A San Diego Treasure, The Rancho Bernardo Winery. This past weekend I had the good fortune of attending the Bi-Annual Rancho Bernardo Winery Arts and Crafts Fair.
For those of you who live in San Diego that don’t know of this place, it is one of the oldest continually operating wineries in southern California. And for those who don’t live here, this needs to be on your itinerary the next time you visit.
The Rancho Bernardo Winery was founded back in 1889 on what was a Spanish Land Grant, the winery was opened and operated until Prohibition. The winery is located in a valley that used to be covered with vineyards and with the advent of Prohibition, the winery went up for sale. When it was purchased in 1927 by Vincent Rizzo, the harvest was then used to produce grape juice and sacramental wine. After Prohibition ended, the winery became a major wine producing company along with it’s famed Cold Pressed Virgin Olive oil made from the many olive trees that were found on the property.
As the valley began to grow and the land was purchased for residential development, the vineyards disappeared and today, the Rancho Bernardo Winery imports most of its wine making grapes from around the county and state. In 1962 when Ross Rizzo, the son of the founder took over the winery, he turned it into what it is today, a destination.
When you visit the Rancho Bernardo Winery, you will be overtaken with the vast amount of antiquities found everywhere on the property, even to include a museum. There are over a dozen village shops, a wine tasting room, a coffee shop, an award winning cafe and more charm than you can fit into an afternoon.
The Arts and Crafts Fair was filled to capacity with local artists showing their creations. I was taken with several of them for their unique design qualities as well as with the artist themselves.
Two artists that create these sculptures from gourds really caught my eye.
Ruth Phillips and Vickie Echols proudly display their creations. Each artist creates their unique pieces using the gourd as inspiration and from there, their artistry takes over and you can see here for yourself, each one is its own little unique masterpiece.
Ms. Vickie Echols (on the left) creates beautiful object d'arts using gourds as the core of the piece then enhanced with a woven reed type material. Many of her pieces have a distinct Southwestern influence. Each one is totally unique and a real stand out in design and character.
Ruth Phillips also uses gourds in her designs ( one of my favorites that first got my attention is the purple gourd pictured here) some of which also have the look of metal sculptures like her bird collection. Ruth's Bird designs are made completely from gourds or cuttings from gourds finished in metallic finishes that would simulate aged and weathered bronze. These pieces are truly stunning!
Another artist, Susan Smith, who I had the pleasure of visiting with is a world traveler and has her art studio in Spanish Village in Balboa Park. Susan uses computer software to create her work by enhancing her photography creating the affects of oil, acyclic and water colors. One of my favorite pieces that Susan has done is shown below titled "Vernazza II" ~ Cinque Terre. A true Artist and a lovely person to boot.
Throughout the entire Arts and Crafts Fair, there are so many wonderful items reflecting some of the outstanding talent to be found here in San Diego. I was taken with a very novel idea of unique garden art as presented by "Creative Garden Art".
The artist uses old chairs, furniture, antique objects from decades past and creates some of most unusual garden planters you will ever see.
Planting chair seats might never have occurred to you but when you see them, it is little wonder why everyone wants one.
One of the biggest and permanent contributors of art at the Winery is the Stone and Glassworks Studio located near the entry gates of Winery.
Since the glass blowing and artistry takes place right there on the site, wandering in to their display will delight the senses. Some of the more creative and beautiful glass works I have ever seen can be found here. James Stone is the Master Glass Artist and using the word "master" would be no stretch at all. To see the magic he creates is something you will likely never forget. Take a look at one of his most recent glass wall sculptures and be dazzled with a love seat in glass.
With so many wonderful art and crafts, this show is such a wonderful representation of the many Arts and Crafts artists we have here in San Diego.
This show will be repeated this October and I would recommend strongly that if you have never been here, that you should make this a priority. And it will be perfect timing for the Christmas Holidays.
There is plenty of parking nearby and come early and plan to stay for lunch and enjoy the wonderful settings, antiquities, the art and crafts, the food and don't forget to visit one of the most fabulous bakeries in all of San Diego.
The Bon Bon Bakery and Chocolates. Their offerings are so outstanding and beautiful they rightfully belong in the art show itself. Here is just a little sample to tempt you. The genius behind these amazing delights is Joanne Hansen.
No photograph could ever do justice to these colorful chocolates, exquisitely hand decorated. The cakes and pastries are nothing short of amazing and the collection of chocolates will certainly whet your sweet tooth.
From the time you walk through the gates at the Rancho Bernado Winery, you will be awe struck with its lush vineyards and the mediterannean influence of the gardens in this exquisite setting.
The antiquities are found over the entire poperty and you will see things that you have likely never seen before. Please plan to do a wine tasting and visit the museum. In short, plan to make a day of it and you will walk away having experienced one of "San Diego's Best Kept Secrets".
The city of San Diego is now at Level 2 Water Emergency.
San Diego City Council yesterday voted eight to zero to impose mandatory outdoor water usage restrictions throughout the city of San Diego, effective June 1, 2009.
The newly enacted measures call for the following:
Watering of lawns and landscapes throughout the city and its jurisdictions can only be done from 6 p.m. to 10 a.m.
Outside watering ( applicable to residential and commercial properties) can only be done three days per week and each property owner must follow the assigned days of week according to the property address.
Homeowners and Commercial properties are assigned the following watering days:
Odd number addresses will be assigned Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday only.
Even numbered addresses will be assigned Monday, Wednesday and Saturday only.
Apartment Buildings, Condominiums and Commercial properties are assigned Monday, Wednesday and Friday only.
The watering time limit on all property both residential and commercial is 10 minutes.
There is a further restriction for car washing at residences can only be done between the hours of 6PM and 10AM.
This proposal and enactment yesterday by unanimous city council vote supersedes the previous and more onerous proposal that would have capped each water customer to a specific overall amount of water usage and then charged that customer extra if they exceeded the capped amount.
For more information about this new measure that is effective June 1st, 2009 and the consequences for not abiding by it can be found at http://uniontrib.com/more/conserve
On a beautiful spring day in downtown San Diego's Little Italy, San Diego came out en masse to celebrate today's of art, entertainment and musical dance, San Diego's style.
The main street of Little Italy, India Street, was blocked off for pedestrian traffic with four intersecting streets, used primarily for the artists display. All local restaurants were serving specialty fares, featuring alfresco dining for the much enjoy people watching.
The artworks, consisted of sculptures, realistic oils and watercolors even to include the brightly colored pop art which is always to look at, though I seriously doubt I would want to own it. There was an enormous amount of photographic art of the local architecture, city scenes, Balboa park and the famous San Diego sunsets out over the ocean.
San Diego has become a mecca for artists from around the world as they seek to tap into the generosity and good case of San Diego Art lovers and collectors.
There were six stage areas, providing some very sophisticated entertainment from Somba dance lessons, contemporary guitar, rock bands and cultural exhibitions.
Our ART Walk ias just one of the many events that take us through the spring, summer and fall months. I'll be bringing you many more of these events as the "San Diego Happenings" throughout the year.
The cost of living in Southern California is not inexpensive but in San Diego we have so many wonderful and affordable things to do here and sometimes we lose sight of those things that don’t cost anything or at least pretty affordable for the family.
Visit San Diego Museums in Balboa Park on Tuesdays. On a rotating basis, the featured museum of the month will be free on the Tuesdays of each week. Eventually you will be able to most everything of interest and you can spend more time in each one.
Plan a picnic at Petco Park and take in a Padres baseball game. There is small cost of $5.00 for park entrance, so spread a blanket on the grassy hill and enjoy a ball game on the huge monitors. You can enjoy the concessions and have free run of the ball park grounds and concessions.
Save gas and burn some energy. Rent a tandem bike and tour the beach areas of Mission and Pacific Beach in your bicycle built for two. Make a whole day of it for $45.00. The bike rents for $15 but the economy of scale suggests that a whole day make it very affordable.
Take in the Great San Diego Waterfalls and get your feet wet. Enjoy the soothing comfort of the falling water at several parks in San Diego. There is the Cedar Creek Falls in Julian, Kitchen Creek and Three Sisters Falls in the Cyamaca Rancho State Park and Green Valley Falls in Cleveland National Forest.
Stroll Coronado Island after first taking a ferry from Beautiful Downtown San Diego. Take the Harbor ferry located at the Broadway pier downtown and enjoy the beautiful skyline of downtown before landing on Coronado Island. Cost of the ferry is $7.00
Take in an evening movie on the lawn of the San Diego Museum of Art. Call 619–232–7931 for information as there is no current schedule. But I would bet kicking off your shoes and cuddling in a blanket in the cool of the gorgeous San Diego evenings would be great fun.
One of my very favorite things happens at 2:00 every Sunday. "Concert in the Park" at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion in Balboa Park. You have not enjoyed San Diego fully until you get a regular fest of the music that will stimulate your heart and sooth your soul. While your are there of course seeing the Botanical building and the many fountains and just enjoy a wonderful day in the park. Watch for the art shows in the summer they are amazing. Always plenty to do and don’t forget to see the rose gardens, they will blow you away.
If you want more museums, we have plenty of them in San Diego. The Museum of Contemporary Art is also free on the 1st Tuesday of each month.
If you would like to take a short drive and enjoy a longer visit, drive up to the top of Soledad Mountain park along the road side and tour San Diego in 360 Degree of beautiful Ocean and Beach views, fabulous Estate Homes, the mountains to the east and the much written about Cross ( now an expanded Veterans Memorial). The views are amazing, the sun will warm your heart and the breeze will lift your spirits. We here in San Diego seem to like all of our emotions at one time.
You have to go to Old Town, I have written about it here in ActiveRain on several of my posts and it is amazing. Other old towns that are fun are Poway, Ramona and a bit farther out East is of course the authentic western town of Julian. Of special note this year is that Poway has recently added new parking and the streets and sidewalks are brightened and expanded. A wonderful park exists behind the old railroad building that has many big trees for shade for picnicking. A visit to these old towns will be memorable, I promise.
If your into Urban Chic with a flair, plan to walk the Gaslamp District downtown. After that, you cross over to SeaPort Village and enjoy a stroll around the bay , take in some great shopping and get a sun tan all at once.
There are so many more things to do that are free or very inexpensive here in San Diego, I am going to have to do a part 2 because this list is getting too long. Watch for more Free and Fun things To Do in San Diego.
San Diego being in the top 10 of has always been something that sounds like a positive top ranking. But when we are talking Distressed Housing Markets, San Diegoans would most assuredly not prefer being in the top 10.
Despite our recently more active market here, we are being noticed in both decline in value and number of sales.
The Case Shiller Home Price Index of 20 key markets put San Diego as the 6th most distressed housing market.
The numbers indicated in the report showed market values dropping at a much lower pace of decline at 2.6% from December 2008 to January 2009. In the year over analysis however from Jan 2008 to January 2009, the drop was 24.9%.
The good news in this report showed that the drop was not as severe as it was in the January 2007 to January 2008 decline of nearly 36%.
Other prognosticators also clarify our current increase in sales of January and February, infusing the idea that while the indicators show a bottoming of the very low end of the price market, the soon expected drop of homes priced higher than $419K in value will be due to mounting higher unemployment.Today it was announced state wide at 11.2%. The number of expected business closings will also impact homes at this level as business owners sell their homes at a loss or at least not at much more than they paid for them.
While I can’t attest to these specific factors influencing our market here in San Diego, I am personally seeing a leveling off of free falling prices and sales are steadily increasing. This past week I had properties , priced at market level receive multiple offers and one even received more than asking price. These were not short sales nor foreclosures. My little bit of empirical evidence does not disprove the prognosticators and statistical reports out there as their data is far more expansive than mine. So I guess it comes down to one home, one seller and one buyer and how they work it out. That statisticians can make any case they need to, to make their point. As for me, I’ll just report what I know first hand-leaving the rest to the others to report on. As always, you can find writing about San Diego in my blog, The Voice Of San Diego Real Estate.
I think I am getting a little weary of the statistics anyway.
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I consider San Diego an excellent place to live and would love to share with you my enthusiasm for the numerous communities that encompass it. Looking forward to working with you. CA Lic # 01048160
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