Paradise Ridge Winery Sculpture Garden

It's called Paradise Ridge for good reason. Located off Fountaingrove Parkway with a wide view of Santa Rosa and the Laguna, this unique winery property is  tucked behind the devasted remains of a large development which burned down in October. It is also home to Marijke's Grove. In 1960 Walter Byck proposed to his girlfriend, Marijke Hoenselaars in a sculpture grove in the Netherlands. After moving to Sonoma County and opening Paradise Ridge Winery, Walter created a sculpture garden in a grove of gnarled oaks and open meadows, connected by simple footpaths. After Marijke's sudden passing in 2006, Walter dedicated the grove to her, and it is now known as Marijke's Grove. 

The first I ever heard anything about Paradise Ridge or the fact that it was located within the city limits of Santa Rosa was after it burned down last year. But the sculptures mostly survived and the LOVE sculpture, created in 2011 by Jeff Schomberg and Laura Kimpton not only survived, but became something of a symbol of the way in which the community came together to deal with the aftereffects of an inferno which destroyed so many homes and changed so many lives. When I read recently that the grounds of the sculpture garden had reopened to the public ,I was determined to go.  

As far as I could tell, we were the only ones around when we finally got there today. I saw one car pull in and park some distance away. Evidence of the fire is everywhere, but the oak trees shading the grove seemed to have survived, marked by black scars and missing branches* but still providing shade and dappled sunlight for the works which both stand out yet look right at home there. Unlike the burned remains of the subdivisions around it, which are still depressing and ugly, Paradise ridge has an aura of tranquillity and restoration about it.

The ruins of the winery and tasting room still stand on a ridge overlooking a vineyard bursting with ripe grapes, and as we wandered down a road toward the one permanent building still left standing near the LOVE sculpture, a woman with pink hair and a pleasant smile emerged through the barn doors from what turned out to be a gallery.  We chatted for awhile about the hawks flying overhead which were imported to keep the smaller birds from eating the grapes, the strategic placement, by an expert, of owl boxes to attract owls to keep an eye out for gophers, and the fact that the grapes we were looking at are Syrah and will be harvested this week.

There are more delights to be found there, including a huge and ornate Temple of Remembrance with marking pens and stones, and torn strips of fabric to write on, seats and wind chimes within. I will be writing about these remarkable places again when I've had a chance to go back.

As soon as they are able, Paradise Ridge plans to reintroduce their Wine and Sunset series on Wednesday evenings with music, wine and, of course, the sunset. We will be there. In the meantime, we'll visit their temporary tasting room which is right down the road.

*extras