The Vineyard Nightlife

Vineyard Night Life

Jogging down the vineyard row at 11 at night I keep hoping I don’t catch my toe on some dirt clod hidden in the dark and I wish that I spent a little more time at the gym so I wouldn’t feel like this light jog was about to kill me.  The closer I get to the beast rolling along over the top of the vineyard rows the easier it gets to see.  When I reach the ladder I grab onto to steps, swing up and enjoy the rush of warm air that blows from the tractor into my face.

the ‘dirt’ on topsoil loss

Though many are concerned about the global climate crisis, there is also an issue found just under our feet; topsoil loss. This resource  gives us our food, forests, clothes and is an integral part of our existence. Watch this video to learn more about topsoil loss:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7JrxSmbiSY

Turning Wine into Water, an Evening at Paso Wine Centre

The spirit of Friday night, and the need to enjoy some social time with my co-workers, I was off to Paso Wine Centre (this wine bar doesn’t have a web site but check out  Paso Winos’ very informative blog).  I walked into the modernly designed room complete with hardwood floors, stainless steel counters, and black leather box-shaped couches to find myself staring at a wall of wines.  These wines were hooked up to a gadget that looked like a cross between a display case and a beer tap, it’s an enomatic wine-dispensing machine.  This machine removes excess air from the wine bottles allowing an open bottle’s shelf-life to be extended to up to three weeks.

Taste of SLO: food and SIP Certified wines, who could ask for more?

Taste of SLO has done it again, I thoroughly enjoyed myself last Wednesday night as I wandered, well due to the great turn out, shuffled up and down the Mission Plaza tasting all that San Luis Obispo has to offer. This year’s disco themed event came complete with go go dancers, a giant disco ball, great music, and of course fabulous food and wine. The best of the best of San Luis Obispo restaurants made their appearances with delicious samplers; Tuna tacos from Native Lounge to mushroom soup topped with grated espresso bean from Mother’s Tavern to profiteroles from Mama’s Meatballs, can only begin to explain the range choices that were laid out in front of me. While samplers may sound like child’s play compared to the gigantic meals we are served at some restaurants, with a choice of samplers from over 30 restaurants I found that my graceful walk into the event had turned into a bit more of a waddle as I left the evening.

Let’s Be Frank … About Local Food

Once again, the 3rd Annual Pallet to Palate Event in August 2009 featured not only great food and wine (a big SIP poster made appearances at several events, and Baileyana/Tangent wines were poured at the SLOcovore event on Monday), but also a thought provoking panel discussion. This year’s topic was “Let’s Be Frank … About Local Food,” a perfect title since one of the participants was Larry Bain, co-founder of Let’s Be Frank, a company that produces and sells hot dogs made from sustainably raised grass-fed beef, family-farmed pork, and pastured turkey. Judith Redmond of Full Belly Farm and renowned chef Bradley Ogden, most recently of Root 246 in Solvang, ably rounded out the panel, but the remarks of the engaging Bain (whose résumé also includes running a social justice non-profit and opening Acme Chop House in SF, the country’s first sustainable steak house) were the ones that really stuck with me.

When you can’t stand the heat …

After another day of 100 plus degree weather, I laid on my bare bed with no covers trying to will my overheated body to sleep – I had it!  With more enthusiasm than I had managed to muster all day in this extreme heat, I marched downstairs to turn up the AC.  Before I made it to the thermostat I hit the freezer, inspiring me to use a cooling alternative.  I pulled out the leftover bag of ice from a previous Margarita Night, threw it a Ziploc bag, climbed back into bed, and snuggled up to my new rock hard version of a teddy bear.

Finally I could get to sleep, this new cool down method went swimmingly until it literally went SWIMmingly.  4:30 in the morning I woke up in a panic WHY IS MY BED SOAKING WET!? Well the Ziploc bag had not quite done its job.

Summer Squash is Very Prolific

Extremely prolific.  In fact, I do not know that prolific is a strong enough adjective to truly express the bounty produced by one squash plant, let alone the seven in my backyard.  Last year there I planted five squash plants, and since that was definitely over kill I naturally planted five again this year.

 

A weekend without a car

“Hey mom can I get a ride?” – text message sent Friday at 5:15 p.m.  Just when I thought I was on track to becoming a self-sufficient adult (I have a “real” job, I buy my own groceries, I pay my rent and car payments) I suddenly felt thirteen years old again. 

Normally it wouldn’t make sense that I pay car payments but I still have to bum a ride from mommy.  But this weekend I am learning a valuable lesson: I may use my car more than I really need to.  I only live 8 blocks from where I work but every morning I find myself pulling my car into a downtown parking space. 

 

10am, Cass Tasting Room:

As I arrive at Cass Vineyard and Winery at 10 am Friday morning, it occurs to me that it is a bit early to be visiting a tasting room.  I approach the bar and meet a petite, energetic woman with bright eyes and spiky red-brown hair; she is not opening wines, but rather gathering rolled up foam mats.  Yes, I am off to do yoga in the vineyard.

Local $ustainability?

Let’s face it: a key factor of sustainability is in figuring out how people, businesses, and communities can be financially viable in the long term. Eating local is all the rage, but buying local has lost ground to buying cheap, especially in this current economic climate, and local businesses and business people are feeling the pinch.

In March, 2009, a brilliantly simple idea called The 3/50 Project posed that each one of us could help in “saving the brick and mortars our nation is built on.” It suggests that you think of three local businesses you want to see stick around, and then commit to spending $50 a month total among them. (However, it’s not an all or nothing game – if you only commit to $10, you’re still helping, and you don’t need to totally swear off chains or big box stores.)