Clay and Margarita Shannon have purchased High Valley Vineyard and will add that property and brand to their portfolio of Lake County wines. The eighty-acre vineyard lies adjacent to the Shannons' home vineyard in the High Valley appellation of Lake County.

"Margarita and I have admired this property for a long time," says Clay Shannon. "The Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet are a great fit for our Shannon Ridge Family of Wines, and our flock of 1,000 sheep have always thought that the grass seemed just a little bit greener on the other side of that fence." The vineyard will be renamed Betsy's Vineyard, paying tribute to Clay Shannon's mother, who passed away from cancer. "It's nice to think that her memory will live on in this vineyard and wines," Shannon says.

The High Valley Vineyard wines will be expanded into national distribution. "We really believe in Lake County and the quality that we can deliver in the bottle," says Clay Shannon. "So purchasing this vineyard and these wines was just another way to confirm our commitment to the region."

"As we take these wines into national distribution, we'll dedicate a portion of the proceeds to fight cancer," says Margarita Shannon. "That's something very close to our hearts, and it has affected so many people. We want to do something to make a difference." The Shannons also support Sponsoring Survivorship, a non-profit organization for women in Lake County struggling against breast cancer.

The portfolio of award-winning Shannon Ridge wines includes the Single Vineyard Collection and Ranch Collection, as well as affiliated brands Vigilance, Hillgate, Dos Brotos, Dalliance, Cross Springs, and now High Valley Vineyard. Shannon Ridge's vineyards are certified sustainable, and are known for their woolly compost machines - a flock of 1,000 sheep, complete with shepherd and a team of highly trained sheepdogs. The sheep do an excellent job of canopy management and leaf removal, and pick the vineyard clean after harvest. They also manage the cover crop in the spring and work hard to reduce fire danger in the surrounding hills the remainder of the year.

About Shannon Ridge Family of Wines
Clay and Margarita Shannon are committed to preserving their land, not only for the great vineyard sites but also for the bear, elk, mountain lions, eagles and other creatures which live there. Of the approximately 1,400 acres on the ranch, only about 35% have been converted to vineyards. The balance of the land has been preserved for the wildlife which wanders through the property from the expansive wilderness area to the north and east. The vineyards were carefully planned out, leaving corridors open to migrating animals and protecting sensitive nesting areas.