Lake County Archives - Wine Country Getaways

When in Lake Country Shannon Ridge & Vigilance

by Joe Becerra

Here is a quick look at two wineries in Lake County owned by Clay and Margarita Shannon. Clay Shannon is one of the pioneers of Lake County wineries, owning many acres of vineyards in the Red Hills AVA* and the High Valley AVA. On our recent trip to Lake County, we took a vineyard tour of both these areas where Clay Shannon grows grapes for the Shannon Ridge and Vigilance labels.

shannon-vines — Shannon Ridge vines - High Valley AVA

Ceago Vinegarden in Lake County

by Joe Becerra

This is Jim Fetzer’s contribution to the California wine world, an absolutely stunning estate winery on the shoreline of Clear Lake. This is the only winery in California where you can actually arrive by a boat or a seaplane and make your way to the tasting room. If you want to stay overnight, there is also lodging in one of the winery’s three “Lakeside Casitas” that have fabulous views of the lake and of the Ceago Estate. The mission-style architecture blends in nicely with the lake view, mountains, and the beautiful gardens.

ceago-lavender — Lavender fields and the Mission architecture

Discovering Lake County Wineries

by Joe Becerra

We spent three days exploring the wine region of Lake County. What we discovered was an array of beautiful vineyards and exciting and delicious wines being produced from this wine region. This was our first trip to Lake County and we found much to like here, enough to convince us that we need to develop a section on our wine travel Website, WineCountryGetaways.com, devoted to the wineries of Lake County. This wine country is an exciting area of opportunity for winemakers, wineries, and wine travelers.