UPPER LAKE – Cowboy Hideaway Ranch is offering a new wine, culinary and equine vacation package in the Wine Country of Northern California.

“After a day of riding one of our gaited Rocky Mountain Horses through the beautiful California countryside, there is no better way to spend an evening than returning to the ranch for a glass of fine wine, a wonderful meal and conversing with friends,” said Cowboy Hideaway co-owner Jeff Irvine.

Guests at this unique new equestrian venue discover California’s Wine Country and its dramatic scenery while enjoying private tours and tastings of award winning wines. They ride horseback through vineyards, ancient redwood groves and glide through the ocean mist along the rugged Mendocino Coast. Guests sample wines from Napa, Sonoma, Lake and Mendocino counties as they traverse some of the most spectacular landscape the West Coast has to offer.

Guests at Cowboy Hideaway ride exclusively gaited Rocky Mountain Horses born and trained at Mountain Magic Ranch in Montana. These wonderful riding horses have an even temperament and an ambling four-beat gait to ensure even novice riders an effortless ride. With your horse as your companion for the week, guests experience the pleasure of these rare, beautiful animals with their strong hearts, natural endurance and smooth level ride.

Each day’s ride explores a new and different facet of the countryside. A day may begin with a vineyard ride and a talk on the viticulture of the area. One day is spent touring Ridgewood Ranch home of Seabiscuit’s miraculous recovery to win at Santa Anita with the exclusive privilege to ride the same trails as that famous stallion. One ride is on miles of beaches along the Mendocino Coast with winery stops on the way back to the Ranch and another into the quaint town of Upper Lake and lunch at the classic Blue Wing Saloon.

After riding guests have private winery tours including Jim Fetzer’s new winery Ceago del Lago and Francis Ford Coppola presents Rosso and Bianco. Guests return to the comfort, pleasure and warmth of the lodge on the 750 acre Cowboy Hideaway Ranch to savor exceptional regional cuisine. Some evenings include a private tasting or a massage while the sun casts its evening glow on Clear Lake, California’s largest natural lake. The three-story lodge offers luxury accommodations, a great room dominated by a towering stone fireplace, an enormous gourmet kitchen and a view from every window.

Guests not only have the opportunity to experience a variety of local California wine, they learn about different growing techniques, the production of different varietals and the philosophies of diverse wine makers. The different wines are paired with meals prepared with the finest of local ingredients by either the staff or perhaps a new and rising star of the culinary world.

Corkscrews and Horseshoes – need we say more?

The California Wine and Equine Tour includes:

• Three to six nights lodge accommodations and most meals.

• Two to five days of guided trail riding, winery tours and private tastings.

• Available in 2008 from April through November.

For more information contact Cowboy Hideaway, telephone 707-328-3192 or visit www.cowboyhideaway.com.

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