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Toasting Summer Bubbles, brews & vines P4

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f there’s one constant on the Santa Cruz County food scene, it’s change. In every Good Times issue, columnists Mark C. Anderson and Andrew Steingrube report on the comings and goings in Santa Cruz County’s restaurant scene, joined every other week by wine writer Josie Cowden.

But in our annual Food & Drink pullout, other intrepid foodies are stepping up to share their tasting adventures.

Joan Hammel took on the iced seltzer challenge, organizing a research project into the tastiest ready-to-drink beverages on the market.

Sean Rusev wanted to know more about Discretion Brewing, so he sat down for a chat with co-owners Rob and Kathleen Genco, who shared details about the company’s specialty brews created to raise money for local organizations and charities.

Wellness columnist Elizabeth Borelli went fishing for sustainable seafood and found that Ocean2Table has a line on fresh catches that don’t impact threatened species and sensitive habitat.

Living in harmony with nature is also a priority at Paicines Ranch.

Laura Ness talks with vineyard manager Kelly Mulville, whose task it is to practice organic, regenerative farming on 25 acres of vines surrounded by hundreds of acres that are conventionally farmed.

It’s all part of the creative ferment of the Central California culinary scene, bursting with flavor and fueled by the desire to try new things.

SHARAN STREET | DIRECTOR OF EDITORIAL OPERATIONS

CONTENTS SUMMER BUZZIN’ Taking a hard look at ready-to-drink cocktails. P4

BENEFIT BREWS How Discretion Brewery chooses goodness. P10

ON THE LINE Get hooked on Ocean2Table’s sustainable seafood. P14

COUNT ON SHEEP Paicines Ranch helps nature flourish. P16

FOOD & DRINK CALENDAR A menu of upcoming events. P20 2024 Business of the Year 2024

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R E M SUM BUZZIN’ Taking a hard look at ready-to-drink cocktails

BY JOAN HAMMEL

S

ummer’s here and the drinking is easy—or at least it should be. To help out folks who are looking for a new day-drinkin’ BFF, our taste testers sacrificed themselves in the name of scientific research. We set out to responsibly taste test the trendiest new crop of canned, boxed, balled and otherwise contained cocktails. These are the results of our experiences. Cheers!

BEST STARTER BOOZE: BEAT BOX Overview: From the leak-free, totally resealable, eco-friendly “juice box” design with bright hues to the swirly line drawings and animations straight out of a coloring book, everything about this brand screams out for the youthful drinker. This is “100% baby’s first juice-booze box,” snarked one taster. And while it is pitched as “the world’s tastiest party punch,” our tasters did not always agree.

One of the main issues (as with BuzzBallz, see below) is the use of an ingredient called “premium other than standard orange wine.”

While we have no idea what that even means (apart from the obvious), this tends to create a sticky-sweet-aspartame taste with a nasty-gross aftertaste that lingers. For a while. We found the flavors Orange Blast and Fruit Punch to be completely undrinkable, with one taster saying “this is the flavor of the last thing I drank before I puked.”

That said, the Green Apple flavor tastes almost exactly like the Jolly Rancher hard candy and the color is so green it could easily be The Hulk’s signature cocktail. Hard Tea was a favorite among tea drinkers (duh), but not so much among our non-tea folks. But with 11% alcohol, only 100 calories and just 4 grams of carbs, Beat Box offers the highest “buzz-per-calorie” rating in our overall test. Just be forewarned about that funky orange wine.

The Deets: 11.1% alcohol; 100 calories; 4 grams carbs Fave Flavors: Green Apple, Hard Tea Didn’t Love: Exclusive Shaq Flavor Blueberry Lemonade, Pink Lemonade Absolutely Hated: Orange Blast, Fruit Punch

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more testosterone you had, the more you liked this brand. Stunned that the standard Cayman Jack margaritas have 33-38 grams of sugar per can, we decided to try the “zero sugar” Margarita sampler pack. While they were not as pleasing as the VMC margaritas, they were fine enough. While sort of “meh” and nothing to write home about, for the manly-men out there looking for a highly masculine non-beer alternative on the next fishing, cross bow or hunting trip, we raise a glass!

The Deets: 4.8% alcohol; 100 calories Fave Flavors: Mango, Strawberry Margarita Didn’t Love: Passion Fruit Margarita, Margarita

THE BEST BALLS: BUZZBALLZ

SELTZER WATER WITH BENEFITS Local brand West Peak got positive reviews from Good Times’ tasters. Photo: Contributed

« 4 BEST ALL AROUND: VMC Overview: We enjoyed absolutely everything about this line of canned cocktails made with blue agave tequila. We also got a lot of thumbs up and heart emojis from our friends on social media, where VMC is getting a lot of (forgive us) buzz lately. From a marketing standpoint, if Beat Box is for your young, maybe-still-pimply VR-gamin’ cousin who just came of drinking age, VMC is for your beautiful, sophisticated niece who dresses impeccably, likes gold and wants a drink that doubles as an accessory (when she finishes her Matcha). This is the quintessential drink for posing poolside. Our tasters also felt the flavors were fresh, light and tasty and “you could easily chug” these drinks if the situation called for that, as it sometimes does.

We taste. We don’t judge. We were disappointed that the Tamarind flavor was not in the sampler we purchased, because that sounds delicious.

Cut Water spirit pops are like “Otter Pops with benefits” according to another taster. And that is an apt description because they are exactly like an Otter Pop, with that same packaging, easy grab and go convenience and no cup or glass needed. Plus, they come with great flavor and a nice little kick of alcohol. Our tasters liked the crunchy first bite, but also enjoyed the pop once it reached more of a slushy consistency. It’s unclear if they would remain fully frozen in a cooler at the campsite, picnic or the beach, but frozen solid straight out of a freezer, they were refreshing, icy-cold and satisfying. Following the recommendation of friends, we tried freezing a few of the Beat Box flavors, which didn’t work because, well, the box froze and then we couldn’t get any of the liquid out. But with the Cut Water pops, you simply cut the plastic top off and push the frozen part up. We’ll say it again: Otter Pop with a kick, anyone? Count us in!

The Deets: 5.5% alcohol; 130-150 calories; 10-14 grams of sugar

The Deets: 5.9-7% alcohol; 80 calories; gluten free

Fave Flavors: Jamaica Hibiscus Cocktail and Margarita

Didn’t Love: Chocolate Banana…which probably doesn’t need an explanation

Didn’t Love: Paloma smelled like Fresca, which was nice, but had a too-sweet, almost powdery consistency

BEST AFTER ALLIGATOR WRESTLING: CAYMAN JACK

BEST FROZEN SOLID: CUT WATER SPIRIT POPS “The ice is nice and crunchy,” our taster said. “This would be great for those who like to munch on ice.”

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Fave Flavors: Rum Mojito, Rum Mai Tai

“This is something I can drink around my guy friends without apologizing that it’s not a beer,” said one of our male tasters. “It’s very manly.”

While the gals in the group were not exactly sure why that mattered, it did definitely seem like the

Of all the pre-made cocktails generating buzz out there today, few are doing it better than BuzzBallz.

Whether it’s the little ballz (6 oz.) or the “Biggie” ballz (1.75 liters), they seem to be bouncing around everywhere. As deeply committed researchers, we gave our all to this exercise and tried no fewer than 12 BuzzBallz flavors. We had some very low scores with flavors such as Berry Cherry Limeade, which sounds like it’s having a massive identity crisis, and Horchata, which all of us WANTED so much to love, but just couldn’t. It was awful. The only flavor we liked LESS than Horchata was the Hazelnut Latte, which has the sad distinction of being the only flavor in this entire project that got a ZERO rating from everyone who tasted it.

We discovered that the trouble with BuzzBallz is similar to the issue with Beat Box, but in the case of BuzzBallz it’s peach (not orange) wine.

What’s the problem? “It tastes like ass,” our most emphatic taster offered up.

But never to be called out for our lack of commitment—remember, we tried 12 flavors—we had the most heart for the Chili Mango flavor (which surprised us all) and the Tequila Rita (which surprised no one). The Cran Blaster flavor also pleased some of our tasters.

But overall we sort of struggled to see what all the buzz about BuzzBallz is about. We questioned if we weren’t young, hip or cool enough—even though we are all of those things! We ultimately arrived at a few flavors we would willingly drink…and not just because it’s the last thing in the cooler at the end of the party. But it took a lot of work and the vile aftertaste of that peach wine almost wasn’t worth it.

What’s funny about BuzzBallz is despite being a so-called pre-made cocktail, they still seem like they are missing something. Many times our tasters found themselves saying, “if you just put some more coffee in it” or “it needs lime, salt and cilantro” or “if you added a little Irish Cream or Kahlua”…which sort of defeats the whole notion of a pre-made cocktail. That said, these little ballz could also play nicely as a mixer in a blended drink where additional zhuzh can help mask the nastiness of that peach wine.

The Deets: 15% alcohol; 197 to 297 calories Fave Flavors: Chili Mango, Tequila Rita Just OK: Choc Tease, Espresso Martini, Forbidden Apple, Cran Blaster, Peach Ballz, Strawberry Rita Didn’t Love: Berry Cherry Limeade, Lotta Colada, Horchata Absolutely Hated: Hazelnut Latte

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« 6 THE BEST OF THE

OG CANS: HIGH NOON

Yesterday…today…tomorrow. Like true love, we are forever here for the High Noon. It’s the OG of OGs in the canned seltzer category, alongside White Claw and Truly, which all of our testers agreed are all still quite good, if a little played out. But there’s just something about High Noon that stands apart. We got the sampler that included Grapefruit, Pineapple, Watermelon and Black Cherry—and every flavor rated at least an 8 on our 1-10 scale. Our tasters had previously experienced Mango and that was also considered a favorite. In 2023, High Noon was the top-selling “RTD” (Ready To Drink) brand and by all accounts they are still going strong.

The Deets: 4.5% alcohol; 100 calories; 2.6 to 3.0 grams sugar Fave Flavors: Grapefruit, Pineapple, Watermelon and Black Cherry Didn’t Love: We’ve never met a High Noon we don’t like!

BEST REGIONAL BEVVIE: WEST PEAK One of the newest entrants to the canned cocktail game is Santa Cruz’s own West Peak. True to its local

roots, West Peak’s marketing claims it is “not just creating a new product, we’re igniting a rebellion against the mundane.” They seek to achieve this by offering the refreshment of a seltzer with the complexity of a cocktail. Our tasters especially liked the Sparking Tequila Paloma which the label says contains a hint of ruby red grapefruit and sea salt, both of which rang deliciously true on our taste buds. The sea salt in particular was a nice addition—fresh and unexpected in terms of the taste, but also charming in a nod to the ocean environment from which the West Peak brand originates. The Sparkling White Rum Cooler claims a hint of Yuzu lemon and Ume plum, neither of which we were familiar with, but make for a clean, light, refreshing thirst quencher. “I could see these being a huge hit with the La Croix, Spindrift crowd when they want an added kick,” said one taster, referencing two popular brands of canned sparkling waters. “Seltzer water with benefits, perhaps?” asked another taster. “Exactly!”

The Deets: 6% alcohol; 140 calories; 2 grams sugar; gluten free Fave Flavors: Sparkling Tequila Paloma, Sparkling White Rum Cooler Didn’t Love: Sparkling Vodka Punch

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BENEFIT BREWS Microbrewers live up to their motto: ‘Choose goodness. Have Discretion’

BY SEAN RUSEV

I

t’s true for every microbrewery that there’s a story behind each beer.

The smaller the operational scale, the more attention can be paid and loving cheffery applied to each release. They call it craft beer for a reason.

But at Discretion Brewing, the stories are richer because many of their releases benefit outside organizations and charities.

Married co-owners Rob and Kathleen Genco do their utmost to live up to their company motto printed on every can: “Choose goodness. Have Discretion.”

I sat down with them after their 12th anniversary party at their Soquel HQ to hear some of these stories.

WOODLAND CRITTERS (2015)

STRONGER TOGETHER A dozen breweries collaborated on Santa Cruz County Strong Hoppy Blond Ale, which commemorates the devastation of the CZU Lightning Complex fire.

PHOTO: DISCRETION BREWERY

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“The Land Trust [of Santa Cruz County] was our first beneficiary,” Kathleen says. “Rob and I have been supporters for over 30 years now. I first heard about them after my dad passed away.”

The trust was aiming to preserve the sand hills between Scotts Valley and Felton, a place her father always took her, and she thought donating to that specific project would be the perfect way to honor him.

“And then we just kept on with them because the more I learned, the more I thought, ‘I like this. I like the land around us.’”

Rob’s experience with the organization was day-to-day, if from a distance.

“I was a commuter over Highway 17 for 25 years, so I got to watch the development of the undercrossing,” he says, referring to the wildlife pathway built beneath the Laurel Curve,

where so many animals lost their lives in traffic collisions before the Land Trust intervened.

The title Woodland Critters evokes the wildlife protected but also the tiny organisms habitating in the wooden barrels that age the beer. Beer is a miracle of organic chemistry, a fusion of living elements, and despite the best quality control, recipes can produce different results. This release series is a testament to that, changing each time it’s made. #9 happens to be a sour wheat ale.

“They’re almost all sours, depending on what the critters are doing in there,” she says.

SUBMARINE CANYON IPA (2015) Sometimes brewmaster Michael Demers and head brewer Jack Beiting theme the brew to the need, using ingredients that evoke for the consumer something about the cause that release will serve. That was the case for Submarine Canyon IPA, proceeds of which go to Save Our Shores, the Santa Cruz educational nonprofit committed to ocean conservation. That thematic recipe was brightened by Meyer lemon, with sea salt harvested from the Monterey Bay. “Generally, it’s more ‘what do we want to contribute to and support?’” says Rob. “And then, ‘what kind of beer do we want to make for it?’”

IPAs are often the choice due to their surging popularity. But sometimes, the brew is based on absentia.

“What will fill out our list of available beers right now?” says Kathleen. “What don’t we have?”

Now everyone wants to have Submarine Canyon, so much that Discretion made it a yearly release tied to their anniversary party. 12 »

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Wings, an advocacy group that assists the unhoused transitioning into housing.

Kathleen knew them because of her Uncle Dave, whose namesake rye IPA is a Discretion bestseller.

“His son-in-law started the organization. They work with the bigger organizations to get people’s needs met during that transition time.”

They first gave to them via their discontinued Love Monday banner, a recurring event when they’d donate 20% of Monday’s beer sales to local nonprofits. Their commitments may be more fluid now, but their generosity remains undiluted.

Just this summer alone, they’ll be working with BirchBark Foundation, Friends of Santa Cruz Parks & Rec, Capitola Junior Guards, Arukah Project, Friends of La Selva Beach Library, Santa Cruz Children’s Museum of Discovery, Santa Cruz Shakespeare, Teen Kitchen Project and Camp Campbell YMCA.

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY STRONG (2020)

ON TAP Discretion’s HQ in Soquel dispenses the current craft brews. PHOTO: TARMO HANNULA

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“Submarine Canyon we only do once a year and so it is a highly sought-after beer. It’s usually gone in a month.”

B.U.D. [BREWERS UNITED FOR DAVID] (2017) Some benefit beers arise to address an immediate tragedy. When Fruition Brewing’s David Purgason was burned in a work accident at Venus Distillery, local breweries collaborated for a fundraising event at Lúpulo Craft Beer House, each brewing a hop-forward, low ABV Session IPA—his favorite— in his honor. B.U.D., aka Brewers United for David, was Discretion’s contribution, with assists from other industry friends.

“He was over the hill in the burn unit for weeks and weeks,” Kathleen says. “We were all so shocked. Brittany [Crass], who used to work at Shanty Shack, helped organize because she was a good friend of David’s partner, Tutti.”

“We knew that’s the style he liked, but everyone did their own take-off,” Rob says.

Each beer was named after him, from Shanty Shack’s “Davidade,” to Steel Bonnet’s “Airson,” which is David in Gaelic.

POGONIP PALE ALE (2018) Chalkboard signs for all the beers Discretion ever produced are racked in their conference room,

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some to be seasonally reused, many permanently retired. The sheer number makes it easy to forgive them not instantly remembering every release, such as their Pogonip Pale Ale. Kathleen unfurls the label, and she and Rob piece a story together.

“It was an event at Burger on Mission. A Homeless Garden Project thing…”

“Because they were building their garden up in Pogonip…” Rob says.

“What happened with that?”

“Well, I think it was created and they were farming it, then the city discovered an immense amount of lead…”

“That’s right…”

“From skeet shooting up there back in the ’20s and ’30s.”

After that botched relocation that would’ve required millions to decontaminate, the nonprofit returned to their Shaffer Road land plot, but as with some benefit beers, the collaboration ended there.

“It is really delicious,” says Kathleen, as if to sweetly signal it wasn’t the beer’s fault. “It’s got grapefruit zest. But it didn’t continue as a fundraising beer.”

Their next effort for the unhoused came in 2022 with Flight Dreams Pale Ale, their first non-canned beer made specifically for a local organization,

While the Gencos open their beneficent hearts to national causes, as with Free Day IPA, which raised money for the NAACP and ACLU after the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020, and Neighboring Pale Ale, for Western North Carolina hurricane relief in 2024, their focus is always on our community.

Never is this more apparent than the all-handson-deck leadership for Santa Cruz County Strong Hoppy Blond Ale, a collaboration with eleven other local breweries to answer the devastation of the CZU Lightning Complex fire.

Since they were the “home” for the project, their brewers took point, but all voices were welcome.

When the working title was “Santa Cruz Strong,” Donald Cramb of Scotts Valley’s Steel Bonnet spoke up. He suggested adding “county” as a distinction in order to encompass from his neck of the urban woods down to Corralitos, the span of breweries lending their helping hands.

A LOVE STORY (2022) These benefit beers can afford the brewers an opportunity to attempt something they’re enamored with, such as the Czech dark lager for A Love Story. Taproom lead Eric Wilderman brought Rob and Kathleen the idea of an ALS research benefit beer since he lost his father to the disease a few years before being hired. Unbeknownst to him, there was an uncanny cluster of ALS in the Discretion team histories: Beiting’s grandfather; taproom staff Chelsea and Elliot’s fathers; Kathleen’s high school friend.

Wilderman was an avid fan of that beer style, and so Beiting got to work, even knowing it was unfamiliar to the public. Initially brewed as a lark, “It actually is a good seller now,” says Rob. “We didn’t expect it to be.”

Because it’s “rich and chocolatey and toasty,” they schedule it for winter.

“People like it,” Kathleen says, “and they like the story.”

Discretion Brewing, 2703 41st Ave., Suite A, Soquel. Visit discretionbrewing.com to see current offerings. Some beers detailed here are no longer in regular production rotation, and others were never commercially available. Join them Saturday, Sept. 28, for A Taste of Soquel, where they’ll be pouring to benefit Second Harvest Food Bank. For details, visit tasteofsoquel.org.

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ON THE LINE Get hooked on Ocean2Table’s sustainable seafood

BY ELIZABETH BORELLI

F

resh seafood—grilled, baked, or sautéed with lemon and herbs, Gordon Ramsay-style. What could be more simple, healthy and delicious?

The answer depends on where you buy your fish— because in today’s seafood market, there’s a good chance you’re not getting what you think. Mislabeled species, questionable origins and misleading freshness claims are surprisingly common. So that perfect piece of “wildcaught” seabass? It might not be wild, or even seabass.

Ocean2Table, founded in 2014 by UCSC Environmental Studies graduates Ian Cole and Charlie Lambert, is a Santa Cruz–based Community Supported Fishery dedicated to delivering ultra-fresh, traceable food straight from the ocean and earth to your plate—no airplane required.

Originally focused on sustainable seafood, Ocean2Table now offers a range of high-quality choices, all sourced with integrity and transparency with an emphasis on local.

Cole and Lambert launched Ocean2Table after working in fishery management, where they witnessed firsthand the alarming extent of seafood fraud. From rampant mislabeling to misleading catch data, they saw a system that left consumers in the dark. Their solution: build a direct connection between local fishermen and community members that is grounded in transparency and trust.

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Today, Ocean2Table works with dozens of fishermen, offloading catch from fleets they’ve known for years or catching fish themselves via hook and line. They avoid species or methods linked to bycatch, habitat destruction or poor stock status. Their Fish Alert emails update customers on what’s available based on when the boats come in—there’s no fixed schedule, but there is a promise: delivery within a day of the catch being unloaded.

Over time, Cole and Lambert have continued to expand their offerings beyond seafood. They now manage a small orchard in Santa Cruz’s Ocean Street Extension, supplying avocados, peaches, plums, citrus, apples and pears, and locally grown or foraged mushrooms, plus poultry, dairy and pantry items—all traceable to the source.

The result is high-quality, responsibly harvested items from growers pushing the boundaries of sustainability.

Their website even lists the name of the grower, harvester or producer to caption the image of each offering. The focus is on building a better food system for future generations: sustainability 2.0.

With multiple pickup sites, including a newly opened location on Swift Street (around the corner at the end of the building) combined with pickup and home delivery throughout Santa Cruz, Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, Ocean2Table is reimagining local food systems.

The mission: to shorten the supply chain, reduce waste and help people reconnect with the origin of their food— one catch, crop and connection at a time.

Ocean2Table, 427 Swift St., Suite C, Santa Cruz.

831-295-8403. getocean2table.com

SEA SUITE The Ocean2Table team builds connections between fish purveyors and the public that are grounded in trust.

PHOTO: Elizabeth Borelli

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A

s vineyard manager at the 7,000-acre Paicines Ranch in San Benito County, Kelly Mulville has a rather significant task: he’s trying to practice organic, regenerative farming on 25 acres of vines while surrounded by hundreds of acres of vineyards being conventionally farmed.

“Our underlying philosophy is to allow, enable and support nature to flourish,” says Mulville, a longtime practitioner of holistic farming.

Adds Mulville, who came to Paicines Ranch in 2013, “We are trying to better understand our relationship with the natural world. It’s a constant balancing act.”

Conventional farming takes the approach of “how do we control the landscape to give us what we want?” While regenerative farming seeks to work with nature instead of at cross purposes, the end game is to do so in an economically viable manner.

That’s the challenge.

Working at Paicines Ranch, which has 300 acres of row crops and 7,000 acres of rangeland which support cattle, turkeys, pigs and sheep, is the fulfilment of a dream he’s long pursued—a dream that involves growing both grapes and produce.

Mulville has more than 25 years of viticulture experience in Arizona, California, New Zealand, Spain and Australia, and for a time farmed produce on the high plains of Colorado. His life trajectory changed when he met Sallie Calhoun, owner and manager of Paicines Ranch, who was looking for someone to help restore the ecosystem there.

As founder of the NoRegrets Initiative, Calhoun, who spent her early career in high tech as an engineer and co-founder of Globetrotter Software, her focus is on restoring soil health while sequestering carbon to mitigate climate change.

Calhoun and Matt Christiano acquired Paicines Ranch in 2001, when a proposed housing development for the former cattle ranch fell through. A longtime fan of native perennial grasses, Calhoun began reintroducing these grasses and developing a sustainable grazing program. She quickly recognized in Mulville the perfect person to install an organic vineyard as part of her vision for the ranch.

Most vineyards are farmed as a monoculture, devoid of vegetation save for vines. In contrast, the vineyard at Paicines Ranch is a polyculture that sports a partial overhead trellis system that allows sheep to graze among the vines throughout the year.

Most vineyards in the U.S. only allow sheep to graze on cover crops in the early spring before the vines bud out, as the tender shoots are too tempting for them to ignore. But Mulville wanted these wooly weed eaters to be able to graze in the vines all summer long, adding their fertilizer to the soil while aerating it with their hooves.

Mulville says the high fruit zone trellising also provides more shade from the canopy.

“It’s better for frost protection and mitigating heat, and it’s less expensive to install than conventional systems. If you go to Europe, particularly in Italy and Spain, many of the older vineyards are using higher trellising systems. It wasn’t just about a monoculture.

They probably had chickens, pigs, goats and sheep way back then,” he said.

The benefits are many: having sheep doing the work eliminates the need for tillage and 18 »

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HEALTHY ECOSYSTEM Sheep graze

among the vines at Paicines Ranch in San Benito County. PHOTO: Paicines Ranch

COUNT ON SHEEP

Paicines Ranch helps nature flourish

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FRUITED PLAIN Vineyard Manager Kelly Mulville tends to the organically grown grapes. PHOTO: PAICINES RANCH

« 16 mowing between rows; as well as herbicides,

suckering and hand weeding beneath the vines. Even more importantly, it improves soil health and encourages a diversity of plants, insects and birds. The results are measurable.

“We had an entomologist from UC Santa Cruz study our soils compared to neighboring conventional vineyards, and he says we are on the right path in a significant way,” Mulville said. “We are leading to the outcome we want and so are they.

While theirs is financial, our goals are broader. We have observed a huge increase in insects and birds.

We are part of a UC Davis study on regenerative vineyard farming versus conventional.”

For Calhoun and Mulville, soil health is the underlying tenet of this grand experiment. When Mulville surveyed the land before installing the first vineyard, they had 11 species of plants on the site.

“We are at well over 100 species now,” Mulville said. “Some we introduced and some came in on their own. Before we planted the vineyard, we used

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cover crops to add nutrients, and now we don’t even need it. The ecosystem put itself in a good position to support the vineyard, and all the birds brought in seeds and helped establish the current plant community.”

All those birds have, in turn, attracted birders, who flock to the ranch to observe, learn and become part of the larger ecosystem themselves.

That’s the whole goal of the Ranch: to restore, renew and educate.

The ranch has regularly scheduled yoga classes and offers retreats with lodging and meal plans. Lunch, open to the public, is served most Thursdays from 11:30am-1:30pm at The Overlook, and tickets must be purchased by noon the day before. Paicines Ranch also offers an online store for purchasing pasture-raised lamb, beef, pork and turkey, along with heat-and-serve meals and merchandise.

As for the vineyard, the organically grown 17 varieties of grapes, including Assyrtiko, Fiano and

Grenache Gris, have attracted a cadre of pioneering winemakers, including many women who are making Paicines Ranch Vineyard designated wines.

Mulville says he is currently working with nine vintners, including Margins, Terah Wines, Miguel Lepe Cellars, James Jelks, Stirm and Camins 2 Dream—the latter being the only label in California made by a Native American (Chumash) female winemaker.

“We interview all the people who make wine from here,” Mulville says. “We have to be on the same page. We want them to tell the story of what we are doing here.”

A winemaker dinner is planned for Dec. 6.

Mulville muses that they could feature five different versions of Grenache. Now that’s diversity you can taste and appreciate.

Paicines Ranch, 13388 Airline Hwy., Paicines. Learn more at paicinesranch.com.

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EVENTS SANTA CRUZ COUNTY FAIR

SAT-SUN

8/16-8/17 Scotts Valley Art, Wine and Beer Festival Scotts Valley Art, Wine and Beer Festival is back at Skypark. The premier summer festival in the Santa Cruz Mountains, there is something fun for everyone—with food, over 100 local artists and award-winning wineries. The Cops ’N Rodders Car Show will be on Saturday, and the popular Bring your Dog Day is Sunday, with contests for such things as best pet tricks and costumes.

INFO: Saturday 10am-6pm, Sunday 10am-5pm. 361 Kings Village Rd., Scotts Valley. Free admission. svartfestival.com.

WED-SUN

9/10-9/14 Santa Cruz County Fair

RECURRING Midtown Fridays Santa Cruz

Sunday Funday

Sip, Savor and Sway

Celebrate the vibrancy of Midtown Santa Cruz at the Summer Block Party, happening every Friday through September. Free event with food, artists, live music and vendors.

The Off the Lip Radio Show will host a new band every week.

Visit the Chaminade Resort and Spa to enjoy some mimosas and a delicious brunch. Stay until sunset for wine and live music overlooking Santa Cruz. Regularly occurring every Sunday through early September.

Brunch is available 9am-1pm. Live music 5-8pm.

Come by Stockwell Cellars for a glass or bottle of wine on the patio while enjoying live music. In addition, food trucks will be on hand serving up everything from fish and chips to smoked meat sandwiches and salads. Live music from various local musicians, rotating every week.

INFO: 1111 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz.

Free admission. bit.ly/3ygh6y1.

INFO: 1 Chaminade Ln., Santa Cruz.

Free admission. chaminade.com.

INFO: 5:30-8:30pm. 1100 Fair Ave., Santa Cruz. Free admission. Reservations required; email info@stockwellcellars.com. stockwellcellars.com/events.

The Santa Cruz County Fair will return this year for five days of family-friendly fun. The 2025 Fair will showcase the best of Hay Bales, Piggy Tails & Ewe!.

The Fair will feature a nightly Drone Show, in which 200 drones will take to the sky above the fairgrounds each night in a stunning and artistic display of technology. The Fair will also host all the annual favorites…the Tractor Parade, Junior Livestock Auction, Monster Trucks and Motocross, a Horse Show, Charras and much more! There will also be live concerts, including a Taylor Swift Tribute.

INFO: Wednesday-Friday, noon-11pm, Saturday and Sunday, 10am-10pm.

Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds, 2601 E. Lake Ave., Watsonville. santacruzcountyfair.com.

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SAT-SUN

9/13-9/14 40th Annual Capitola Art and Wine Festival The Capitola Art and Wine Festival celebrates 40 years of art, wine, music and food—in Capitola Village overlooking the stunning Monterey Bay. This year’s festival includes more than 100 fine artists and 22 Santa Cruz wineries.

INFO: 10am-6pm. Capitola Village.

Free. capitolaartandwine.com.

SAT-SUN

9/27-9/28/14 Capitola Beach Festival

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Capitola’s Annual Beach Festival will have something for everyone to enjoy.

The community event will include a 3-Miler Fun Run hosted by the Wharf to Wharf, a Horseshoe Tournament, the Lighted Nautical Parade, Food & Drink, a Fishing Derby, a Sand Sculpture Contest, the Chalk Art Event, a Concert in Esplanade Park, Rowboat Races and more.

INFO: Capitola Village, Esplanade Park.

Free admission. For schedule, visit capitolabeachfestival.com.

SATURDAY

10/25

Chili Cook-Off Both professional and amateur chefs vie for accolades at this annual event on the Boardwalk. The chili starts to simmer at 9am, and tasting kits go on sale at 10am. The kits, which are $15 each, include eight taste tickets and a People’s Choice ballot. The public tasting begins at 1pm and the winners will be announced at 4pm. A portion of the proceeds from each tasting kit sold will benefit Haven of Hope, a Santa Cruz County nonprofit that serves foster youth.

INFO: 9am–4pm at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, 400 Beach St., Santa Cruz.

Free. For information on how to participate, visit beach boardwalk.com/chili-cook-off.

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