Laura M. Holson, an award-winning feature writer, praised the region vino
Lightpost Winery was included as a place to visit in New York Times story on the region’s wineries.
By Robert Airoldi
Robert Airoldi
Those of us who live and work in South Valley know about all the fantastic wineries we can visit nearby. Now, thanks to a wonderful story in the New York Times about a growing patchwork of wineries serving prize-winning wines, the rest of the country is learning what we already know.
Laura M. Holson, an award-winning feature writer, recently explored some of these bucolic wineries from Santa Cruz, Corralitos, Morgan Hill, Gilroy and Hollister, extolling the virtues of tasting great varietals without traveling north.
“If winemakers in Sonoma and Napa Valleys, farther north, are viewed as sophisticated siblings, the wineries in the triangle formed by the towns of Corralitos, Morgan Hill and Hollister are their relaxed country cousins,” she wrote. “They are related, but each has its own quirks.”
She visited Calera in Hollister, Sarah’s Vineyard in Gilroy, Callerain on the outskirts of Gilroy, and Lightpost in Morgan Hill, just to name a few. She also chronicled visits to Corralito’s Market and Sausage Company (my wife and I’s favorite place as we return from visits to Capitola), and Gizdich Ranch in Watsonville, the makers of delicious pies and where you can pick your own berries.
There is good news and bad news with this national story. The good news is we get nationwide publicity raving about our excellent local wines. The bad news: these wineries and their tasting rooms could get a bit more crowded. Oh, well. I guess that’s the price of success. See you soon at one of our South Valley wineries!
Are you a Volkswagen aficionado? Then there’s something coming for you. The 2nd Annual Volkswagen Car Show is coming to San Juan Bautista July 29.
Ray Diaz, a Gilroy resident, has been a Volkswagen enthusiast since a teen and has encouraged his friends to revisit the opportunity to once again own, drive to shows, meet new friends and even exchange ideas for the next best thing.
“Maybe it’s a mid-life event, I don’t know, but it’s like living your childhood dream on a weekend,” he said.
His passion for classic cars began as a young boy working on trucks and muscle cars with his stepfather. Later, he discovered his passion for VWs and bought his first from his neighbor that was in parts and assembled it in his mother’s garage.
Entry fee is $35 and available at www.dubaffair.com. Registration begins at 7 a.m. at Mission San Juan Bautista. Public admission is free. There will be a swap meet and vendors on site. See website for details.
Senior students at Mount Madonna School are helping Santa Clara County’s Department of Parks and Recreation monitor forest health in Mount Madonna County Park. This hands-on collaboration is a part of Science with Humanity, an honors science class taught by Nicole Silva Culbertson.
“The health of California’s forest ecosystem is threatened by wildfires, invasive species and climate change,” she said. “To mitigate some of these threats, the state is monitoring and actively working to reduce biofuel (through field breaks) and removing invasive species. This is a long-term project in which Mount Madonna students will be involved in monitoring and recording the presence and coverage of native and invasive species and rate of vegetation growth.”
This is an excellent opportunity for local students as it’s real world science work and they are contributing and making a difference in their own community, she said.
“They get to participate and learn first-hand how ecologists and scientists work to help protect and support the health or our own environment especially as it pertains to mitigating the effects of human induced climate change,” she said.
Gail Pellerin
Assemblymember Gail Pellerin has been appointed chair of the Assembly Elections Committee by Speaker Robert Rivas. Pellerin, who represents the 28th Assembly District which includes Morgan Hill, served as the chief elections official in Santa Cruz County from 1993 until her retirement in 2020. As County Clerk, Pellerin managed all local elections and served as the Commissioner of Civil Marriage.
In a statement, Pellerin said she was honored to be appointed.
“I look forward to continuing the work to improve the voter experience, ensure voting system integrity and enhance the accuracy of our voter rolls,” she said.
Pellerin was elected to the 28th Assembly District in the June 2022 election.
Rivas, a Hollister resident who represents the 29th District that encompasses San Benito County and portions of South Santa Clara County including Gilroy, was sworn in June 30 as the speaker of the California Assembly.
Rivas said Pellerin’s experience managing elections was a factor in her appointment to head an important committee that helps Californians preserve democracy through the right of voting.
