Tracking the Beat of the 805

Pulse

TRACKING THE BEAT OF THE 805

A new label arises from the The San Miguel District: High Camp Wines.

FROM CLOTHING LINES TO GRAPEVINES

After trading in her Los Angeles clothing boutique on Melrose Avenue for a partnership in a 75-acre vineyard above Paso Robles, Megan Mouren, along with her family and her fiancé, Spencer Rawles, has introduced High Camp Wines (highcampwines.com) in San Miguel. Mouren, who says that she learns something about farming and winemaking every day and works 16-hour days during harvest season, >

(Grapevines continued)

adds that it all feels right, given that her grandfather used to run cattle in the area and dreamed of farming vines.

She and her partners grow 11 different varietals, including sangiovese and lagrein. They sell about 90 percent of their harvest and keep 10 percent to make their own wine. “It’s just super-rewarding when you’re working your butt off and you actually get to have something tangible to share with people,” Mouren says. “There’s nothing better than that.” She also enjoys sharing wine in the tasting room and giving private vineyard tours, which can be arranged via telephone in

advance. —Erin Rottman

Megan Mouren and fiancé Spencer Rawles’ first releases include a flowery albarino and a fruity rosé.

SWEETS WITH A DIFFERENT BEAT

You can feel good about indulging in these sweet treats. Based in Ojai, Beato Chocolates (beatochocolates.com) is an artisan chocolatier inspired by the late Beatrice “Beato” Wood, an artist and ceramist who resided in Ojai for the last 50 years of her life. Known as the Mama of Dada, the early 20th-century avant-garde movement, Wood lived to be 105 years old and attributed her longevity to “art books, chocolate, and young men.”

Company founders Lisa Casoni and Heather Stobo incorporate Wood’s artwork into the fair-trade chocolate line’s cheeky packaging. A holiday offering debuting this month is a confection dubbed Whoops, a malt ball swathed in peppermint-flavored dark chocolate and studded with crushed peppermint. “Whoops are our Dadaist take on the childhood favorite candy, Whoppers,” say Casoni and Stobo. “Inspired by Beatrice Wood and all the Dadaists who rejected traditional aesthetics, our malt balls aren’t perfectly round, but they are delicious.”

A portion of all proceeds goes to the Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts. Chocolates are available online and at Porch Gallery in Ojai. —Nancy Ransohoff

Whoops, the newest confection in the adult-themed Beato Chocolates line, debuts this month.

TO MARKET, TO MARKET

The market component of the Montesano Market & Deli (montesanomarket.com) is now open in Montecito, joining the deli, its next-door sister business, which debuted in April. The duo is owned by restaurateur Gene Montesano and Leslee Russell, who is also general manager of Tre Lune, one of Montesano’s nearby restaurants. “Our friendly neighborhood market offers a unique selection of Italian fine foods and specialty kitchen items,” says Russell, “and hand-selected beer and wine offerings will be available soon.”

Shelves in the bright, airy space are stocked with imported Italian products, including canned and jarred tomatoes, sauces, pasta, risotto, olive oil, vinegar, chocolate, and cookies. Cheese and cured meats from the refrigerated case are perfect with a loaf of bread, baked daily at D’Angelo Bakery, one of Montesano’s Santa Barbara establishments. Indoor and outdoor seating is available for guests who choose to partake on-site. —N.R.

IN TUNE WITH WINTER

New West Symphony artistic and music director Michael Christie

Winter solstice, the day with the shortest period of daylight, marks a time of festivals around the world, and the Thousand Oaks–based New West Symphony is joining in with its Winterfest (newwestsymphony. org, $75; families receive 10 percent off of a four-ticket purchase with code FAMILY). “Virtually every culture’s holiday traditions stem from the winter solstice,” says Michael Christie, New West Symphony’s artistic and music director. “The fact that music is such a vital part of each of these traditions signals to me that there’s an opportunity for us to acknowledge how everybody celebrates this really important time of the year.”

Set for December 3 at the Bank of America Performing Arts Center, Winterfest will feature food from around the world, a hot chocolate bar and gingerbread dessert table, cocktails and carolers, and special guest, Santa Claus. The Winter Spectacular concert immediately follows with performances by recording artist and Broadway actor Sam Harris; Ukrainian folk dance ensemble Chervona Kalyna; Mariachi Reyes, the first Mariachi in Ventura County to be featured on the radio; and the Los Robles Children’s Choir. “I would call the concert kaleidoscopic,” Christie says.  —E.R.

A LIFE WELL LIVED. A LIFE WELL EARNED.

Since 1998, Belmont Village has safely delivered an unparalleled senior living experience for thousands of families. Collaborations with experts from the nation’s top healthcare institutions and universities, including UCLA and USC, have established our national leadership in demonstrably effective cognitive health and wellness programs. Combining the highest levels of hospitality and care, our communities make life worth living.

BelmontVillage.com/LosAngeles

Medication management with licensed nurse on-site 24/7 Circle of Friends® award-winning memory care Nationally-recognized, highly trained staff Dedicated Alzheimer’s care | Physical therapy, rehabilitation and fitness