The town of Los Olivos in Santa Barbara County’s Santa Ynez Valley may best be known as the place that almost put merlot growers out of business: It was outside the
Los Olivos Café that the character of Miles gave his diatribe against the grape in the film "Sideways." (Fans of the film may also remember the café for its wall of wine, shown behind the characters as they dined.)
The irony is that Los Olivos is located within an incredibly rich agricultural region and truly seems to understand the importance of its local growers. The Los Olivos Café even lists the local farmers whose produce is featured on that day’s menu, and the owners, Sam and Shawnda Marmorstein, own and run the organic Bernat Vineyards & Winery (pictured, above).
The 10-acre Bernat property will be the site for an event on June 16 that doesn’t just celebrate local farmers, chefs and winemakers but brings guests to where it all begins: the land itself. With a table set between Bernat’s organic vineyards and the organic farm run by Shu Takikawa,
"Seed, Sow, Supper" will serve produce gathered that morning and prepared with locally grown grass-fed beef and chicken and topped off with local wines. For more information on the event, which will benefit the Santa Ynez Valley Jewish Community, visit www.syvjc.org or call (805) 693-4243. Those who can’t make the dinner – or who just want to take their wine-country experience a step closer to the actual grapes – can stay at Bernat’s new Vineyard Retreat (pictured, right), a one-bedroom guesthouse on the Bernat property with a quiet atmosphere, a view of vines and an array of animals (three horses, two dogs and a very friendly cat) to greet you. Included in the stay is a bottle of Bernat wine and a $10 coupon to the Los Olivos Café.
Central Coast Magazine Coverage of Bel Canto by Candlelight
Scholarship
Local Scholarship Award Presented
The Santa Ynez Valley Jewish Community (SYVJC) is pleased to announce that it has awarded its annual $1,000. Scholarship Award to Brittany Nelson, a graduating senior from Santa Ynez Valley High School. In order to be considered for this award, graduating seniors from any Valley high schools may submit an essay responding to the question, “What Can My Generation Do to Improve Tolerance and Understanding Among All People?”, provide a letter of acceptance tp a college or university, maintain a 3.0 GPA or better average throughout their Junior and Senior years and provide two letters of recommendation.
Outgoing SYVJC President, Pamela Brown, said that Nelson impressed the scholarship committee with her stellar GPA, and her involvement in tennis, National Honors Society, California Scholarship Federation, People to People International, Interact (Youth Rotary), Junior Rifle Club and Library work. Ms. Brown said that it was definitely Nelson’s essay that clinched the scholarship decision for Nelson.
“While all the applications for this scholarship were outstanding, Brittany”s essay was both beautifully written and a poignant reminder that education is the key to all understanding”, said Pamela Brown, outgoing President of the SYVJC. Ms. Nelson wrote:
“The most effective and important way to improve the tolerance and understanding among people of today and tomorrow is education. When education is not present people sometimes form opinions based on other people’s thoughts or on false information. If these opinions are not corrected then they can last a lifetime...The best that we can do is to education people with the facts, tell them the truth, from there they will make their won opinions and we can only hope that they are kind ones. Tolerance and understanding incorporates more happiness and love into life while prejudice only creates hatred.”
Ms. Nelson will attend UC Davis in the fall.
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