already established near the shores of Clear Lake when Napa and Sonoma counties were just initiating their wine industries. David Voight was the first pioneer to develop a commercial winery in Lake County in the early 1880s, on land east of Morgan Valley Road in Lower Lake. Other winemakers bought land adjacent to the Voight vineyards, including Stephen Nicolai, a local stonemason whose jailhouse in Lower Lake is still standing. In 1884, Nicolai planted 10 acres and built a stone winery for himself. By 1884 Lake County could claim 600 acres of grapes. The largest vineyard in the Lower Lake area was started by an Englishman named George Wrey. In 1883 he bought 5,000 acres of land two miles south of Lower Lake on the road to Middletown. He planted hundreds of acres of vines and convinced Stephen Nicolai to build yet another stone winery with a storage capacity of 20,000 gallons. Due to business troubles, Wrey eventually abandoned his bottling plan and wound up selling his wine in bulk to the Greystone Winery in St. Helena. One of the most famous vintages from Lake County was developed during the 1890's by Charles M. Hammond, a young Harvard graduate. Hammond acquired a 600-acre estate in Upper Lake and set out to produce Cabernet Sauvignon and Semillon. In 1893, his white and red wines won the best exhibit award at the World Columbian Exposition in Chicago. By 1920 Lake County had over 10,000 acres of vineyards and 28 wineries, but Prohibition spelled the end of commercial winegrowing in the region. Most of the county's grapevines were pulled up and replaced with pear and walnut orchards. Due to its superior growing environment, Lake County eventually became renown for the quality of its pears and today is the second largest supplier of premium fresh pears in the U.S. The renaissance of the local wine industry began again in the late 1960's when a few growers decided to diversify by planting winegrapes in Lake County. Today, the Lake County wine industry is booming with 18 wineries, 145 growers and 8,800 acres of producing vineyards.

Shannon Ridge - New Arrival.

Bustling baby Isabella

Born February 7th, 6 lbs, 15 ozs

Grandpa Shannon with Isabella...congratulations!