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SACRAMENTO – State Sen. Patricia Wiggins (D-Santa Rosa) will convene an informational hearing of the Select Committee on California’s Wine Industry Thursday, May 31, at the State Capitol.
the topic of the hearing, the committee’s first of 2007, will be “Granholm v Heald and Beyond: Retailer Direct-to-Consumer Shipping.”
Wiggins, who represents several of California’s premium wine growing regions, is chair of the 17-member committee.
The other Senators on the committee are Republican Leader Dick Ackerman (R-Irvine), Roy Ashburn (R-Bakersfield), Ron Calderon (D-Montebello), Ellen Corbett (D-San Leandro), Dave Cox (R-Fair Oaks), Jeff Denham (R-Merced), Dean Florez (D-Shafter), Dennis Hollingsworth (R-Murrieta), Mike Machado (D-Linden), Abel Maldonado (R-Santa Maria), Bob Margett (R-Arcadia), Carole Migden (D-San Francisco), Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima), President Pro-Tem Don Perata (D-Oakland), Tom Torlakson (D-Antioch) and Leland Yee (D-San Francisco).
In addition to chairing the Select Committee on California’s Wine Industry, Wiggins is carrying a bill, SB 108, which would modify an existing provision of law allowing wine orders to be taken at tasting events held by specified non-profit organizations to include three additional types of non-profit organizations: civic leagues, social organizations and voluntary employees' beneficiary associations.
SB 108 recently passed out of the Senate Committee on Appropriations and is awaiting a vote of the full Senate.
The May 31 committee hearing is scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m. in room 3191 of the State Capitol.
Wiggins represents California’s 2nd Senate District, which stretches from Humboldt County to Solano County and includes the counties of Lake, Mendocino, Napa and Sonoma.
For more about Wiggins and her legislation, or to contact her office, visit her Web site, http://dist02.casen.govoffice.com/.
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MIDDLETOWN – Gearing up for Middletown Days, Scott Fergusson of Fergusson Cutlery and Outdoor is ready to celebrate his two-year anniversary with a free raffle.
Come in to pick up your free raffle ticket (one per person) to win a Kershaw kitchen knife and cutting board set.
Middletown Days is Saturday and Sunday, June 16-17. The winner of the free raffle will be announced during the Middletown Days festivities, so mark your calendar and plan to attend. Stop by the store during Middletown Days for a free bottle of water.
Scott Fergusson, a former US Marine raised in Sebastopol, has been buying, selling, sharpening and trading knives since he was an active US Marine (1981-1991). He moved to Middletown in 2000 with his wife Linda.
In 2005 Fergusson decided to follow his passion by opening Fergusson Cutlery and Outdoor. This is the only place in Lake County to find brand-name cutlery. The store specializes in interesting custom and hard to find pieces as well as high-end kitchen, hunting, fishing, tactical cutlery and multi-tools.
The story also carries surplus gear and keep their prices at the lowest. They offer expert sharpening service as well as useful gadgets for outdoors people and service professionals such as law enforcement officials, firefighters, EMTs, chefs and members of the military.
Fergusson is active in his local community. He is in the process of becoming the Middletown/Hidden Valley/Cobb representative for the Disaster Assistance Response Team. He also is an Entered Apprentice Mason and a volunteer for the Bridges program at Middletown High School.
Fergusson Cutlery is located at 21153 Calistoga St., No. 101, in Middletown. For more information contact Scott Fergusson, 987-0121, or visit his Web site, www.fergussoncutlery.com.
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LAKEPORT – Lakeport Safeway recently gave away half-day fishing trips to some lucky customers.
Winners of the trips for two included Buckingham resident Joel Witherell and outdoor writer Terry Knight.
The trips were donated by local fishing guide Richard Pounds of “Bass Fishing with Richard.”
The raffle took place as a result of donations to Easter Seals at the checkout stands during the month of April. April was Easter Seals month at all Safeways.
By coincidence, Witherell is the Easter Seals Northern California administrative assistant in Lakeport..
Witherell said he plans to take his son-in-law, Charlie Steele, with him on his trip.
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CLEARLAKE OAKS – Two of the Shannon Ridge wines took gold medals at the 24th annual San Diego International Wine Competition earlier this month.
The winery was awarded gold medals for the 2003 Lake County Petite Sirah and the 2006 Lake County Sauvignon Blanc.
Additionally, the 2003 Petite Sirah took sweepstakes, which means that the judges entered the wine into the sweepstakes round of voting for best of show, an honor that only 28 wines out of the 2,100 wines entered in the competition received.
The competition was judged by some of the top industry professionals, and they chose some stellar wines.
The 2003 Petite Sirah is a bold wine with dark berry and smoke aromas tinged with spice. It is very food friendly with chewy tannins, subtle oak, lovely cassis flavors and a long fruity finish. It is made from 100-percent Petite Sirah and aged for 14 months in French and American Oak. It can be paired with spicy barbeque, Thai curry, and other robust flavors.
The 2006 Sauvignon Blanc meets the nose with attractive floral and mineral notes. It is a nice summer sipping wine with plenty of citrus rounded out by apricot and banana flavors. It is also made from 100% of its varietal.
“We’re very proud to receive these awards. It is always great to have our attention to quality recognized and to see the Lake County wines getting some traction in the market place,” said Shannon Ridge proprietor Clay Shannon.
Directed by wine writer Robert Whitley, the competition benefits the charitable activities of San Diego’s Sisters of Social Service and the San Diego Social Service Auxiliary.
In 1995, Clay and Margarita Shannon purchased a mountain property in the High Valley appellation in Lake County, 35 miles north of Napa. They began planting vineyards along the steep volcanic ridges and now have 350 acres of prime vineyards on the ranch. Shannon Ridge released its first wines, made by winemaker Robert Pepi, in 2004.
The winery currently makes Cabernet Sauvignon (High Valley), Syrah (High Valley), Zinfandel (Lake County), Petite Sirah (Lake County), Barbera (High Valley), Sauvignon Blanc (Lake County) and Viognier (Lake County).
Built in 2004, the Shannon Ridge tasting room is located in an old one-room school house on Highway 20 in Clearlake Oaks, adding to the family-owned business authenticity for which the winery prides itself.
For further information, please visit www.shannonridge.com or call 707-998-9656.
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