Did you know California has volcanoes?
Red volcanic soils, high altitude and a seemingly magnetic pull for veteran winemakers are making Lake County in northern California one to watch, writes LM Archer.
At the recent SommCon conference in Washington, D.C., a $20 (£14.60) Lake County red blend outshone other premium international labels — a moment that hints at a bigger story.
At the time of writing, 2025 revenues for Brassfield Estate Winery, which produced the show-stopping wine, already surpass total revenues of 2024. “And we have the rest of the year to go,” reports Chris Baker, Brassfield Estate’s president and COO.
As the global wine industry doom-scrolls downward, how does this sleepy wine region north of Napa keep rising?
Location, location, location
Lake County claims its name from a volcanic caldera lake located on Clear Lake Volcanic Field in northern California. The region, spanning approximately 4,047 ha (10,000 acres), contains obsidian-laced volcanic soils, eight appellations, and two towering volcanoes, Mount Cobb and Mount Konocti.
Industry veterans like Andy Beckstoffer of Beckstoffer Vineyards and Clay Shannon of Shannon Family of Wines invested decades ago in Lake County, impressed by its high altitudes, volcanic soils, and ample sunshine.
“I also wanted to be located as close as possible to the edge of development,” says Shannon. “There is not much north of us until you get to Oregon.”
Lake County vineyards slope between 457 m (1,500 ft.) and 914 m (3,000 ft.), basking in about 10% more ultraviolet light than other wine regions at or near sea level. This extra light produces thicker grape skins, and more concentrated phenolics.
“Over time, winemakers and grape buyers across the North Coast recognised the value that Lake County grapes deliver in terms of phenolics, tannin, and structure,” explains Debra Sommerfield, president of Lake County Winegrowers. “Which became sort of a ‘best-kept secret’ among many winemakers.”
Red volcanic soils
Shannon, who farms more than 405 ha throughout Lake County, concurs. “I wanted to grow grapes in red volcanic soils at high elevations in the coastal mountains of California,” he says. “And be able to make high value wine at reasonable prices for the everyday consumer of fine wine.”
More recently, Lake County finds growing favour with younger wine, food and hospitality folks, attracted to its clean air, unassuming lifestyle, and sustainability ethos.
According to Benjamin Neyman, director of production at Shannon Family of Wines, its direct-to-consumer database pegs the average age of local customers at 36 years old.
That said, all ages gather daily at Shannon Mercantile wine bar in Lakeport.
Launched during the pandemic, the tasting room turned social hub anchors a tight community, serving up daily food trucks, weekly live music, merchandise, and a family-friendly atmosphere.
“You know we’re doing something right if our bottling crew comes to hang out after a 12-hour shift,” Neyman notes.
Industry veteran
Entrepreneur Jerry Brassfield sussed out Lake County’s allure in 1973, when he purchased a 2,023 ha former cattle ranch in High Valley AVA. There, he planted 202 ha to vine, intent upon producing high quality, value-driven, estate-grown Cabernet and other varieties.
In late 2023, Brassfield coaxed industry veteran Chris Baker, recently retired from DAOU, to build out Brassfield Estate’s brand nationally, and globally.
Baker’s gobsmacking stats since helming Brassfield Estate include: a 126% increase in shipments, 139% rise in revenue, 75% distribution growth in new markets throughout the US, 49% growth in existing ones, and 6% increase in per-case revenue, compared to the previous year.
Baker credits some of this upsurge to Brassfield’s partnership with distributor Southern Glazer in August 2024, which opened up new markets. He also “fixed the winery from the inside out,” overhauling software, accounting, the sales team, and brand storytelling.
Using what Baker calls “smart work,” his team employs “very specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time bound objectives,” aiming for a 50/50 split between on-premise and retail, targeting high-profile accounts, and long-term positioning.
Innovation extends beyond sales, too. In April 2025, Brassfield Estate launched a successful, inaugural High Valley Volcano Camp, in partnership with The SOMM Journal. The rigorous, immersive three-day trade event showcased the potential of volcanic High Valley AVA, and Lake County.
Flexibility
In the 1990’s, long-time fruit and nut farmers tapped UC Davis to identify wine grapes favourable to Lake County’s high-elevations, high UV, cold winters, and volcanic soils. Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon topped the list.
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Over time, says Sommerfield, “Lake County growers also have found success with other well-suited but lesser-known grapes such as Grenache, Sangiovese, Albariño, and Touriga Nacional.”
Famous for promoting Napa Cabernet, Beckstoffer Vineyards merits further credit for advancing Lake County Cabernet, too.
“Affordable, exceptional-quality Cabernet Sauvignon that can be purchased and utilized as a blending component for wineries outside Lake County continues to be an area of opportunity and growth,” acknowledges Pedro Rubio, general manager at Beckstoffer Vineyards – Red Hills.
Currently, Beckstoffer Vineyards farms 499 ha across five vineyards in Red Hills Lake County AVA: Amber Knolls, Amber Knolls North, Amber Knolls West, Crimson Ridge, and Amber Mountain.
Rubio also points to Beckstoffer Vineyards’ collaborations with Lake County wineries on terroir-driven, single-vineyard, premium wines as a “significant win” for consumers.
However, he does admit to market downturn adjustments, including pulling 189 ha and mothballing 184 ha.
“It’s challenging to say, but farming has been cyclical since farming began. We do have the flexibility to adjust to market fluctuations, which Beckstoffer Vineyards has been doing since 1970.”
Sustainability
Lake County’s early commitment to sustainability also buffets its success. Clay Shannon started farming sustainably ten years ago, a trend he sees growing. “It is becoming a new baseline/norm in grape farming, and a very important one,” he says. “Organic is catching on, but we feel we are still ahead of the curve… now is the most important time to stick to our philosophy.”
Shannon considers his regenerative model, Project Ovis, “the pinnacle of our mission here in Lake County.” The programme reuses winery byproducts to add value in other production areas. For example, recycling cardboard and pomace into compost, constructing worm farms to generate vermicompost and worm tea for irrigation, applying local chicken manure, and raising 3,000 sheep for suckering, mowing, and fertilizing the vineyards, as well as yielding meat and wool for consumer purchase.
Authenticity
Beyond tangible sales and sustainability measurements, Lake County tenders something intangible: authenticity. For this reason, winemakers worldwide relocate to Lake County, bringing their expertise.
Some international transplants cite “room to think differently.”
“My wife Carolina and I are both Argentine winemakers” says Shannon Family of Wines winemaker Jeronimo da Valle. “We came to Lake County to bring our global perspective to a region full of potential.”
For da Valle, what stands apart in Lake County “is the purity of the environment, and the freedom to innovate. In more traditional regions, legacy can limit innovation.”
Such freedom allows for following trends like organics, low-intervention, low-alcohol wines, and different grape varieties. “At SFW, we work with more than 25 grape varieties,” says da Valle, “many of them drought-tolerant and well-suited to Lake County’s climate.”
“Some of these started as blending components, but we quickly realized they could stand on their own as distinctive single-varietal wines,” he says. “That discovery has opened a lot of creative doors,” without sacrificing “energy, flavour, and texture.”
It also leaves room for smaller, artisan winemakers to strut their stuff.
“Since my arrival, I noticed that several independent wine makers like me have received great feedback for the wines here, several of us make truly special wines, small batch artisan-made,” says Alsatian-born André Guéziec of Domaine Helena in Helena-Lake County AVA. The former engineer established his 33 ha organic estate in 2021.
Pruning school
For others, Lake County’s supportive atmosphere stands out. “What really strikes me is the sense of community among growers,” says Jett Johansson, assistant manager of Simonit & Sirch USA. “That’s a rare thing in today’s wine world.”
Johansson works under the aegis of the famed pruning school in Friuli, Italy. In 2025, Lake County Winegrowers engaged Simonit & Sirch to conduct its pioneering Lake County Pruning School. The immersive, bi-lingual programme taught local vine tenders pruning techniques that promote vine health and longevity.
“‘’I hope the season is blessed with a good harvest for me, but I do not wish the same for my neighbour’’ is a common phrase that I have heard in Italy, France, the US or wherever there is a tendency towards market-driven competitive farming in any sector,” observes Johansson. “I have a hard time imagining the growers from Lake County talk like that, and I think it is something unique, and something that should be celebrated.”
Compelling story
Ultimately, “Every great wine region was unknown at one point,” sums up Chris Baker. For Lake County, its rise rests upon a clear, compelling story – one centred around pure, unique terroir, an authentic, collaborative community, and sustainably-produced, value-driven wines.
“Lake County is a wine region with a particular position,” concludes Johansson. “People are frugal, easygoing, and have a rustic charm and camaraderie that has been lost elsewhere… I think that if you want a taste of rural American culture, with a solid connection to wine, it is one of the most expressive places to go.”
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