There are some places I discover, practically in my own backyard, that remind me to get out and look around, explore the areas you think you already know.

Lake County’s Six Sigma Winery was a big wake-up call in all of the best ways. This beautiful 4,300-acre property was the family home for Russell Rustici, the son of the man who founded a major San Francisco produce market. Mr. Rustici was growing older but feeling no pressure to sell his magnificent ranch until Danish GE executive Kaj Ahlmann decided to look north after already investigating properties in Napa, Sonoma and Mendocino. When Kaj saw the pastures, hills and woodlands, he was enthralled and the idea of building Six Sigma Ranch and Winery took root.

Now celebrating its 20th Anniversary, Six Sigma produces 3,000-4,000 cases of wine annually with plans to scale up to 10,000. Growing on about 50 acres, Kaj and his wife, Else, worked with UC Davis, planting sensors throughout the vineyards to plant the best varietals for each vineyard plot. Currently, Six Sigma grows Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Sauvignon Blanc and Tempranillo, the latter reflecting the couple’s passion for Spanish wines. Although most of the winery’s grapes are sold to other vintners, enough is held back for a thriving wine program that supports Six Sigma’s 900 winery members, visitors from the Bay Area and around the world, and locals who take advantage of the ranch events, hikes and ranch-to-table dinners.

FOR WINE AND FOOD LOVERS

Examples of how Six Sigma entertains their fellow wine and food lovers includes monthly Paella nights, wine and cheese pairings, guided mountain bike or hiking trail rides and plenty of ways to weave the bounty of the farm and ranch into winemaking and wine-enjoying activities. In the next couple months alone, Six Sigma’s 20th Anniversary commences with regular culinary pop-ups and concerts, including a Filipino food truck pop-up, wine and pizza pop-up, Austin and Owens concerts and maybe even dining and dancing under the stars … and there are quite the amazing stars in the skies above the ranch!

Other remarkable facets of the Six Sigma Ranch are the ways in which the Ahlmann family have become involved and are giving back to the local community. With a local high school vice principal leading the effort, a group of students have planted 5000 lavender plants as a part of Jack’s Lavender Farm, then harvest the flowers and create soaps, sachets and oils that are sold at markets and in the SIx Sigma tasting room, house in a cabin at a historic stagecoach stop. Proceeds from the lavender will fund a part of these students’ college educations. A produce garden is being developed with the same intent and will sell to farm stands and restaurants as well as provide food for the ranch dining and Huttopia’s bistro.

The Six Sigma ranch also hosts the local high school’s mountain bike team and regional and statewide competitions that fully embrace the family’s efforts to make this winery totally family-friendly. With mountain biking as a focus, competitors and their families enjoy a weekend of racing, cooking, wine drinking and camaraderie. This welcoming whole family approach extends to every part of the ranch operations. Bring yourselves, your kids, your friends and your dogs. All are happily embraced at Six Sigma.

A visit to Six Sigma is not just a stop to taste wine, although the wines are absolutely beautiful. Drink in the vast beauty of the ranch, breathe and spend some time getting back to enjoying the simple things, albeit with a bit of good wine and food.

Huttopia

One of the best ways to experience the stars and all of the bounty of the ranch (did I mention the 75 head of Angus Beef cattle that make up the ranch’s meats program, available in the tasting room or at ranch dinners) is to stay a night or two at Six Sigma in either an RV you bring as a member of the Harvest Host program or at Huttopia, a European glamping concept with only 7 camps in North America, the newest being Six Sigma’s Wine Country locale.  Huttopia glamping at Six Sigma has exploded in popularity and now consists of 100 glamping tents, 80 of which have their own private baths, a swimming pool, bistro, market and more. Open mid-April through November 11th, Huttopia at Six Sigma is the ultimate wine country experience. Drink and dine on the ranch where your wine and food is raised, hike miles of mountain trails or mountain bike the same and similar trails, sleep under stars so bright the sky's alight, dream well and wake to another day in paradise.