Tag: santa clara valley

Conservationists and open space proponents this week completed the purchase of the Tilton Ranch in Morgan Hill, bolstering a continuous linkage of protected land throughout the South Bay that allows wildlife to live in peace and safely cross between mountain ranges on both sides of Santa Clara Valley.

A couple columns ago, I wrote about the Aquila Loop Trail, a short loop near the Sierra Vista Open Space Preserve parking area. In that column, I promised to return to walk the longer loop that reaches deeper into the preserve.

In Santa Clara Valley, there’s a long history of growing wine grapes, some of the oldest in the country. Wine historian Charles Sullivan stated that “the Santa Clara Valley is the birthplace of premium wine grapes in California.” In fact, our local wine history predates some of the notable and prestigious areas in California. In her new book “Wineries of Santa Clara Valley,” local author Bev Stenehjem tells the wine history of the Santa Clara Valley through a series of photographs that document 14 families through a span of 150 years.

In the world of writing, paths often overlap. People start careers in other professions then stumble into writing, either from a hardship, a hobby or an inner calling that surfaces later in life.

Jerry and Judy Ross never planned to own their own Morgan Hill winery.

Stay tuned to your local open space authority to stay up-to-date on the latest schedule for the annual Coyote Ridge wildflower hikes. 

South County wineries continue to eke out a stellar reputation for themselves alongside industry bigwigs from Napa, Paso Robles, Sonoma and beyond, leaving 57 judges with a positive impression on their palate during the 2013 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition last week.

South County is weathering an unprecedented labor shortage alongside hundreds of other agricultural communities across California. The pinch is forcing some growers to raise their prices as competition for workers increases, and some have even decided to sell their operation to larger companies.

After several challenging years that included drought, mold, unseasonably cool temperatures and even hungry nematodes, 2012 is shaping up to be “pure perfection” and “just wonderful” for many of Santa Clara Valley’s 22 wineries.

A lengthy report by county planning staff recommends the approval of the Cordoba Center mosque and community center project in San Martin, and might put to rest the many worries and questions that residents have submitted in response to the proposal.