CHEFS AND OTHER WINE PROFESSIONALS REVEAL THEIR FAVORITE PAIRINGS
Locating wineries that offer wine and food pairings, especially in their tasting rooms, is not easy. But when you light on such an establishment, you are in for a treat. My first such discovery was when I was casually wine tasting with a friend a few years ago and stumbled on J Winery. What a guilty pleasure to not just nibble on a cracker, but to indulge in a complex, artistically arranged and delicious bite followed by a perfect sip.
As I did in the article, Top Wine/Food Pairing Restaurants in the Napa Valley, I will start with each winery professional’s favorite pairing, followed by his or her methodology. A guide appears at the end of the article listing several wineries that provide food and wine pairing programs in northern California.
The Executive Chef: Mark Caldwell
“The above pairing really has it all. The effervescence and acidity of the J Vintage Brut cleanses the palate of the oiliness and creaminess of the prawn and aioli. The lime juice and zest accents the citrus notes in the Vintage Brut. The ginger highlights the finish of the Vintage Brut. The bit of heat from the red Fresno chile encourages you to take another sip of the cool Vintage Brut.” Because I limited Chef Caldwell to one example, he chose the prawns/brut match, but really likes to experiment with a variety of pairings.
Between being exposed to his father, who catered for the family’s church, and helping his mother prepare meals for his nine other siblings, Chef Caldwell could not help but absorb cooking knowledge throughout his childhood. But whether to love or hate it? Caldwell chose to love it and enrolled, then graduated from San Francisco’s Culinary Academy in 2001. There, the wine and food pairing class proved most inspirational to him as he witnessed the magical effect wine had on food and vice versa. Upon graduation, he was garde manager for Chateau Souverain in Geyserville until 2003. Since joining J in 2004, Chef Caldwell has elevated its food and wine pairing program to a higher, more sophisticated level.
Having practiced food and wine matching for over seven years, Chef Caldwell enthusiastically describes J Winery’s pairing programs. J was the first in Sonoma County to pioneer such fare when its visitor center opened in 1999. Because of the program’s popularity, management developed three food and wine pairing experiences:
- Tasting Room Flight – four wines paired with four sumptuous hors d’oeuvres, commencing with J’s signature sparkling wine; $25/person, daily 11:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.; reservations not required
- Reserve Tasting Salon Flight (the Bubble Room) – two selections of sit-down flights, which may change with the seasons; $55/person, Fri-Mon 11:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.; reservations strongly recommended:
- Indulgence Flight: four sparkling wines accompanied by a selection of Tsar Nicoulai caviars or four Russian River pinot noirs with braised short ribs and artisanal cheeses
- Russian River Spring Flight: one sparkling, one chardonnay and two pinot noirs matched with scrumptious appetizers
- Essence Tasting: seven-course wine and food pairing, vineyard tour, wine education and refined hospitality; $200/person, Thursdays only from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.; reservations must be made two weeks in advance; eight maximum guests per week.
- Terrace Tasting Flight (warmer months) – sparkling wines and Russian River varietals paired with an epicurean presentation of cheeses, pâtés, and cured meats from local farms including Pugs Leap Farm, Jasper Hill Farm, and Cowgirl Creamery; $35/person, Thu-Mon 11:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.; reservations not required.
DOMAINE CARNEROS BY TAITTINGER - Duck confit and pinot noir
The Sommelier and Director of Hospitality: Gregg Lamer
“Duck confit and pinot noir is my favorite pairing—they both have an exquisite texture in the mouth, full of soft lingering flavors which remind me of the perfect comfort food. Pinot noir has a beautiful acid edge which cuts through the oiliness of the duck and plays with spices of the wine and intensifies the duck.” Domaine Carneros plans to include a duck and pinot program very soon.
Lamer also loves the combination of sparkling wines with food. He notes they are often overlooked in matching, but their low wood and great acidity are qualities that make them great food wines. The fruit in the wine, such as in the sparkling rosé, counters and plays off the spiciness of some foods, like certain tuna sushi rolls. One of their late-disgorged bruts pairs very well with hamachi sushi, due to what the wine and food have in common: a rich, creamy character. Domaine Carneros recently offered a Bubbles & Sushi program. Currently, the winery offers one cheese plate paired with sparkling wines and another matched with pinot noirs.
Sommelier Lamer has been in the food and beverage industry for over twenty years. When the restaurant for which he worked in the early eighties won one of the first Wine Spectator Grand Awards, his interest in wine peaked. A few years later, he became sommelier of the five-star Phoenician Resort, where he managed, developed unique training programs and created award-winning wine lists for the wine department. His success prompted Robert Mondavi Winery to select him as Wine Education Manager at Disney’s California Adventure, at its Golden Vine Winery. He took pleasure in introducing wines to thousands of new consumers. “The goal of demystifying wine while keeping the magic was the cornerstone of all the education programs we developed.” Finally, he joined the prestigious Domaine Carneros as Director of Hospitality.
Currently, Domaine Carneros tours do not include a wine and food matching program, but the sit-down pairings are available daily from 10:00 a.m.-5:45 p.m.
- Wine and cheese plates – $15 for the cheese and $15 for the flight of wines
- Caviar and wine – prices range from $25-$70, with food and wines priced individually
- Salmon and wine – prices range from $25-$70, with food and wines priced individually
- Look for a duck and pinot noir program in the fall of 2007
CHALK HILL - Seared duck breast with vanilla parsnip puree, roasted peaches, and Sauce Sangria paired with the 2002 Chalk Hill Estate Bottled Merlot
The Chef: Didier Ageorges
The bark—cinnamon—spices in the sauce bridge the flavors of the Merlot. Fruit in the sauce complements the fruit in the wine. The aroma in the food is the perfect match for the aroma in the wine. Vanilla and earthiness of the parsnip reflect the Chalk Hill terroir.”
Chef Ageorges’ 25 years in the wine and food industry contributed to his ability to develop a simple method for matching wine with food. “First I think about the wine. Then I consider the season and what is the most fresh, not only in the garden, but for meat and fish. In spring, I like to serve spring lamb. Finally I think about the guests that I am serving, and what would be interesting and unique for them to experience at Chalk Hill.”
Now at Chalk Hill, Chef Ageorges has the new challenge of designing the meal around the wine. “The wine must always be the star and the food the supporting players. With such great wines and foodstuffs at Chalk Hill, it is easy to put together a great cast to entertain at the table.”
“We have been doing the culinary tour for one-and-one-half years. It is key to the winery's success, because it is the best way for us to share the estate with our guests. The culinary tour is so much more than the typical tasting room experience. The guests visit the garden and see all the bounty that is being produced, then they are able to enjoy it at the table. The guests learn about the vines, viticulture, and winemaking on the tour, then they experience the final product in the wine. By giving guests a unique experience, they leave the Estate with a memory. Every time they open a bottle of Chalk Hill, they remember their time at the Estate.
“Please visit us at Chalk Hill, for a unique and unforgettable experience…the care and commitment in the vineyards and the winemaking process make every sip of Chalk Hill wine a treat.”
LYNMAR WINERY - Lamb burger with grilled portobello mushrooms and goat gouda on a toasted garlic butter-brushed roll paired with Lynmar Russian River Valley Pinot
The Chef: Sandra Simile
“Lynmar's Russian River Valley Pinot has a great dark berry fruit character that can stand on its own in most pinot-friendly recipes, which this recipe is, but a subtler note in the wine is its complex earthiness…this characteristic is brought forward by the earthiness of the lamb and mushrooms, while the rich mid-palate and velvety tannins in the wine are accentuated by the richness of the goat cheese and garlic butter. So what you get is a food pairing that highlights some of the loveliest aspects in the wine...not just the dark berry fruit but also the earthiness, rich palate and velvety tannins.”
Like Chefs Caldwell and Ageorges, Sandra Simile began cooking as a child, taking the cue from her talented, Italian-cooking relatives. She graduated from the New York Restaurant School, studied a bit in Paris, then honed her cooking expertise in restaurants, private dining clubs, sailboats and a château . Chef Simile compiled five years’ experience matching food with the lovely pinot noirs and chardonnays of Flowers Vineyard & Winery, which prepared her for her current position at Lynmar Winery, where Simile primarily pairs pinot noirs and chardonnays with her concoctions.
Cyber-food/wine enthusiasts can find recipes posted on Lynmar’s website each time a new wine is released. Chef Simile develops an original recipe for each vintage.
The wineries described above are an introductory sampling of the growing number of wineries establishing wine and food pairing programs. The key for the visitor is to plan ahead, as many are by appointment only, but drop in anytime to J Winery’s tasting room for gratifying taste sensations. My hope is that an increasing number of wineries will provide these spontaneous experiences.
Guide to wineries offering food pairings in northern California:
Chalk Hill
10300 Chalk Hill Road
Healdsburg, CA 95448
1-800-838-4306
707-838-4306
[email protected]
www.chalkhill.com
Culinary Tour: $55 Monday or Friday, 2:30 p.m., by appointment
Domaine Carneros by Taittinger
1240 Duhig Road
Napa, CA 94559
1-800-716-BRUT (2788) x 108
[email protected]
www.domaine.com
sit-down wine and cheese: $30 daily 10:00-5:45 p.m.
sit-down wine and caviar or salmon: $25-$70 daily 10:00-5:45 p.m.
J Vineyards & Winery
11447 Old Redwood Highway
Healdsburg, CA 95448
1-888-JWINECO
707-431-3646
[email protected]
http://www.jwine.com
Signature Tasting in the tasting room: $25 daily 11:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Bubble Room Tasting: $55 Fri-Mon 11:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Terrace Tasting: $35 Thu-Mon 11:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Lynmar Winery
3909 Frei Road
Sebastopol, CA 95472
707-829-3374
[email protected]
www.lynmarwinery.com
The Lynmar Experience, sit-down: $20 Fri-Mon 11:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m., by appointment
Mayo Family Reserve Room
3300 Sonoma Highway
Kenwood, CA 95452
707-833-5504
[email protected]
www.mayofamilywinery.com
Seven wines each with separate dish: $25 daily 11:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m., reservations recommended on weekends
Seghesio
14730 Grove Street
Healdsburg, CA 95448
1-866-734-4374
707-433-3579
[email protected]
www.seghesio.com
Angela’s Table: $25 Friday, Saturday and Sunday 10:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m., 4-8 guests
Founders’ Room: $25 Friday, Saturday and Sunday 10:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m., up to 16 guests
St. Francis
100 Pythian Road at Highway 12
Santa Rosa, CA 95409
1-888-675-WINE (9463)
[email protected]
www.stfranciswinery.com
sit-down wine, cheese & charcuterie: $25 daily 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.; by appointment if over six people
sit-down wine Dining—Light Flight or Ruby Flight: $45, Fri-Sun 11:00 a.m.-2:30 p.m., June through October by appointment
Swanson Vineyards
1271 Manley Lane
Rutherford, CA 94573
707-.967-3500
[email protected]
www.swansonvineyards.com
Jean Lafitte Tasting (pinot grigio, merlot and cabernet blend paired with artisanal cheeses and bonbon): $25 Wednesday-Sunday 4:00 p.m. seating time, by appointment
Harvey Tasting (current vintage wines and Salon Selections – typically seven wines total – paired with caviar, artisanal cheeses and bonbon): $55 Wednesday-Sunday 11:00 a.m. or 1:30 p.m. seating times, by appointment