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.

Langtry Estate & Vineyards, by far the largest grapegrowing property in Lake County with 21,000 total acres, also is moving aggressively in new directions. Former Jackson Wine Estates International president Tim Matz has been named president of Langtry, formerly known as Guenoc Winery.
He replaces Easton Manson, who will remain chairman of the board of directors. Manson, an investor from Hawaii, has served in that role since Roy Cecchetti left the company in September 2006. Prior to that, Orville Magoon owned the property.

Matz previously served as vice president and general manager for Beringer Blass Wine Estates (imports and Canada) from 2002 to 2004, and he was president (Americas) of Southcorp Wines prior to its acquisition by Beringer Blass. Earlier in his career, Matz worked for Brown-Forman in various sales, marketing and business development roles. He brings more than 26 years of business experience--with 21 years of experience in wine and spirits industry management--and holds an MBA from the University of Kentucky. He co-edited and authored a wine industry book titled Wine, A Global Business.

Matz will oversee grapegrowing, production, marketing and sales for the Langtry and Guenoc wine brands, and he'll also take the role of director of California operations, overseeing Langtry's expansion into outdoor pursuits.

Matz intends to develop a destination with outdoor activities, including a golf course, to complement existing lodgings on the property, but the current plan is to open it only to the wine trade. "There are no plans for any housing beyond that at this time," said Matz, while allowing that the situation could change in the future. The existing lodgings are the historic Langtry House and Gebhardt Hunting Lodge.

Manson said, "Tim is an experienced leader with proven results in management, sales, marketing and operations. He has a very strong track record in brand growth."

He added, "We're delighted to have Tim's leadership driving the future expansion of our wine brands and diversification of our agricultural business model. He will be instrumental in directing the growth of the company and in overseeing the many exciting initiatives we have planned."

Of Langtry's 400 acres of vineyards, about 100 are in its 5,000-acre Napa County holdings. Matz intends to develop a high-end Napa brand using the fruit. It already has gained notice for its Tephra Ridge Cabernet from steep volcanic soils just across the county line in Lake County.

He also plans to build the Langtry Estate tier of wines, as well as a Lake County tier. "Lake County is upcoming as a wine region, and we want to contribute to the growth," he said.

He feels that two varietals have a special place in the county's future. "Sauvignon Blanc and Petite Sirah can carry us a long way," he said, citing the special notice those Lake County varietals have received. The winery will offer a full line of wines, however.

Additional information on Langtry Estate & Vineyards is available at langtryestate.com.

For more informat ion about Shannon Ridge Vineyards and Winery, visit shannonridge.com.