Sealed With a Pen - What Blubber, the Hearst Castle & Wine Have in Common

I see you! (Photo: Visit San Simeon)

Just days before President Obama left office he invoked the Antiquities Act of 1906, and no, it has nothing to do with antiques. What President Obama did was to expand the California Coastal National Monument, a move that provides added protections for the elephant seal colony at Piedras Blancas located just north of San Simeon and the Hearst Castle. The California Coastal National Monument, originally established by President Clinton in 2000, protects and preserves “objects or sites of historic or scientific interest” along California’s Central Coast. More than 17,000 elephant seals migrate thousands of miles to come to this secluded sandy beach twice per year, and now they are fully protected. Bless their fat little hearts.

Boys being boys.

Located four miles north of the Hearst Castle, 12 miles north of Cambria the elephant seal rookery is visible by “Elephant Seal Viewing Area” signs. If that doesn’t work you’ll see a lot of people looking over a low wood fence pointing indiscriminately. No one is certain why the seals keep showing up here, but they do.  In the winter months the seals come here to breed, in the summer months, they molt. Winter is the best time to view the males, females and newborn pups. They might seem lazy at first, strewn across the sand like so much chubby road kill. But they can be forgiven. They can dive up to 3,000 feet and swim at three miles an hour and, let’s not forget, they carry all that blubber with them. They started appearing in these low sand protected beaches in the early 1990s and haven’t left yet. The males will spar for territorial rights, the females who appear to just want to be left alone. And they are loud, making a horrible sound like a bad Chewbacca impression. The seals are around all year, though not in the quantities like summer and winter. The docents are there all year too, people in blue coats emblazoned with “Friends of the Elephant Seal” on their jackets. Ask them anything. The information is free, the show is free and you might spend more time here than you ever expected.

The Big Sur Coastline

“We’re very grateful to President Obama to include one of San Simeon’s most precious resources as part of the California Coastal National Monument,” said Michael Hanchett, president of the San Simeon Chamber of Commerce. “This elephant seal rookery has become a globally loved place. Three-quarters of a million visitors come to see them each year, which helps support and preserve local businesses and jobs.” Obviously Hearst Castle is nearby, the charming town of Cambria, the Piedras Blancas Light Station, whose tower and support building are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Just north you begin the staggeringly beautiful Big Sur Coastline. There are wineries dotted south in Cambria, Cayucos, Morro Bay, and a plethora of them on Highway 46 West, which, runs from Cambria to Paso Robles. Time to hit the road, my friends!

Chillin' (Photo: Solterra Strategies)

FRIENDSOF THE ELEPHANT SEAL

VISITSAN SIMEON

Room for Tasting: The Coolest New Wine Tasting Rooms in California

Tasting wine is as much about the wine as it is the place you taste it in. Got great wine in your glass but a self-indulgent server, and who cares? Sampling Sauvignon Blanc in a run down hut might seem cool, but the ambience wears thin. But great wines in a great setting equals a memorable time. These new tasting rooms in each of the main California wine country destinations combine killer juice with a unique vibe; memorable wines with a visceral appeal. (NOTE: this is an expanded version of an article originally published in The Hollywood Reporter)

Santa Barbara: Riverbench Winery

Just a block from the Pacific Ocean, Riverbench’s tasting room, located in Santa Barbara’s downtown trendy Funk Zone, is best known for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. But they are also one of the few who make sparkling wine in the area and they offer flights of bubbly, and occasionally Riesling. The brown-shaded tasting room has an entire wall made from the wood of the historic San Ramon Chapel in the Santa Maria Valley built in 1908 (and near to their original tasting room). The wood wall seamlessly blends into the leather benches, giving the feel of rustic chic, with pops of color from accent pillows –it’s a rural setting with sophisticated juice.

Nearby: Head to the Mediterranean influenced restaurant Cadiz for immensely flavorful tapas while you wile the hours away on State St.

Paso Robles: Paso Robles Underground

Though it’s not actually located underground, this hip and funky converted garage co-op is about being under the radar. The four boutique wineries here craft small lots, less than 500 cases each, made by dudes working at Four Vines, Halter Ranch and L’Aventure, located near the Norman Rockwell-ish downtown park. Considered “the next Napa” by uber critic Robert Parker, Paso is best defined by the lush, ripe wines shown here from tiny wineries like Aaron, Edmund August, Clos Solene, and Turtle Rock Vineyards. The space itself feels more college dorm décor, hastily placed curtains and wood planks atop wine barrels, nothing we haven’t seen before. But the minuscule production of these four terrific wineries is why you’re here. You’ll find a predominance of Rhone whites and reds along with Petite Sirah and a Sauvignon/Riesling blend.

Nearby: The steroid and architecture combination known as the Hearst Castle is a mere 30 minutes away at the coast

Napa: Amici Cellars

Located in Calistoga Amici is not a new player but for years they had no tasting room. Winemaker Joel Aiken was with BV for 27 years making Georges de LaTour private reserve, so it’s a safe bet he knows exactly what he’s doing with Cabernet. The yellow hued tasting room on the second floor of the winery seats just 6 to 8 people, keeping it intimate and comfortable, with French doors leading to a balcony for views of the rugged Mayacamas Mountain range. All wine tasting comes with a cheese platter, all the better to go with their heady, intense and sought after Cabernet Sauvignons. To further insure intimacy, Amici is not easy to find - there isn’t a winery sign on the road, you have to know where it is (wink, wink).  Nearby: The coolest art gallery in the area is at The Hess Collection.

Sonoma: Ram's Gate

Most wineries seem to think crowded tasting rooms replete with forgettable local art is what people crave. But at Ram's Gate you feel like you're visiting a friend's weekend house in wine country, albeit designed by an interior designer who has worked with Mandarin Oriental group. You can choose from a variety of areas in which to taste the wines: the pavilion with a view of the pond, on either side of the double-sided outdoor fireplace, inside at the bar, in the library or even at the chef's table and there are various wine and food pairing options. The 30 foot ceilings, exposed beams, weathered wooden walls made of reclaimed snow-fencing from Wyoming, and massive floor-to-ceiling glass walls that open to sweeping vineyard views are in concert with their Pinot Noirs, Chardonnay and quite excellent Syrah – expansive and remarkable. This is not sport tasting, this is a multi-hour experience.

Nearby: You’ll love the Sonoma/Marin Cheese Trail sampling the area’s artisan cheeses.

Monterey: Talbott

Talbott Winery has long been one of the go-to Monterey producers for excessively good Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. When owner Robb Talbott opened up a new Carmel Valley tasting room in May he combined two other of his passions: motorcycles and vintage peddle cars. You read that right…peddle cars, as in those tinny things your grandfather peddled round in when he lived in the Old Country. With a stellar collection of motorcycles and peddle cars from France, the U.S. and Germany, the sleek, polished wood toned room is imbued with the wow factor the moment you enter. The wines too are made to wow and Talbott’s Pinots and Chards reign as some of the best; seamless and beautifully seductive in this region known for top quality Pinot and Chard. Therefore to have both is exceptional and an experience you will remember.

Nearby: 17 Mile Drive and the Monterey Bay Aquarium offer diverse experiences.

Sierra Foothills: Andis

The Sierra Foothills, known as gold country due to the 1848 gold discovery, brought the world to California. These days the gold has dissipated but wine has exploded. Grapes have been grown here since the early 1850s and the oldest commercial winery still stands in Coloma. The Andis tasting room puts that old stone building to shame. Sleek, clean lines and a soft color palette like a pastel Italian spot overlooking Lake Como, this pulls you out of history and places you squarely in the 21^st Century. Andis is at the forefront of a resurgence of the region, proving that a gold rush comes in many forms. The flagship Barbera and a racy Semillon are just part of a vast portfolio. Located in the small town of Plymouth just 10 miles from the perennially cute gold mining town of Sutter Creek, Andis is why you need to visit the Foothills.

Nearby: Head to the regions only dining destination, Taste in Plymouth. Visit historic Coloma where gold was discovered on the banks of the American River in 1948, setting off a worldwide stampeded to California.

Mendocino: Phillips Hill

Phillips Hill in the Anderson Valley integrates history and the cool factor with their all-wood open air tasting room, an antique apple dryer building. Come again? Apples and hops were the main draw in this Valley back in the day, not wine grapes. Being so remote the apple crop needed to be dried prior to interminable shipping to parts unknown. Now, no one dries out at Phillips Hill in their upstairs apple dryer tasting room. It’s mainly Pinot Noir here and a crisp little Gewürztraminer served in this tree-house wine pad. Surrounded by old, verdant green trees, you might lose a sense of time here, everyone else does. That’s the beauty of Phillips Hill - small, remote and still undiscovered.

Nearby: The nation’s first certified organic brew pub, The Ukiah Brewing Co. in Ukiah will give your wine palate a break with beer and grass fed beef.

For other alcohol and booze related info including reviews of wine, spirits and beers, visit my other blog BOOZEHOUNDZ

Judge & Jury: What It’s Like to Judge at a Wine Competition

Lucky me, I judge at wine competitions. But I routinely get comments that run the gamut from, “I’m jealous,” to, “Michael, do you actually work for a living?” So to quash the misinformation about wine judging, I’m putting a cork in several myths. Within the State Fair system I have judged at the California State Fair, the El Dorado County Fair (known as the Mountain Democrat Wine Competition), and the Central Coast Wine Competition (part of the California Mid-State Fair) which is a competition of wines from several counties including Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Monterey, and several other fairs. So, here’s what you need to know.

Myth #1: Wine competitions are just a chance to drink lots of wine.

Actually, no one drinks wine at wine competitions. Judges evaluate between 60 to 90 wines a day, giving full attention to each wine - a time consuming and focused endeavor. We smell them, swirl them, then spit them into dump buckets. What develops is palate fatigue, whereby you’ve had so many wines that your taste buds need a break. Each panel has a plate of celery, olives, bread, cheese and sliced beef available to help cleanse the palate. And a day’s work can mean tasting through 15 Cabernet Sauvignons, then 30 Chardonnays, 20 Pinot Noirs, 18 white Rhone blends, 4 dessert wines and then 7 sparkling wines. Yes, it’s taxing physically, but also mentally as we try and be fair to each wine, from the first few to # 89.

The back room - where judges aren't allowed

 Myth # 2: Wine judging is rigged.

All wines are tasted blind and a dedicated volunteer staff catalogs, opens, pours, numbers and delivers wine in glass to judges so we have little information about the wine – we don’t want to prejudice the outcome. We usually know the variety, perhaps the vintage date, but most other information is left with the volunteers behind closed doors. And this is exactly how a wine should be evaluated. I can attest that some wines win awards and when we find out the producer, we’re surprised, and yes, sometimes embarrassed because we think it’s a wine we would never have purchased on our own. But that’s what is so cool. Most competitions allow us to give a wine a gold medal, silver, bronze, or the dreaded “no award.”

Myth #3: Wine “judges” are a bunch of people who know little about wine.

Doug Frost (foreground)  doing his thing

Wine competition judges are comprised of professionals in the wine industry, like; winemakers, wine retailers (specialty wine shops and wine buyers for mega-stores and restaurants); wine media (seasoned wine writers for newspapers, magazines, websites, radio, and blogs) and folks in the culinary world. For example this year (2013), the Central Coast Wine Competition had judges like Doug Frost from Kansas City, one of the most respected sommeliers and wine educators in the U.S, and one of only four people in the entire world to hold the duel titles Master of Wine, and Master Sommelier. And William Bloxom-Carter, the executive Chef and food and beverage director of the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles, a position he’s held for nearly 30 years (and if you think his job is cutting celery sticks for Playboy models, you’re dead wrong. Chef Carter plans and executes tons of dinners often time for over 1,000 people). At the California State Fair the pros included Joe Roberts (from Philadelphia) and Robert Jennings, two of the biggest wine bloggers, to winemakers like Leslie Renaud (from Santa Barbara), and Jackson Starr (from Grass Valley). In Placerville this year there were judges like Mike Dunne, the former wine and food writer for the Sacramento Bee for 30 years, to Charlie Tsegeletos, the longtime winemaker at Cline Cellars in Sonoma. So it’s a safe bet we know wine.

The Judges of the Central Coast Wine Competition

Myth #4: No one cares about awards and scores.

Think what you like, but a gold medal at a competition translates to sales, bragging rights and marketing potential. Judging is made up of multiple panels and each individual panel consists, usually, of three judges. It’s important to know that gold, silver and even bronze medal winning wines receive their medals by these panels, not an individual. Double Gold awards (meaning every judge on a panel gave it a gold medal) and Best of Class wines are voted on by an even larger panel, ranging from 20 to 70 people. Of course not all judges agree and I’ve sat on panels where wines I’ve loved have not been loved by my peers, and vice versa. But beyond that, for people like me as a wine writer, even for judges who work in the retail environment, we get to discover new wines, new wineries and promote them.

 

Wine Judging Ain't All Glamerous

County fair wine competitions are held in unglamorous settings, usually a big warehouse-type building. Sure, other wine competitions are at nice restaurants or places like Fort Mason overlooking the San Francisco Bay but the state fair system is pretty much nuts and bolts and nothing fancy. Another thing to know is that each competition has a chief judge who oversees all the other judges, makes decisions and solves problems. And there are the volunteers, all those folks who go unheralded and work the backroom to help everything run efficiently. For example at the California State Fair in Sacramento, we had 75 judges, 100 volunteers and 2,600 wines. Do the math. At the El Dorado County Fair Wine Competition they have a special award known as the Backroom Award, whereby the volunteers give out an award for their favorite wine, which is a pretty cool thing to do. So the next time someone you know is off to a wine competition, you’ll have a better understanding of what we do and when you see a medal winning wine, you’ll know that a lot of work has gone into it, so give that wine a try. And stop by your local county fair, or one of these.

Me, Having Fun

 SACRAMENTO

PLACERVILLE 

PASO ROBLES 

Murder at the Mission: The Haunting at San Miguel

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When Mission San Miguel was founded on July 25, 1797 just north of Paso Robles, the founding fathers could never have imagined the terror that would occur at this sacred site just 49 years later. The scene of a horrific murder, many people believe this mission is haunted. We may not know about ghosts, but here’s what we do know about that cold December night. The original temporary church built in 1797 burned in 1806, and a stone foundation church was completed in 1821. After Mexico fought against and won their independence from Spain, the Mission system began to collapse and by 1834 the Mission had become secularized. On July 4, 1846, Petronillo Rios and his business partner William Reed purchased the floundering mission for a few hundred dollars, operating it as a lodging and trading post and Reed and his family lived there. Reed, usually wearing a blue peacoat, required that guests pay in gold, and he bragged that he’d amassed a small fortune, hiding it somewhere at the mission. Remember that California was not part of the U.S. at this time and any currencies from Mexico, the U.S., and even money from Spain were probably considered worthless. Gold was what mattered.

On the afternoon of December 4th, 1848, six men arrived at Mission San Miguel. Pete Raymond, Joseph Lynch, Peter Remer, Peter Quin, and Sam Bernard, accompanied by someone only known as “John,” an Indian from Soledad. They stayed that night but left the next morning heading south to San Marcos Creek just a few miles down the road but then they returned to the mission and spent the rest of the day and part of the evening there on December 5^th. It was during these early evening hours that this gang of cold-hearted men murdered everyone at the Mission including William Reed and his wife, Maria who was expecting a baby, and their 4-year old son. Also killed was Josefa Olivera, Maria’s mid-wife, and 3 other children; 11 people in total. The men had been warming themselves near a fire when Bernard offered to go outside to get firewood. He returned with an axe hidden in his armload of wood and struck Reed several times while John the Indian stabbed him with a knife. Sam Bernard and the others stalked and killed the women and children, then took the bodies to the carpenter's shop. When their blood-drenched bodies were were found they were still wearing daytime clothes.

Based on the interrogations of Joseph Lynch, Peter Quin and of Peter Remer, this is what happened that cold December night. After the ruthless murders they drank wine stealing any valuables they could find, which wasn’t much, ransacking the place in search of Reed’s gold – but they never found any. They left the mission that evening and spent the rest of the night south of present-day Templeton, and spent the next night south of Mission San Luis Obispo, but by this time a posse had been formed and was tracking them. What they didn’t know was that on the very night of the killings, a man named James Beckwourth was carrying mail from Nipomo to Monterey when he stopped at the mission and discovered the bodies. Shocked, he rode on to Monterey and informed the military governor of the murders. The gang left San Luis Obispo and traveled down to the Los Alamos area and obtained, we presume, fresh horses at a ranch. They rode through Santa Barbara stopping at Rancho Ortega, at present day Summerland, where the posse caught up with them, but this was not to be a bloodless arrest. Sam Bernard was mortally wounded. Pete Raymond jumped into the surf attempting to escape, and was drowned. Peter Quin was wounded and captured having killed a member of the posse; Joseph Lynch and Peter Remer were also captured, and later confessed to their parts in the murders. John the Indian had peeled off from the group around San Luis Obispo and was never found. 

The chapel interior

Reed’s partner Petronilo Rios, helped bury Reed and the other victims in the cemetery of Mission San Miguel, “just outside the rear door of the sacristy; a little to the southwest and near the old first church wall,” according to one account. All 11 people were buried in one mass grave and it must have been a disturbing sight seeing the bodies of the children.

Lieutenant Edward O. C. Ord (Fort Ord in Monterey was named after him) from Monterey and nine soldiers were dispatched to Santa Barbara to act as a firing squad.

According to accounts Joseph Lynch, Peter Remer and Peter Quin were executed by firing squad in Santa Barbara on December 28, 1848, near the corner of De la Guerra and Chapala Streets. Reports said they were buried in the cemetery of Mission Santa Barbara, but that seems highly unlikely that they would have been buried there considering the murderous acts they had committed at Mission San Miguel. At any rate, following the murders Mission San Miguel converted rooms into a hotel, saloon, and retail shops. Over the years many people have claimed they have seen the ghosts of William Reed, wearing his peacoat and a lady in a white dress around the mission grounds. 

Some swear they have heard muffled screams coming from near the chapel, and images of the young boys who were killed that night. Are ghosts real? And do the tortured souls of innocent victims attempt to make contact with the present world? Is the gold still there, or was it ever there? Does William Reed and his wife, Maria call out from their graves? That’s for you to decide. Perhaps when you visit Mission San Miguel you might find the answers.

Watch my “2 Minute Travel” video shot at Mission San Miguel at midnight: GHOSTS OF THE COAST

 

Paso Robles’ Garage: A Wine Festival for the Curious

Quick, here’s a word association: I say “garage” and you say “_______” (fill in the blank). Chances are you weren’t thinking of wine, let alone hard-to-find wines…unless you’ve lost your own wine in your own garage and if so, you’re on your own.

Garage bands conjure up images of unseen talent lamenting away in near obscurity before they make it big. And the same is true with winemakers. The term garagiste is from the French meaning, well, garage, and it has nothing really to do with garages with the exception of winemakers in that country who are making small lots of wine, a few hundred cases to maybe a thousand cases, and who defy conventional winemaking to do their own thing. Frankly anyplace you visit has undiscovered hard-to-find wines, but they’re not easy to find…wait, we just covered that. Fortunately, the Paso Robles Garagiste Festival does the gathering work for you, enabling you to meet face-to-face with these elusive wines and winemakers.

Relaxing at Windfall Farms

The 2^nd iteration was held at Windfall Farms in Creston, just east of Paso Robles on a crisp autumn day. There were 48 winemakers pouring 130 wines so realistically you can’t cover everything, but I can say from my experience as a wine writer, I did not find a bad wine out of the limited wineries I was able to visit. The wineries represented make less that 1,200 cases, and most make considerably fewer cases than that and the majority are off the radar. “You have to do a little digging to find us,” Per Cazo Cellars owner Dave Teckman told me. The sheer diversity and small allocations are one of the reasons to come to this. There is a propensity towards Syrah and Rhone blends, as Paso does these quite well, but make no mistake, this is not the usual suspects. For example:

Phillip Hart of Ambyth

Ambyth Estates makes biodynamic wine from biodynamic grapes. There has been so much mis-information about biodynamic wine and whereas it’s a convoluted subject to go into here, the bottom line is that it goes beyond organic and frankly, anything that does not add chemicals to our soils is a good thing. Phillip Hart’s wines ($38 - $45) will absolutely change your perception about biodynamic wine and just how solid they can be. Other producers include Paso Port whose seductive port wines ($30 - $45) are flat out comprehensive and terrific little numbers, and Bodega de Edgar, a rather sloppy name (named for owner/winemaker Edgar Torres) but who makes impressive Tempranillo ($32) and Tempranillo blends, as does Bodegas M who produces excellent Albariño and Tempranillo, both at $25.

Also observed at this festival are some of the Iberian varieties such as Albariño and Verdejo, and fun, funky blends like the energetic ZinG ($29) from Per Cazo which is a blend of Zinfandel and Grenache, two partners you don’t see dancing together, showing that wine need not be merely a standard offering of straight Cabernet. Of course, having said that, Mike Sinor’s Sinor-La Valle’s Pinot Noirs (only $30 - $40 and worth every penny) are true, delicate and straight forward Pinots with a slight backbone of Central Coast roughness.

There are wine-centric seminars, winemaker dinners and the usual trappings of any wine festival, but what sets this apart is that these winemakers are celebrated for being obscure. So plan on attending and plan early, it always sells out.

The Paso Robles Garagiste Festival

California’s Historic Wineries: Time in a Bottle



Old wine in old bottles

Wine has been in California since 1779, thanks to the Spanish who brought it up from Mexico and planted it at Mission San Gabriel in Southern California. The rest is, as they say, history. Here then are both historic winery buildings, as well as wineries that produce wines from historic vineyards. Yes, you can taste history.

Northern California

Gold has always been integral to the fabric of the Sierra Foothills (El Dorado, Amador and Calaveras counties) and people still flock to Gold Country in search of new discoveries. The main one these days is wine. With the massive influx of people searching for gold in 1849, enterprising men and woman planted vineyards to make wine to sell to the miners. In many instances formerly drinkable water from local rivers became so heavily polluted by mining that cheap wine was preferred, and safer. California’s gold rush faded by 1855 and the throngs of people moved to the larger city of San Francisco. That move caused the demise of the Sierra Foothills wine region, where there were hundreds of wineries. The mass exodus however spawned the growth of another wine region…Napa.



The old walls of the Coloma Winery still stand

One of the first commercial wineries in the entire state, the remains of it, still stands today not far from where gold was discovered in Coloma, north of Placerville. The Coloma Winery was built in 1852, believed to be the very first commercial winery in California. It’s known that the first vintage of their wine, made by Martin Allhoff, was in 1858 which was distributed throughout the region and western Nevada. Sobon Estate is on the site of the first commercial winery in Amador County, dating to 1856, and the original winery, though not functioning, can be toured and it’s free. The old cellars are heavy with must and age, but it’s very cool. (http://www.sobonwine.com/) Just down the road, Deaver Winery in the Shenandoah Valley still has original Mission vines from the late 1800s and they make a port with it. (http://www.deavervineyard.com/). Scott Harvey Winery makes a zinfandel called “1869” from a vineyard planted in, well, 1869, also from Amador County. In Napa, the Charles Krug Winery was built in 1860 (the Mondavi family has owned it since the 1940s).

The Redwood Cellar at Charles Krug

 The original redwood cellar was recently restored to its stunning glory and it’s a state historic landmark. Robert Mondavi (Peter Mondavi’s brother) still presides over the wines at age 97. (http://www.charleskrug.com/)  





Southern California

Grapes were grown throughout the California Mission chain as sacramental wine, but also to produce raisins – easily portable food sold to travelers. The “Mission” grape, a hybrid of different grapes, was high in sugar, low in acid, and produced a thin rustic wine which by most accounts was pretty bad, even though wine and brandy production was a significant source of income for some of the Missions. Mission Santa Barbara established a vineyard and winery between 1824 and 1834. About 1820 San Antonio winery was built in what is now Goleta, just north of the City of Santa Barbara for use as sacramental wine. The lonely historic adobe winery is still standing nearly 200 years later, though on private land. I had the good fortune to visit and see the old barrels and winemaking equipment. 

Santa Cruz Winery - in its heyday

In Santa Barbara in the late 1890s about 200 acres of grapes were planted on Santa Cruz Island, just off the Santa Barbara coast, the remnants still standing on the interior of the island. And while you’re in Santa Barbara, if you drive on De La Vina Street,
well, it used to be covered with vines.

Saucelito Canyon Winery in the Edna Valley in San Luis Obispo County was so remote, when they originally planted vines in 1880, the Feds trying to find it during Prohibition, couldn’t. Good thing too. Great zinfandels come from these true old vines and if you ever get a chance to visit the original homestead (it’s not open to the public but their tasting room is) go! Their “1880” zinfandel is made from grapes grown on original rootstock. It’s a magical place – and it’s where I asked my wife to marry me.



Saucelito Canyon Zinfandel vines on their 1880s rootstock

Gypsy Canyon Winery off Highway 246 near Lompoc has original Mission grapes on site too, and they produce Angelica, a sweet wine made from brandy and Mission grapes from an 1860’s recipe. (http://www.gypsycanyon.com/). In 1919 the first known grapes went into the ground in Monterey County, a remote place called Chalone, where the Chenin Blanc still produces fruit! And around the same time, commercial vineyards were planted in Paso Robles.

Grapevines can be amazingly hardy. (While I was in Spain in 2010, I visited a fat old vine still producing grapes which is 140 years old). So visit some of California’s historic wineries, sip history and be part of that continuum.

Santa Barbara Mission with grapevines (now gone) in front

For more information about California's wine and wineries, take a look at my books, Santa Barbara & The Central Coast, and California Wine Country. 
http://www.amazon.com/Michael-Cervin/e/B004APYU4S

Coastal Quakes: The Reality & What You Need to Know

Having lived in California all my life I’ve been through many quakes and while you’re never sure how severe one will be, panicking is a bad idea. With the recent tragedy in Japan, it makes sense to explain the major earthquakes on the Central Coast and, at the end of this post, provide practical advice should a temblor occur. Earthquakes are part of the reality in California, but be ready to respond should one hit.



Mission LaPurisima

Lompoc -1812, about 10 a.m. (7.1) No Deaths. This quake destroyed Mission La Purisima located originally near downtown Lompoc. They rebuilt it and moved the Mission several miles away.

Lompoc -1927, 5.49 a.m. (7.1) No Deaths: This earthquake, located about 10 miles offshore produced a sea-quake so violent it killed and stunned fish near Point Arguello and shook two ships in the area. No serious damage.

Downtown Paso Robles

Paso Robles - 2003, 11:15 a.m. (6.5), Two Deaths. On December 22^nd, 25 miles North-West of Paso Robles, actually near San Simeon, the earth shook. The damage was centered in downtown Paso Robles and caused two deaths when the roof slid off the clock tower building. The dormant underground sulfur springs ripped open causing flooding and a large sinkhole in the parking lot of the city hall, not to mention the town reeked of the smell of sulfur for months. Paso Robles dedicated a new clock tower in memory of the two women who died. 

Santa Barbara - 1925, (6.8) 13 Deaths. At 6:44 a.m. on June 29th all was fine and quiet on the streets of Santa Barbara. Less that two minutes later a thirty square block of the downtown core had been severely damaged. The Sheffield Dam failed plunging water into the city center; a two acre parcel west of the city sunk nearly a foot; the waterfront road (now Cabrillo Blvd.) sustained cracks of 12 inches. The quake had been felt in Anaheim 130 miles south. Much of the sub-standard construction failed and parts of commercial buildings on lower State St., built on landfill, collapsed. Brick buildings and wood construction shattered. The earthquake not only gave the city a chance to reinvent itself, but forced stricter building codes.



State Street



Architect Julia Morgan (Hearst Castle, Asilomar) was in Santa Barbara that morning. She had arrived, blueprints in hand, to meet with the building committee regarding a potential project. As she waited for the streetcar the earthquake struck and she witnessed clouds of dust envelop State Street. She spent much of that morning viewing the damage, noting which buildings survived and taking copious notes. The city faced destruction totaling $8 million, a staggering sum by 1920s standards.
Had the quake struck later in the morning as people were on their way to work the death toll would have been higher. Unlike the 1906 San Francisco quake, Santa Barbara didn’t have fires to contend with therefore damage was mitigated.



The Santa Barbara Mission

What You Need to Know:

If you are Inside: Take cover by getting under a sturdy piece of furniture and wait until the shaking stops. If there isn’t a table or desk near you, cover your face and head with your arms and crouch in an inside corner where the building supports are the greatest. Freestanding walls fall easily. Stay away from glass, windows, anything that could fall, such as lighting fixtures. Use a doorway for shelter only if it’s in close proximity, and if you know it’s a load bearing doorway. Stay inside until the shaking stops. Research shows that most injuries occur when people inside buildings attempt to move to a different location. Be aware that the electricity may go out or the sprinkler systems or fire alarms may turn on, or that a gas pipe might have broken. Never use the elevators!

If you are Outside: Stay there and move away from buildings, streetlights, and utility wires and wait until the shaking stops. The greatest danger exists directly outside of buildings. Many of the 120 fatalities from the 1933 Long Beach earthquake occurred when people ran outside only to be killed by falling debris from collapsing walls. Ground movement during an earthquake is seldom the direct cause of death or injury.

If you’re Driving: Stop as quickly as safety permits and stay in the vehicle. Avoid stopping near or under buildings, trees, overpasses, and utility wires. Proceed cautiously once the earthquake has stopped. Avoid roads, bridges, or ramps that might have been damaged.

James Dean: Death on the Highway

In the 1950s, James Dean was fast becoming a well-known movie star. He loved making movies, and he also loved fast cars, specifically a silver Porsche Spyder 550 he named “Little Bastard.” In the early afternoon of September 30, 1955, Dean and Porsche factory mechanic Rolf Weutherich were on their way to an auto rally in Salinas, California. Dean was pulled over for speeding in Bakersfield, issued a citation for driving 65 in a 55 zone and released. Dean and his companion continued on their way towards Paso Robles with plans to spend the night, and then head to Salinas the next morning.

Dean and "Little Bastard."

As Little Bastard climbed down toward the little town of Cholame around dusk, Donald Turnupseed, a 23-year old Cal Poly student was heading the opposite direction in his 1950 Ford Tutor. He began a left turn at the intersection of Highway 41 and what was then called State Route 466 (later named Route 46), unaware of the Spyder approaching. The two vehicles met nearly head-on. Little Bastard crumpled and spun around, throwing Weutherich out of the vehicle. The car came to rest about 15 feet off the road near a telephone pole. Weutherich suffered a broken leg and serious head injuries, though he survived. Turnupseed escaped with a bruised nose and gashed forehead. However Dean suffered fatal injuries. The Coroner listed the cause of Dean’s death as a broken neck, multiple fractures of the upper and lower jaw, fractures to the left and right arms and severe internal injuries.

Contrary to news reports of the day, Dean’s car was not going in excess of  80 MPH. California Highway Patrol Officer Ron Nelson, one of the first to arrive on the scene, wrote in his report that the wreckage and position of Dean’s body, “indicated his speed at the time of the accident was more like 55 MPH.” Nevertheless, people speculated Dean was speeding and that he was still alive shortly after the accident. Regardless, he was pronounced dead at a Paso Robles hospital. He was 24.

CHP officers Ron Nelson (L) and Ron Tripke (R)

In 1977, a James Dean memorial was erected near the site of the crash. The stylized sculpture is composed of concrete and stainless steel around a tree located next to the Jack Ranch Café in Cholame. The café is still there as is the memorial, but that’s all that’s left of the little town. Japanese artist Seita Ohnishi built the memorial in Japan and transported it to the U.S., never clearly revealing why he had done this. At the dedication Ohnishi stated, “I am only one of many who feel strongly that James Dean should not be forgotten. There are some things, like the hatred that accompanies war, that are best forgotten. There are others, like the love inspired by this young actor that should be preserved for all time.”

The memorial is not the exact spot where the crash occurred; that spot is approximately 900 feet to the northeast, before the highways were realigned. In September 2005 the intersections of highways 41 and 46 were renamed the James Dean Memorial Highway. Donald Turnupseed went on with his life, forming a fairly successful electrical contracting business and avoiding the spotlight. He refused all interviews and passed away in 1995, never talking about the crash. The site still draws visitors and curiosity seekers. James Dean made only three films: Rebel Without a Cause, East of Eden, and Giant, but his legacy lives on.

Wine and Waves & Bottles and Boards: The Central Coasts' Surfer/Winemakers



Some of the Central Coasts' Surfer/Winemakers



There has long been a romantic ideal attached with winemaking; the handcrafting, the upscale image, the near rock-star status associated with being a winemaker. Conversely, there has consistently been a slacker image attached with surfing; days wasted by the ocean, a frivolous lifestyle, and the ubiquitous use of the word “dude.”  But there are similarities between these two diametric opposites. The Central Coast is home to a number of winemakers who surf, or depending on your perspective, surfers who make wine. Some of them recently discussed the congruent nature of hang time and hanging ten.


Hanging out at Leadbetter Beach in Santa Barbara 



From Santa Barbara, Craig Jaffurs of Jaffurs Wine Cellars, Etienne Terlinden from Summerland Winery, Seth Kunin of Kunin Wines, Mike Brown of Kalyra and Steve Clifton of Palmina, joined forces with San Luis Obispo and Paso Robles guys; Craig Shannon of Per Bacco Cellars, Steve Kroener from Silver Horse Winery, Josh Beckett of Peachy Canyon, and Eric Ogorsolka of Zenadia Cellars. They each brought their wines, their boards and their thoughts on both. Steve Clifton grew up in San Clemente and the ocean has always been a part of his life. “Both surfing and winemaking have given me a relationship with nature, to understand its cycles, seasonal changes and how the earth moves and breathes,” he says. "It’s still the one and only place I feel truly relaxed and removed from the stresses of everyday life." Etienne Terlinden has the same affection for the water. As an avid surfer and member of the U.S. naval reserves the sea is an integral part of his life both inside and outside the vineyard. “The oceans have a profound effect on climate which ultimately regulates our macro, mezzo and micro climates around the vineyards. Winemakers, especially those who make pinot noir and chardonnay in Santa Barbara, realize the great quality of wines grown in proximity to the coast,” he says. “I appreciate the importance of the sea to make my living as a winemaker. I live my daily life in awe of its force," Terlinden adds.  



A perfect afternoon to shoot the breeze and sample each others wines

 Both surfing and winemaking have their ups and downs and often there are long bouts of tedium. “Surf travels with long flat spells,” Josh Beckett says. “It's frustrating and tiring but the surfer keeps going back for more, searching out new destinations.” He admits that the similarity in winemaking is that he’ll go for weeks on end with no days off during harvest. “As a surfer I look for the perfect wave, as a winemaker I'm searching for the best fruit," he says. Craig Shannon smiles and nods. “Paddling into a wave is like tasting a wine with all your senses keyed in,” he states.  There is a murmur of agreement. “During harvest," Jaffurs adds, “I'll check Jalama Point at dawn, then visit my Lompoc and Santa Maria vineyard sites before returning to the winery in Santa Barbara.” It makes for a long day, but he wouldn't trade is for anything.

For all surfers, the ocean can be fickle, creating a sense of danger as well as a natural high. But there is something more, something spiritual and grounding. “There is mostly a feeling of calm and clarity I get from surfing,” says Eric Ogorsolka. “This helps open a door into my creativity when I’m at the winery. Winemaking is hard work, but there are moments that take finesse, an artistic ability. Anyone can make wine, but it takes a little talent to put together a wine with style and grace.” He pauses and looks at the amber sun as it kisses the horizon. “When I surf I like to feel the wave beneath my feet and ride it out, not tame it or slap it into submission. It’s the same with my winemaking; I’m not attacking the grapes but guiding them along the path, riding them out," he says.



The benefits of a hard day surfing and making wine!

Craig Jaffurs is the most poetic about bottles and boards. “My best days at the winery always come after the best morning surf. The same joy I get surfing at dawn is the same joy I get walking a vineyard, tasting through barrel samples or just opening the roll up door at the winery.” Though surfing inspires and anchors each of these guys, ultimately it doesn’t pay the bills. “Look, when the surf comes up and I need to make wine, I make wine,” Jaffurs confesses. “The surf will be there another day, but the windows to success in winemaking are fleeting. You only get one chance a year to catch the perfect harvest.”

When you visit the Central Coast, be sure to check out these wineries, and toast them with a glass of wine while you’re at the beach. Wine and waves are just part of the Central Coast lifestyle. Come explore!