Hill Creek Vineyard

			HISTORY Lake County’s wine industry, like other North Coast areas, got off to a rapid start in the 1870’s and yet, tourist brochures today proclaim Lake County to be “Undiscovered Wine Country”. What happened in between?

	By 1884, Lake County”s growing industry had 600 acres of wine grapes. Settlers from many parts of Europe and the United States were bringing their viticultural and winemaking expertise to the county. Notable arrivals in the 1880’s included Seranus C. Hastings, founder of Hastings Law School, and Lily Langtry, famous British actress and socialite. Each established a vineyard and winery. Young Harvard graduate Charles M. Hammond won best exhibit for dry white and red wines at the 1893 World Exposition in Chicago with wine produced at his Lake County vineyard.

	The renaissance of the local wine industry began again in the late 1960's when a few growers wanted to diversify from walnuts and pears and decided to plant wine grapes. Today, the Lake County wine industry is booming with 22 wineries, 140 growers and 8,500 acres of wine producing vineyards with approximately 1,000 additional acres planted since the year 2000.

			OUR VINEYARD In 1999, the virgin pasture land was planted in 4 1/2 acres of Sauvignon Blanc grapes. The vineyard was conventionally farmed till 2004. We then transitioned for 3 years and received our CCOF organic certification in the summer of 2008.