7:30 a.m. Children’s Beach Bandstand, Harborview Way. The Nantucket Office of Culture and Tourism hosts an hour of yoga on the bandstand.
Native Plant Landscaping Tour
9 a.m. Nantucket Conservation Foundation office, 118 Cliff Road. Nantucket Conservation Foundation plant research ecologist/botanist Kelly Omand gives a tour of the NCF office grounds showcasing the makeover of the office landscape, from removal of invasives to building a biodiversity meadow and garden beds. Free with registration on calendar page of www.nantucketconservation.org
Dance Party in the Garden
9:45 a.m. Atheneum Garden, 1 India St. Cory Morgan leads an energetic, joyfilled dance time for babies and children with songs, silly dance moves and fun challenges like Freeze Dance and the Cha-Cha Slide. Bring a blanket. Canceled in the event of inclement weather.
Island Calendar
Behind the Seams
10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, Nantucket Whaling Museum, 13 Broad St. Organized by the Nantucket Historical Association, “Behind the Seams: Clothing and Textiles on Nantucket” presents more than 150 objects from the NHA’s costume and textile collections to tell stories of making, meaning and island identity from across Nantucket history.
Book-signing: Amy Poeppl
10:30 a.m. Mitchell’s Book Corner, 54 Main St. Author Amy Poeppl will sign copies of her book, “Far and Away.”
Historic Downtown Walking Tour
10:45 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday, Nantucket Whaling Museum, 13 Broad St. Walk through historic downtown Nantucket with a museum guide and discover the unique history of the island. The tour transports visitors on a journey through Nantucket’s past and tells the story of the rise and fall of the whaling industry, the rise of tourism and the impacts the island’s economy had on social and racial development.
THURSDAY, PAGE 15
File photo
The Sustainable Nantucket Farmers & Artisans Market meets downtown Saturdays from spring through fall, weather permitting.
Rhythm and roots with Wim Tapley & the Cannons
By Kendall Graham kgraham@inkym.com
After musician Wim Tapley moved to Athens, Ga. from his native Virginia, he noticed a subtle but distinct twang creeping into more of his songs.
It wasn’t an abrupt transformation, but rather a gradual infusion, owing to Athens’ musical history steeped in country, folk and Americana.
It gave Tapley room to experiment. The move also pushed his music into new territory.
“There are certain sonic things that the South has to offer,” he said. “Like, I had never met someone before who played pedal steel (guitar).”
Tapley initially moved to Athens to attend the University of Georgia, but didn’t stay long, leaving after his first year to pursue music full-time.
But the proximity to Southern sounds, and to music hubs like Atlanta and Nashville, nudged Tapley’s style “into more of a twangy direction.”
But Athens offered more than just sonic inspiration. It offered community.
“Athens has got a great local scene, with a lot of good bands that I’m learning from and rooting for,” Tapley said.
As is common in many performing-arts scenes, there’s competition to navigate and pettiness to sidestep, “but, for the most part in Athens, everybody has room for one another’s success,” Tapley said.
“You hit a point where you realize people’s sounds are different enough where there’s room for anything that’s exciting and original.”
Tapley’s turning point came when he met his bandmates, the Cannons – bassist Garrett Gray, drummer Drew Serrero and saxophone player Olin Cordell – who helped him bring to life the sound he’d always envisioned.
“I always imagined my music accompanied by a rhythm section with horns,” he said.
“We’ve got everything dialed just the way we want it. Now I’m just trying to
Photo by Garrett Cardoso
Wim Tapley & the Cannons feed off the creative energy of their Athens home.
Photo by Taylor Flynn
Wim Tapley & the Cannons will play the Gaslight tonight and tomorrow. The Athens, Ga.-based band melds southern rock with country, folk and Americana.
MusACK
Sconset Cafe: Innovative takes on classic dishes
By Francesca Giangiulio fgiangiulio@inkym.com
If you want to feel like you’re “in the know” on the Nantucket dining scene, head to the east side of the island and check out the Sconset Cafe.
The small, unassuming restaurant has occupied its Main Street space for nearly 50 years, going through a number of ownership changes in that time. Pam Mckinstry, famous for creating the Morning Glory muffin, ran it in the 1970s; followed by Cindy Jelleme and Rolf Nelson, who now run the Sconset Market; then Alex Ulgenalp and finally to current chef-owner Colin Bixby.
For Bixby, taking over the cafe wasn’t just a dream come true, it was like fulfilling his destiny.
Bixby was born and raised on the island. His parents have owned the Sconset Cafe building since the 1980s and ran the Sconset Bookstore wine shop for a time.
“Myself and my sisters, we grew up in the alleyway right next door,” Bixby said. “There are lots of pictures of us crawling around in booze boxes and now it’s kind of come full circle.”
Let’s Eat!
In 2023, two months before the summer season, Ulgenalp decided he wasn’t going to renew his lease. Bixby, who at the time was working as a private chef, jumped at the chance to take it over.
“I had two months off, so that first season we ran it for two months, and it was a lot of fun,” he said.
Fun, but also a lot of hard work. Bixby wasn’t sure how much staff he would have that first season, if any.
Much of the crew had picked up second or third jobs in other parts of town, but Bixby found strength in his friends, family and community network. One of his good friends quit his dog-training job in Florida to help get the restaurant going.
“He completely revamped his whole life. Pedro’s my sous chef now and he’s just absolutely been killing it,” Bixby said.
Some of the staff have worked at the restaurant for more than a decade. Bixby’s sister is now waitressing a few days a week, and his nephew is busing tables on the weekends.
Photo by Francesca Giangiulio
The Cafe mussels are a house favorite and served in a Pernod cream sauce with scratch-made chicken sausage.
Photo by Francesca Giangiulio
Chef Colin Bixby’s sticky short ribs are inspired by a dish he ate in Vietnam, and come with ginger sushi rice and spicy cucumber salad.
Photo by Francesca Giangiulio
The Sconset Cafe’s lobster ravioli doesn’t skimp on the lobster meat, with big chunks of knuckle and claw throughout.
“It’s a bit of a family affair,” Bixby said. “We all have a good time.”
Bixby is a graduate of New England Culinary Institute and has traveled the world working as a chef, but his culinary career really started as a young boy on Nantucket cooking dinner for his sisters.
“When my parents were running the liquor store, they wouldn’t get home until late,” he said. “I have two older sisters who were also hungry.”
He started with simple things like grilled cheese and hot dogs, but quickly expanded to doing “Chopped”-like mystery boxes with whatever he and his friends could find in the kitchen.
“Some of the meals, my friends still swear are the best things they’ve ever had in their life,” he said.
Bixby recalls a peanut canned tuna dish with spaghetti and a sesame soy sauce that his friends still rave about.
“It was all dried, canned things we put together,” he said. “The alcohol might’ve had a part in it, but we all thought it was fantastic, at that point.”
These early lessons in cooking inspired Bixby to pursue the culinary arts program at Nantucket High School. Through the program, he secured an internship at The Pearl with Seth and Angela Raynor, who later helped him get a scholarship to New England Culinary Institute.
“It was something I was good at, confident at and saw a future in,” Bixby said. “And I enjoy it.”
After culinary school, Bixby worked on-island and around the world as a private chef and caterer. He eventually met a family who hired him full-time and has been cooking for them for 15 years, a job he still does in the Nantucket off-season.
Between his two jobs – personal chef and running the Sconset Cafe – Bixby doesn’t have time to rest. He said he gets about a week off between arriving on island for the summer and the opening of the cafe.
“This is technically my annual vacation,” Bixby said. “It’s really great because we have an awesome community here and everyone’s very supportive and they all appreciate our hard work and everything we put in.”
Bixby undeniably puts in the hours for his craft, and although some days can be long, it’s what he loves to do. He remembers Rolf Nelson bringing him and his siblings special, off-menu sandwiches while they played in the alley behind the restaurant.
“I just always saw myself back here being part of this community, getting to cook the food I love and hoping people enjoy it. So far it seems like they do,” he said.
Coming back to the Sconset Cafe, Bixby said he had a lot of ideas on how to change it but wanted to keep the small dining atmosphere and some of the classic dishes that make the restaurant what it is.
Photo by Francesca Giangiulio
The featured dessert last week was molten chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream.
Rainbow nation: South Africa’s wine renaissance
Rolling fields, mountains and vineyards typify the landscape of South Africa’s fertile Franschhoek Valley Winelands, renowned for its wines from Shiraz, Merlot, Pinotage, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes, protected from insects and parasites by the growing of roses that attract them at the end of each row.
By Peter McEachern I&M Columnist
One of the world’s most captivating wine regions lies at the southern tip of Africa, where two oceans meet and ancient Table Mountain creates a remarkable backdrop.
South Africa’s wine lands tell a story spanning centuries, from Dutch sailors seeking refuge from scurvy to modern pioneers crafting world-class vintages, finally claiming their rightful place on the global stage.
Colonial legacy rooted in necessity
South African wine begins not with grand ambitions but desperate necessity. In 1652, Jan van Riebeeck of the Dutch East India Company established a supply station at the Cape of Good Hope, tasked with combating scurvy among sailors on
the treacherous spice route to Asia.
In 1654, the first grapevine cuttings arrived from Germany’s Rheingau region, followed by a more ambitious 1655 shipment from across Europe introducing varieties like Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains (French Muscadel) and Muscat of Alexandria (Hanepoot).
By Feb. 2, 1659, van Riebeeck’s diary recorded the momentous occasion: the first South African wine had been successfully produced.
Where ancient soils meet Mediterranean dreams
South Africa’s wine magic lies in extraordinary terroir, a complex tapestry
Courtesy of Peter McEachern
Courtesy of Peter McEachern
A vineyard landscape at sunset in Stellenbosch, near Cape Town, South Africa.
Wine Cellar
CHILDREN’S BEACH 2025 SUMMER EVENTS SCHEDULE
Mondays with Magic Mark Mondays at 10:00am, July 7 - September 8 Trivia Tuesdays Tuesdays at 1:00pm, July 8 - August 26
Friday Fundays Fridays at 10:30am, July 9 - September 12
Yoga on the Bandstand Monday–Saturday, 7:30am through September 1
SATURDAYS AT CHILDREN’S BEACH
Capoeira with Werdum Saturdays at 9:00am, July 12 - September 6
Nanpuppets with Lizza Saturdays at 11:00am, July 12 - September 13
SUNDAY NIGHT CONCERT SERIES 6:00pm - 7:15pm
SCAN TO VIEW FULL CALENDAR OF FREE EVENTS AT CHILDREN’S BEACH Nantucket Department of Culture & Tourism • 508-228-0925 July 27 - Susan Berman & Ray Saunders
Michael Potter as Johhny Cash
Joe Hebel as Elvis Presley
Sean McGibbon as Jerry Lee Lewis
Mia Massaro as Dyanne
Ross Griffin as Sam Phillips
Christopher Wren as Carl Perkins
Hidden gem: The wonders of Norwood Farm
By Neil Foley I&M Columnist
Do you have a regular walking trail? A location that you know well and cannot go for more than a week without a visit?
I do not. I cannot find myself committing to only one beautiful place on this island where over 50 percent is protected conservation land.
If variety is the spice of life, then Nantucket’s trail network is a beautiful blend of flavors, like a garam masala or a jerk rub. Even if you have a trail that is tried and true, there is no harm in spicing things up every once in a while.
On Polpis Road, the decorative red gate and accents mark the turn-off for Reyes Pond, a parking lot and small arboretum run by the Nantucket Land Bank.
Just down from the pond is a post marked 237 and the entrance to another, more hidden access to the heart of island conservation land at Norwood Farm.
In the late 1800s, Frederick C. Sanford owned and managed farmland around Norwood and the adjoining Beechwood Farm properties.
He mainly raised cattle and sheep, connected to the vast sheep commons land in today’s Middle Moors.
Sanford, a former ship owner, was known colloquially as “The King of Nantucket” due to his wealth, gregarious nature and eagerness to host U.S. presidents at his home on the corner of Broad
and Federal streets when they visited the island, including Ulysses S. Grant in 1874 and Chester A. Arthur in 1882.
As you walk south from the parking lot, cross over the stone-lined culverts that once fed small cranberry bogs here.
The bogs are now overgrown, reclaimed by grape vines and woody plants with
some wetland characteristics. Early summer asters are beginning to pop in tufts of sickle-leaved golden aster and toothed white-topped aster found throughout the coastal heathlands here and across the Middle Moors.
The former pastureland is mowed to the ground on rotation, letting the quickly-growing scrub oak and black cherry to reset every other year.
Currently it’s been at least 16 months since the clock of growth was last reset, making the leaves more tough and leathery as the branches spread wide at the base.
Turn left at the next intersection, following the large loop here at Norwood rather than continuing straight into the labyrinth of trails in the rest of the moors.
As you enter the high-walled corridors of dense scrubland, the fragrant blooms of swamp azalea are past peak. Their white blossoms are fading to
Photo by Neil Foley
A solitary oak on the drumlin at Norwood Farm, protected conservation land in the Middle Moors..
Photo by Neil Foley
Sandy trails through old pastures, a common sight at Norwood Farm.
Walk with Neil WALK, PAGE
quickly fades along with its fragrant scent.
All Villanova alumni, parents, students, families and friends are invited to a summer social with the Rev. Peter M. Donohue, OSA, University President.
Thursday, July 31, 2025 | 3:30–5:30 p.m.
Millie’s 326 Madaket Road
RSVP by visiting vuevents.villanova.edu/nantucket2025
We hope you can join us!
Photo by Neil Foley Swamp azalea
Nantucket’s conversion to popular resort town
By Michael R. Harrison Contributing Writer
“People are coming from every part of the country,” the Nantucket Inquirer declared in 1847, “to breathe our pure and invigorating air, to enjoy our unequaled ocean scenery, to bathe, walk, ride . . . in a word, to enjoy themselves.”
For more than 170 years, people have come to Nantucket in the summer to enjoy the beaches and soak in the atmosphere of the historic town.
To many, the island’s rose-covered cottages, ocean breezes and bucolic natural spaces make it an ideal escape from mainland life, “far at sea, an anchor of rest,” as one visitor dubbed it in 1880.
Nantucket ceased to be a competitive whaling port in the 1840s and 1850s, due to its shallow harbor entrance and the development of railroads on the mainland. As the whaling industry collapsed, people and investment moved away. The residents who stayed sought new ways to survive.
Farming, sheep-raising and cranberry-harvesting increased. The disused Friends meeting house on Main Street became a straw-hat factory in 1853, and investors established a mackerel fishing fleet in 1864.
None of these ventures filled the void. Only the gradual and intentional development of the island as a summer resort proved capable of generating meaningful economic impact.
Nantucketers developed the island’s first purpose-built amenities for tourists in the late 1840s. In the late 1860s, they began concerted efforts to advertise Nantucket as an ideal “watering place.”
“Why shouldn’t Nantucket be rendered as attractive a place of summer resort as possible,” a correspondent wrote to the
Courtesy of Nantucket Historical Association Atlantic House, which served visitors to Sconset from 1848 to 1921.
Courtesy of Nantucket Historical Association Ocean House, converted from Jared Coffin’s Broad Street mansion by the Nantucket Steamship Company in 1847.
From the Museum
Courtesy of Nantucket Historical Association
Photo by Bob Lyons
The view from the deck of the rigging of the tall ship Lynx, a replica privateer active during the War of 1812 that calls Nantucket Harbor home during the summer months.
(Thursday, continued from page 3)
Sconset Walking Tour
3 p.m. 1 New St., Sconset. Join Nantucket Preservation Trust executive director Mary Bergman as she shares her knowledge of this unique fishing settlement at the eastern edge of the island. The 75-minute tour focuses on the early “whale houses” as well as the village’s boom as a seaside resort and actors colony at the end of the 1800s. Tickets at nantucketpreservation.org
Art Sip and See
5-7 p.m. Hostetler Gallery, 42 Centre St. Hostetler Gallery owner Susan Hostetler hosts a wine tasting paired with the artwork of Alyssa Fortin. For more information, visit www.hostetlergallery.com
Nantucket Preservation Trust Annual Meeting
4 p.m. Sherburne Hall, 11 Centre St. Nantucket Preservation Trust, dedicated to preserving the island’s architectural heritage, will hold its 2025 annual meeting of members.
Island Calendar
Live Music: Wim Tapley & The Cannons
4 p.m. Cisco Brewers, 5 Bartlett Farm Road. Americana and pop band Wim Tapley & the Cannons will perform. Second show Friday.
Geotubes, Erosion and Coastal Resilience
6 p.m. Atheneum Great Hall, 1 India St. A community conversation with members of the Sconset Beach Preservation Fund about coastal-resilience solutions to protect the island’s bluffs and beaches from erosion.
Live Music: The Wails: A Beatles Tribute
6 p.m. Dreamland Theater, 17 South Water St. Celebrate the 1960s with Nantucket’s own tribute to the Beatles, led by Cole Corper, Ty Fleischut, Merrick Brannigan and Jeff Cutts. Tickets at www. nantucketdreamland.org
“The Haves and Have-Yachts”
6 p.m. Dreamland Studio Theater, 17 South Water St. The New Yorker’s Evan Osnos will discuss his “dispatches on the ultra-rich,” eight years reporting on wealth and class in America . Tickets at www.nantucketdreamland.org
THURSDAY, PAGE 20
Susan Hostetler to host a sip and see at Hostetler Gallery
July 24, 5pm-7pm
Wine tasting with the wines paired with the artwork of Alyssa Fortin. Susan Hostetler, Hostetler Gallery, susan@davidhostetlergallery.com 740-591-8180
File photo
The Nantucket Clean Team meets Saturdays from spring through fall around the island for about an hour to pick up trash.
NISDA: A focus on creating and embracing art
By Anna Popnikolova
Contributing Writer
Every time I visit the Nantucket School of Design and the Arts, I feel the same sense of calm.
Walking through NISDA’s little doorway off Wauwinet Road on the former Seaview Farm is like stepping into a time machine: weathered gray shingles, classic whitewash trim, low ceilings, rustic wooden floors, antique furnishings.
Out of every little window I catch another snippet of the landscape: blue marsh striped with grass, green lawn stretching back to the Hidden Forest and the foggy horizon dappled with birds.
The grounds are quiet, save for the singing pottery wheels in the ceramics barn, the cicadas and the birds. The space is grounding, open and welcoming to all.
“It’s not just for people that are going to be artists, it’s for people that are going to
be human beings,” NISDA executive artistic director Laura Herhold said.
NISDA’s arts programming is centered around building and strengthening students’ relationship with nature. Its founder Kathy Kelm believes that building this understanding of the environment is crucial for everyone, but especially children.
“Looking, learning and understanding nature are really important to a child’s development. We emphasize looking at nature and understanding nature,” Kelm said.
Herhold noted that children, more now than ever, are growing up more connected to the Internet and screens than to creativity and curiosity.
“A lot of things that are out there for kids to do are passive activities,” she said. “They’re looking at other people’s creativity. This is an active thing for kids to do.”
File photo
Working in the ceramics studio at the Nantucket Island School of Design and the Arts off Wauwinet Road, former home of Seaview Farm.
Best of Nantucket 2025
Every year The Inquirer and Mirror asks its readers to identify the BEST OF NANTUCKET in more than 70 categories, from food and lodging, to shopping and leisure activities and much more, through an online ballot at ack.net. The 2025 winners are listed below.
BEAUTY
Barber (Tie)
RJ Miller Salon & Spa
Scissorhands
Wilbert Barber Shop
Hair Salon
RJ Miller Salon & Spa
Massage
Life Massage
Nail Salon
On-Glaze
Spa
Darya Salon & Spa
DINING & ENTERTAINMENT
Asian Dining
Bar Yoshi
Bread
Something Natural
Breakfast
Island Kitchen
Breakfast Sandwich
Born & Bread
Brunch
Island Kitchen
Burger
Brotherhood of Thieves
Cake
Nantucket Bake Shop
Caterer
Island Kitchen
Chef, Fine Dining
The SeaGrille: Tucker Harvey
Chicken Wings
Faregrounds Restaurant
Clam Chowder
The SeaGrille
Cup of Coffee
Handlebar Café
Doughnut
Nantucket Bake Shop
Family Dining
Brotherhood of Thieves
Fast Food
Stubby’s
Fine Dining
The SeaGrille
Fish Market
Glidden’s Island Seafood
Food Truck
167 Raw
French Fries
Brotherhood of Thieves
Fried Clams
Sayle’s Seafood
Healthy Eating
Lemon Press
Ice Cream
The Juice Bar
Italian Restaurant
Ventuno
Latin Dining
Millie’s
Lobster Roll
Cru Lunch
Something Natural
Outdoor Dining
Galley Beach
Pizza
Pi Pizzeria
Romantic Restaurant (Tie)
Ships Inn
The Chanticleer
Sandwich
Something Natural
Seafood Restaurant
The SeaGrille
Smoothie
The Juice Bar
Sushi
Bar Yoshi
Waterview Dining
Galley Beach
HEALTH & WELLNESS
Chiropractor
Dr. Nicholas Ouellette, Island Chiropractic
Winners Gallery
Health & Wellness
Lavender Farm Wellness
Physical Therapist
Nantucket Cottage Hospital
Rehabilitation Services
HOME SERVICES
Architect
Chip Webster
Attorney
Glidden & Brescher
Bank
Cape Cod Five
Builder
Cheney Custom Homes
Cleaning Service
Pioneer Cleaning
Electrician
Ryder Electric
Interior Designer
Melanie Gowen Real Estate & Design
Landscaper
Ethan Fey, Fey Landscape
Plumber
Mark O’Banion Plumbing and Heating
PLACES & ACTIVITIES
Beach
Ladies Beach
Conservation Property
Great Point
Farm for Island-Grown Produce
Bartlett’s Ocean View Farm
Fishing Charter
Just Do it Too
Fundraiser
Boston Pops, Nantucket Cottage Hospital
Island Tour
Gail Johnson, Gail’s Tours
Kids Water Activities
Nantucket Community Sailing
Museum/Historic Site
The Nantucket Whaling Museum
Theater
Dreamland, Nantucket’s Film & Cultural Center
SHOPPING
Antiques Store
Sylvia Antiques
Art Gallery
Artists Association of Nantucket
Bicycle Shop
Young’s Bicycle Shop
Boat Yard & Marine Supplies
Madaket Marine
Drugstore
Nantucket Pharmacy
Furniture
Nantucket Looms
Garden Center
Bartlett’s Ocean View Farm
Gift Shop
Four Winds Gift Shop
Jewelry
Jewel in the Sea
Kids’ Clothing
Pinwheels
Men’s Clothing
Murray’s Toggery Shop
T-Shirt Shop
Annie and the Tees
Wine Store
Hatch’s Package Store
Women’s Clothing (Tie)
Erica Wilson
Murray’s Toggery Shop
TRAVEL
Auto Rental
Nantucket Windmill Auto Rental
Hotel
The Nantucket Hotel
Inn
Greydon House
(Thursday, continued from page 15)
NISDA Thursday Night Fete
6 p.m. Nantucket Island School of Design and the Arts, 23 Wauwinet Road. Join NISDA for an evening of live music open mic “en plein air” with Island Tunes and food trucks. Visitors are invited to participate in the “No More Empty Bowls” project for the benefit of Nantucket Food, Fuel, and Rental Assistance. $10 suggested donation.
Stargazer Gala
6 p.m. Tom Nevers Field, end of Tom Nevers Road. Saddle up for a night at the MM Ranch for the Maria Mitchell Association’s biggest fundraiser of the year. Food by Island Kitchen, music from the Ben Allen Band, line dancing, mechanical bull riding and more. Tickets on calendar page of www.mariamitchell.org
Owl Prowl
8 p.m. Maria Mitchell Association, 4 Vestal St. Join MMA field ornithologist and I&M columnist Ginger Andrews to listen for the calls of nocturnal animals and birds and watch for owls as they begin their nightly activity. Tickets on calendar page of www.mariamitchell.org
Island Calendar
Full Moon Nature Walk
9 p.m. Location provided upon registration. Maria Mitchell Association executive director Joanna Roche leads a peaceful one-hour walk up to two miles on uneven terrain under the light of the full Moon. Discover the legends and narratives of the past and present. Enjoy the tranquility of the quiet night sky and learn about our moon’s current themes and its symbolism. Register on calendar page of www.mariamitchell.org
Live Music: Foggy Roots
10 p.m. Gaslight Nantucket, 3 North Union St. Nantucket’s own roots reggae band Foggy Roots will perform.
Live Music: Legends of Summer
10 p.m. The Chicken Box, 6 Dave St. Boston-based party band Legends of Summer will perform. 21 and over. Additional shows Friday and Saturday.
Live Music: Local Notes
10 p.m. The Rose & Crown, 23 South Water St. Nantucket’s own rock and roll band Local Notes will perform.
FRIDAY, PAGE 22
File photo
Foggy Roots, the island’s own roots reggae band, will perform Thursday, July 24 at The Gaslight on North Union Street.
Island Calendar
(Friday, continued from page 20)
Friday, July 25
Ram Pasture Walk
8:30 a.m. Ram Pasture, Ram Pasture Road. The Nantucket Conservation Foundation hosts this walk through the southernmost end of its Sanford Farm and Ram Pasture property, which offers views of the ocean and open grasslands in bloom. Register on events page of www. nantucketconservation.org
BioBlitz Nature Walk
10 a.m. Linda Loring Nature Foundation, 110 Eel Point Road. Sarah Boyce, director of research and conservation for the Linda Loring Nature Foundation, leads this guided tour of its property with a special focus on documenting its biodiversity. Free, but registration recommended on calendar page of www.llnf.org
Through the Lens of Nature
10 a.m. Tom Nevers Field, end of Tom Nevers Road. The Maria Mitchell Association hosts National Geographic photographer Kike Calvo and interdisciplinary artist and educator Holly Greenberg
talking about their work and inspiration. Free, but registration required on calendar page of www.mariamitchell.org
Friday Funday
10:30 a.m. Children’s Beach Bandstand, Harborview Way. The Nantucket Office of Culture and Tourism hosts Friday Fundays through Sept. 12.
Lifesaving Demonstrations
2-3:30 p.m. Nantucket Shipwreck & Lifesaving Museum, 158 Polpis Road. Visitors can try their hand at using the museum’s breaches buoy and heaving stick to save Marshall the mascot. Free
Art Opening: AAN
5 p.m. Artists Association of Nantucket Big Gallery, upstairs at 12 Straight Wharf. The AAN will host an opening reception for its “Watermarks” exhibition of works from its permanent collection.
Almanack Arts Summer Soiree
6:30 p.m. Almanack Pond Farm, 25 Almanack Pond Road. Food, drink, live music and a conversation with music producer George Drakoulias, whose work has
FRIDAY, PAGE 24
International Artists Singer-songwriter Vanessa Carlton will play the Dreamland Theater Monday.
Dear Clients and Nantucket Community,
We are incredibly honored and grateful to have been chosen as the best massage spa in Nantucket once again
This recognition means the world to us and would not have been possible without the constant support of our valued clients and the Nantucket community Every session you entrust to us is an opportunity to help you feel your best, and we are truly thankful you ’ ve chosen Life Massage to accompany you on your wellness journey.
Thank you for allowing us to do what we love every day We look forward to welcoming you back very soon and continuing to provide you with the highest level of care, relaxation, and rejuvenation
With our deepest gratitude, The Life Massage Team
Island Calendar
(Friday, continued from page 22)
shaped some of the most iconic moments in film and television. Benefits Almanack Arts and Almanack Screenwriters Colony. Tickets at almanackscreenwriters. org/soiree.
“Million Dollar Quartet”
7 p.m. Bennett Hall, 62 Centre St. Theatre Workshop of Nantucket presents “Million Dollar Quartet,” a fictional adaptation of the night in 1956 when music legends Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley came together for a once-in-a-lifetime jam session at Sun Records. Through Aug. 23. Visit www.theatrenantucket.org for tickets, additional times.
“Working”
7 p.m. Sconset Casino, 10 New St. The On the Isle theater group puts on its annual summer show, “Working,” adapted from the book by Studs Terkel with songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda, James Taylor and others. Additional shows Saturday and Sunday. Tickets at www.ontheisle. org
Tacos, Sunsets & Mysteries
Live Music: Chelsea Cutler
8 p.m. Dreamland Theater, 17 South Water St. Westport, Conn.-based singer-songwriter Chelsea Cutler will perform. Tickets at www.nantucketdreamland.org
Live Music: Sean Lee
8-10 p.m. Rose & Crown, 23 South Water St. Nantucket singer-songwriter Sean Lee will perform. Second show Saturday.
Live Music: Jamie McLean Band
10 p.m. Gaslight Nantucket, 3 North Union St. Nantucket The Jamie McLean Band, which melds New Orleans soul, Americana, roots, and New York City swagger, will perform. 21 and over.
Saturday, July 26
Swim Across America Nantucket Jetties Beach, end of Bathing Beach Road. The day begins with a kids’ splash, quarter-, half- and mile swims, followed by a two-by-two-mile relay and fourmile swim, all to benefit cancer care and oncology efforts at Nantucket Cottage Hospital and Mass General Brigham. To register, volunteer or donate, visit www. swimacrossamerica.org/nantucket
Did someone order a spectacular harbor view? Visit the newly renovated Brant Point Grill Deck at White Elephant, where the menu is rivaled only by the sunset over Nantucket Harbor. Enjoy al fresco dining in our fresh new outdoor bar and deck space, where our chefs use local flavors to prepare lobster, grilled steaks and signature New England dishes.
Photo by Bill Hoenk
Theatre Workshop of Nantucket’s production of “Million Dollar Quartet” is on stage at Bennett Hall through Aug. 23.
Nantucket Clean Team
8 a.m. Handlebar Café, 15 Washington St., and intersection of Old South Road and Nobadeer Farm Road. The Nantucket Clean Team meets weekly from spring through fall to clean up trash around the island. Bags and pickers provided.
Farmers & Artisans Market
8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Cambridge Street, between Federal and South Water. Sustainable Nantucket hosts a market of fresh local produce, island cottage-industry artisans and food. Weather permitting.
Capoeira with Werdum
9 a.m. Children’s Beach, Harborview Way. Werdum Nantucket presents instruction in capoeira, an Afro-Brazilian martial art that blends elements of dance, acrobatics, music and spirituality.
Book-signing: Morgan Pager
10:30 a.m.-noon, Mitchell’s Book Corner, 54 Main St. Author Morgan pager will sign her novel “The Art of Vanishing.”
Island Calendar
Historic Bike Tour
10:30 a.m. Nantucket Whaling Museum, 13 Broad St. Strap on your helmet to explore historic locations on the periphery of town you may have missed, all while escaping the hustle and bustle of downtown Nantucket. Led by a Nantucket Historical Association guide. Approximately two hours. Tickets on calendar page of www.nha.org
NanPuppets
11 a.m. Children’s Beach, Harborview Way. Join Lizza Obremski and her puppet friends for a morning of educational entertainment for all ages. Free, but donations welcome.
Sandcastle and Sculpture Contest
1-4 p.m. Jetties Beach, end of Bathing Beach Road. The Nantucket Island School of Design and the Arts presents its 50th anniversary Sandcastle and Sculpture Contest. Families welcome. Ribbons for all. Rain date July 27. Register at www.nisda.org
SATURDAY, PAGE 26
Nicholas Ouellette – Whole Body Healthcare on Nantucket
Proudly serving the Nantucket community for over a decade, Dr. Ouellette provides comprehensive, compassionate Chiropractic care that goes beyond pain relief. Services include expert whole body joint and soft tissue care, doctor-guided nutritional consultations & protocols, a full professional-grade supplement dispensary, tailored exercise prescription, custom-scanned orthotic inserts, and ergonomic assessments for you and your business. Supporting your body’s ability to heal, move, and thrive — naturally.
Courtesy of Phantom Planet Phantom Planet will play Cisco Brewers Thursday, July 31.
Island Calendar
(Saturday, continued from page 25)
Live Music: Steve Rondo
4 p.m. Cisco Brewers, 5 Bartlett Farm Road. Boston indie singer-songwriter Steve Rondo will perform. Second show 3 p.m. Sunday.
Outdoor Restorative Yoga
5 p.m. Location upon registration. Sixty minutes of calming and centering restorative yoga in the peaceful setting of a Nantucket Conservation Foundation property. Registration required on events page on www.nantucketconservation.org
Human Rights Discussion: Michael Posner
5:30 p.m. Atheneum Great Hall, 1 India St. Journalism Michael Schulder will discuss human right and business with Michael Schulder, former U.S. assistant secretary of state, author of “Conscience Incorporated” and current director of the NYU Stern School of Business’ Center for Business and Human Rights. $25 ticket includes post-talk book-signing.
Dragonfly Nantucket Fundraiser
5:30 p.m. Great Harbor Yacht Club, 96 Washington St. Support mental health on
Nantucket at this event aimed at inspiring change with mental illness and raising money for the Fairwinds counseling center. Visit www.DragonflyNantucket. org for tickets.
“Buyer & Cellar”
7 p.m. Bennett Hall, 62 Centre St. Theatre Workshop of Nantucket presents “Buyer & Cellar.” Through Aug. 13. Visit www.theatrenantucket.org for additional times and tickets.
One-man Show: John Waters
7 p.m. Dreamland Theater, 17 South Water St. Actor, writer, filmmaker and artist John Waters, perhaps best known for cult classics like “Hairspray,” “Pink Flamingos” and “Cry-Baby,” brings his one-man show, “The Naked Truth,” to the Dreamland. Tickets at www.nantucketdreamland.org
Live Music: Miss Fairchild
10 p.m. Gaslight Nantucket, 3 North Union St. R&B show band Miss Fairchild, led by Nantucket-born Travis Richard, will perform. 21 and over.
IMDb
Comedian Cathy Ladman will play the Dreamland Tuesday, July 29.
PAGE 30
Island Calendar
Nantucket Car Show
Sunday, July 27
Bird Walk
7:45-10 a.m. Maria Mitchell Association, 33 Washington St. Explore Nantucket’s avian landscapes and hidden nooks with local bird guide and Inquirer and Mirror columnist Ginger Andrews. Register on calendar page of www.mariamitchell.org
Book-signing: Doreen Burliss
10:30 a.m.-noon, Mitchell’s Book Corner, 54 Main St. Author Doreen Burliss will sign copies of her novel, “Blame it on Nantucket.”
Live Music: Miss Fairchild
Noon, Cisco Brewers, 5 Bartlett Farm Road. R&B show band Miss Fairchild, led by Nantucket-born Travis Richard, will perform.
1 p.m. Nantucket Elementary School, 30 Surfside Road. Food trucks, live music, giveaways and games. Trophies awarded to cars, trucks and motorcycles in several categories. To enter a vehicle, e-mail ronald@nantucketmotorsports.com. Benefits Nantucket Boys & Girls Club.
Dreamland Conversations: Emma Tucker
4 p.m. Dreamland Theater, 17 South Water St. Wall Street Journal editor-in-chief Emma Tucker will speak with N Magazine publisher Bruce Percelay. Tickets at www.nantucketdreamland.org
Sunday Night Concert: Susan Berman and Ray Saunders
6 p.m. Children’s Beach Bandstand, Harborview Way. Nantucket singer-songwriters Susan Berman and Ray Saunders will perform. Free.
Grateful Dead Night
8:30 p.m. Dreamland Drive-in, Nobadeer Farm Road. A screening of the Grateful Dead concert film “Truckin’ up to Buffalo” to benefit MusACK, Donick Cary’s nonprofit that brings musical instruments and instruction to students in underserved communities. Tickets at www.nantucketdreamland.org
Live Music: Buckle & Shake
10 p.m. Gaslight Nantucket, 3 North Union St. Nantucket’s own alt-country band Buckle & Shake will perform. 21 and over.
Monday, July 28
Hands on History
10:15 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday through Aug. 28. Nantucket Whaling Museum, 13 Broad St. A short presentation with visual and tactile elements connecting to Nantucket history, followed by craft-making connected to that day’s talk. Free with museum admission.
Thought for Food
2 p.m. Atheneum Great Hall, 1 India St. Nourish Nantucket provides an update on its work to end food insecurity, with featured speaker Merrick Carreiro, food equity director of Martha’s Vineyard’s Island Grown Initiative. Free.
Live Music: Bonus Cat
4-7 p.m. Cisco Brewers, 5 Bartlett Farm Road. Boston rock band Bonus Cat will perform. Second show Tuesday.
Artist Talk
5:30 p.m. Federal Gallery, 8 Federal St. Artists Association of Nantucket artist-in-residence Dean Fisher will discuss his work and inspiration. Free.
Meet the Artists
5:30 p.m. Atheneum Great Hall, 1 India St. A free and informal meet and greet with the clarinet duo of William and
(Sunday, continued from page 26)
File photo
The Nantucket Island School of Design and the Arts’ annual Sandcastle & Sculpture Contest will be held Saturday at Jetties Beach.
Island Calendar
(Monday, continued from page 30)
Catherine Hudgins and pianist Jung-A Bang before their Nantucket Musical Arts Society concert Tuesday. Free.
Live Music: Vanessa Carlton
8 p.m. Dreamland Theater, 17 South Water St. Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter and pianist Vanessa Carlton will perform.
Live Music: Kevin Quill
9 p.m. The Club Car, 1 Main St. Pianist Kevin Quill will perform. Additional shows Tuesday and Wednesday.
Stargazing at the Observatory
9:30 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Loines Observatory, 59 Milk St. Join professional astronomers from the Maria Mitchell Association for a guided tour of the night sky, including the moon, planets, star clusters, nebulae and more. Register on calendar page of www.mariamitchell.org
Live Music: DJ Lay-Z-Boy
10 p.m. The Chicken Box, 6 Dave St. Boston-based DJ Lay-Z-Boy mans he turntables. 21 and over.
Live Music: La Tulipe Musique
10 p.m. Gaslight Nantucket, 3 North Union St. Nantucket’s own La Tulipe Musique, a piano and vocal duo, will perform. 21 and over.
Tuesday, July 29
Music in the Morning 9:45 a.m. Atheneum garden, 1 India St. Led by local musician and teacher Cory Morgan, this fun-filled 45-minute session invites kids to explore rhythm, sound and song through clapping, instrument play. Bring a blanket. Canceled in the event of inclement weather.
Shellfish Hatchery Tour
11 a.m. Brant Point Shellfish Hatchery, end of Easton Street. Tour the town’s shellfish hatchery that specializes in raising Nantucket bay scallops to supplement the wild population in Nantucket and Madaket harbors. Register at www. nantucket-ma.gov/691/Brant-PointShellfish-Hatchery
TUESDAY, PAGE 36
Courtesy of Rain
Acclaimed Beatles tribute band Rain will perform at a fundraiser for Theatre Workshop of Nantucket Wednesday, July 30 at Bartlett’s Ocean View Farm.
Island Calendar
LA VOZ ISLEÑA
El Inquirer and Mirror se enorgullece en presentar La Voz Isleña, versiones en español de las historias que aparecen en el Inquirer and Mirror y en la página web ack.net
our Spanish language section
Por favor, háganos saber qué historias y cobertura le gustaría ver en el futuro. Envíenos un correo electrónico a newsroom@inkym.com
(Tuesday, continued from page 34)
Nanpuppets
11:30 a.m. Cisco Brewers, 5 Bartlett Farm Road. Join Lizza Obremski and her puppet friends for a morning of educational entertainment for all ages.
A Walk Down Main Street
3 p.m. 11 Centre St. An overview of Nantucket in its heyday focusing on the portion of Main Street between the Pacific National Bank and the Civil War monument. Learn about the street’s development and the area’s early residents and architectural styles, as well as how the houses have come to symbolize the whaling era. Tickets at nantucketpreservation.org.
Kent Place School Meet-up
5-7 p.m. Location upon RSVP. Alumnae, parents, grandparents and friends of Kent Place School are invited to join head of school Jennifer Galambos for an evening of connection. RSVP to coneyd@ kentplace.org or (908) 273-0900, ext. 263.
Classical Music
7 p.m. St. Paul’s Church, 20 Fair St. The Nantucket Musical Arts Society presents
the clarinet duo of William and Catherine Hudgins and pianist Jung-A Bang in the fourth installment of its summer concert series. Tickets $30 at the door.
Shipwreck and Scrimshaw Lecture
5:30 p.m. Nantucket Whaling Museum, 13 Broad St. Nantucket Historical Association chief curator Michael Harrison discusses “The 1846 Earl of Eglinton Disaster and the ‘Ewer’ Tooth.” Free, but registration recommended on calendar page of www.nha.org
Comedy Night: Cathy Ladman and Jane Condon
7 p.m. Dreamland Theater, 17 South Water St. Stand-up comedians Cathy Ladman, a 10-time “Tonight Show” performer and Nantucket’s own Jane Condon, take the stage. Tickets at www.nantucketdreamland.org
Live Music: Mat Kearney
10 p.m. The Chicken Box, 6 Dave St. Nashville-based singer-songwriter Mat Kearney will perform. Second show Wednesday. Tickets at www.thechickenbox.com
WEDNESDAY, PAGE 38
IMDb
John Waters brings his one-man show “The Naked Truth” to the Dreamland Saturday.
NISDA: A focus on creating, engaging in and appreciating art
(Continued from page 17)
This summer, NISDA’s youth programming includes classes like Drawing in Nature, Solar Printing, Clay: Handbuilding and Wheel, Mask Making and more. It also offers a Generations Together class, which invites parents and grandparents to take art classes alongside their children.
For local and visiting families, every Thursday night from 6-8 p.m., NISDA hosts a Thursday Night Fete, where local musicians will perform on the outdoor stage, followed by an open mic, and families can picnic on the lawn, enjoying food from Naomi’s Dumplings and Taste of Siam food trucks.
The weekly evenings will also feature the No More Empty Bowls project, when anyone can make a pinch pot or bowl to donate to the Nantucket Food, Fuel and Rental Assistance fall fundraiser.
“It’s wonderful because deep islanders, those who make the island work, come out and sit at the picnic table and just be,” Kelm said.
“People really feel a sense of place here, and a sense of community. We’re a little different than what you see on the island, so it sparks a sense of curiosity.” Kelm hopes that people visiting NIS-
DA, even for a social gathering, may look around and wonder — “what would it be like to do something?”
Since NISDA does not operate as a commercial gallery, but is focused on a more rounded approach to arts exposure and education, from residencies to gallery lectures, Kelm said the organization has more freedom to focus fully on fostering curiosity and creativity, without trying to turn a profit from the art itself.
“Our main purpose is not to sell work, our focus is ideas,” Herhold said.
Each Silo Gallery show, which will be unveiled every Wednesday, will be accompanied by an artist talk, discussing their methods and inspiration behind the work.
Herhold, Kelm and Anne C. Jennings worked together to curate the lineup of artwork and artists that will be showcased in the Silo.
“Artists are not just showing, but they’re talking about their creative process. It’s not just about what you’re looking at, it’s the thought behind it. It’s the ideas, the materials. People are interested in that these days,” Herhold said.
On July 30, NISDA will host a group show and panel discussion with a collection of artists from the Robert Foster Gallery, including Elizabeth Congdon, John
Devaney, MJ Levy Dickson and Rose Gonnella.
The group will discuss the evolution of life in the arts on Nantucket, as they’ve seen and experienced it over the years.
Another show will feature photographer David Halliday’s “Building Still Life,” a showcase of photography and sculpture of found objects.
His work is futuristic and personal, marrying the everyday with the surreal, making the mundane new again. His show will open Aug. 13, when he will discuss his career in photography over the past four decades.
At the end of August, NISDA will host it Peoples Art Show, where anyone on the island can show their art, from classical painting to children’s sketches to knitted sweaters.
There is no jury, no selection, just enthusiasm and appreciation for the everyday artist.
One of season’s artists in residence, Michael Frassinelli, has been making unique sculptures out of piano parts for 20 years, and will be sharing his artistic expertise in drawing and painting this summer, teaching both children and adult programming.
Frassinelli will also judge NISDA’s an-
nual sandcastle contest, alongside Donick Cary and Joelle Boucai. The contest is scheduled for July 26 with a rain date of July 27 and is celebrating its 50th anniversary this summer.
Beginning as a casual afternoon on the beach between Herhold and Kelm, back in the 70’s, the contest has blossomed into a beloved annual family tradition.
“People are really serious about it,” Kelm said with a laugh. “Families plan for it all year long.”
Frassinelli is one of the artists in residence who stay in NISDA’s house down the street from the main campus.
Residents are encouraged to participate in classes and community events in addition to working on their art. They spend their time soaking up the calm of the island, the distance it provides from the “real world” on the mainland, and the beauty of the nature all around them.
“I’m always a little surprised by how much people get done,” Herhold said.
But I am not surprised: the landscape, the buildings, the studios, everything is humming with art, just waiting to be made.
Nantucket Island School of Design and the Arts, 23 Wauwinet Road, (508) 2289248, www.nisda.org
(Wednesday, continued from page 36)
Wednesday, July 30
Book-signing: Elin Hilderbrand
11 a.m. Mitchell’s Book Corner, 54 Main St. Best-selling island author Elin Hilderbrand will sign copies of “The Blue Book.” The first 115 people will get a ticket for the signing when they arrive in line. Line begins forming at 10 a.m.. Only books purchased at Mitchell’s will be signed.
Behind the Scenes at the Research Library
4 p.m. Nantucket Historical Association Research Library, 7 Fair St. A behind-the-scenes look at the artifacts, ephemera and documents in the NHA Research Library.
Live Music: Buckle & Shake
4-7 p.m. Cisco Brewers, 5 Bartlett Farm Road. Nantucket’s own alt-country band Buckle & Shake will perform.
Fairfield University Reception
5:30 p.m. Location with RSVP. Fairfield University president Mark R. Nemec invites alumni and parents to a Nantucket
Island Calendar
The annual car show to benefit the Nantucket Boys & Girls Club will be held Sunday, July 27 at Nantucket Elementary School.
cocktail reception. RSVP to ose@fairfield. edu or (203) 254-4000, ext. 2927.
Cultural Arts Lecture
7 p.m. Nantucket Island School of Design and the Arts, 23 Wauwinet Road.
NISDA hosts artists from the Robert Foster Gallery, including Elizabeth Congdon, John Devaney, MJ Levy Dickson and Rose Gonnella, displaying and talking about their work. $10 suggested donation.
Film for Thought
7 p.m. Dreamland Theater, 17 South Water St. The Inquirer and Mirror and Dreamland present “Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight,” about an 8-year-old growing up in the midst of the Zimbabwean war for independence. Free for members. Tickets at www.nantucketdreamland.org
“Rain: A Tribute to the Beatles” 7 p.m. Bartlett’s Ocean View Farm, 33 Bartlett Farm Road. Theatre Workshop of Nantucket’s summer fundraiser presents Beatles tribute band Rain, food by Nantucket Catering Company and Bar Yoshi and an auction. Tickets at www.theatrenantucket.org
Celtic Music
7 p.m. Nantucket Community Music Center, 56 Centre St. Musicians are invited to play classic Celtic tunes in a group setting. All are welcome. Register at www.nantucketmusic.org
Live Music: Stop Light Observations
10 p.m. Gaslight Nantucket, 3 North Union St. Transformational rock band Stop Light Observations, which blends
WEDNESDAY, PAGE 48
Photo by Kaie Quigley
Cellar: Steeped in history, South Africa’s wine renaissance
(Continued from page 8)
woven from 600-million-year-old granite soils, Mediterranean climate and dramatic topographical diversity.
The western Cape enjoys a unique position at the confluence of two oceans, creating microclimates that rival the world’s finest wine regions.
In Stellenbosch, decomposed granite mingles with sandy alluvial loam.
Swartland’s slate slopes challenge vines to dig deep, producing wines of remarkable intensity. The diversity spans from chalky soils creating bright minerality to clay-rich earth birthing robust, tannic reds.
The Cape region enjoys wet winters and dry, warm summers. During the February-March harvest, temperatures average 73 degrees F., though inland valleys can spike to 104. Most regions fall into Winkler Scale Region III, like Napa Valley.
At the same time, cooler areas like Elgin and Walker Bay mirror Burgundy’s conditions.
Premier wine regions
Stellenbosch reigns as South Africa’s premium region. Established in 1679, this mountainous area benefits from False Bay’s cooling influence and excels in Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinotage and Shiraz.
Franschhoek, the “French Corner,” owes its heritage to Huguenot refugees. This picturesque valley produces exceptional still and sparkling wines, with méthode cap classique rivaling Champagne.
Swartland has emerged from bulk wine obscurity to become South Africa’s most exciting artisanal region.
Ancient granite soils and old-vine Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre create intensely flavored wines with cult followings.
Walker Bay benefits from direct ocean influence, creating ideal conditions for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The famous Hemel-en-Aarde Valley produces wines rivaling Burgundy’s finest.
Constantia, the oldest region, was once home to the world’s most famous dessert wine and continues producing the legendary Vin de Constance.
The varieties: from heritage to innovation
Chenin Blanc dominates with 18.2 percent of total plantings, more than twice France’s acreage.
This versatile grape produces everything from crisp, mineral-driven whites to rich, oak-aged expressions, making South Africa the grape’s global capital.
Cabernet Sauvignon leads the reds (11 percent of plantings), producing wines
balancing New World fruit with Old World structure. These display black pepper, bell pepper and currant notes with distinctive savory complexity.
Pinotage, South Africa’s signature grape (Pinot Noir × Cinsault), remains controversial yet compelling. When crafted skillfully, it produces unique wines with smoky, earthy undertones and unmistakable South African character.
Syrah/Shiraz thrives across diverse climates, from elegant, peppery expressions in Stellenbosch to richly intense wines from Robertson and Swartland.
Among whites, Sauvignon Blanc produces distinctively herbaceous wines with green fruit flavors. At the same time, Chardonnay achieves Burgundian elegance in cooler coastal regions.
Most favored producers
• Sadie Family Wines (Swartland): Eben Sadie’s visionary approach revolutionized South African winemaking. His Columella red blend earned 98 points and was named 2024 South African Wine of the Year.
• Klein Constantia (Constantia): South Africa’s oldest estate (founded in 1685) leads with its world-renowned Vin de Constance, the most sought-after South African wine globally.
• Hamilton Russell Vineyards (Walker Bay): Cool-climate pioneers producing exceptional Pinot Noir and Chardonnay rivaling Burgundy, with an equal commitment to biodiversity and social responsibility.
• Kanonkop Estate (Stellenbosch): This fourth-generation family estate is renowned for its Paul Sauer blend and exceptional Pinotage, which have elevated the variety’s reputation.
• Boekenhoutskloof (Franschhoek): Known for exceptional Syrah and distinctive Semillon, combining innovative winemaking with terroir respect, consistently earning international acclaim.
Global reach: Export success
South Africa is the world’s sixth-largest wine exporter, shipping $562 million annually to over 120 countries. The United Kingdom remains the largest market at 87.3 million liters, followed by Germany and Belgium (which saw a remarkable 32 percent growth in 2023). Other significant markets include France, Sweden, the Netherlands and Canada.
The growing season: Southern hemisphere rhythm
South Africa’s growing season runs from November to April. Bud break occurs in September, flowering occurs in October and November, véraison occurs in December and January and harvest occurs typically from February through April.
Early varieties like Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc are picked in February, followed by Pinotage and Chenin Blanc. Premium reds like Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah are often harvested in MarchApril for optimal development.
The 2024 harvest exemplified climate variability, beginning with catastrophic September 2023 flooding, followed by exceptionally dry harvest conditions. Despite challenges, the vintage produced exceptional wines with small, concentrated berries.
The renaissance continues
Today’s South African wine industry represents a remarkable transformation.
Where the KWV cooperative (the AOC of South African Wine Trade) once controlled production and quality suffered under sanctions, enthusiastic winemakers now craft world-competing wines.
The focus shifted decisively toward quality. In 1990, less than 30 percent of grapes became consumer wine. Today, 86 percent reaches consumers as wine, reflecting a commitment to premium production.
This quality revolution earned international recognition, with South African wines regularly achieving high critic scores and cult status among collectors.
South Africa’s wine story continues evolving. As climate change challenges traditional regions worldwide, South Africa’s terroir diversity and microclimates may prove its greatest asset.
From windswept Walker Bay to granite Swartland hills, from historic Constantia cellars to innovative Stellenbosch facilities, the Rainbow Nation’s wine industry continues to surprise and delight.
Whether discovering the elegant minerality of Constantia Sauvignon Blanc, the smoky complexity of Swartland Syrah or the honeyed richness of Vin de Constance, each bottle tells the story of a land where ancient soils, modern vision and endless passion converge.
In South African wine, we find not just terroir expressed in liquid form but the essence of a nation that transforms challenge into opportunity, creating wines as complex, beautiful and inspiring as the land that birthed them.
Peter McEachern is the general manager of the Nantucket Yacht Club. He has been buying wine, creating wine lists and running wine tastings since 1983. He can be reached at peter@nantucketyachtclub.org
Courtesy of Peter McEachern
The Constantia Wine Valley in Cape Town, South Africa.
Eat: Innovative takes on classic dishes at Sconset Cafe
(Continued from page 7)
“The peanut crusted halibut, cafe mussels, cafe salad and the crab cake, those have been on the menu for a long time and people associate them with the name,” he said. “The peanut-crusted halibut, if I were to take that off the menu, someone might burn the building down.”
But Bixby still likes to keep the menu exciting with weekly specials and occasional new dishes. He tends to find inspiration in the farmer’s market or whatever’s available at Bartlett’s Farm, but sometimes his dishes come out of happy accidents.
That’s how one of the most popular dishes, the sticky pork ribs, was born. Bixby had ordered pork belly but ended up with a case of baby back ribs instead.
“I came up with a dish inspired by something I had in Vietnam, lots of lemongrass, ginger and hoisin. Strong citrus and acid flavors and obviously sugar and chilies. I made this sauce and ran the pork ribs as a special and they completely sold out,” Bixby said.
The next day, he said people were knocking on the back door begging to try the ribs. He knew they had to go on the menu. They are still one of the biggest sellers. He goes through a case and a half every night.
I can confirm, these ribs are to die for. Sweet and sticky with meat that melts right off the bone. The ribs are perfectly cooked. You can definitely taste the hoisin sauce in the glaze with a little added punch of sweet heat from the sugar and chilies.
The ribs come with ginger sushi rice and spicy cucumber salad. The cucumbers are crisp with a good peppery hit from the ginger, almost like pickles but sweeter. They went really well with the rice and added a nice contrast to the sweetness of the ribs.
This year Bixby’s also offering a lobster ravioli, but this isn’t your grandmother’s ravioli. Bixby serves up one giant raviolo stuffed with four and a half ounces of chopped lobster meat. It’s not shredded or ground. When you cut into the raviolo you can see whole lobster claws and knuckles. Really, the only word to describe the lobster ravioli is decadent. The sweetness of the lobster and the cognac cream sauce paired with the nutty saltiness of the pepita pesto and Grana Padano is the perfect combination.
“It’s like a lobster dinner wrapped in a homemade pastry,” Bixby said. “It sucks up about half my day for prep because now we’re making like 30 at a time. We
only have 25 seats, so it’s a lot, but it still gets me excited.”
All of the pastas at Sconset Cafe are homemade and this one did not disappoint. It was soft, light and pillowy.
“I’m still happy it sells. I love cooking it, the whole design of the dish was a lot of fun,” Bixby said.
When people eat at the cafe, Bixby hopes they are just as excited about the food as he is. He doesn’t limit himself to one cuisine and cooks when inspiration strikes. Every decision is made with care and intention and with the guests in mind.
Most nights, Bixby said the restaurant feels more like a social club. With close together tables and an open-facing kitchen, it really does feel like a private dinner. People walk around the room chatting to other tables before they sit down.
Many are regulars who have known each other for years, but their energy is infectious and soon everyone is out of their seats introducing themselves to the other tables.
“I think that’s kind of fun, I like that people do that,” Bixby said. “I think it
paprika spices and a great tomato flavor. It was a wonderful pairing to the crisp yet delicate crab cake.
It’s easy to see why the cafe mussels are a house favorite. The huge bowl arrived overflowing with wide, popped-open mussels. The mussels and the Pernod cream sauce have a strong licorice-basil flavor.
The milder mussels are a great carrier for the herbiness of the house-made chicken sausage and the richness of the cream sauce.
For dessert, we ordered the molten chocolate cake, which is served with French vanilla ice cream and fresh whipped cream. The cake was luxurious. It felt like you were eating rich hot fudge fresh off the spoon.
The French vanilla ice cream and whipped cream are sweet, sugary, and – in combination with the rich chocolate cake – make the perfect bite of dessert. You may think you’re full from your first two and a half courses, but you will definitely find room to enjoy this.
For more than 30 years, Sconset Cafe has been BYOB (with a corking fee) and cash only, and Bixby said that’s one thing he doesn’t plan on changing.
would be better if everyone did that. You get to not just enjoy the cafe but enjoy the company of the cafe. I want you to feel like you’re hanging out with friends and enjoying a beautiful meal.”
Each meal begins with a complimentary bread basket and whipped honey butter. The baguette is soft and pulls apart easily. The butter is sweet at first with a punch of saltiness at the end.
For appetizers, we ordered the tuna crudo, crab cake and cafe mussels.
The tuna was crisp, fresh and had a good kick of soy sauce. The tomato and cucumber and seaweed salad bring a nice brightness to the dish. The avocado adds a layer of sweetness and creaminess. The crispy gyoza was well-seasoned and added a nice layer of texture.
The crab cakes were not like any I have had before. They were super crisp and crunchy on the outside with a layer of panko-like breadcrumbs. The inside was not too bready, which lets you really get the flavor of the crab.
The Cajun remoulade was one of my favorite elements of the whole meal. It has a slight kick of heat from those peppery,
“I think it’s part of the charm of this place. You can’t use technology. You can’t book a reservation online. You have to call and talk to the reservationist. You can’t use a credit card to pay,” he said. “It’s always been like that and it’s kind of a niche, quirky thing. It’s like a ‘need to know’ place.”
In the future, Bixby said he hopes to continue expanding the Cafe. He recently partnered with Claudette’s Sandwich Shop next door to use its patio for private dinners in between dinner seatings. Through all his years in the industry, the one lesson he’s held on to is to embrace change and always be open to new ideas and opportunities.
“There’s so many different ways to do the same task, you have to be open to the idea of changing something,” he said. “You may have been doing something one way your whole life and then someone shows you a better way and you have to keep an open mind to new ideas and new concepts.”
Sconset Cafe, 8 Main St., Sconset. Open daily except Wednesday for two seatings: 6 and 8 p.m. Take-out is available for pickup from 5:45 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. Sunday Brunch, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Reservations can only be made by calling the restaurant at (508) 257-4008.
Photo by Francesca Giangiulio
The Sconset Cafe’s tuna crudo is crisp and fresh with a good kick of soy sauce.
Island Calendar
(Wednesday, continued from page 38)
blues, pop, indie rock and electronic beats, will perform. 21 and over. Second show Thursday.
Thursday, July 31
Find Waldo Party
11 a.m. Mitchell’s Book Corner, 54 Main St. Mitchell’s hosts its annual Where’s Waldo party. Light refreshments. Free.
Live Music: Phantom Planet
1 p.m. Cisco Brewers, 5 Bartlett Farm Road. Los Angeles-based rock band Phantom Planet, perhaps best known for its song “California,” theme song of the TV series “The O.C.,” will perform. $25 cover.
Online Author Talk: Pria Anand
2 p.m. Online at www.nantucketatheneum.org. Neurologist and author Pria Anand will discuss her new book, “The Electric Mind: A Neurologist on the Strangeness and Wonder of our Brains. Register on the library’s calendar page.
Sconset Walking Tour
3 p.m. 1 New St., Sconset. See Thursday, July 24 listing for details.
Villanova Meet-up
3:30 p.m. Millie’s, 326 Madaket Road. All Villanova alumni, parents, students, family and friends are invited to a summer social with university president, Rev. Peter M. Donahue. RSVP at vuevents.villanova.edu/nantucket2025
Blue Bistro Bash
4 p.m. Nantucket Hotel, 77 Easton St. Join best-selling Nantucket author Elin Hilderbrand in bringing her novel “The Blue Bistro” to life in this benefit for the Nantucket Book Foundation. Fashion show, live auction, book-signing, cocktails and light bites, music and dancing. Tickets at www.nantucketbookfestival.com.
Art Dinner
5 p.m. Artists Association of Nantucket Big Gallery, upstairs at 12 Straight Wharf. The AAN celebrates its 80th anniversary and the works in its permanent collection. Artist member Greg Hill will be presented the AAN’s lifetime achievement award. Tickets at www.nantucketarts.org.
Live Music: Everclear
7 p.m. The Muse, 44 Surfside Road. Altrock band Everclear, famous for 1990s hits like “Santa Monica,” will perform. Tickets at Eventbrite.com
Special Screening: “Jaws”
7 p.m. Dreamland Theater, 17 South Water St. The Dreamland hosts a special 50th anniversary screening of “Jaws” in partnership with the Nantucket Film Festival. Tickets at www.nantucketdreamland.org
Live Music: The Beat Drops
10 p.m. The Chicken Box, 6 Dave St. Boston-based party band The Beat Drops will perform. 21 and over. Tickets at the door. Additional shows Friday and Saturday.
Museum: Resort island
(Continued from page 12)
Nantucket Weekly Mirror in May 1864, “especially if the means of attraction will pay?” A rush of hotel building and land speculation followed in the 1870s and 1880s, setting in motion an economy based on real-estate sales, land development and construction.
Today, nearly all of the island’s economic activity, including house sales, building, landscaping and hospitality services – even fishing for the bay scallop – is driven by the needs and demands of the summer resort.
Getting to and from Nantucket has always been one of the charms, and hassles, of an island summer holiday.
Intense lobbying by local businesses for “Two Boats a Day!” in summertime boosted island tourism starting in 1874. Three boats a day did not start until the 1930s.
Today, the traditional and high-speed ferries combined make 26 trips a day in summer and carry about 67,000 automobiles, 50,000 trucks and nearly 1 million passengers a year. Only one traveler in five comes to Nantucket by airplane.
Today, Nantucket has about 14,000 year-round inhabitants. During the summer months, seasonal residents, shortstay vacationers, and seasonal workers typically swell the population to more than 40,000; in 2022, the summer population topped 65,000.
Excerpted from “Summer on Nantucket,” by Michael R. Harrison, Nantucket Historical Association Chief Curator and Obed Macy Research Chair from “Summer on Nantucket: A History of the Island Resort,” the primary exhibition of the 2023 season at the Nantucket Whaling Museum.
Walk: The wonders of Norwood Farm in the Middle Moors
(Continued from page 10)
brown and losing their ability to stand out like a beacon in the darkness, an adaptation for night pollination by moths.
I stop to pick from some of the first ripened highbush blueberries and see through the thicket to a shimmer of sunlight on the surface of water.
Behind the dense shrubs lays a kettle hole pond, where I hear a creature large enough to be a deer sloshing through the shallow pond to grab a drink of the fresh but stagnant water.
I cannot see the deer, but I know it is there, guarded by a wall of vines and shrubs and secluded in its own secret pool.
I move down the corridor of scrub and sure enough, a buck with developing antlers, still covered in soft velvet, jumps up and through a hole I could never fit through without a machete.
The buck does not stop to stare at me. It effortlessly bounds across the path and disappears into the other side.
I hear its nasal huffs and chuffs from the dense undergrowth, signaling discontent like a moody teenager as I continue onward.
On the path ahead, a solitary looming oak stands in the open atop a hill of the terminal moraine overlooking the surface of another kettle hole pond below.
I have walked this loop a few times in my journey for the spice of life and know
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the path will loop back over a decaying bridge and through more rotational pasture.
For a moment I stand atop this little drumlin with its oak adornment and think about the decades of changing land usage and history that led us to this era of conservation.
Maybe that is the real spice of life to appreciate, since similar stories and property changes can be found everywhere across the island.
Photo by Neil Foley
Rotational mowing changes the plant communities and characteristics at Norwood Farm.
The Inquirer and Mirror
many
MusACK: Rhythm and roots with Wim Tapley & the Cannons
(Continued from page 4)
make the most of what I have and write the best music I can with my guys.”
It would be a bit difficult to try to relegate Wim Tapley and the Cannons’ music to any single genre. Their sound has influences ranging from rock to R&B to folk to neo-soul.
They’ll bring their diverse sound to Cisco Brewers for afternoon performances today and tomorrow, July 25.
The band’s 2024 album, “Red Door,” is named for the home shared by most of the band, a symbol of their closeness and a nod to the DIY energy that runs through everything they do.
It plays like an eclectic jukebox, opening with “Talk To Me” and “Soldiers,” both more straightforward, guitar-based rock songs, but throughout the album, they play with a lot of sonic textures, incorporating horns, tight percussion and soulful bass.
“We have a lot of different influences in the band, and I’m learning to trust my guys more and more and take their tastes into account,” Tapley said.
That trust is bolstered by a strong support system in Athens, including the producers and collaborators who push the
“Our only criteria for writing a song is that we want to write something we can play live and share with people.”
– Wim Tapley
band to experiment and grow, he said.
Songs like “Errands” present a more rustic, country style, “Sober” leans heavily into singer-songwriter folk-pop territory and “Mary” and “So Good” take on a slower cadence lending itself to R&B.
Meanwhile, Tapley’s vocals adapt to every style seemingly without a hitch. He can put the hush on his voice and burst out with the vibrato to equally moving effect.
“Our only criteria for writing a song is that we want to write something we can play live and share with people,” Tapley said.
“Beyond that, we’re down to cover as many genres as we can.”
He leans more toward trying to write the catchiest pop hooks he can while still maintaining the grittiness and spirit of a rock and roll band.
“It’s kind of this weird hodge-podge of just trying to play to my strengths and to our guys’ strengths, and making sure what we’re doing is authentic to us and our personalities as people,” Tapley said.
“We just want to make a fun show for everybody. If we get everybody in the room dancing, that’s great. We just try to keep an open mind.”
The band released a new song, “Call It Like You See It,” last Friday. It opens on a breezy guitar riff that quickly makes way for the rhythm section to burst in with a full-bodied wall of sound, and closes out with an extended, spirited saxophone solo.
The song explores the conflict of resisting internal change while simultaneously undergoing it, and the sense of detachment that can arise when confronted by others about these shifts, an apt metaphor for a young band finding its place while pushing its boundaries.
At the very least, the Athens music scene provides Tapley with the opportunity to see a multitude of live shows, like at the 40 Watt Club, a favorite venue of his, and at the most surrounds him with people he says “are truly changing my life and my perspective on the music that we write and in the shows that we play.”
Tapley cut his teeth playing bar gigs and accepting virtually anybody that would book him.
“I played weird yoga classes and grad parties,” he said. “I played for old people and young people and everything in between.”
Tapley describes the decision to start taking music seriously as “catching the bug” and something that felt inevitable, like he had no choice but to dive in headfirst.
“I think a lot of musicians could relate to that,” he said. “Like you couldn’t help but not want to do anything else.”
Growing up, he would regularly see shows at Washington, D.C.’s iconic 9:30 Club. Going to see concerts, “you kind of have that feeling where you’re like, ‘Put me in, coach’,” Tapley said.
Ultimately, Wim Tapley & The Cannons just want to spread love and foster connection with their music.
“Live music is just so healing for all of us, and it’s important,” Tapley said. Tapley says of his “teeny, little band” that “we’re trying to take it seriously, and also take having fun seriously, and make sure that we’re not losing that goodness in the moment.”
