狼行拂晓

奥运会结束了，我这也是最后一篇了，都谢大家的捧场。

最后讲一下在Santa Cruz还有什么可玩的.

1. Shakespeare Santa Cruz

现在我们去Santa Cruz除了ocean, 就是每年夏天在UC Santa Cruz 看戏了.
但要说明,我可不是一个Shakespeare饭,我只是喜欢看show.

基本上每个大学都会有Shakespeare剧团, Shakespeare Santa Cruz不是(只)好在
它的performance, 而是因为它的outdoor剧场 Festival Glen. Festival Glen
建在UC Santa Cruz的一片树林里, 四周还都是冲天的redwood trees, 中间的舞
台根据每年戏的不同而改变, 观众席不大, 依着山坡自然而建. 你可以选择preset
的座椅, 可以选择在free seating zone, 带上自己的躺椅或者只是blanket, 席地
而坐或是倚靠在某棵大树下欣赏整个演出. 剧场会提前一个小时开放, 带上picnic
basket, 打开一瓶favorite wine... 剧场不禁止观众演出之中吃/喝,但一定不能
出声,所以薯片是非常危险的.

往往周末matinee的票最火,因为即使是在夏天, Santa Cruz晚上的温度也可能低到
50度. 有时会看到演员口中呼出的白气. 观众带睡袋或是棉被一点都不过分. 切记
切记. 但晚上会有更好的灯光效果, 一阵风吹过, 灯光照在四周落下的树叶上,
impressive.

每年会有三个不同的戏, 其中两个是Shakespeare的. 好在大多喜剧都会在Festival
Glen上演 (另外还有一个室内剧场 mainstage), 正适合我们看戏的需要.

2. Mystery Spot
还记得我们小时候在电视里或科学画报里看到的,说在世界上某个地方很奇怪,大树
斜着长, 水从低往高出流, 完全违反物理常识. 当时我们都觉得这个地方特遥远...
其实这就是再说Santa Cruz 的Mystery Spot.

Mystery Spot在Santa Cruz 一个很不起眼的地方, 是从water street附近一片居
民区往山里走,不多远就是了. 硅谷里去过的人不少,你看有的汽车后bumper上就
贴着Mystery Spot黄色的sticker.

到底Mystery Spot里面有什么东西我不多讲,Mystery 嘛. 这违反物理常识的原因
也众说纷纭, 有的说是磁场转换, 有的说是视觉偏差, 还有的说是Mystery Spot
周围的大树放出天然迷药让你神志不清... UC Santa Cruz还有一帮under专门为
Mystery Spot制作了一个纪录片. Anyway, 谁也没有绝对的解释, that's the fun.

3. Wine Tasting
Santa Cruz 有winery吗? 答案是yes and no. Santa Cruz City一家都没有，
Santa Cruz area 里有一家BARGETTO，tasting room在soquel, 但并不出色。
不过Santa Cruz Mountain 的Vineyard 和Winery可就非常多了。北边从
saratoga/los altos, 南至Gilroy, 甚是有不少高质量的winery，都属
Santa Cruz Viticultural Area。

Santa Cruz Mountain的平均温度较低, 不象Napa那样有非常big的Cab, 但是给
Pinot创造了很好的条件，也给了wine maker更多的机会去用心在其他的grape上。
并且这里tasting room的人都非常nice, 也很knowledgable, 经常会有机会遇
到owner甚至wine maker. 没有Napa那么tourist/marketing-wise, wine 的价钱
也更合理。

这里我来说几个我们去过的。We are really not into Chardonnay or any
oaky white, so here are reds mostly. But we've heard some of them
have good white as well.

(1) Soquel Vineyards
我们去的是它的一次barrel tasting party，从朋友那搞来的票，一下子让我们
知道了Santa Cruz原来还有着么好的wine. Old-Zin, very nice, really large
vine. Pinot Noir, good nose and tastes even better, smooth and plenty
of after taste. Syrah, on average. Nice view from tasting room.

(2) Solis Vineyard.
我们非常喜欢的一家，也是我们仅有的两个wine memship之一。 去年它的owner
一渡想卖了它然后回意大利养老，后来多亏他的两个儿子决定继承下来。wine
maker和vineyard的人也都没换。 现在还看不出酒的变化。
Best merlot we ever tasted (2001 reserve), very fruity and smooth，from
nose all the way to after taste. 有一次我们在zucca吃饭带了一瓶去，
waitress 都很impress (only from smell), 然后我们就给他倒了点。:-)
之后2003又出了一个merlot reserve, 但非常小的production, 我们只有一瓶，
一直没舍得开。从这vintage就可看出Solis还在使用traditional的方法, 没有
太多的micro fermintation.

Cab reserve, pricy but near high end of cabs in this area.
Mia Meritage, benifit from merlot/cab, I like it more than the Merlot.
Vino Roseo, good holiday wine, pair perfect with turkey. Ladies
will love it for sure.
Sangiovese, above average, good for the price.

(3)Clos LaChance
We went to their tasting room in Los Gatos downtown. Their high-end Pinot
are really good. Fruity Viognier. Interesting Cab Franc since very few
people make it alone. Melbec, lower than expectation. Meritage and Rhone
Blend, depends on your style. Their vineyard and main tasting room are
around Gilroy but we never managed to find it. :-)

(4)Sarah's Vineyard.
Used to be a small production one, but now it changes a little.
Go for the Reserve Pinot if they happen to open it for taste when you
are there.

(5) Byington Vineyard
Beautiful setting and view, a little long drive from HW17. Try their
estate Pinot, not the best pinot but you will be sureprised that Pinot
can be made in that way. :-)
Alliage, good table red and popular. Their big cab, for me it doesn't
match the price.

(6) Bernardus Winery
Sorry this one in actually in Carmel Valley, not really in Santa Cruz
and there are lots more to talk about in Monterey Wineries. I mention it
here because I just found out their Sauvignon Blanc starts to show in
Costco, and it is one bottle of Bernardus Sauvignon Blanc that made
our first trip there. Very nice Sauvignon Blanc, crisp but you can still
sense the underway oak due to the delicate fermentation procedure.
The Marinus blend are so good, and pricy for sure.
We are still trying to find a chance to try the magnum Marinus. :-)