Weekender NORTHERN
ILLINOIS
YOUR GUIDE TO ARTS & LEISURE IN NORTHERN ILLINOIS
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2021 • ShawLocal.com
OUT OF HIBERNATION
Brookfield Zoo to welcome visitors / 4
ALL ABOARD
Trolley tour takes you to three dining destinations / 3
CREATIVE SPIRIT
Water Street Studios provides market, art, classes / 5
UNCORKED
SHAW MEDIA
An expert taster shares favorite finds to consider adding to your own wine racks.
Shaw Media / ShawLocal.com • Saturday, February 27, 2021
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By JAMES NOKES
Patz & Hall taps into coastal vineyards
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ith affection for his craft and the dedication of a family farmer, James Hall has everything he needs to make a great wine. The veteran Patz & Hall winemaker has spent 30 years scouring coastal California vineyards for sites that produce the best pinot noir and chardonnay. He’s found the perfect muse with Chenoweth Vineyard. Patz & Hall has a monopole; it’s the only winery with the name on its label of the vineyard that Charlie Chenoweth’s family has owned since the mid-1800s. “It’s a quintessential Russian River Valley pinot,” said Hall about the Patz
& Hall Chenoweth Ranch Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2017 ($65). “It’s an
opulent, round, generous wine with lots of very up-front and persistent red fruits. It’s hard not to love it. You taste it and go, ‘Wow, that’s delicious.’ It’s a wine that just jumps in your lap and licks your face. It’s the Labrador retriever of our pinot noir program and is universally loved.” Located at the western edge of the Russian River Valley, Chenoweth ventures close to the Pacific Ocean, and only 200 acres of the 600-acre ranch’s rugged, rocky soils are planted to vineyards. It’s just one of over 20 wines from Patz & Hall that taps into vineyards up and down the California coast, as far north as Mendocino and as far south as the Santa Lucia Highlands. In between, Hall has captured the essence of Carneros, the Russian River Valley and the Sonoma Coast. But, it’s the relationship with Chenoweth that’s special. “Charlie is so experienced,” Hall said. “I love to do business with him, because he has great intuition on how to farm vines and give them what they need. Every farmer has a base program. It’s how they adjust, flex and move with the vintage that keeps the quality really high. Charlie is so close to [the] ground, he sees things others don’t.” Because Patz & Hall started in 1988 with two wines, a chardonnay and pinot noir, Hall has had a front-row seat in the evolution of California’s North Coast. The improvement in farming has matched rootstocks and clones with the proper soils and microclimates to open up a vast network of quality vineyards. “Grape growers started with apples or dreams of agriculture and then started planting vineyards with pinot
Photo provided
James Hall has guided the Patz & Hall winemaking program since 1988. noir and chardonnay,” Hall said. “It’s been a golden age of new vineyards and finding the best terroir. I’ve unearthed a lot of great vineyards, and our portfolio has grown, driven by the quality of grapes we’ve found.” The Patz & Hall appellation blends showcase the wide variety of discovered vineyards. Hall said the Patz &
Hall Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2017 ($40) is a “fun wine to blend,” because
of the collection of flavors he can weave together. There’s stone fruit, pear and even lime zest, while the wine never turns creamy, there’s a noticeable body and structure. Due to the expansive nature of the Sonoma Coast AVA, Hall can paint with a broad brush of flavors and textures when blending in the cellar. If he were a basketball coach doling out playing time, he’d have to choose between an upstart rookie vying to challenge a veteran for minutes in the final blend. For the Patz & Hall Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2017 ($40), there’s fresh cherry and strawberry with interwoven baking spice flavors and an enduring finish. The 2016 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir ($40) also was tasted, and its darker fruit, cherry cola and
pine needle flavors were powerful and long-lasting. Both proved Patz & Hall Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir as one of the best values in California pinot noir. “The sense of discovery gets me up in the morning,” Hall said. “The portfolio of grapes has evolved. What we used to get for Sonoma Coast pinot has gone through some changes. As new vineyards become available, it’s like putting a sports team together. You have to know who your starters are and if you need to make a cut.” If there’s a bench player that turns into a starter after a few years in the cellar, it’s the Patz & Hall Hyde Vineyard Chardonnay 2016 ($65). Tasted on a Zoom call with Hall, it was light, racy and flinty. There were orange peel and marzipan, almond flavors and very delicate hints of pear and the slightest touch of Granny Smith apple. When it comes to wines from the vineyard, Larry Hyde planted to the Wente chardonnay clone back in the 1960s, and has since replanted over the years so well the Hyde-Wente clone bears his name. What’s in the bottle takes time to show. “… Minerality, light on its feet, but aromatically complex,” Hall said. “It’s a little light at first, a little closed in.
Two years later, the aromatic intricacy is almost transparent on the palate and full-flavored. It’s a bit of a conundrum, and I’m not sure why it’s shy, but its complexity gains.” Dipping down south into the Santa Lucia Highlands, the Patz & Hall Pisoni Vineyard 2014 ($100) wasn’t part of the Zoom tasting, but rather tasted at a year-end celebratory dinner. Time had started to pull away the wine’s youth, and secondary flavors of mushroom, soy and umami joined the chorus of plum, black cherry and orange zest, which were on the verge of being complementary pieces in the band. So, is Hall done when it comes to adding to the Patz & Hall portfolio? “We want to go further into new vineyards,” Hall said. “There’s clearly a lot of opportunity to work with small family vineyards that I couldn’t let the opportunity slip by. Our customers are eager to try new wines. The great sense of adventure and discovery still drives grape growing on [the] North Coast.”
• James Nokes has been tasting, touring and collecting in the wine world for several years. Email him at jamesnokes25@yahoo.com.
STARVED ROCK COUNTRY
3 SHAW MEDIA Shaw Media / ShawLocal.com • Saturday, February 27, 2021
Dedicated to growing the awareness of everything the Starved Rock area has to offer
Metro Creative
The Trolley Trio Progressive Dinner will showcase curated tastings of small-bite dishes, desserts, wines and beers.
Trolley Trio Progressive Dinner returns BY RYAN SEARL
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rsearl@shawmedia.com
he Trolley Trio Progressive Dinner, a special multicourse dining tour that takes you to three of the most exciting restaurants and drinking destinations the area has to offer, returns to Starved Rock Country for a new socially distant, limited-ticket event. August Hill Winery, The Lone Buffalo by Tangled Roots Brewing Company and Starved Rock Lodge have teamed up once again to create a fun event filled with wine, beer and food tastings. These curated dining experiences will feature a different course at each location, giving you a variety of delicious experiences and sight-seeing opportunities. While the March 10 event has reached maximum capacity, seats are still available for the April 14 progressive dinner. Tickets are anticipated to sell out fast, so be sure to reserve your space on the trolley soon.
Here’s a look at the 2021 Trolley Trio Progressive Dinner itinerary: Stop 1 – Meet at Starved Rock Lodge at 4:45 p.m. to check in and board the trolley. Stop 2 – Enjoy three locally made wines paired
with small-bite appetizers at August Hill Winery in Utica. Stop 3 – Try three small dishes with beer pairings that the brewers have chosen to accompany each dish at The Lone Buffalo in Ottawa. Stop 4 – Conclude the evening with three, after-dinner drinks and a sweet trio of desserts at Starved Rock Lodge in Oglesby. When booking, you’ll be able to choose between two packages. One will gain you a seat on the trolley and admittance to the progressive dining experiences, and another also will get you dinner for two, a discounted room at the lodge and a $15 breakfast voucher that can be redeemed at Starved Rock Lodge the following morning. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the dinners will be limited to a maximum of 12 people. Face coverings are required in all buildings and on the trolley. For more information and to book your spot on the Trolley Trio Progressive Dinner tour, visit www.trolleytrio.com or call 815-220-7386.
Shaw Media / ShawLocal.com • Saturday, February 27, 2021
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Lions, dinosaurs and bears, oh my Brookfield Zoo to welcome back visitors March 1
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new polar bear and Mexican wolf pack await visitors when Brookfield Zoo reopens March 1. While the zoo was temporarily closed due to the pandemic, staff welcomed a new addition – Hope, a 5-year-old female polar bear – and the timing couldn’t have been better for the cold-hardy marine mammal, a news release stated. Since her Jan. 29 arrival, Hope has been enjoying the wintry weather that descended on the region. When the zoo reopens Monday, guests will be able to see her in one of the outdoor habitats at Great Bear Wilderness. Hope eventually will be introduced to Hudson, Brookfield Zoo’s 14-yearold male polar bear. The introduction is expected to take place over several weeks, and it is anticipated the two bears will be together by mid-March. Hope was born at Utah’s Hogle Zoo, and her transfer to Brookfield Zoo was based on a recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Polar Bear Species Survival Plan. Each plan manages the breeding of a species to maintain a healthy and self-sustaining population that is both genetically diverse and demographically stable. Nan, the female polar bear who was most recently at Brookfield Zoo, recently was transferred to Como Park Zoo & Conservatory in St. Paul, Minnesota, also based on an SSP recommendation. Polar bears are listed as a vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The main threat is due to reduced access to their main source of food – seal – due to climate change melting the sea ice, along with other environmental factors. According to researchers, there are about 23,000 to 26,000 polar bears living worldwide today, including in and around Canada, Russia and east Greenland. Other new faces that guests will
ABOVE: Hope, a 5-year-old polar bear, is a new inhabitant at Brookfield Zoo. BELOW: The Deinonychus is part of the temporary “Dinosaurs Everywhere!” exhibit at Brookfield Zoo.
see when they visit Brookfield Zoo are two female Mexican wolves – Sibi (pronounced see-bee) and her nearly 2-year-old daughter Lorena. Since their arrival from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge in Socorro, New Mexico, they have been getting acclimated to their new home at the Regenstein Wolf Woods habitat. Visitors also will be able to view the zoo’s other animals that have access to outdoor habitats, including the
Photos provided
Brutus and Titus, Brookfield Zoo’s African lions, celebrated their fifth birthdays on Feb. 24. grey seals, California sea lions, bison, Amur and snow leopards, Bactrian camels, bald eagles, and Brutus and Titus, the zoo’s African lions who celebrated their fifth birthdays on Feb. 24. Additionally, the zoo’s popular “Dinosaurs Everywhere!” exhibit returns for a limited time through Sept. 6. A few surprises will be featured on some of the 40 animatronic dinosaurs to make them even more lifelike, the release stated. They are positioned throughout the 216-acre park, and zoogoers will be able to see their favorite dinosaurs, including the Argentinosaurus that measures 110 feet in length, and stands three stories tall on the zoo’s West Mall. Health and safety protocols will be in place. • To ensure social distancing, guest capacity will be limited, and advance admission and parking tickets are required. Reservation times are available in 20-minute increments. Tickets must be reserved at CZS.org/ OnlineTicketing. Both guests and zoo
members must secure all admission and parking tickets prior to arriving. • To minimize person-to-person contact, the zoo will remain a cashless environment – only credit card transactions will be accepted for purchasing food and merchandise. • All guests ages 2 and older must wear face coverings when entering the zoo. Once inside, face coverings should be worn if one is not able to maintain a social distance of at least 6 feet from staff and guests who are not members of the same family. This includes when making transactions and while inside restrooms. • Before arriving at the zoo, guests are encouraged to visit CZS.org/ KnowBeforeYouGo to review the safety protocols as well as get updates on what animal habitats and other amenities are open. Admission costs $24.95 for adults, $17.95 for children ages 3 to 11, and $19.95 for seniors age 65 and older. Parking costs $15, and all tickets are nonrefundable.
5 SHAW MEDIA Shaw Media / ShawLocal.com • Saturday, February 27, 2021 Image provided
Two exhibitions are on display through March 6 at Water Street Studios. Each Second Friday sees a new opening reception.
WORK OF ART
Water Street Studios a wellspring of creativity
month, the openings give visitors a peek into many of the working artists’ haven for working artists, art studios in the spacious and historic, class students and people who multistory stone building. love to surround themselves And for those who’d like to see the with beauty is found at Water artists’ work virtually, visit the newly Street Studios in Batavia, redesigned website – easy to navigate whose Shop Artist Made events from 9 by clicking on type of medium, artist, a.m. to 2 p.m. each Saturday through price or the curator’s rotating showMay 22 overlap with an Indoor Farmcases. To view the works, which are ers’ Market running until noon. all one-of-a-kind, handcrafted pieces, The center’s two galleries feature visit tinyurl.com/hfkm5n3v. rotating exhibits, and an artist talk On display until March 6 in the main with three of the artists is planned in Dempsey Family Gallery is “Crash person at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 4, – Three Views of Popular Culture,” with a recording for virtual viewing featuring works by Baby Boy Miller, to follow. John Langford and Anton Witek. In addition, people who relish the In the upstairs Chicago Capital experience of art openings can mark Gallery is “An Overview of Computer their calendars for each Second FriArt, 1992-2021.” This collection of work day event, which provide gatherings by Steve Sherrell spans three decades. that are relaxed, non-intimidating and The era’s advancements in technology replete with a cash bar. In addition and the effect on digital imagery are captured in the exhibition by Sherrell, to unveiling the new exhibits each
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release at a later date. Reservations are required to attend in person at shawurl.com/3eet.
Shop Artist Made
With art fairs and markets closed, many artists and artisans have not had many opportunities to connect with the public, a news release stated. A team of Water Street Studios artists started the market during the holiday season, and the organization is extending its run in hopes of seeing it grow. “A lot of people think buying something handmade equals a higher Shaw Media photo price tag,” Laura of Laura Lynne Art, Water Street Studios is perched not far from stated in the release. “However, most the Fox River in downtown Batavia. artists who sell at shows and markets know they need to have a large range director of exhibits at Water Street of prices. For example, you can buy a Studios. print, small handmade earrings, or a Regular gallery hours currently are hand-painted card for under $10 in my noon to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Fri- studio all the way up to the price of a large original mixed-media artwork in day, and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays. the thousands.” Artist talk People visiting the center are asked Sherrell will moderate the artist to wear masks and observe social distalk featuring the artists of “Crash.” tancing. Water Street Studios is at 160 Langford, Witek and Miller will S. Water St., a few blocks from the Fox discuss the work featured in the show, River in downtown Batavia. To learn their careers in art and the creative more about the center and its School process. The free event has limitof Art for all ages, visit waterstreetstued seating and will be recorded for dios.org or call 630-761-9977.
Shaw Media / ShawLocal.com • Saturday, February 27, 2021
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6 STREAMING THIS WEEKEND
Billie Eilish, Billie Holiday, Superman new
Andra Day, who’s nominated for a Golden Globe, plays Holiday in the biopic on Hulu. In it, Holiday struggles Here’s a collection curated by The Associated Press’ entertainment journal- with addiction, racism and the Federal ists of what’s arriving on TV, streaming Bureau of Narcotics, and becomes a services and music platforms this week. vital voice in a Civil Rights movement that drew strength from her music. Movies During much of Billie Eilish’s meA classic immigrant story told with teoric ascent, filmmaker R.J. Cutler rare grace, Lee Isaac Chung’s “Minari” was trailing the pop star. “Billie Eilish: has been steadily building buzz since The World’s a Little Blurry” debuts on its acclaimed debut at the Sundance Apple TV+ and in theaters, revealing Film Festival in early 2020, leading up an intimate coming-of-age story of the to its recent crop of Screen Actors Guild 19-year-old Grammy winner, includAwards nominations. After a brief run ing the recording and releasing of her in theaters, “Minari” is on-demand. It debut album – plus less public events stars Steven Yeun and Yeri Han as par- like getting her driver’s license. ents of young children (Noel Kate Cho, – Film Writer Jake Coyle Alan S. Kim) who move from California to Arkansas in the 1980s to start a farm Music Willie Nelson won a Grammy on their land when they’re not working Award for his 2018 album honoring at a chicken plant. Chung’s film gently close friend Frank Sinatra. Now, he’s burrows into collisions of Korean and paying tribute to the late icon again. American identity, crafting an earthy “That’s Life” is a collection of stanand atmospheric family drama. dards and classics made famous by Based on Johann Hari’s 2015 book, Sinatra that Nelson has recorded at “Chasing the Scream: The First and Capitol Studios in Hollywood, where Last Days of the War on Drugs,” Lee Sinatra recorded some of his masterDaniels’ “The United States vs. Billie pieces and was also the first to record Holiday” chronicles the legendary at the facility. Sinatra died at age 82 jazz singer’s addiction and activism.
BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
in 1998. He and Nelson, 87, were pals and colleagues. In the 1980s, Sinatra opened for Nelson at the Golden Nugget in Las Vegas, and they appeared together in a public service announcement for NASA’s Space Foundation. The American treasure Harry Belafonte will celebrate his 94th birthday on Sunday with a virtual party featuring rappers Common and Chuck D and activist Tamika D. Mallory. Tickets for The Gathering for Harry start at $25, and funds will benefit The Gathering for Justice, the social justice organization Belafonte founded in 2005. The party starts at 6 p.m. – Music Editor Mesfin Fekadu
Television
The greatest superpower of all, parenting, is central to CW’s new “Superman & Lois,” which finds the couple and their two boys on the Kent farm in Smallville handling family business. There are still bad guys for Superman to bust, and deadlines for Lois and Clark to meet, but their domestic life can’t be ignored. One critical issue: Will sons Jonathan (Jordan Elsass) and Jordan (Alexander Garfin) inherit their dad’s powers someday? Tyler
Hoechlin and Elizabeth Tulloch star in the Tuesday night series. While the rover named Perseverance combs the Martian surface, viewers can dig into the remarkable exploit with “Looking for Life on Mars,” a one-hour special that debuted on PBS’ “Nova” series. Nova filmmakers began following the NASA mission in May 2019 to detail the innovation and teamwork required for what proved to be last week’s successful landing on Mars. The special promises exclusive behind-the-scenes footage of the mission and post-landing still images released by NASA. “Punky Brewster” is back, and so is star Soleil Moon Frye. In the original 1980s sitcom, bright little Penelope, nicknamed Punky, was abandoned by her parents but found her own home with a widower who first became her foster and then adoptive father. In the new series for the Peacock streaming service, Punky is a single mom with three children, when Izzy (Quinn Copeland), a young girl in the foster system, enters the picture. Freddie Prinze Jr. co-stars in the series, which debuted Thursday. – Television Writer Lynn Elber
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By PAM OTTO
SHAW MEDIA Shaw Media / ShawLocal.com • Saturday, February 27, 2021
GOOD NATURED
Taking interesting dives into the natural world around us, Pam Otto opens new avenues of exploration.
Morguefile
A true sign of spring: Redhead ducks are making their way toward their breeding grounds in the northern Great Plains.
Redhead ducks gracing our waterways
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ast week we took a look at the American robin, a bird regarded as a sign of spring that confoundingly has been popping up all over northern Illinois all winter long. Now we focus on a species that maybe, just maybe, provides a little truer prediction that our seasons are changing. That’s right, we’re looking at redheads. Say what? I know, it sounds weird. But just for today, set aside your pop-culture interpretations of the word – your Lucille Ball, your Prince Harry, your Little Mermaid – and get ready to meet one really wild redhead: Aythya Americana, the redhead duck. Redheads are named for the distinctive coloration of the male’s head, which in bright sunlight is a close match to Ms. Ball’s fiery locks. Other distinguishing characteristics are yellow eyes, a blue-gray bill with a black tip, and grayish body and wings. These features help distinguish redheads from the canvasback, another species with males that have reddish heads. The canvasback hue, though, is darker, more like Judy Garland in “The Wizard of Oz,” and that duck’s bill is dark. But what makes redheads – the ducks – so fascinating to me is the one-two punch of a) their relative rarity in our area and b) their curious approach to reproduction.
Redheads typically show up in our area as the cold weather is waning. They are a species that overwinters across the southern United States, and breeds primarily in the prairie pothole region of the upper Midwest. A few individuals use the Fox River Valley as a stopover on their north-bynorthwest journey, and seeing them is a sure sign that spring is on its way. I saw a male and two females paddling along the river, and that got me into redhead mode. It also got me thinking about what lies ahead for them. They have miles to go, and they – the females, anyway – have some decisions to make. After arriving at the breeding grounds, Mama Redhead (who, by the way, is mostly brown, with a darktipped bill) will size up the situation. What is the condition of the cover, or the grasses and rushes, in which she will make her home? How is the water level? How much food is available? How are the neighbors? She’ll also take stock of her own qualities, namely her age and whether her fat reserves are in good shape. (Being able to pinch an inch is a good thing when you’re a duck in breeding season.) After assessing the situation, she will proceed with one of several breeding strategies. If food and cover are plentiful, she may go ahead and make her own nest, lay her own eggs,
incubate them and then raise her own young. But if any of those requirements are lacking, she likely will alter her approach and either lay some eggs in her own nest and some at the neighbors’; lay all of her eggs in neighboring nests; or lay no eggs at all. That last option is the least attractive, since the name of the game is passing genes along. But some of those other alternatives – known as brood parasitism – make redheads fascinating indeed. The intrigue lies not so much in that they may decide to drop eggs in other ducks’ nests – actually many duck species do that, including wood ducks, goldeneyes, buffleheads, mergansers and ruddy ducks. But these species typically are intraspecific brood parasites – they seek out nests made by members of their own species. Redheads, however, are unique in that they are highly adaptive. They not only will lay eggs in other redhead nests, but also in the nests of other species – especially canvasbacks, but also mallards, scaups, gadwalls – basically, whatever ducky home might be handy. Typically, Mom Redhead will wait until a nest is unattended, then waddle over and drop her future duckling off. But sometimes female redheads will take a more forceful approach,
pushing their way in, and under, another nesting female. With the resident female dislodged, the redhead becomes queen of the hill, at least for a few minutes. Which, as it turns out, is all the time she needs to lay an egg, then leave. If you’re as into redheads as I am, now is the time to get out and see them. The Fox River downstream of downtown St. Charles is good, and the pedestrian bridge south of the Illinois bridge and the overlook at Mount St. Mary Park offer particularly nice viewing opportunities. Redheads dive when feeding, but also dabble for food along the water’s surface, so I’m sure there are lots of other good spots, too. Look for areas where waterfowl gather, then look closely at each bird; species tend to mingle at this time of year. Just be sure to practice appropriate protocol. As a migratory species, redheads are a little more wary than our resident mallards and Canada geese. Move slowly and quietly, and chances are good you’ll be rewarded with a look at this grand species – handsome in its own right, but also a sign that spring is just around the corner.
• Pam Otto is the outreach ambassador for the St. Charles Park District. She can be reached at potto@stcparks. org or 630-513-4346.
Shaw Media / ShawLocal.com • Saturday, February 27, 2021
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