KELSEYVILLE – On Saturday the Kelseyville Business Association and Clear Lake Performing Arts (CLPA) hosted the seventh annual Lake County Home Wine Maker’s Festival.

The event provided home winemakers a forum in which to show off their hobby, and also gives local wineries a place to offer tastings of their products.

The festival is the largest annual fundraiser for CLPA, which promotes music education, community concerts and student scholarships in Lake County.

This year's festival was well-attended, with people from all areas of Northern California including Lake, Mendocino, Sonoma, Yuba, Colusa and other counties.

The festival was open from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. In addition to the offerings from home brewers, small wineries and some of the larger local wineries, there was food, live music, and arts and crafts available.

There were several raffles and a silent auction held throughout the event, along with ribbons awarded to the brewers and winemakers. Local businesses were open throughout the event including Focused On Wine, Rosa D’Oro, and Wildhurst tasting rooms.

The competition's results follow.

People’s Choice Awards:

• Best Booth – Two Dude Brew

• Best Beer – Two Dude Brew

• Best Wine – David Pretari for Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

• Best Label – Paul Lew for Dark Horse Stout

Beer Awards:

• Best in Show – Ron Chips, Irish Ale

• Ale: First, tie – Ron Chips and Two Dude Brew; Second – Paul Lew

• Porter/Stout: First – Paul Lew

• Wheats: First – Two Dude Brew; Second – Paul Lew

• IPA: First – Two Dude Brew

Wine Awards – Reds:

• Best in Show Red Wine: Greg and Jeff Conley, Gamay 2006

• Gamay: Gold – Greg and Jeff Conley, Conley Winery 2006

• Merlot: Gold – John Bristow, Garden Hill Winery 2007; Silver – Dennis Koenig, Koenig Winery 2007; Bronze – Ed Bublitz, Full Moon Rising 2007

• Malbec: Gold – Danny Morrow, Eastside Winery 2003; Silver – Danny Morrow, Eastside Winery 2004

• Cabernet Sauvignon: Gold – Kirk DeAlba, Tres Amigos 2006; Silver – Kyle Mahoney and Nick Wolfe, Wolfe Mahoney Winery 2007; Bronze – Greg and Jeff Conley, Conley Winery 2007

• Cabernet Franc: Gold – Kyle Mahoney and Nick Wolfe, Wolfe Mahoney Winery 2007; Bronze – Conn and June Murray, Muritage Winery 2006

• Zinfandel: Gold – Kyle Mahoney and Nick Wolfe, Wolfe Mahoney Winery 2007; Bronze – Tom and Nancy Harty, Mother Mountain Winery 2007

• Syrah/Petite Sirah: Gold – John Bristow, Garden Hill Winery 2007; Silver – Ron Chips, Ron Chips Winery 2006; Bronze – Danny Morrow, Eastside Winery 2006

• Red Blend: Gold – Scott and Sue Simkover, Smiling Dogs Ranch 2008; Silver – Paul Spillane and Troy Shankels, Panty Dropper 2004; Bronze, tie – Tom and Nancy Harty, Mother Mountain Winery 2008 and Danny Morrow, Eastside Winery 2004.

• Sangiovese: Gold – Clear Lake Performing Arts Wine Group 2006; Silver – Conn and June Murray, Muritage Winery 2006

Wine Awards – Whites:

• Sauvignon Blanc: Gold – Conn anad June Murray, Muritage Winery 2006; Silver – Leo D’Agostino, D’Agostino Winery 2005.

Wine Awards – Fruit wines:

• Best in Show and Gold – Bruce and Cindy Lightfoot, Lightfoot Pear Wine 2008

Wine Awards – Dessert wines:

• Best in Show and Gold – Greg and Jeff Conley, Conley Winery, Zinfandel Port 2005.

Providing tastings were:

• Cobb Mountain Brewing Co. – Wheat beer, brown, stout;

• Dusinberre – Napa Valley Champagne;

• Full Moon Rising – Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot;

• Steele Winery – Sauvignon Blanc, Grenache, Zinfandel, Viognier;

• Potter’s Honeycut – Merlot;

• Bell Hill – Merlot;

• Mother Mountain Wine – Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon;

• Muritage – Sauvignon Bland and Musque blend, Cab Franc, Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon;

• Ron and Cheryn Chips – Irish Red Ale, California Ale;

• Cesar Toxqui Cellars – Chardonnay, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir;

• Ployez Winery – Zinfandel;

• Hidden Oaks Estate – Cabernet Sauvignon;

• Barn Owl Winery – Syrah, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon;

• David Petrari – Cabernet Sauvignon;

• Garden Hill Winery – Syrah, Merlot;

• High Valley Wines – Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Fume Blanc;

• Luna-Lake Syrah – Syrah;

• Party Dropper Wines – California Red, Cabernet Sauvignon;

• Wildhurst – Reserve Sauvignon Blanc, Reserve Chardonnay, Muscat Canelli, Reserve Zinfandel, Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon;

• Six Sigma – Rose, Sauvignon Blanc;

• Triangle – Meritage;

• D’Agostino Vineyard and Winery – Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah;

• Wolfe Mahoney – Cab Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel;

• The Lightfoots – Pear Wine, Cabernet/Syrah, Syrah/Cabernet;

• Bill and Leanne Gilbert – Cabernet Sauvignon;

• Shed Horn Cellars – Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc;

• Conley Wines – Zinfandel Port, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gamay;

• Tres Amigos – Cabernet Sauvignon;

• Eastside Winery – Red Wine Blend, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Syrah;

• Rosa D’Oro – Barbera, Syrah, Primitivo, Chardonnay, Muscat Canelli;

• Koenig Family Cellars – Merlot;

• Tulip Hill – Reserve Chardonnay, Zinfandel, White Mirage Rose;

• Sommelier Stephanie Green of Focused on Wine was pouring – Amber Knolls Vineyard, Six Sigma “Piquenique,” and Girls on the Vineyard Cabernet.

If you would like to learn more about the Clear Lake Performing Arts, you can visit them online at www.clearlakeperformingarts.org or contact them at Clear Lake Performing Arts, P.O. Box 974, Lakeport, CA 95453.

Ross A. Christensen writes about food and wine for Lake County News.