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COVER STORY head of sheep. The sheep serve as woolly compost machines in charge of canopy management and leaf removal on Shannon's vineyards, and also eat the vineyard clean after harvest. "We don't want to shoot coyotes or bears, so we asked ourselves, 'How do we keep the sheep safe?'" Shannon mused. Dogs were the answer. "We said to ourselves, 'Those dogs are really vigilant about what they're doing … hey, that's a pretty cool word, let's trademark it.' It was odd that it wasn't taken." Taken it wasn't, and soon, not only did Shannon have a second brand going, he had Beverages & More (BevMo) agreeing in 2009 to be the exclusive retailer of Vigi- lance wines in California, where it operates 106 stores. This coup has helped the brand rise to prominence with consumers eager to buy rec- ommended wines at the $12-$20 price-point. "We showed (BevMo) some juice and it just took off," Shannon said. "It's one of those brands peo- ple love." Vigilance began with sauvignon blanc, a variety that is gaining trac- tion as Lake County's white-wine calling card. The 2011 vintage retails for $19.99, and shows off the region's propensity for balanced acidity and richness; 18,000 cases were made. "This is what Lake County is all about," BevMo cellar master Wil- fred Wong said of the wine. "Racy, with notes of dried citrus peel and light herbs, and superbly focused." Wong gave the wine 91 points, and awarded 92 points to the Vigilance 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon. "We're normal people, we didn't inherit this," Shannon noted. "Everybody is in this thing to make a ton of money. You don't own money, the only thing you really truly have is your honor, your soul, your body. We say let's just try and make a living, have some fun, offer some folks some good products and become their friends; those are the kinds of wines we make." In addition to good-value wines, Vigilance offers a beautiful tast- ing room – an old farmhouse built from virgin redwood that Shan- non has completely redone – with unparalleled views of the Anderson Marsh State Historic Park and Clear Lake below, plus picnic tables and bocce courts. Shannon infuses his new spot with a spirit of openness that can be hard to find at other wineries, leav- ing his gate open so locals can hike around his vineyards, for example. "We've been blessed to get this place and we want to share it," he said. "People can hike and walk along the vineyards, and dogs and kids are OK." At Vigilance, he also caters Vigilance wines are sold at BevMo stores, in addition to the Vigilance tasting room, for $12-$20. events and rents out the space for others to bring in their own chefs. It's also where he sells his grass- fed lamb, a delicious byproduct of all those healthy sheep roaming the vineyards. Shannon plans to one day feature three distinct wineries on the prop- erty, with hilltop vistas much like he's seen in parts of Tuscany. RED HILLS AND HIGH VALLEY Lake County lies north of the Shannon's tasting room includes amenities to attract visitors, including bocce courts and event spaces. WWW.VWM-ONLINE.COM Napa County border and to the east of Sonoma and Mendocino coun- ties. It is also where the Mayac- amas Mountains and Vaca Range join, creating a series of valleys, ter- races and hillsides, and helping to contribute to a high, dry climate and short, warm growing season. Most of the region's 8,380 total SEPT - OCT 2012 VINEYARD & WINERY MANAGEMENT 39