Two Irresistably Good Spanish Red Bargains

[Randy Caparoso]

I think it was Laura Ingalls Wilder that talked about winter's "imaginary gardens." That's how it starts -- you need a vision in order to realize one; an ideal in order to approach one; and "once the dream is dreamed, it's time to wake up and get cracking," or so it goes.

We moved into our neighborhood ten years ago with your usual suburban blank slate of a yard. As you might imagine, our surroundings quickly grew into something wild and varied -- per my Spanish-like imaginings -- and juxtaposing color, height and pure feel. There is a large, steep hill for huge, exotic, unthirsty plants (varieties of sky-scraping agaves and cereuses mixed with spiky clumps of Hawaiian halas, aloes, opuntia, hibiscus, frangipani, and Texas sages), a longer, narrower hill for my "border" work (a weave of multi-colored Hawaiian ti, crotons, beach naupaka, halas, sugar canes, walking irises, crown flowers, and other native Hawaiian bushes, etc.), and a shaded tree area for lusher growth (a mess of multiple, elephant ear-sized philodendrons, taro, spider lilies, papyrus, and more fantastical bromeliads). Even the strip between our front sidewalk and curb (the "dead zone") is planted with varieties succulents, Hawaiian shrubs and artemesia (using mulch as the ground cover)!

In the backyard, I once had as many as six boxes of herbs, lettuces and other foodstuffs going, but with my schedule heating up over the past two years (I'm actually away half the year these days), we've just recently had to tear them out and plant grass (with a lonely olive tree in the middle, and miniature succulents tucked into a curving length of white rocks along a farther edge). In fact, if I hadn't gently talked my wife into getting out to care for things, we would have either had to move or hire a professional (we couldn't afford) to keep things in line.

I'm taking a long time to get to the crux of my message, which is that I hope you'll be able to translate your own dreams into practical realities. The garden can be both a sanctuary and an incubator (it's amazing what you can think of, or remember to do, while toiling away). Cultivating friendships in the viticultural and winemaking fields is an ideal way to start. You might also want to begin subscribing to some of the basic industry periodicals; such as PW/Practical Winery & Vineyard (Web site at www.practicalwinery.com) and Wines & Vines (e-mail at geninfo@winesandvines.com). Both are excellent, with PW currently holding an edge in depth and coverage of innovations.

PW also has a one-stop bookshelf source where you can get your hands on most of the important books used by the industry. I read'em just to get an understanding of what I'm buying as a restaurateur. For starters, I particularly recommend Dr. Richard Smart's (with Mike Robinson) Sunlight into Wine -- thee bible of contemporary canopy management. For cool climate grape growing, you might want to look at the Oregon Winegrape Grower's Guide (by the Oregon Winegrowers' Association), David Jackson's Production of Grapes & Wines in Cool Climates, and the combined papers from the 1996 Fourth Cool Climate Viticulture/Enology Conference Proceedings.

For overall information, look into James Wilson's Terroir (The Role of Geology, Climate & Culture in the Making of French Wines), Philip Wagner's Wine Growers Guide, and Jancis Robinson's Classic Vines, Grapes & Wines (Guide to Grape Varieties). Just call PW (415-479-5819) for a more complete listing and order form (if editor/publisher Don Neel picks up the phone, please say hello for me).

Now, I know you're up there in some sort of iceland. But to give you an idea of what I look for in gardening books, my biggest recent inspirations have probably been Ken Druse's The Natural Garden as well as his The Collectors Garden (Designing with Extraordinary Plants). As references, I like to use Dry Climate Gardening with Succulents, Tropical Gardening, and Water Gardening -- all put out by The American Garden Guides. Recently I picked up a wonderful, oversized book (loaded with dramatic, full color pictures, which is a primary requirement for me) called The Essential Garden Book by Terence Conran & Dan Pearson -- a treasure trove of imaginative ideas!

The overly long point of this being, I've met more than a few individuals who have combined their passions -- wine, viticulture, and gardening -- to great effect. Barry and Audrey Sterling of Iron Horse Vineyards, and Paul Hart and Jan Jacobsen of Rex Hill come immediately to mind. And that's the thing -- it starts with that passion!


[This message has been edited by Randy Caparoso (edited 05-31-99).]