Location of Six Sigma Ranch and Vineyards in the North Coast Appellation area of Lake County

For the casual passer-by on Spruce Grove Road in Lake County, CA, Six Sigma Ranch may look as just another vineyard - rows of sturdy, rusty end-posts; young, lush grapevines resting their outstretched arms on taut catch-wires; black irrigation hoses hanging low on the stakes. However, a closer look will reveal that our property is much more than a place to grow grapes. In 1999, when looking for land that would fulfill Kaj's dream of owning a vineyard, we chose the ranch in Lower Lake because of its natural beauty and the endless possibilities this land offered.

Nestled 50 minutes north of Napa Valley, our ranch sacrifices nothing in wildlife and genuine splendor. It is our intent to maintain its natural state. To that end, our first step after acquiring the property in 1999 was to donate a conservation easement to the Golden State Land Conservancy. Composed of steep mountains, rolling hills and picturesque valleys, Six Sigma Ranch is home not only to our vineyards but also to wildlife and vegetation of many kinds. With approximately 4,300 acres, we are just beginning to explore all the opportunities the ranch offers.

Our love of nature is the driving force behind the way we develop the ranch. We focus on integrating the vineyards with native vegetation, making the grapevines look like a part of the natural landscape. Majestic oaks and groves of mature trees dwarf the vineyards. All of the vineyards provide wildlife corridors in or around them to preserve the natural habitat and allow the movement of deer, bobcat, wild turkey, wild pigs, and bear that grace the area.

Location of present and planned vineyards on the ranch

If you were to come for a visit, you would follow a 2-mile drive from the front gate at Spruce Grove Road to the restored bungalow we use as our tasting room. Making that drive, you would be following the route that the stagecoach took years ago from Middletown to the gold mines and quicksilver mines in Knoxville. Our tasting room sits right where the stagecoach stop used to be.

The historic drive follows Asbill Creek, officially named so after the first family of settlers who made the valley their home in the late 1850's. At each end of Asbill valley, you can view vineyards - Michael's Vineyard near the front gate and Else's Vineyard across the valley floor from our tasting room. (The vineyards are affectionately named for family members.) In between the two vineyards, you will pass our winery tucked off to the north side of the road.

From our tasting room, a narrow, winding mountain road leads another 2 miles up to Christian's Vineyard in the Diamond Mine, located on the gentle southeast slopes of an 1800-foot peak near the southeastern end of our property. We named this location the Diamond Mine because it has an abundance of "Lake County Diamonds," small volcanic pieces of quarts that litter the red volcanic soil and shimmer in the sunlight.

A drive past our three vineyards just begins to scratch the surface of all the ranch has to offer. You can see on the map that existing and future vineyards occupy only a small fraction of the ranch. While we will continue vineyard development, our commitment to preserving the natural setting for its indigenous occupants will never change. That commitment goes to the core of who we are. In fact, it is so important to us that we are proactively teaching others to value nature, too. Every year, as part of the Acorn Soupe program, students from nearby schools visit the ranch to harvest acorns. A local nursery then grows the seeds into oak trees that are planted back on the ranch the following year.

In the current state of development, we welcome individuals and groups by appointment on a very selective basis. Likewise, we can accommodate a small number of visitors for barrel tasting. Guest accommodations are still on the drawing board but there are many ways you can enjoy the ranch now. If you are interested in nature, high-altitude vineyards, wildlife viewing and photography, hiking or mountain biking, give us a call. We would be happy to organize a visit. Be sure to check out our current events page What's New to learn about upcoming events at Six Sigma Ranch and Vineyard.