Was it the masochistic style of massage that made me want more of it or just the
”
it hurts so good
”
feeling when she stopped?
Was it the masochistic style of massage that made me want more of it or just the “it hurts so good” feeling when she stopped? Zena Cervantes, owner of the Healing Touch Therapeutic Massage center in Morgan Hill, takes her job of pain and stress management practitioner seriously, with hands that iron your muscles against your skeleton and reorganizes your chi to polar opposites inside your being. Talk about separating your karma from your dogma.
My massage, via a Valentine’s Day gift certificate, started promptly at 11am last Friday and by the time it ended 90 minutes later I had been transported around the world in massage techniques via Zena’s studied hands. Zena comes from a long lineage of healing practitioners, and pilgrims from around the Bay Area come to her California bungalow on First Street to the warm table of the Morgan Hill Shaman. This was just the start of a weekend of rough and ready relaxation.
Warming up to the idea of following Sunday’s sermon to “observe the Sabbath and rest” I queried my father-in-law, Rein Groen, a resident of Hillview Convalescent Home and a longtime elder in his church, whether wine tasting qualified as a Sabbath Day Activity. Rein responded, “Only if you take me.”
Knowing the wine guy, Dave Cox, would be pouring at Leál Vineyards in Hollister last Sunday, we headed down to the San Benito Wine Trail and worked our way through the appellation. Stopping at Leál, we were greeted inside the newly constructed tasting room by Dave and new Leál employee Angela Russo. The tasting room design reminded me of the open-walled churches in Hawaii with sliding doors that allowed the gorgeous California winter weather to filter in (with the newly constructed fountain/baptismal font in the courtyard, I knew wine tasting was on the OK list of holy day activities).
Having a religious experience over finding the ’04 cabernet as her new love was Jennifer Cox of Silver Creek. Cox and her friend Craig Simmons, a USAir International pilot, took time out from the skies to drive to Leál in search of a good red wine. Cox describes herself as “nasty picky” when it comes to drinking reds, preferring the whites. In an e-mail to me later, Cox was still glowing over her find at Leál, “It’s been six years since I’ve dared to love a cab … that almost makes me a virginal wino, doesn’t it?” No, Jennifer, just a lady with high standards and I say “amen” to that!
With more resting to do we headed to Cienega Valley Road and up to the highlands of Calera Winery where we met tasting room employee Lori Pinatella and her friend Rebecca Dolan. Famous for its pinot noir, Calera has more growing data on its label than any other I’ve ever read. And its fame is well deserved. After talking horses, cars and glider planes with Dolan, we purchased the 2003 Mt. Harlan Cuvee Pinot Noir and the 2003 Ryan Vineyard Pinot Noir.
Racing to beat the sinking sun we finished up our wine tour at Pietra Santa Winery where we were greeted by the “giant jack” named Junior. Junior is a cross between a Jack Russel terrier and a border collie. Junior’s owner, and co-owner of the winery, John Blackburn, greeted us with a tour of the olive press in the lower part of the barn. The personal tour by the owner is one of the best parts of small wineries and John was a delightful host.
Back up in the tasting room, winery employees Kathi Corya and Keanie Churchill (she does have a cousin named Winston) faithfully served each new visitor ignoring the five o’clock bell tolls in the tower as the party was just starting to warm up with the addition of Shane Saxon. Tony and Lisa LaMar of Hollister stayed for the fun and before we knew it the bells were ringing out six o’clock!
Driving out from the barn, looking out over the sunset on the vineyards, my husband recalled a night many years ago when he and some buddies spent the night in the old Almaden vines only to be awakened by the sound of a crop duster and sulphur being sprayed on their bodies. It’s good to be young and free but I’m finding now its better to be older and wiser.
If you can’t wait until next Sabbath Day to make your own rest of wine tasting, Ragoots in Morgan Hill will have a special tasting with Martin Family Ranch Winery owners Dan and Terese Martin today from 5pm 7pm at the restaurant.
Ciao for now.
