Originally published August 25, 2020

Since only about 10 percent of California wineries are owned by women, and an even smaller percentage are owned by people of color (POC), it may be surprising to hear that Escondido has its very own unicorn: a Black- and female-owned winery. Denise Clarke is humble and talented (and has an impeccable palate—but we’ll get to that), and she’s the woman behind one of San Diego’s best kept wine secrets, Altipiano Vineyard and Winery. It sits on a former avocado grove, one of many in Escondido—and its origins literally rose from the ashes.

Clarke is a longtime wine enthusiast, and a 2007 trip to Tuscany sparked her deep love for Italian wine. While sipping a glass of her favorite varietal, sangiovese, and gazing out at the Tuscan countryside, she promised herself that she would own her own vineyard someday. Fast forward a few months to a raging wildfire in Escondido, and Clarke’s family frantically packing up their most cherished possessions to evacuate their home. When they returned a few days later, they found that the lush avocado grove on their property had been completely destroyed. They were devastated, but Clarke quickly saw this as an opportunity to fulfill her dream, pivot from avocados to grapes, and produce her own wine—though it was all happening much sooner than she’d expected.

In the aftermath of the 2007 fire, Clarke invited soil consultants to assess whether the land was suitable for a vineyard, and she learned about the first steps required to plant one. When it was deemed possible, she made her first purchase at Nova Vine nursery in Santa Rosa, because they grow the brunello clone she fell in love with in Italy. She planted the vineyard in June 2008, and the winery soft-opened in February 2012.

“My vineyard brought the love I felt in Italy to fruition,” Clarke says. “Altipiano was inspired directly from the fire. I didn’t want to leave my home or the land that I loved, and Mother Nature chose my new crop for me.”

Altipiano Winery

Photo courtesy of Denise Clarke

After years of grueling work and trial and error, she became the first—and to date, only—Black woman running a winery in San Diego County.

Nearly 12 years later, Clarke still encounters the typical scrutiny trained on Black female business owners, and no matter her level of success, she finds that she must prove herself over and over again. She’s constantly asked questions like “So, your [white] husband is the one who actually owns this winery, right?”, and is skeptically quizzed about the winemaking process. She wasn’t taken seriously as a vintner until her wines started winning gold and double gold medals at major competitions like the San Francisco International Wine Competition.

The seven wineries in Escondido’s Highland Valley are a tight-knit group, but there have been times when Clarke felt like she wasn’t part of the “club.” However, she has embraced her challenges, and says that those moments of exclusion, paired with unwavering support from her family and friends, are what motivate her to work harder—and have led to some of her biggest successes.

Asked to reflect on why she’s had to jump through hoops to be taken seriously in the wine industry, she says it’s largely due to the misconception that POC don’t drink wine, especially Black people. “Just like anything that’s not traditionally Black, we don’t see POC portrayed in the wine industry drinking or purchasing wine, so POC are less inclined to purchase and drink wine themselves. This is true for nearly every industry, and the wine industry is no different.”

As a POC and number-one lover of all things wine, I can assure you this assumption is false, yet it has led to the industry excluding huge segments of the potential market for decades.

“I think wineries can fix this from within,” Clarke says. “They can start by hiring diverse staff that are reflective of the community. They can create a space that is safe, comfortable, and welcoming for people of all backgrounds. And as an industry, we can encourage POC to become involved in wine, and experience things that are nontraditional for them.”

Clarke has created the Tuscan-inspired winery she always dreamed of. The microclimate of Escondido’s Highland Valley (similar to that of France and Italy) and the area’s nutrient-rich soil are the perfect pairing for growing high-quality grapes and producing lean and balanced yet bold wines.

She focuses on Italian varietals, her favorites being her Estate Brunello Sangiovese, Estate Barbera, Primitivo, and Aglianico. Her passion for her wine really comes through when she starts describing the “personality traits” of each one, personifying them all. She calls her sangiovese her favorite child, “Lady Brunello,” and describes her as elegant with beautiful finesse.

She has big plans for Altipiano, including an upcoming renovation of the tasting room patio and an expansion of her residence to open it for farm stays.

Clarke wants her vineyard to be a place where people of all backgrounds can gather to relax over a bottle of wine.

“I’ve trained my staff to make everyone feel welcome the minute they walk into the winery,” she says. “No matter how busy we are, everyone is greeted when they arrive, and they are always welcome here.”

Nia Gordon is a psychologist by day, and spends her free time writing about wine—but most often just sipping it. Her blog is themoreyoubordeaux.com. @themoreyoubordeaux

Altipiano Winery / Denise Clarke

Photo courtesy of Denise Clarke

The post How a Former Avocado Grove Blossomed Into a Black- and Female-Owned Winery appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

“It’s a common thing for comics to struggle with their mental health, you know, there’s that idea of the sad clown,” he says. “Art is how we express ourselves, and how we process what’s happening to and around us.”

The project came to fruition last spring, when the first shutdown was in full force. With all comedy clubs closed, the idea sprouted as a way for comics to connect. Weekly, a small group would meet to take the stage and work on their craft in a safe and distanced format. But it wasn’t long before James had the idea to take it further.

“We wanted to show the city that we could do this for the public in a way that adhered to the social distancing guidelines in place,” he says. In collaboration with the city of Escondido, they coordinated their first ticketed show for the public in June.

And the response? “Completely overwhelming,” James says. “Seeing how happy people were to just have an outlet to laugh was really memorable. I’ll never forget the energy of that first show.”

Drive-Up Comedy / Microphone Stand

Van Corona

Money was never the motivating factor for them. Instead, James, Espinoza, and Pine focused their efforts on getting other comedians back to work and on getting the community out in a way that was safe and beneficial to their mental health. They even let other comics have the first round of performances to ensure that they could focus their own energy on conducting a smooth and professional show.

That mindset has propelled them to selling packed shows (in cars) ever since. On a larger scale, the project has reminded James of the power of the people and what happens when one pursues what they want, no matter the obstacle.

“I’ve never seen so many people tapping into their entrepreneurial spirit,” he says. “Regardless of the challenges that have been thrown at us during the past year, we all seem to be making our way through. It’s been pretty amazing to witness.”

Drive-Up Comedy hosts shows each month at Kit Carson Park in Escondido. Audience members are asked to remain in their cars and listen to the show through their radio, and masks are required any time they leave their vehicle. Check driveupcomedy.com for details on the next performance.

Drive-Up Comedy / Comedian

Van Corona

The post Find Comic Relief at This Drive-in Comedy Show in Escondido appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

Morning Hikes / Illustration

Illustration by Virginia Brown

Tierrasanta

North and South Fortuna Trails

7.6 miles out and back, challenging

Dog friendly, free parking

These are lesser-known and lesser-visited peaks in Mission Trails Regional Park, so you are likely to get quieter and more peaceful hikes. Start at the West Fortuna Staging Area on Clairemont Mesa Boulevard and follow the trail to South Fortuna, then take the Fortuna Saddle to North Fortuna, turn around, and head back. The trail will take you to the top of both mountains, so you can brag that you bagged two of the park’s five peaks. When you’re done, refuel with coffee and baked goods at Industrial Grind Coffee (6020 Santo Road, Tierrasanta), or for more carbs and protein, get sushi and rice bowls at Edamami in the same business park (5950 Santo Road, Tierrasanta).

Morning Hikes / North and South Fortuna Trails

Dewey Keithly

San Carlos

Rancho Mission Canyon

3.3 miles for the loop, moderate

Dog friendly, free parking

This trail takes you through hidden canyons in the Allied Gardens neighborhood—it’s not very well known, so you can hopefully enjoy some solitude as you walk! Start at the parking lot on Margerum Avenue. Follow the trail north until it comes out on Hemingway Avenue, then take neighborhood streets to pick up the trail again at the end of Cabaret Street and return to where you started. Along the way, take in views of rolling hills that you’d never expect to find in the middle of a residential neighborhood. Afterward, get Elvis Pancakes (banana, chocolate chips, and peanut butter) or choose from a wide variety of waffles, scrambles, and Benedicts at the diner The Trails Eatery (7389 Jackson Drive, San Carlos).

Escondido

Daley Ranch

2.2 miles for the loop, easy

Dog friendly, stroller friendly, free parking

This is an easy hike in North County that’s great for bringing the kids along, with other trail options if you want to add distance. Start at the parking lot on La Honda Drive and follow the Ranch House Trail to the East Ridge loop. You’ll pass Middle Pond along the way. Take the kids for curbside pickup at J&M’s Family Restaurant (1215 East Valley Parkway, Escondido). Or get Chinese takeout at Bamboo House (320 North Midway Drive, Escondido).

The post 3 Morning Hikes to Start Your Day on the Right Foot appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

The inaugural “Feast on the Farm” at The Ranch at Bandy Canyon was an attempt to evoke that agrarian bacchanal. One single table was strung with carnival lights, candles, flowers, wine, water, and 176 diners. Thirty-plus farms donated food, cooked by two of San Diego’s top French chefs—Patrick Ponsaty (Ranch at Bandy Canyon, Bellamy’s) and Vincent Grumel (Vincent’s). The courses—including two full pigs, two veal, oodles of lamb, over 150 pounds of meat and 100 pounds of local cheese—just kept getting passed down the table.

Bandy Canyon is a pretty magical place. That one-story, cellar-like structure with the funky iron chandeliers and light fixtures? Reportedly the first structure by SD’s famous adobe architects, the Weir Brothers. Those bungalows? Newlywed consummation areas. There’s koi in ponds and hawks overhead, a tropical-rancher oasis in the middle of a huge swath of the county that’s mostly sagebrush and crop dust. And “Feast” was one of the best culinary events I’ve been to.

But the cause was even more compelling. “Feast” raised $25,000 for the San Diego Farm Bureau—the organization fighting for the rights of the county’s nearly 6,000 farms, and the farmers who run them. “These people do so much work for all of us farmers and rarely get credit for it,” said Mountain Meadow Mushroom owner, Gary Crouch.

So I called SDFB president Julie Walker about what kind of things keep local farmers up at night, and how you can help if helping is your kind of thing:

What is one of the biggest issues facing local farmers right now?

Water. We just don’t have enough at an affordable price. Availability of water is in jeopardy because of the situation of the delta. The delta system is in jeopardy, the levee system is fragile it needs to be shorn up and replaced. Then you have environmental concerns, which are valid, to protect the endangered species. Between that and the cutbacks in the water supply and the impact of the drought, we’re dealing with cutbacks.

Why should I care?

Agriculture is advocating not just for itself, but for everyone. Ag is serving the public—feeding us and giving us beauty with flowers and decorative plants. In the local economy, agriculture ranks No. 5 in commodity value at about $1.7 Billion. So if we’re in jeopardy, so is the public. You take that $1.7 Billion in general and how it fans over the economy—trucking, boxing, fertilizer, piping, irrigation—you’ve got about $5 Billion. Plus, we supply jobs.

So are we in crisis mode, pre-crisis mode, everyone-stay-calm mode?

It’s a slow, steady death. And as more of us fall out of the business, it’s not like we’ll come back when it starts to rain again.

How much are San Diego farmers paying?

We pay about the highest per unit of water consumption through the entire state. That varies according to commodity and need. And whether or not the commodity is water-thirsty product or water-wise.

How are farmers coping?

We’re more diligent in conserving our water. Within the last seven years, we’ve reduced our consumption about 50 percent. While that sounds good, part of that is because farmers are flat-out shutting off the water in this county. Especially avocado growers. Up along the 15 Freeway corridor, you see a lot of dead avocado groves. Avocados are a water-thirsty crop. About 10,000 acres of avocados have been shut off. About 1 million trees.

Should we stop growing avocados then and just focus on water-wise crops?

My answer is no. But we’re doing things like intensive plantings, where they’re doubling the standard distance avocado trees are grown for one another, and making better use of the water. There are lot of studies being done with trees that don’t use as much water. There’s also been a huge growth in the local wine region. That’s where our commodity grew last year—the total acreage of wine. Some avocado growers have switched to wine because wine grapes are water-wise.

What can I, Joe Blow, do to help?

The most important thing is awareness on the part of the public. The fact that our water is expensive, that we shouldn’t waste it by any means. For water use, agriculture uses only about 9 percent. The public, noncommercial use ranks between 30 and 40 percent. People can look at the 20 Gallon Challenge.

Where do we get our water?

About 20 percent is from the delta, we buy about 30 percent from the Colorado River and Imperial Valley. Only about 7 percent comes from ground water.

How about you give me something positive so it’s not all doom and gloom?

We’re doing our drip irrigation systems, water capture and water recycling. The San Diego Farm Bureau is overseeing a program called EGAP (Escondido Growers for Agricultural Preservation). They’re working with the city of Escondido to develop a system that will hopefully begin in 2015. It uses water which usually just goes off into the ocean. It’s not safe to drink, but it’s perfectly fine for agriculture. That brings the cost down to about a third. There’s also the de-salinization plant that’s beginning its process in Carlsbad.

What would be the REAL game-changer?

I’m hoping for the water bond. It was supposed to go up for a vote the last two voting periods but we took it off the table. The state was in such a budget crisis that we were afraid the public would vote it down because the cost is about $11 Billion. There are two bills going through the assembly and state of California. The one that has the most intrigue is AB 1331 by Anthony Rendon. It takes a more practical approach, bringing the total cost to the public down to $6 Billion. And it addresses water storage. What we can do is pass this bond that includes specific money for water storage. Then we won’t see the water going into the oceans.

Ever taken a firsthand look at our water system?

I went on a tour not too long ago and I was shocked to see the condition of the delta area. This is where most of our water comes in initially. It would take one very well placed earthquake to destroy our entire water delivery system. That’s shocking to me. The emergency system they have in place now, they have a system of riprap (rock, debris and sand) that is sitting, piled, waiting. If the delta is jeopardized and the levee system is broken, that means our water will be contaminated with ocean water—will make it undrinkable. They can shut all water off, including agriculture, just supplying it on an emergency level to the general public for drinking. But in order to shore up that system and bring it on down here they have this sytem of riprap which would make a direct line through the state of California. It would take six months for it to become operational again… Six months.

Party at The Farmageddon

Edible San Diego

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Encinitas Oktoberfest

ENCINITAS  |  Oktoberfest It Up

Grab Your Lederhosen Warning: There will be a Chicken Dance. But it’s tradition, and the Encinitas Chamber of Commerce has decreed it shall be so (and Encinitans love it). The 18th annual Encinitas Oktoberfest, on September 22, is six blocks and 200 vendors of German food, the Gemütlichkeit Alpine Dancers, a kiddie fun zone, ceremonial parade, and more. Is there ever a better time had with beer and brats? Nein. Mountain Vista Drive and El Camino Real, 10 a.m.–5 p.m., encinitasoktoberfest.com

TEMECULA  |  Make the Most of “Wine Month”

September marks the ninth annual California Wine Month. To celebrate, Temecula Valley’s 35 wineries are offering the Sip Passport—four tasting flights and a souvenir wine glass, valid the entire month ($35). They are also hosting the fourth annual CRUSH Gala at Callaway Winery’s hilltop patio on September 14, 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., with local cuisine and live music. Tickets start at $75. temeculawines.org

Escondido

ESCONDIDO  |  Walk Along the Wedge

More than 2,000 cheeseheads will attend the Wedge Artisanal Cheese Festival, taking over Grand Avenue in Escondido on October 12. For $35, you can stop at more than 25 tents to taste craft beer, local cuisine, boutique wines, and, of course, cheese. The event is big with Slow Foodies and attracts music fans as well: Talk Like June, a rock-country band from Escondido, will perform. Tickets go up to $45 the day before. 2 p.m.–8 p.m., wedgeescondido.com

CARLSBAD  |  Geek Out on Cinema

The jury’s still out on whether we need another film festival. They seem to be proliferating faster than Taste Ofs. Still, Omni La
Costa Resort and Spa is trying its hand at hosting one. La Costa Film Festival, October 24–27, is produced by “festival vets,” i.e. Hollywood people Nancy Collet and Jon Fitzgerald. And while they don’t have Judd Apatow—who, by the way, is being honored at the San Diego Film Festival the same month (October 2–6)—this one’s at a resort, and it’s got poolside parties and al fresco screenings. The lineup will include documentaries, student shorts, and award-winning feature films. Proceeds go to local Boys and Girls Clubs. lacostafilmfestival.org

ENCINITAS, DEL MAR, RSF  |  Get Pampered    

A handful of local wellness centers are participating in National Spa Week, October 14–20. Pay $50 for a number of treatments that normally cost between $100 and $500. Participating North County spas include Facelogic Spa (Encinitas); PLACE360 Health + Spa (Del Mar); and Morgan Run Spa and Sport Retreat (Rancho Santa Fe). spaweek.com

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