Let’s be honest: some wine regions can feel a little…extra. You get the tasting notes, the high price tags, the sommeliers who speak a whole new dialect—but sometimes you’re left wondering if you missed a class. Then there’s Lake County. Two hours north of San Francisco, this elevated, volcanic wine playground operates on a different frequency. Everything here feels refreshingly real—laid-back, unpolished in the best way. No one cares about your wine knowledge or whether you can pronounce “Bourgogne.” What matters here is volcanic soil that makes wines with actual personality. Clean air that lets vines do their thing without big-city pollution. And starry nights and Clear Lake views that make you forget to check your phone. This is wine country for people who think wine country isn’t for them.

Volcanic soil and high elevation give Lake County wines bold flavors, unique character, and critical acclaim—especially reds and crisp whites.

For Wines That Just Hit Differently

Volcanoes don’t just make cool TikTok backdrops—they help create wine with an igneous intensity. Lake County sits on what was once a seething cauldron of geological drama. Today, that ancient volcanic soil forces vines to struggle, producing smaller grapes packed with flavor and a distinct personality you won’t find in your typical grocery store bottle. Combine that with some of the highest elevation vineyards in California, and you’ve got a blueprint for wines that hit differently—reds with depth, but without overwhelming tannins that leave your mouth feeling like you’ve been chewing on a tea bag. And the whites? Clean, crisp, and expressive. Wine Enthusiast has been dishing out scores of 94+ to Lake County wines for years, including a 97-pointer to Sol Rouge’s Petite Sirah—not that you should care about points, but it doesn’t hurt to know you’re drinking the good stuff.

Wine tasting doesn’t have to mean standing at a crowded bar while someone goes deep on malolactic fermentation. In Lake County, the tasting room is just a part of your weekend escape. At Six Sigma Ranch & Vineyard, visitors can sip a bold Tempranillo after crushing a mountain bike trail or wandering through fields of lavender. Hop aboard their rugged Pinzgauer all-terrain vehicle for a tour of Diamond Mine Vineyard, where up to 10 friends can join you bumping along the countryside. The new Huttopia project lets you glamp between tastings, fall asleep under stars unobscured by city lights, and wake up with vineyard views. Known for estate-grown wines with a wild side, Six Sigma specializes in bold, character-driven reds like their flagship Tempranillo and a sleek, structured Cabernet Sauvignon— small-lot pours with big mountain energy. The tasting room occupies a historic stagecoach stop—a cozy cabin nestled among century-old Valley Oak trees at the end of a scenic two-mile drive.

Sponsored by LAKE COUNTY WINERY Association

The best wine adventures happen when you can ditch the car keys.

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Lake County Is the Wine Country Alternative We’ve Been Waiting For

By Monica Vanover on June 11, 2025

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Lake County offers quality wines, scenic experiences, and welcoming wineries.

Plan Your Getaway to Experience Lake County!

Volcanic Vibes Only: The Soil That Changes Everything

Not Your Parents’ Wine Tasting: Lake County’s Hands-On Scene

If Six Sigma brings the rustic charm, Wild Diamond delivers the contemporary cool. Their tasting room—crafted from sleek, repurposed shipping containers—sits high in the hills with panoramic views that stretch for miles. The wines go just as big: try bold, age-worthy reds like the Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot under the Wild Diamond label. Look for Rhône-style hits in their Dumb Luck series, like Grenache, Syrah, and a standout Mourvèdre layered with plum, violets, and wild berries. Between pours, guests can hunt for Lake County “diamonds”—volcanic glass that sparkles in the sunlight. They’re not real diamonds, but they make for better stories than any souvenir keychain or fridge magnet.

The Mercantile acts as a community hub in the county, where each day brings a new reason to visit: Taco Tuesdays with La Chilanguita’s made-to-order guacamole, Smashburger Wednesdays from Sawmill Snakwagon, gourmet grilled cheese Thursdays, and Friday night pizza paired with wines on tap. Visit on a Saturday for a morning farmers’ market followed by live music. For your bougie side that deserves its moment, Brassfield Estate rises from the landscape like a castle, its grand Mediterranean-style architecture and stunning gardens providing a backdrop that would make European royalty nod in approval. The wines are just as stately—the 2021 Eruption Red Blend, an inky, volcanic mash-up of Petite Sirah, Syrah, and Malbec, brings black fruit and smoky spice, with concentrated flavors and firm tannins. Start with an elegant Pinot Gris or dry Rosé and you’ve got just the right setting for practicing your ‘I totally live like this’ face. Tours showcase both the winemaking process and the property’s breathtaking views of the valley and surrounding mountains.

If waking up at your first tasting sounds about right, Stonehouse Cellars offers “Bed & Barrel” accommodations that beat any cookie-cutter hotel. Their farm-chic rooms sit right among the vines, cutting your commute to your next tasting down to approximately 37 steps. The wines lean into bold, expressive reds like their Coyote’s Reserve and Sticky Monkey Cabs—big on dark fruit and earthy swagger—with a backbone as rugged as the surrounding terrain. Made with a light touch and a trust-the-land approach, Stonehouse pours the kind of no-fuss elegance that pairs best with muddy boots and a second glass.

The After-Party: Where to Eat, Drink, and Skip the Drive

Sometimes the best wine adventures happen when you can ditch the car keys. Kelseyville’s downtown strip lets you hop between tasting rooms without worrying about who’s driving. Fore Family and Chacewater both pour stellar wines within stumbling distance of each other, making for the perfect afternoon crawl. Nearby is Smiling Dogs Ranch Winery, which also offers no cover live music at the owner's ranch on Fridays. Hungry winos, fear not—Lake County’s food scene isn’t an afterthought. The Saw Shop Public House and Backyard packs in the locals for dining and backyard fun while capturing Lake County’s unpretentious charm. Blue Wing Saloon pairs historic vibes with upscale pub fare and live music, while On the Waterfront serves globally-inspired, sustainable cuisine to locavores. Over in Coyote Valley, Greenview Bar & Grill crafts everything in-house—from fresh pizza dough to local beef burgers—with plenty of vegan and gluten-free options. Their on-staff pastry chef ensures your wine tasting day ends with something sweet.

When you want to mix live music with your Cabernet, try Cache Creek Vineyards & Winery and their amphitheater nestled among the vines. Summer evenings here mean kicking back with a glass of their award-winning wines while local and touring musicians provide the soundtrack to your wine country getaway. Since Uber and Lyft haven’t discovered wine country’s hidden gem yet, plan ahead with Dock Factory Lake Limos. Their drivers navigate every winding back road and hillside vineyard worth visiting, plus they’re happy to make room when you inevitably buy more bottles than planned. Think of it as having a local guide driving you from one wine flight to the next—the kind of easygoing, good-times version of wine country you didn’t know you were missing.

Wine Country, Loosened Up: Lake County’s Refreshing Take

Wine country has earned a reputation for being a bit buttoned-up. Somewhere along the way—between the pricey tasting flights and lectures on ‘bouquet’ and ‘mouthfeel’—the simple joy of drinking something great got a little overcomplicated. Lake County didn’t get that memo. Instead, Lake County offers something increasingly rare: authenticity without the hefty price tag. It’s not about projecting a lifestyle—or decoding tasting notes that sound more like fruit salad than wine. Just great wine made by people who care, in a place where grapes thrive and pretension doesn’t. The next time someone suggests a weekend wine pilgrimage, pivot north to where the altitude is high and the attitude is low-key. Lake County delivers the wine experience you actually want—no velvet ropes, just vineyard roots. And the best part? You’ll be the one to discover it before everyone else catches on. Visit lakecountywineries.org to learn more.

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There are even more wineries to try!

Beaver Creek Vineyards Boatique Wines Domaine Helena Gregory Graham Wines Langtry Farms Mt. Konocti Winery Obsidion Ridge Vineyard Olof Cellars R Vineyards Rosa d’Oro Vineyards Thorn Hill Vineyards Twin Pine Casino “Off the Vine” Wildhurst Vineyards

Sponsored by LAKE COUNTY WINERY Association

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