LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Wine Studio is hosting the annual Sol Rouge wine release party event on Saturday, Nov. 30.

The party will take place from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the studio, 9505 Main St. in Upper Lake.

Sol Rouge is a family estate vineyard and winery located in the Red Hills Appellation at elevations over 1,800 feet.

North of Napa Valley in the foothills of the dormant volcano which formed the North Coast wine country, this land contains rich, red volcanic soil and, from this unique profile, Sol Rouge derived its name – translating to “red soil” in French.

This 70 acre estate is currently planted with Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah, Counoise, Petite Syrah, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Cinsault.

Nestled between Mt. Konocti and Benson Ridge, this aggressive site is all hillside with slopes up to 50 percent and is said to be the most tightly planted vineyard in the Red Hills American Viticultural Area, with nearly 6,000 vines per hectare in some blocks.

The $12.50 ($10 per person for studio club members) wine and appetizer sampler will introduce the new Sol Rouge releases – 2011 Viognier, 2010 Gypsy Rouge, 2010 Zinfandel, 2010 Syrah and 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon with a variety of appetizers including butternut squash soup and gluten free turkey meatloaf muffins. Sol Rouge wine club members are invited to attend at no charge.

Artwork on display at the studio is photography by Casey Carney and Saturday will be the final day of the current show.

Lake County Wine Studio is a gallery for display of arts and a tasting room, wine bar and retail shop for the fine wines of Lake County.

Artist’s shows are held on a monthly basis with art and wine receptions held the first Friday and subsequent Saturday of each month.

The gallery is open Monday 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Thursday, Saturday and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., and Friday from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m.

For more information call Lake County Wine Studio at 707-275-8030 or 707-293-8752.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Lake County Youth Services is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m through Friday this week. The center serves children age 7 to 17.

Additionally, a free community dinner will be served from noon to 4 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day. Everyone is welcome.

Donations for the dinner are being accepted at the center, 14750 Golf Ave. in Clearlake.

A sluggish economy and concerns about disposable income have put a slight damper on Thanksgiving travel this year for many California families, according to the latest travel survey from AAA.

AAA Northern California’s travel forecast predicts that more than 5.1 million Californians plan to travel 50 miles or more this extended, four-day Thanksgiving holiday weekend. This represents a decrease of -4.0 percent when compared to last year’s figures.

“Californians will set aside thoughts of fiscal uncertainty to gather and feast with people who matter most in their lives,” said AAA Northern California spokesperson Cynthia Harris. “While travel projections are lower than last Thanksgiving in 2012, this year’s travel forecast is still well above the 2008-2009 levels when the recession caused a drop in travel of more than 25 percent.”

According to AAA, more than 4.4 million Californians are projected to travel by motor vehicle during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. This represents a 4.6 percent decrease when compared to last year’s figures.

AAA projects that more than 500,000 holiday travelers will fly, which is a decrease of -4.9 percent when compared to 2012. Approximately 193,000 state residents are expected to travel by other modes of transportation, such as boats or trains. This represents an increase of 1.8 percent when compared to last year’s figures.

Nationally, AAA forecasts that more than 43 million people will travel 50 miles or more during the four-day weekend. This represents a -1.5 percent decrease compared to last year’s travel statistics.

An average West Coast family of four is projected to spend an average of $681 over the holiday weekend. Families who travel by car are likely to drive an average of 795 miles over the four-day holiday weekend.

AAA’s Leisure Travel Index reveals that prices at AAA Three Diamond lodgings are down about one percent from a year ago, with an average price of $143 per night. AAA Two Diamond lodgings are expected to be one percent higher, with an average room costing $104 per night.

This Thanksgiving weekend, those traveling by air will find airfares comparable to last year, according to the AAA Leisure Travel Index.

The average lowest round-trip price is projected to be $187 for the top 40 U.S. air routes. Car rental rates will average $50 for the holiday weekend, compared to $47 last year. For West Coast families, the expected primary activities this holiday weekend will be shopping and visiting family and friends, followed by dining and touring/sightseeing.

Severe weather can be both frightening and dangerous for automobile travel. Motorists should know the safety rules for dealing with winter road emergencies. AAA reminds motorists to be cautious while driving in adverse weather.

AAA tips for long-distance winter trips

• Watch weather reports prior to a long-distance drive or before driving in isolated areas. Delay trips when especially bad weather is expected. If you must leave, let others know your route, destination and estimated time of arrival.
• Always make sure your vehicle is in peak operating condition by having it inspected by a AAA Approved Auto Repair facility.
• Keep at least half a tank of gasoline in your vehicle at all times.
• Pack a cell phone programmed with your local AAA's telephone number along with your AAA card, plus blankets, gloves, hats, food, water and any needed medication in your vehicle.
• If you become snow-bound, stay with your vehicle. It provides temporary shelter and makes it easier for rescuers to locate you. Don't try to walk in a severe storm. It's easy to lose sight of your vehicle in blowing snow and become lost.
• Don't over exert yourself if you try to push or dig your vehicle out of the snow.
• Make sure the exhaust pipe isn't clogged with snow, ice or mud. A blocked exhaust could cause deadly carbon monoxide gas to leak into the passenger compartment with the engine running.
• Use whatever is available to insulate your body from the cold. This could include floor mats, newspapers or paper maps.

AAA money saving tips for Thanksgiving air travelers

• Book your flight any day except a Tuesday or Sunday. This will save you up to $170 on average. Tuesday before Thanksgiving is the most popular day to fly and the airlines know it.
• Travel on Thanksgiving Day and return the following Tuesday for the cheapest fares.
• Plan ahead. The longer you wait, the higher the price as flights become booked. Surcharges increase from $10 to $30 dollars extra on peak travel days.
• Grab the deal. Don’t wait before others start booking flights and airlines shift their pricing to match booking trends.

AAA’s projections are based on research conducted by IHS Global Insight. The Boston-based economic research and consulting firm teamed with AAA earlier this year as part of an agreement to jointly analyze travel trends during the major holidays. AAA has been reporting on holiday travel trends for more than two decades.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – In an effort to help residents in their cleanup efforts and prevent illegal dumping, the Lake County Department of Public Services has placed three large dumpsters at different sites in Lake County for the collection of storm-related debris.

The locations are:

• Upper Lake County Park, 575 East Highway 20;
• Lucerne Harbor Park, 6225 East Highway 20;
• Northshore Fire Department, 3708 Manzanita Drive, Nice.

No household waste, hazardous materials or green waste should be placed in the dumpsters.

There will be separate areas near the dumpsters that will be identified as green waste sites, where you may place tree limbs, leaves, bark debris or any other storm-related vegetation waste.

Volunteers are needed to monitor the dumpsters to make sure no hazardous materials are being placed inside, and answer any questions people may have.

If you’d like to volunteer your time to help the cleanup effort, please contact Lake County Human Resources Department at 707-263-2213.

FINLEY, Calif. – This year’s annual Grange Christmas Craft Fair will help fund the Virginia Sills Scholarship, which will go to a Kelseyville High School senior pursuing further education in the field of agriculture.

Local artisans are featured at fair, which runs Saturday, Nov. 30, and Sunday, Dec. 1, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the grange hall, 1510 Big Valley Road in Finley.

The grange also is selling cracked walnuts, delicious baked goods and soups. The proceeds from these items will go directly towards the scholarship in honor of Sills, a longtime grange member and Kelseyville resident.

Sills, co-chairwoman for this year’s fair, has personally packaged several dozen bags of walnuts, cookies and other items for the fair. Her table will be on your right as you enter the hall.

HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE, Calif. – The historic Stone House Museum will host an open house on Saturday, Dec. 7, from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Join them at the HVLA Activities Center for holiday snacks, songs by the Angel Light Singers and other surprises.

Then tour Lake County's oldest building, the Stone House, to see what Christmas was like in days gone by.

Enter Hidden Valley Lake at the Hartman gate and proceed 1.7 miles to the Activities Center parking lot.