Solage Magazine

Vi g ne t t e s Viva Bocce! Even if you don’t know a thing about bocce, you can probably conjure a mental image of the game: old Italian men throwing balls on a dusty court, passing the time on a sun-drenched afternoon. So you might be surprised to find that this ancient ball game is now the rage among a younger, cosmopolitan crowd who are playing it everywhere from St. Helena’s Crane Park to Solage Calistoga. A well-played game calls for pinpoint precision, but the rules are simple. Two to eight players take turns rolling balls as close as possible to the pallino, a smaller ball that is rolled down the court at the beginning of the game. Points are awarded for each ball that’s closer to the pallino than the opposition’s closest throw; the first player or team to score 12 points wins. Outside of tournaments, where rules are strictly enforced, there can be a lot of latitude in how the game is played. “For many people, it’s really just an opportunity to socialize,” says Brent Randol, president of the St. Helena Bocce Club. “Plus,” he adds with a laugh, perhaps revealing why the game has caught on PhoTogRAPhy (LEFT To RIghT): RoBERT DEUTSChMAN, MARTIN SUNDBERg The Fashionable GoaTherd In the mid-’90s, Randy Allen decided it was time to escape the frenzied fashion industry. For some 20 years, the award-winning designer had created apparel—under the labels Chiori, Randy Allen, and ATZ—that was sold everywhere from Neiman Marcus to Harrod’s. But the peace of Sonoma’s rolling hills beckoned, and Allen purchased a modest ranch house and settled into a new life. Gradually, he acquired a few goats—primarily for practical purposes. “I wanted them to keep the grass down,” says Allen, “but the next thing I knew, I had a mini herd.” Eventually, Allen decided to turn some of the angora and cashmere goats’ fiber into yarns and sweaters. At first it was a hobby, but slowly his interest grew. Now he has his own line of sweaters, called R HERD, that is available at retailers such as Barneys and Wilkes Bashford. Allen enjoys being back in the fashion world, but for him, the goats will always come first. “There’s no question about it,” he says affectionately of his 120-strong herd. “They are like my family.” like wildfire in Napa Valley, “it’s one of the only athletic endeavors you can pursue with a wineglass in one hand.” S o L Ag E

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