Paradise Ridge Winery Sculpture by Bruce Johnson
Several wineries feature art exhibits, but none quite like Paradise Ridge’s outdoor sculpture garden, Marjike’s Grove.
The sculpture garden can be found about half-way up the road to the winery’s tasting room, famed for its incredible views of the Santa Rosa valley. The theme and art selection changes annually as determined by the winery owner, Walter Byck. The sculptures are strategically placed to melt into the surrounding scenery of gnarled oaks and meadows; and some are even created for a specific location in the outdoor exhibit. They range from realistic sculptures of animals and people to highly abstract- my favorite was a piece made up of stacked logs built to support a precariously leaning tree, appropriately named ‘crutch.’ The sculptures are so well-matched to the surroundings that it is hard to recognize them all at first glance; the longer you stick around, the more that appear.
Now, I am not an art aficionado of any sort, and an education in art is not necessary to appreciate the mystic atmosphere created by the quality art so seamlessly unified with the tranquil scenery.
For a wine county picnic more surreal than the recent weather, pick up a bottle of wine from the Paradise Ridge tasting room and head to the picnic table (itself a piece of art) in the center of the Marjike’s Grove. If, however, you find a sculpture speaking to you in a literal rather than figurative sense- put down the bottle of wine and call it a day!
