After many months with little or no rain, Calaveras County’s landscape of rolling hills and valleys is a brilliant gold. Farm fields are stunning in contrast to the deep green valley oaks and pine. Winter rains bring much needed sustenance to a parched yet still picturesque countryside; it’s a time of renewal and regeneration. When spring comes, the days get longer and warmer. Though distant mountaintops may be dressed in winter white, the foothills awaken from their golden slumber to be replaced by a verdant terrain. It’s the embodiment of green travel.
Bursting with jubilance and proud of its fine Irish roots, the tiny village of Murphys personifies all that is green, especially in spring. The traditional Irish Day celebration (March 15) is all about the green. Each year, as if by magic, a huge shamrock appears at the town’s only four-way intersection. Tiny Main Street – less than a mile long – brims with merrymakers clad in their finest and funniest Irish greenery. Irish music, storytellers, food and an authentic hometown parade make this a memorable event. To alleviate the traffic congestion, free parking and a shuttle are available at Ironstone Vineyards.
When embracing your emerald spirit, the nearby Irish Vineyards are a must. Their award-winning green wine, Slaite – Gaelic for welcome – is available for tasting during this fête only, and also for sale by the bottle as long as supplies last. On Irish Day, the Irish family (yes, that’s their name) offers all things green, including hot pepper-jelly cheesecake, cupcakes, shamrock cookies and Celtic music. Best of all, it’s all free.
When not openly celebrating its Irish heritage, Murphys still offers many eco-friendly choices. There are many dining establishments for such a leprechaun-sized locale, so plan ahead and arrive hungry. Even if you aren’t a vegetarian, the upscale Mineral Café puts a new perspective on green eating. How about Empanada Con Quaxanca with jalapeño dust, tostada salad with micro greens and a Green Tea Elixir, one of their many sake potions? Superb! Small plates, artistically designed by Executive Chef Steve Rinauro, are as pleasing to the eye as they are tempting to the palate. Most ingredients are organic and locally grown. “People who stumble upon us, say, ‘Wow!’” says Maya Radisch, owner. “We wanted to create something that can’t be duplicated at home.” The husband and wife team have succeeded. Their elegant spin on peanut butter and jelly? A blend of hibiscus wontons topped with carrot jelly and miso butter that is positively delectable.
Off the lobby of the Victoria Inn is V Restaurant. Before finding his pot of gold in Murphys, owner/chef Bob Anderson had a 20-year run as head chef at The Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite. The Mediterranean-inspired menu is geared toward a varied clientele, and includes everything from tempting “small plates” to petite lamb chops with lavender salt and pomegranate molasses. A wee bit of the green comes in the form of fried Spanish olives stuffed with anchovies. Seriously, they are divine. More than one person remarked that V is the best in town. In green terms, the 35-seat café defines small footprint and sustainable philosophies. Anderson makes use of local organic products and recycles everything.
The Victoria Inn and its sumptuously appointed rooms and suites offer a fuel-friendly option in the heart of Murphys street life. Choose your level of comfort at Victoria Inn: fireplaces and spa tubs, king beds or queen sleigh, luxury or cozy – it’s all delightful and includes a continental breakfast.
You can park your car and spend a couple of days exploring; it’s just that simple. Many of the county’s 21 wineries have tasting rooms (a lucky 13) on Main Street. An array of outstanding eateries, interesting shops, galleries, historic landmarks and museums provide more than enough amusement, all within walking distance of the inn. You won’t have to go far to enjoy more of Murphys’ culinary fortunes: Alchemy Market & Wine Bar/Café, Grounds, Firewood, Aria Bakery and Nelson’s Candies (to name a few) are all Main Street essentials.
For a tranquil and leafy retreat, The Cottages at La Honda Park is a fantastic getaway. The once ramshackle cottages and main house are tributes to recycling. Beautifully restored and utilizing many cast-offs, each of the themed rooms offers comfort supreme. The Park sits on the edge of Angels Creek and an old weir – the sound of cascading water is spellbinding. With six secluded acres, the natural setting is home to many birds and varied wildlife. Old-fashioned and energy-free pleasures include playing bocce ball and pitching horseshoes, or even casting a line in the creek. This quiet respite is just one mile from the bustle of Main Street.
If a winery tour is what you desire, Murphys Cab Company will take you anywhere that you want to go. A comfortable seven-passenger van and guide are available by reservation. New this spring, their Thai rickshaws will be the fresh energy-efficient vehicles in town. An outing into the countryside should include Chatom Vineyards and Twisted Oak Winery. Across from Indian Rock Vineyards sits The Barn, circa 1882 and wonderfully rickety, where you can find local organic products including sun-dried tomatoes, roasted peppers, Vallecito pickled peppers (for which they are famous) and regional crafts.
You can’t come to Murphys without visiting Ironstone Vineyards; particularly if you’re looking for the best of the green and gold. By reducing water use, maintaining healthy soil and restoring wildlife habitat, sustainable viticulture is rule number one at Ironstone.
This time of year, the vineyards flex their vines and come to life, but the flowers are the real spectacle. More than 32 tons of bulbs, including 250 varieties of daffodils, tulips, irises and crocus, put on show that yes, will make you green with envy. The naturalized backdrop of Ironstone gardens provides an ideal canvas for this floral display. Just try to resist dancing a little jig.
Spring Obsession (March 1-2) celebrates the release of Ironstone’s most popular wine, Symphony Obsession. A juried art exhibit, incredible food, cooking demonstrations and daffodils are the focus of the weekend. Daffodil Days (March 15-16) is sponsored by the Northern California Daffodil Society. More than 600 hundred varieties of potted and cut flowers are on display at Ironstone.
A visit to the winery is a full-day adventure. The gardens, tasting room and wine cave, art displays, Alhambra Theatre pipe organ, world’s largest crystalline gold-leaf specimen (44 pounds) and Heritage Museum are just some of the stellar attractions that await you. Free guided tours are offered three times daily.
For such a small town, Murphys has plenty of diversions favoring every possible interest – and the luxuriant spring topography is the treasured gold at this rainbow’s end. The founders of Murphys would be proud of their Irish legacy. A new generation of locals, many from the Bay Area, are finding that the grass is greener on the other side. “The people are awesome!” say Barbara and Alan Hart, from San Jose. “You’ll never meet a stranger in Murphys.”
For more information, contact the Calaveras County Visitors Bureau at GoCalaveras.com.
Biodynamic and Organic Farming
Tucked away in Lake County, along the shores of beautiful Clear Lake, Jim Fetzer has taken sustainable agriculture to lofty heights. Well-known for his organic farming practices at the helm of Fetzer Vineyards in Mendocino County, Fetzer is perfecting sound farming practices using biodynamic and organic methods to produce quality grapes.
From an outsider’s viewpoint, some biodynamic practices seem more like witchcraft than sustainable farming. The approach includes traditional organic farming practices, as well as a belief that you must embrace the life forces that regulate the growing processes of the plants. You work with the forces of nature. The light and cosmic rhythms of the sun, moon and stars contribute to the life, growth and form of plants. These rhythms are used to time the planting, cultivating and harvesting of crops. “On the dark of the moon, you want to rack the wine,” advises Fetzer.
Biodynamic practices emphasize that soil itself can be alive, and this vitality supports and affects the quality and health of the plants that grow in it. The more easily understood specifics of biodynamic farming include:
• No use of chemically synthesized fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides or fumigants and no hormones, antibiotics, growth regulators or GMOs.
• Basics of crop fertility are compost, manures, green manuring and crop rotations.
• Weeds are controlled by similar means, by cultivation and by other mechanical methods.
• Composting materials and transplants, and animal feed imported from off the farm, are very limited in quantity and must be of good quality.
• A certified biodynamic farm meets all the USDA and California standards for organic agriculture.
Farm animals also play an important role in the health of the vineyard and farm. The Ag-mobile transports chickens around the property to help with bug populations. A herd of woolly sheep are living the good life as four-footed weed whackers.
Ceago Vinegarden is not a run-of-the-mill vineyard – organic or otherwise. The sprawling 220-acre lakefront property has heart-stopping views. The Mediterranean style gardens and winery buildings will have you dreaming of lazy Tuscan afternoons. You can unwind at the Courtyard Café with a sampling of artisan cheeses and organic Ceago olives and olive oils, or maybe enjoy a hot dog made with 100 percent sustainable grass-fed beef. Perhaps you’d like a stroll on the pier out over Clear Lake. And, of course, there’s the tasting room. In the end, biodynamic farming is all about bringing forth the highest possible quality. Enjoy the taste of wine and aromatic smell of dried lavender; all from the biodynamic richness of Ceago Vinegarden.
For more information, contact Ceago Vinegarden at Ceago.com.
