California Report

Whenever we Californians complain about the weather, we're pretty much told by those from other states that we have no grounds since it's colder/icier/snowier/windier somewhere else. Well today even I'll agree with that argument. With the news full of stories about canceled flights, trapped New York subway passengers, and general winter paralysis, I have to concede that today was a pretty nice day in San Francisco. Yes, the noontime air had a damp and wintry bite and the fog hung around longer than usual, but overall we had it pretty easy.

Wine and Design

I spent some time at a current museum exhibition that explores the visual culture of wine. One of the most striking displays was a complete grape vine, including the typically unseen roots. For as much time as I devote to wine and visiting wineries, it's especially fascinating to see, for the first time, the complete source of the juice.

I was particularly intrigued not just by what was displayed, but also by how it was displayed. The exhibits and overall installation were brilliantly crafted with input from the architecture firm Diller Scofidio + Renfro. This is the same firm that designed the High Line in New York, which I visited and wrote about earlier this year.

If you're going to be in San Francisco, you can visit the exhibition "HOW WINE BECAME MODERN Design + Wine 1976 to Now" between now and April 17 at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

Desert Landing

Landing in Palm Springs towards the end of the day provided a great view of the setting sun. After picking up the rental car and leaving the airport, I found it a bit incongruous to be listening to Christmas music while driving by palm trees in 80 degree weather.