Related-Party Transaction	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2011
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]
Related Party Transactions Disclosure [Text Block]	5. Related-Party Transaction Effective January 1, 1990, John H. Alexander, an officer and director of the Company participated with a group of investors that acquired the mineral and fee interest on one of the Company's oil and gas leases (Santa Fe Energy lease) in the Carneros Creek field after the Company declined to participate. The thirty-three percent interest owned by Mr. Alexander represents a minority interest in the investor group. Royalties on oil and gas production from this property paid to the investor group approximated $226,200, $195,000 and $188,500 in 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively. As a director, Mr. Alexander has abstained from voting on any of the above matters that have been brought before the Board of Directors, involving the Santa Fe lease. See Note 13 for discussion of severance awards entered into with Mr. Alexander.

The entire disclosure for related party transactions, including the nature of the relationship(s), a description of the transactions, the amount of the transactions, the effects of any change in the method of establishing the terms of the transaction from the previous period, stated interest rate, expiration date, terms and manner of settlement per the agreement with the related party, and amounts due to or from related parties. If the entity and one or more other entities are under common ownership or management control and this control affects the operating results or financial position, disclosure includes the nature of the control relationship even if there are no transactions between the entities. Disclosure may also include the aggregate amount of current and deferred tax expense for each statement of earnings presented where the entity is a member of a group that files a consolidated tax return, the amount of any tax related balances due to or from affiliates as of the date of each statement of financial position presented, the principal provisions of the method by which the consolidated amount of current and deferred tax expense is allocated to the members of the group and the nature and effect of any changes in that method. Examples of related party transactions include transactions between (a) a parent company and its subsidiary; (b) subsidiaries of a common parent; (c) and entity and its principal owners; and (d) affiliates.

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