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Luis Valdez, a proud 45-year resident of San Juan Bautista, can’t wait to bring a slice of San Benito County to the nation’s capitol.

Revered in the wine world, Josh Jensen is the winemaker at Calera Wine. He’s graced the cover of Wine Spectator and Jensen’s pinot noirs are known the world over.So it was during their recent Summer Social & Sliders event that I made my pinot pilgrimage to Calera, to sip and savor wine made from grapevines grown in limestone soil at the site of a former limekiln. Arriving at the winery I was immediately awed by the views provided by the majestic Diablo Mountains.My tasting started inside the cool barrel room with a glass of 2014 Central Coast Chardonnay ($20), awarded “Best Value!” by Wine & Spirits Magazine. Next up was a “spunky and fun” 2015 Pinot Noir Rose—just right for summertime picnics.Although 19 different pinot noirs, all estate grown and from different vineyard blocks, are available for purchase, for the day’s event we were treated to a vertical tasting of pinots from the Jensen Mt. Harlan block: two library and one 2012 release.The pinots were poured next to the outside tent filled with gourmet sliders. Surprisingly, the 2005 Pinot Noir ($94) is still a fabulous wine, showing rich and complex layers of ripe raspberry and Bing cherry. The 2009 Pinot Noir ($104) is silky with sweet spice topping the dense raspberry and cherry cola flavors. Layers of sweet raspberry jam and tart rhubarb give way to leathery notes on the finish of the 2012 Pinot Noir ($92).Taking in the views, I savored the tasty bites and sipped these extraordinary wines.

There are two loan programs, both backed by government agencies, that are sorely underutilized by their constituency.

Once a year, this extraordinarily rural town in San Benito County celebrates itself.

The San Benito Health Care District Board last week directed Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital administration to begin a fact-finding process and mediation with the California Nurses Association over a 14-month contract dispute. But a CNA representative said the nurses union as of Wednesday afternoon...

Founded more than a century ago, Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital has allowed smoking on its campus through its long history. That will change in October with a new policy that bans tobacco on the campus and all of the health care district’s facilities. Many hospitals...

State Assemblyman Luis Alejo recently presented the Youth Alliance with a California Peace Award. On Aug. 2, at National Night Out, Alejo warded the California Peace Award to the Hollister-based nonprofit organization. According to an announcement from the Youth Alliance: Youth Alliance was awarded the California Peace...

San Benito County supervisors unanimously OK’d $118,000 in taxpayers’ money going to local nonprofits. Supervisors on the consent agenda of last week’s meeting considered 10 separate donations to nonprofits with contracts specifying how organizations will spend money. The highest amount is $40,000 to Jovenes de...

While Mexico and the world mourn a man whose music touched the lives of many in so many ways, local memories also include his visit to a small California agriculture community in Hollister.