Agriculture

Fortino Winery, likely one of the most familiar Santa Clara Valley wineries to local people, reflects the history of winemaking in a region famed for the craft.  Premium wine has been made in the Santa Clara Valley longer than anywhere else in California. Part of...

San Benito Agricultural Land Trust (SBALT) announced Feb. 25 that it achieved national recognition through the Land Trust Accreditation Commission. It joins more than 450 land trusts across the nation to receive the honor. “Accreditation demonstrates SBALT’s commitment to local agriculture and open space through permanent...

Every Saturday, scores of people make the drive to Pinnacle Farms market in San Juan Bautista to buy fresh, organically grown produce. Owners Phil and Katherine Foster began farming in San Benito County in 1968. Today they grow certified organic fruit and vegetables on 295...

The rainy winter has been good for reservoir levels and surface water supplies, but a number of important factors remain unknown before authorities are willing to declare an end to the statewide drought.  These factors include San Benito County’s pending allocation of imported water from...

A coalition of local, state and national groups will host a pollinator habitat planting community action volunteer event May 2 and 3 at the San Benito County Historical Park in Tres Pinos. Volunteers will be encouraged to spend the morning helping to prepare the soil...

Squeals of laughter and the scent of hay filled the air as children raced through the corn maze, picked out pumpkins nearly as big as they were, and enjoyed rides at the annual fall festival at Swank Farms—a beloved South Valley tradition marking the...

The feud between San Benito Foods and the City of Hollister may have to be settled in court as the tomato cannery filed a lawsuit in San Benito County Superior Court, alleging the city violated the California Environmental Quality Act and the Brown Act. The...

Brittany Moore, of San Juan Bautista, took home the title of Miss San Benito Rodeo 2022 last weekend at Bolado Park.  Moore, 20, is the daughter of Andy Moore and Cheryl Yetter. She is currently attending Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, majoring in Animal Science...

Sunday's dry spell helped the greater Bay Area briefly recover from a powerful storm on New Year's weekend, but a Pineapple Express on the way will soak the region mid-week, forecasters said Monday. Mop-up efforts to bail out flooded basements and clear mudslides from roadways...

This column is probably more along the lines of what many would expect from a wine related column—this one is about a South Valley winery. This winery represents many of the aspects of my past columns, so let’s take a look. We are fortunate to...