Mark Your Calendar for Winery Getaway

Hawk and Horse Vineyards, which welcomes visitors for tours by appointment (707/481-6941), announces the details of its second annual Wine Society Social on September 22 from 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. at the estate vineyard-winery, 13048 Highway 29 in Lower Lake (95457).

The event is free for members of the winery’s Wine Society and $45/person for non-members; RSVPs are required, to 707/481-6941 or tracey@hawkandhorsevineyards.com. “Please join us for a day of wine, food, and celebration on the ranch,” say founder/proprietors Mitch and Tracey Hawkins and the David Boies family. There will be the opportunity to taste the winery’s first release---now a library reserve wine, the 2004 Hawk and Horse Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon---as well as to enjoy an authentic Cowboy B BQ, sample wine grapes being harvested, watch an exhibition barrel race and take home a fun keepsake of the day. The event will also reference The Year of the Horse, taking place this year; the horse is one of the 12-year cycle of animals in the Chinese zodiac.

The event celebrates the winery’s first ten years of organic wine grape growing and its CCOF certification. The estate vineyards have also been Demeter Biodynamic certified for six years.

The winery’s current releases are the 2009 Hawk and Horse Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon ($65), 2009 Latigo ($45/375 ml) as well as a library selection, the 2008 Hawk and Horse Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon ($65). Wines can be purchased by phoning the winery, 707/481-6941 or online at http://www.hawkandhorsevineyards.com/wines.

“We are so honored that we have won international gold medals on all of our wines, from the first release of the 2004 Hawk and Horse Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon to our current release, the 2010 vintage,” explains proprietor Tracey Hawkins.

The most recent awards the winery has received include a double gold medal for the 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon at the International Women Winemaker’s Competition, a gold medal for the same wine at the Los Angeles International Wine Competition and a silver medal for the 2010 Cabernet at the Concours International Des Vins in Paris. Their 2009 Cabernet also attracted numerous gold medals, from a Double Gold at the Tasters’ Guild International Wine Competition, a gold at the Critic’s Challenge International Wine Competition and a gold medal and best in class at the International Eco-Friendly Wine Challenge.

Hawk and Horse Vineyards, a biodynamic estate vineyard winery located in the scenic Red Hills appellation in Lake County, offers visitors a step back in time, with white-fence-bordered pastures full of horses, a charming home-turned-tasting room with an antique Victorian bar, historic photos of the property and local memorabilia. Visits to the winery can be made by appointment, 707/481-6941 or contacting tracey@hawkandhorsevineyards.com.

Visiting is a way to learn about biodynamic farming, which the winery practices on its 18 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, Cabernet Franc and Petite Verdot. The vineyards straddle slopes from a 15% grade to 35%, at elevations up to 2,200 feet, situated in the Red Hills AVA of California. An unusual aspect most visitors notice is that the soil literally glitters, due to the abundance of Lake County “diamonds,” tiny silica fragments which are the remnants of volcanic activity from nearby Mt. Konocti, a now dormant volcano.

“Our family feels that a biodynamic approach brings you a wine which is a true expression of our very special place, spring-fed mountain vineyard and volcanic soils,” explain Tracey and Mitch Hawkins.

The ranch is home to a small herd of Scottish Highland cattle as well as the horses and an enormous range of wildlife---from Red Tail hawks to bees, owls, bear, wild boar, bobcats, mountain lions and squirrels.

--Announcement submitted by Hawk and Horse Vineyards