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Checking out the library wines at Santa Cruz Mountains Grand Tasting

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:36:10 GMT

Getting a whiff of nicely aged cabs and pinots is a lot like wandering the stacks of the Boston Public Library, breathing in the scent of history and wondering what it would be like to meet the authors. At the Santa Cruz Mountains Grand Tasting, attendees could meet the winemakers who crafted these well-aged treasures.The Grand Tasting, held on a blustery day in April at Saratoga’s Mountain Winery literally blew people away, on both the atmospheric and vinous levels. About 150 VIP guests got to feast on a charcuterie board assembled by Chef Ross Hanson of Oak & Rye, and a great spread by Kirsten Ponza, formerly executive chef at Chaminade. VIPs also had the opportunity to dive into library wines, which can be profoundly satisfying or profound disappointments. We experienced both.Taking the crown was the 1999 Silver Mountain Chardonnay, which winemaker Jerold O’Brien bravely opened with a corkscrew while Bill Cooper of Saratoga’s Cooper Garrod waved his ah-so and suggested he mig...

Will Elon Musk move Twitter’s headquarters out of San Francisco?

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:36:10 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO  — Twitter might not keep its headquarters in San Francisco forever, its owner Elon Musk signaled Tuesday.Speaking virtually at the Wall Street Journal’s CEO Council Summit in London, Musk gave a noncommittal answer to an interviewer’s question about whether the company will stay in the California city.RELATED: Tesla will base engineering HQ in Palo Alto at former H-P siteSan Francisco officials announced last week they are investigating Twitter after six former employees alleged that Musk’s team broke laws by turning the company’s headquarters into a “Twitter Hotel.” The idea was to create sleeping quarters for workers who were pushed to stay up late working on the social media platform after Musk fired or laid off nearly 80% of Twitter’s employee base.The San Francisco Department of Building Inspection said it will be conducting an investigation into the new allegations.The former Twitter employees allege that Musk’s team ordered numerous changes to the company’s hea...

SF Giants’ Camilo Doval putting together a May to remember: MLB’s saves leader, son’s first visit to San Francisco

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:36:10 GMT

MINNEAPOLIS — Camilo Doval had a special guest on the Giants’ latest home stand: Not so little Liam Camilo, his 2-year-old son who is already following in his father’s footsteps with a mean right-handed motion and an affinity for horseback riding.“I just have fun with him,” Doval said through Spanish-language interpreter Erwin Higueros. “The baby likes to pitch like me, he tries to imitate me. I just love seeing him have fun on the field.”Camilo tossed the ball back and forth with Liam in the outfield following the Giants’ sweep of the Phillies last Wednesday and had family pictures taken, with manager Gabe Kapler standing in as iPhone photographer. Based out of Doval’s native Dominican Republic, it was his son’s first time visiting San Francisco, and it was hard not to notice the striking resemblance, even as only a toddler. He’s not quite hitting triple-digits yet, but …“Eventually he will,” Doval said w...

20+ Bay Area beer and wine events to enjoy this summer

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:36:10 GMT

Summer is almost upon us, which means it’s time to kick back and relax, perhaps with a drink in hand. Here’s a sampling of wine festivals, beer events and other spirited fun that lies just ahead.Sac Song & Wine Series: Through Oct. 4, Miner’s Leap Winery 54250 S. River Road, Clarksburg. Enjoy this series of five fabulous country music and wine events. Listen to your favorite country songs performed by their singer-songwriters, while sipping from select wines and enjoying magical evenings under the stars. $50-$425. rlmevents.my.canva.site/sswsNapa’s Biggest Music Weekend Kickoff with Cuvaison: 4 to 7 p.m. May 25, Cuvaison Estate Tasting Salon, 1221 Duhig Road, Napa. Kick off Napa’s BottleRock music weekend with a celebration featuring estate-grown wines, live music with “The Voice” season 7 performer Roem Baur, and mouthwatering bites provided by The Q Restaurant & Bar. $25. bit.ly/CuvaisonKickoffWente Vineyards Annual White Party: 1 to 5 p.m. May 28, ...

Taste-Off: The best gluten-free penne pasta — and the worst

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:36:10 GMT

Pasta salad, carbonara, lasagna, mac and cheese — whatever the shape, pasta is the base of so many comforting, delicious meals that it’s always in season. But what about pasta for those who can’t eat gluten?Thanks to food scientists who refuse to give up, store shelves are packed with more non-wheat, gluten-free pastas than ever before. These gluten-free options — made with brown rice, lentils, amaranth, quinoa, corn or various combinations of gluten-free flours — come in myriad forms, including that pasta salad workhorse, penne.Despite the generous options, the struggle to find gluten-free penne worth eating is real. Many versions are simply horrendous — dense, slimy, crumbly, dry or mushy. Adding to the confusion is the sad fact that companies rarely excel at all pasta shapes; their spaghetti may be terrific, for example, but the penne is inedible.The best gluten-free penne boils cleanly, leaving little residue in the water. The flavor is fresh, and the texture is ever...

AG Bonta will review decision not to charge San Francisco security guard in the fatal shooting of a suspected Walgreens shoplifter

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:36:10 GMT

By Veronica Miracle and Taylor Romine | CNNThe California attorney general’s office will review the decision not to charge a security guard in the fatal shooting of a suspected shoplifter last month at a Walgreens store in downtown San Francisco, it said Tuesday.The review comes after the San Francisco district attorney’s office said last week that security guard Michael Anthony would not face criminal charges because he acted in self-defense when he shot Banko Brown on April 27.Brown’s family attorney John Burris, who previously described the guard’s actions as “way beyond what was reasonable and necessary,” sent a letter to the attorney general’s office last week requesting the investigation.“We can confirm that our office has agreed to review whether the San Francisco District Attorney’s decision not to file charges was an abuse of discretion,” the California attorney general’s office told CNN in a statement.The killing and lack of charges spurred protests in San Francisco amid a...

California poet Amanda Gorman’s Biden inauguration poem moved out of Florida elementary school library after a parent complained

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:36:10 GMT

By Andy Rose | CNN“The Hill We Climb,” the poem written by Amanda Gorman for President Joe Biden’s inauguration, was moved out of the elementary section of one Miami-Dade County public school, the district confirmed Tuesday. It remains available to older children.A parent of a student at Bob Graham Education Center – a kindergarten through eighth grade school in Miami Lakes – objected to the poem, for which they erroneously listed Oprah Winfrey as the author/publisher, documents obtained by the Florida Freedom to Read Project show.It “is not educational and have (sic) indirectly hate messages,” the complaint said, adding that the poem would “cause confusion and indoctrinate students.”The same parent made similar complaints about “Love to Langston,” a poetry-based biography of Black poet Langston Hughes; “The ABCs of Black History” and two books about Cuba, complaints obtained by FFTRP show.A materials-review panel at the school declined to remove the books from the school entirely, ...

35+ festivals, fairs and things to do in the Bay Area this summer

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:36:10 GMT

The time for summer fun is upon us, and there’s no shortage of Bay Area happenings to add to your calendar!World’s Largest Dinosaurs: opens May 26, 55 Music Concourse Drive, San Francisco. The California Academy of Sciences presents an awe-inducing exhibit on the largest land animals to ever walk the planet. Some of these huge-o-saurus creatures were up to 140 feet long, ate unbelievable amounts of trees and plants and weighed up to 90 tons. $28.75 to $42.50. bit.ly/CASdinosaursBottle Rock: May 26-28, Napa Valley Expo, 575 Third St., Napa. This annual Wine Country music festival features a fabulous lineup of live entertainment, singers and bands — the 2022 lineup of 75 bands, for example, included Metallica, Pink and Luke Combs — as well as gourmet food, wine and beer stalls, a culinary stage, a spa, and a silent disco. $189. bottlerocknapavalley.comCarnaval San Francisco: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. May 27-28, Harrison St. between 16th St. and 24th St., San Francisco. The 45th an...

Will I-680 be closed on Memorial Day weekend?: Roadshow

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:36:10 GMT

Q: Will northbound Interstate 680 still be closed over Memorial Day weekend? The Caltrans website has not been updated recently and signage only shows information through April 30. One would think Caltrans information would be current before a holiday weekend.My son will be married in Dublin May 27 and several of us will drive from the South Bay. Please also confirm if 680 north will be open Friday afternoon. Rehearsal dinner!Carolyn Tiernan, MilpitasA: There will be no I-680 closure now in the Sunol/Pleasanton area Memorial Day weekend.There will be one more weekend closure in the area and Caltrans will provide advance notice about it, once the date has been set.For more information, visit 680paving.com.Q: There’s a 55 mph road construction speed limit sign on 17 south between I-280 and Hamilton Avenue, but I see no evidence of any active construction work in the area.Where does the construction end? I don’t see any additional signs for several miles as I travel south o...

Oakland Mayor Thao to address recent robbery crime spree

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:36:10 GMT

(KRON) -- Nine juveniles, ranging in age from 12 to 17, were arrested in connection to 35 robberies throughout the City of Oakland, the Oakland Police Department said Tuesday. The nearly three dozen violent robberies have occurred citywide, often in broad daylight.Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao will hold a news conference Wednesday at 8:30 a.m. to address the recent arrests.On Sunday, May 21, Oakland PD officers spotted a vehicle wanted in connection to one of the recent robberies. The vehicle was tracked to the 100 block of 14th Street. Officers observed multiple occupants exit the vehicle and enter a nearby establishment. 1 killed, 4 injured after carjacked vehicle plows into SF bus stop Before entering the building, officers "methodically coordinated a plan," police said. Just as officers arrived, the vehicle in front of the building took off at a high rate of speed.The vehicle was monitored by OPD helicopter ARGUS and tracked to the area of 6th Avenue and East 15th Street. Four occu...