Broughton Quarterly - Fall 2007 - (Page 19) George Wrey’s stone winery (left) was state-of-the-art in the late 1800s. While horse-drawn wagons and manual wine presses (above) now seem ancient, they led to the wines we enjoy today, like Blue Wing’s gold-medal-winning Sauvignon Blanc (right). County is full of secrets—some better left undisturbed. In fact, he won an award for best dry white and red wines at the 1893 Chicago Exposition. Hammond sold for the princely sum of $.25 per gallon jug. His winery was abandoned in 1915. Louis Kugelman was another early Lake County wine grape producer, who sold his grapes to Calistoga’s Patcheteau Winery for between $.10 and $.15 per gallon. The Patcheteau winery is long gone, but the original castle is still standing on Diamond Mountain in Napa County. George Wrey was an Englishman who heard about the untold riches available in California and in 1883 bought 5,000 acres near Lower Lake. He planted over 1,000 acres into vines, and then he too employed Stephen Nicolai to help construct a stone winery, some two miles south of Lower Lake. This was a state-of-the-art, gravity fed system. Sadly abandoned in the early 20th Century, the ruins of Lake County’s Wrey winery still remain. I went searching for this bit of Lake County history. According to various reports, the Wrey ruins sat undisturbed about a mile from Lower Lake, on Morgan Valley Road, over a creek, near a hill, and behind the 17600 address. I duly found this potential location and looked around. Nothing but tall grasses, a house or two, a lonely road, and very hot underbrush. Some vines were planted behind a fence. I searched high and low, looking for a hill, which may or may not have risen in the distance. The dry creek runs right under the road, but didn’t look too enticing. Soon, after traipsing to and fro looking for an opening, I found a true California resident—a rattlesnake. The five-foot long rattler looked me in the eye, slightly bored, and didn’t even bother rattling. It seemed to suggest that no winery would be found in these parts, and perhaps I shouldn’t proceed. I accepted the serpent’s advice and moved on. Besides producing excellent grapes and fine wines, Lake County Q is full of secrets—some better left undisturbed. Where to Stay Beyond the Golden Gate, there’s a world of topnotch winemaking—and it’s not all happening in Napa and Sonoma. Take an extra step and you’ll discover vineyards, wineries, and charming country towns ringing the shores of California’s largest natural lake, Clear Lake. The historic Tallman Hotel is the region’s finest country inn, and a perfect base from which to explore the surrounding wine country. Rates from $109, 707.275.2244, www.TallmanHotel.com www.BroughtonQuarterly.com 19 http://www.TallmanHotel.com http://www.BroughtonQuarterly.com
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