Have you ever driven through a local neighborhood, seen rows of grape vines and thought to yourself, "I could do that!" Not only would it make great landscaping, but you could eventually make your own wine.

With the number of homes and other properties in Placer County that have enough open space to grow grapes, one would expect that there would be a lot of interest in getting vines going this very summer.

But how to get started? Where do you go to find information regarding making your own vineyard? How much space do you really need and how much time does it take to manage three vines, 30 vines or even 300 vines?

The Placer County Wine and Grape Association (PCWGA) would be a great place to start.

The PCWGA is a nonprofit organization that is, "committed to informing and educating the public about Placer County wines, wineries, grape growers and grapes."

Lisa Mann, in charge of the group's community involvement, was one such beneficiary of the PCWGA's information and advice. Mann owns the newly named Fortezza Winery in Auburn, just down the road from Mt. Vernon Winery.

Recently retired from a real estate career, Mann purchased acreage in Auburn with the intention of establishing a vineyard, winery and tasting venue. With no agricultural or winery experience, she approached the PCWGA a little more than three years ago looking for guidance.

"You can learn as you go, and the members really support each other," she says.

One piece of advice for those new to the vineyard arena are the local classes that specifically deal with growing your own grapes.

"Ron Morris, from the Secret Ravine Winery in Loomis, offers Sierra College Extension courses," says Mann. "Ron is a long time member of the association and instructs hands on in his winery."

We are also very fortunate to live so close to UC Davis, known world wide for their vineyard management classes. Davis is less than a two-hour drive for Placer County residents, but students attend from all over the States, as well as countries around the world.

Once a member of the PCWGA, you can use the members of the group as consultants. There are even members that can mentor budding vineyard owners. These mentors offer hands-on help and represent another aspect of how the members of the association support each other.

From questions as basic as how much time and money it will take to tend your 20 plants to which types of irrigation systems are best for your back 40 acres, these mentors offer practical advice from their years of experience. If you can get advice before your project begins, the chances of success, and the chances of using your money wisely in your vineyard project, will pay dividends later on.

The associations meetings are also social gatherings where members bring homemade wine and give feedback and advice.

Also attending the meetings are speakers who deal with such topics as wine making, vineyard practices and even how different types of barrels affect the flavor of your wine. Other topics that have been covered by their speaker's programs include vineyard hardware (which types of trellises to use), education on corks vs. screw caps, and even wine and food pairing.

The group meets every other month and participates in numerous annual events.

One of their annual events is the very popular PCWGA Home Winemakers Competition and Barbeque that takes place every June. Last year 34 winemakers submitted more than 100 wines for judging. Tickets for the barbecue are $15 and reservations are recommended.

Volunteers can also be found pouring wine and handing out advice at the Placer County Faire. As you can imagine, most of the members are also local farmers (of more than grape vines that is) and can be found participating with local food coops, farmers markets and other local "Placer Grown" venues.

The association's Web site (www.placerwineandgrape.org) is a great source of information for the novice. The Web site hosts the list and map of established wineries in Placer County, the list of vineyards with grapes for sale, as well as community events. There are also links to home winemaking supply stores, U.C. Davis course listings and more.

A special note regarding the PCWGA Web site - they do reference a petition that the Placer County wineries need help with. The county Planning Department is considering changing certain zoning provisions that could limit public visits to wineries in the county. If you are in favor of public tasting rooms in our local wineries, buying wine from local wineries or winery tours, then the wineries encourage residents to visit this Web site and sign their online petition.

We are very fortunate to have these types of resources both local and available to us here in Placer County. For anyone who is currently growing their own grapes or is thinking about putting in some vines of their own, give the Placer County Grape and Wine Association a try.

Who knows, the next Opus One may come from your own back yard.