MASKED MARATHON: Doug and Marianne Lucchesi Hamilton are competing in the Medoc Marathon, a 26.2mile road race in Bordeaux, France. This marathon winds its way past 59 world-famous wineries, and at each water station, athletes are asked, "Madame, monsieur, red or white?"
Not only do participants sip Bordeaux throughout the race, but also they are in costume—Marianne as a French maid and Doug in a multicolored velvet parrot hat, plus a T-shirt that says "Un peu plus vin, s'il vous plait!" (A little more wine, please!)
Children in the local villages weigh in on their choices for the best costume. The Hamiltons are both marathon racewalkers in their 50s, but they've never run this well oiled before. This is Marianne's seventh marathon, Doug's sixth. Thanks to all the amenities, the run is billed as "The World's Longest Marathon."
"The application asks how many cigarettes and how many glasses of wine you consume per day—yet each participant must present a doctor's certification saying that he or she is fit enough to take part!" Marianne relates in amazement.
Included are a wine-tasting party the night before and a 10K wine-tasting recovery walk/run the day after the marathon. The two felt lucky to get in, despite flimsy French fluency. They are, however, fluent in Bordeaux, what with training at the French Wine Cellar in classes with Jay and Susan Druian. They also studied French Wine for Dummies.
Marianne owns Lucchessi Communications and is vice chairwoman of the LG Arts Commission; Doug is district manager of Bon Appetit, corporate catering.
WINE HONORS: Julia Miller and Charles White have been making wine for three years now, and two of their wines won awards at the recent Santa Cruz County Fair. The judges were astonished that a novice winemaker could win top honors the first time out, says White.
Their 2002 cabernet franc received a gold medal and then, to top it off, won Best in Show, pitted against other gold medalists in the noncommercial-wine category. In addition, their 2001 cabernet sauvignon received a bronze medal. The White/Miller duo have a wine cellar under their new garage, completed a few years ago.
The two make wine in conjunction with two other couples—Trish and Todd Scallan and Bruce and Machaela Ramstad—producing some three barrels' worth yearly, which equates to 75 cases. Julia Miller worked for Cooper-Garrod Winery for a couple of years, so had some professional winemaking experience.
They buy their grapes from Cooper-Garrod. And White attributes a major part of their success to the quality of grapes they use, as well as their strict attention to detail. The Whites live on Massol Avenue at the site of the great pumpkin robbery of two years ago with their son, Devon, now a fourth-grader.
A dozen pumpkins were taken from their porch shortly before Halloween. The pumpkins had been destined for a second-grade class at Daves Avenue School, but were never seen again.
The Weekly-Times' cartoon by DeCinzo that week depicted a kitchen with dozens of pumpkin pies being baked and a policeman, on the phone, saying, "Mrs. White, I think we've found your pumpkins!"
MR. MURAL: John Pugh is looking for a Los Gatos home for one of his murals that was recently removed from Los Gatos Design Studio at 513 Monterey Ave. "It's got compelling images, has had more national attention than any other, and it's one of my favorites," says Pugh.
The work includes classical columns and a nautilus shell motif, designed as a metaphor for time looping around itself. It wends its way through a ghostly path that Pugh calls a causality loop. And, it can be viewed at www.artofjohnpugh.com.
The 17-by-17-foot mural is now resting in Pugh's studio at 17520 Old Summit Road. The piece was done on masonite panels, so isn't appropriate for outdoor use. Would work well for a winery, perhaps. Pugh was named Most Successful Muralist in California at the California Mural Symposium.
This was some months back, but he's just now owning up to that newest title, newest honor. The artist will hold an open studio Oct. 2 and 3 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Also showing at his open studio will be the artwork of Elizabeth Parashis.
FUNDRAISER FOR YSI: A fundraiser for YSI will be held Sept. 26, 47 p.m., at the home of Sandy and Gil Decker. Tickets at $100 are available through Daniel Margulies at 408.356.4945, ext. 15.
The Deckers' historic Craftsman home was built in 1907, and they've renovated and updated it. Sandy, former LG mayor, is an interior designer.
FLORAL DEMOS: Assistance League will hold a flower-arranging fundraiser at Bob Gilmore Flowers 'N Things on Sept. 23, 69 p.m. The contact is Chrystie de Soto at 408.278.5300.
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By Mary Ann Cook