Vine Hill Winery’s Sal Godinez makes terrific pinot noirs. But he also knows the secret alchemy of winemaking, and that skill has won him a cult following. Years ago in Napa, Godinez was a young cellar worker looking for extra work to support his family. Scoring a weekend job with one of the top shops for wine reconstruction, Godinez learned to extract volatile acids—the spoilage that can turn pricey wine to cheap vinegar. He soon became an expert wine doctor, the go-to guy to save a winemaker’s investment, much like Hollywood script doctors come in to tweak a film into commercial shape.
Articles by Christina Waters
The Female Gaze
Perhaps best known for her high-key colors, historic murals and consummate plein air pastels, Ann Thiermann is a tireless connoisseur of other people’s artwork—especially of the vibrant variety of women’s artwork.
The Randall Grahmophone
While it may come as no surprise to aficionados of the wit and wisdom long promulgated by vinographer Randall Grahm, this handsome new book from University of California Press will doubtless incite, even irritate, the far-flung empire of wine snobs, honchos and poobahs.
Politics Rule in Shakespeare Santa Cruz’s ‘Julius Caesar’
An Elizabethan playwright shed light upon a political coup carried out 1500 years earlier and in a few deft strokes illuminated both the English language and the politics of the moment. The man was William Shakespeare, and the words fueled a high-stakes drama called Julius Caesar.
Shakespeare Santa Cruz Glows in ‘Midsummer’
Rarely has such a tortured plot been so clearly articulated. A Midsummer Night’s Dream, one of Shakespeare’s most popular offerings, explores the elaborate mistaken-identity twists that Elizabethan audiences adored. Three mortal couples—Duke Theseus of Athens and his Amazon bride-to-be, plus two sets of love-struck (but not with each other) mortals—find themselves in a wooded dreamscape rife with fairy mischief. In bravura fashion, Shakespeare adds yet another layer of play-within-a-play complexity in a sextet of rough Athenian workmen rehearsing a play they intend to perform in honor of the Duke’s upcoming wedding. Meanwhile, Titania and Oberon, king and queen of the fairies, are quarrelling over custody of a pretty Indian baby.
Santa Cruz Eateries Serve Up The Bargains
Welcome to the world of economic downsizing—yours, mine and everybody’s. One strategy for coping is the masochistic response. You know, buy mega-tubs of overly-processed stuff at Costco and sit at home with Netflix and a box of Kleenex. Another style is to get creative and take advantage of expanded happy hours, early bird specials and weekday dining promotions. We looked around and found a few choice examples.
