Archive for the ‘Food & Wine’ Category
Tuesday, September 7th, 2010
 Toast to Sonoma Wine Country Weekend
- Don’t walk around a vineyard with soup in your purse.
- Basil and lavender make extraordinary gelato.
- If Francis Ford Coppola invites you to visit his private resorts in Italy and Belize, it may be an offer you can’t refuse.
These are just a few things discovered at Wine Country Weekend, the three-day extravaganza of all things edible and drinkable that took over Sonoma Sept. 3-5.
In its 31st year, the culinary festival outdid itself as destination for pleasure seekers, all the while raising significant funds for Sonoma County Vintners’ and Sonoma Valley Vintners and Growers’ choice charities. And non-stop, a terrific time was had by all.
 Chef Estes at La Follette Soup’s On: The folks at La Follette Wines are hospitable. At Friday night’s winemaker dinner, hosted in a delightful barn and garden setting in a Santa Rosa Willowside neighborhood vineyard, a few guests arrived after the hors d’oeuvres reception, and just as the property tour was beginning. We plucked up glasses of wine, but before we had made more than a few steps into the rows of grapes, a Follette staffer caught us, offering tiny cups of Zazu host chef Duskie Estes’ corn soup that had been served to more timely party-goers.
We sipped – chilled Manchester Ridge Chardonnay from one hand, savory-sweet hot broth from the other – as Greg La Follette described his grape cultivation process, the particular stresses of this year’s weather, and the unique clay, loamy soils of this growing site.
As more Follette staffers followed with continuous pours of wine, I balanced my and my guests’ near-empty cups in my purse, where they spilled, and of course, proved that there weren’t as near-empty as I’d thought.
Which led to lesson two – when soup is this delicious, it can, in a pinch, be savored very nicely from the pocket lining of a purse.
Estes, fresh from the announcement that she is competing on season two of the Food Network’s Next Top Chef, sent out a feast of cauliflower sformato, goose leg confit Shepherd’s pie, and Liberty Duck.
Did you know, by the way, that La Follette plays a remarkable bagpipe?
 Chefs at Sonoma Wine Country Weekend Basil and Lavender Gelato: The crowds were out in full at the 31st Annual Taste of Sonoma, which took over MacMurray Ranch on Saturday. Yet thanks to shuttle service provided again this year from Pure Luxury Transportation, getting to the front gate was a breeze, even as a sold-out capacity of 2,500 guests converged to sample food and drink from more than 200 wineries and chefs.
“This is just another day in Sonoma,” quipped Carneros Bistro sommelier Christopher Sawyer, as he led a group past the steel drum band at the entranceway, along booths serving grilled-to-order meats and fresh-blended Hello Cello raspberry-limoncello lemonade, then into a virtual city of tents packed with chef cook stations and tables brimming with thousands of wine bottles.
In a nice new touch this year, each of the four appellation tents partnered select chefs and vintners, to show how wine and food can best be paired. For K&L Bistro of Sebastopol, that meant a steamed dough bun stuffed with a slab of pork belly and drizzled in hoisin sauce, enjoyed alongside Mueller Winery’s Russian River Valley Zinfandel.
At The Sonoma Steel Chef Competition, with chefs warring recipes in multiple rounds of mystery ingredient cook-offs, Janine Falvo of Sonoma’s Carneros Bistro and Jack Mitchell of Jack & Tony’s in Santa Rosa tied for first place in a highly challenging all-vegetarian basket of beets, potatoes and rutabagas supplemented with local eggs.
After nearly five hours of eating and drinking, the most exquisite finishing touch came in small scoops of beautiful basil and lavender infused gelato, served by some unlikely chefs – the good people of Standards of Excellence Appliances in Rohnert Park.
 Mermaid on parade Francis Ford Coppola Presents: The theme of Endless Sonoma, the 18th Annual Sonoma Valley Harvest Wine Auction, was beach. So guests arrived decked in surfer shorts, brilliantly colored sundresses, and in one case, a glittering green mermaid outfit complete with shell bustier.
Yet even as the luncheon stretched over a decadent eight courses and nearly six hours, most of the excitement focused on the auction lots.
For the Coppola coup, that meant a package including a 5-day, 4-night stay with spa services at a villa in Southern Italy, plus a 5-day, 4-night stay with spa services at Turtle Inn resort of Belize. Extra goodies included 3-Liter bottles of Francis Ford Coppola Director’s Cut and Archimedes signed by winemaker Corey Beck, a two-year membership to the FFCW wine club, a private tour, tasting and lunch for eight at FFCW’s winery in Alexander Valley, dinner for eight at Café Zoetrope in San Francisco, and a full library of Francis Ford Coppola films on dVd.
 Salute to the chefs of the Auction As guests waddled from the luncheon tent – bellies full, winning-bid wallets quite a bit lighter – the party continued on. Pisco sours were poured, cigars were smoked, chocolates, cheeses and confections were consumed.
Just another day in Sonoma, indeed.
Tags: 31st Annual Taste of Sonoma, Archimedes, Café Zoetrope., Carneros Bistro, Christopher Sawyer, Corey Beck, Duskie Estes, Food Network’s Next Top Chef, Francis Ford Coppola, Francis Ford Coppola Director’s Cut, Greg La Follette, Hello Cello, Jack & Tony's Standards of Excellence Appliances, Jack Mitchell, Janine Falvo, K&L Bistro, La Follette Wines, MacMurray Ranch, Manchester Ridge Chardonnay, Mueller Winery, Pure Luxury, Sonoma County Vintners, Sonoma Steel Chef Competition, Sonoma Valley Harvest Wine Auction, Sonoma Valley Vintners and Growers, Turtle Inn, Wine Country Weekend, Zazu
Posted in Food & Wine, Sonoma County Events, Sonoma Events, Special Wine Events | No Comments »
Monday, August 30th, 2010
Summer may have come late this year, but there’s proof positive that it’s finally here.
The Bay area is awash in tomato festivals, with numerous heirloom harvest celebrations taking place across the North Bay in September.
 It's time for tomato festivals Crazy weather, yes? It’s been the coldest summer on record since 1975, and tomatoes simply didn’t get the heat they needed to ripen.
But better late than never. Here’s the delicious line-up to feed your fruit fantasies. Note: tickets are pre-sale and by reservation only, so plan and purchase ahead.
2nd Annual Tomatoville Celebration, Sept. 10 through 12 at Bardessono in Yountville. The weekend, co-hosted by Napa’s Hill Family Estate, includes a five-course winemaker dinner on Friday, a Build Your Own BLT & Tomato Tasting on Saturday, and a Bloody Mary Brunch on Sunday.
 Build your own BLT at Bardessono Front-and-center will be 30 varieties of heirloom tomatoes for the BLT stations stocked with artisan bacon, burrata, fresh-baked breads, garden basil and boutique sea salts. Last year, “builders” blew out the stops, fashioning creations ranging from elegant nibbles to Dagwood-style monsters.
For the brunch, Bardessono chef Sean O’Toole will serve a seasonally inspired farmers’ market menu highlighted by a trio of spicy Bloody Mary recipes made with Bardessono garden-grown tomatoes.
 Tasting tomatoes at KJ Kendall-Jackson Heirloom Tomato Festival, Sept. 11 at the Kendall-Jackson Wine Center in Santa Rosa. This is the granddaddy of North Bay festivals, showcasing more than 175 varieties from KJ’s own gardens, in a rainbow of colors and exotic names like Blue Fruit, Peace Vine, Ding Wall Scotty and Pink Ping Pong.
Guests can spend the entire day eating lavish tomato-centric tastes from 50 top chefs, such as last year’s offerings of almond-tomato macaroons; tomato cupcakes topped with miniature whole gold tomatoes; roast Thai tomato soup with Dungeness crab jus and spicy tomato salsa; and John Ash & Co.’s showstopper of cherry tomato and basil upside down cake slathered with Kendall Farms crème fraiche infused with preserved lemon and sprinkled in vanilla salt.
Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, Sept. 14-20 at Carneros Bistro & Wine Bar in Sonoma. Dinner and a movie, and how. The weeklong series of dinners puts chef Janine Falvo to the test as she crafts dishes featuring the 25 tomato varieties grown in the organic garden next to the dining room. That means dishes like a PBLT sandwich of pork belly, lettuce and tomato on a brioche bun; pineapple-tomato poached halibut with grits, Yellow Taxi tomato hollandaise and lobster mushrooms; and sweet tomatoes with lemon basil ice cream.
 chef Jamie Lauren wins tomato recipe tasteoff at KJ Sommelier Christopher Sawyer will offer a tomato themed wine list (no, not wine made from tomatoes, but wines that complement tomatoes), while the bar will be pouring tomato-basil martinis and the “Best Bloody Mary Ever” based on homemade celery bitters and offered with you-mix-ins of curry spices, celery salt and paprika.
As fitting, the cult-classic “Attack of the Killer Tomatoes” film will be projected continuously throughout the week in the dining room and in the bar.
Tomato Dinners, Sept. 15-18 at Oliveto, Oakland. For the past 25 years, these dinners have been held at the end of August, but after a drawn-out cold, wet spring, the meals were moved back a month.
Chef Paul Canales will highlight tomatoes from Riverdog, Dirty Girl, Catalan, Terra Firma, Full Belly, Lucero, Animalitos, Brookside, Kendall Jackson, Comanche Creek, and Hungry Hollow farms. The wide ranging menu will offer dishes like Watson Farm lamb loin salad with green tomatoes and grappa; crudo of salted Atlantic cod and local albacore with Black Cherry tomatoes, Lipstick pimentos, and almonds; veal tripe braised in tomatoes with Italian butter beans; and green tomato and Gravenstein apple pie with honeyed Crescenza cheese ice cream.
Bardessono, 6526 Yount Street, Yountville. 707-204-6030. bardessono.com.
Carneros Bistro and Wine Bar, 1325 Broadway (in the Lodge at Sonoma), Sonoma. 707-931-2042. thelodgeatsonoma.com.
Kendall-Jackson Wine Center, 5007 Fulton Road, Santa Rosa. 800-769-3649. kj.com.
Oliveto, 5655 College Avenue, Oakland. 510-547-5356. oliveto.com.
Tip: Tooling around to all the tomato events can get tiring (and there’s all that delicious wine to drink, too). Leave the driving to Pure Luxury, and make it a true harvest celebration!
Tags: Animalitos, Bardessono, Brookside, Carneros Bistro Wine Bar, Catalan, Christopher Sawyer, Comanche Creek, Dirty Girl, Full Belly, Hill Family Estate, Hungry Hollow Farm, Janine Falvo, John Ash & Co., Kendall Jackson, Kendall-Jackson Heirloom Tomato Festival, Kendall-Jackson Wine Center, Lucero, Paul Canales, Riverdog, Sean O'Toole, Terra Firma, Tomatoville Celebration, Watson Farm, Yountville
Posted in Food & Wine, Napa County Events, Sonoma County Events | No Comments »
Monday, August 23rd, 2010
 Wine, wine and more wine From down-home Hopmonk Tavern, to uptown Cyrus Restaurant. From funky legendary Joseph Swan, to high-end classic Jordan. With more than 150 wineries pouring thousands of wines, and over 60 local chefs whipping up divine pairings, you never know who you might see under the culinary tents on the sprawling grassy meadows at Healdsburg’s MacMurray Ranch for this year’s Taste of Sonoma.
But one thing is certain: the marathon food-and-drink festival being held Sept. 4 will surprise even the most jaded taste buds. Just consider one highly memorable dish from two years ago. Chef Janine Falvo of Carneros Bistro in Sonoma created a bizarre but insanely good BLT, crafted from root beer braised pork belly with Oak Hill Farms tomatoes and brown butter hollandaise aioli.
Last year, the standout may have been A la Heart Catering of Santa Rosa’s Shanghai duck sushi. The chefs cooked the bird in light and dark soy with brown sugar, star anise, ginger and scallions, then married the meat with cranberries, cashews and cranberry-orange juice reduction all tucked into little rice rolls wrapped in nori.
 All signs point to fun for Wine Country Weekend As a centerpiece of the Sonoma Wine Country Weekend, the 31st annual Taste of Sonoma is billed as Sonoma’s largest wine and food event. From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., the marathon gala features tastings, demonstrations, tours and seminars showcasing hundreds of artisan wineries, growers, chefs and food purveyors.
New this year is increased AVA focus throughout the soiree, with AVA-specific food and wine pairing in each of the four AVA tents as well as AVA-specific seminars in the White Barn. There’s also a new sustainable foods showcase, showing how delicious it can be to eat earth-friendly.
You’ll want to snap up tickets soon. Last year, a record crowd of 2,500 guests converged, starting their edible tour at the Bubble Lounge, a sparkling wine bar set up right inside the gates, courtesy of Gloria Ferrer. Fair warning: Traffic was insane, clogging the roads and spilling out past acres of parking amid the vineyards (though once inside the gated grounds, the well-heeled crowd behaved very well, with little jostling).
Do plan to show up with an empty belly – you won’t get tiny toothpick tastings, but full-size hors d’oeuvres, and winery staff doesn’t stint on the splashes.
It ends up being an enormous amount of great food and wine for a good price — five hours of eating – at a General Admission ticket of $150 per person.
Grand Reserve tickets are $195 per person, for special behind-the-scenes tours and tastings, like Club Reserve: an exclusive opportunity to hob-nob with Sonoma County’s most acclaimed winery owners and winemakers, who will personally pour and discuss their limited production, reserve and award-winning wines from large format bottles paired with food by The Farmhouse Inn.
 The 2009 auction had a Roman theme While Taste attracts the most bodies, it’s hardly the only thing to celebrate through the Sonoma Wine Country Weekend. The three-day series of events includes the rollicking, beach themed Sonoma Valley Harvest Wine Auction at Cline Cellars on Sunday, and the Winemaker Lunch and Dinner Series at venues throughout the county starting Friday.
About that traffic – it’s no joke that it can be crazy crowded, and Sonoma roads are notoriously narrow and winding (not a good combination with sleepy souls who have spent all day eating and drinking). Shuttle service is highly recommended, with safe and convenient round trip transportation around Santa Rosa and Sonoma provided by Pure Luxury Transportation.
For just $15 or $20 per person round-trip, you’ll avoid parking delays, enjoy front-gate delivery to the Taste event, and won’t need to worry about finding a designated driver.
 These are vinetyards, not parking lots, so leave the cars at home For all the other Wine County Weekend activities, you can charter a Pure Luxury Town Car or a limo, or make it a group party with a small luxury bus.
For details and to reserve seating, contact SWCWshuttle@pureluxury.com.
Details: sonomawinecountryweekend.com.
Tags: A la Heart Catering, Carneros Bistro Oak Hill Farms, Cline Cellars, Cyrus Restaurant, Gloria Ferrer, Hopmonk Tavern, Janine Falvo, Jordan Winery, Joseph Swan, MacMurray Ranch, Pure Luxury, Sonoma Wine Country Weekend, Taste of Sonoma, The Farmhouse Inn
Posted in Food & Wine, Sonoma County Events, Sonoma Events, Sonoma restaurants, Sonoma wineries | 1 Comment »
Monday, August 16th, 2010
It is perhaps the best name ever for a wine celebration. Stomp.
Because besides being a Napa Valley harvest party (Stomp those grapes), and playing as a cowboy theme (Stomp those cowboy boots), the 3rd annual Stomp event is the epitome of what every wine-oriented gala should be.
There’s food. There’s wine. There’s live music, and there’s an auction, with chances to bid on great prizes like culinary excursions such as a California fly-fishing trip and a Thanksgiving feast for 12 catered by a fancy chef.
Yet the real reason that Stomp is such a, well, romp, is because it is hosted by the Napa Valley Grapegrowers organization, which means it is attended by the winemakers themselves. Imagine this – guests actually get to interact with some of Napa Valley’s most renowned grapegrowers while drinking some of the world’s best wines.
 Cheers for Stomp The Aug. 28 party being held at Hudson Vineyards in the Carneros appellation is already sold-out. Yet there is a wait list, so call 707-944-8311 to get your name added.
For your ticket, you’ll get exhibition-style local cuisine, as chefs cook outdoors and prepare foods to-order like seasonal wood-fired pizzas from Rosso Pizzeria, slabs of whole roasted salmon from Visconte Catering, carnitas tacos from Compadres, and fresh-shucked Hog Island oysters on the half shell.
 Dancing at Stomp More than 75 wineries will be pouring, from the new CADE, to the legendary Duckhorn Vineyards. The party starts with live music by a local Mariachi band during the reception, then moves into a show by Red Meat, a honky-tonk band mixing bluegrass, country, western and swing.
And if you’re still not convinced that Stomp caters more to honest-to-goodness grapegrowers than wanna-be glitterati, check this out: there will be sustainability demonstration, showcasing how to best use sheep, bees and raptors in the vineyards for sustainable practices.
The only challenge with Stomp is that on the same evening, there’s another worthy event (maybe you can try to get to both). The 17th Annual Hands Across the Valley fundraising event is scheduled for Aug. 28, at The Ranch Winery in St. Helena.
It’s a tempting diversion, even if just a chance to see celebrity host Rob Schneider (you know, the goof from Saturday Night Live, Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo, The Hot Chick, and Grown Ups).
There are actually two parties happening here. For $150 per person, you get banquet table seating and a buffet dinner by Napa chef Kevin Miller (Vintage Estates). For VIP tables of 10 at $500 per person, you get prime seating near the stage and a sit-down dinner prepared by Yountville chef Bob Hurley (Hurley’s Restaurant & Bar).
Proceeds from Hands Across the Valley benefit the Napa Valley Food Bank, Meals on Wheels and other food programs.
Details: STOMP, Saturday Aug. 28, 2010. Hudson Vineyards, 5398 Sonoma Highway Napa. Reception at 6 p.m. Tickets are $150 per person. The event is sold out, but call 707-944-8311 or visit harveststomp.com to get on the waiting list.
Hands Across the Valley, Saturday Aug. 28, 2010. The Ranch Winery, 105 Zinfandel Lane, St. Helena. Reception at 6 p.m. Tickets are $150 or $500 per person. 707-226-6136 or visit handsacrossthevalley.com.
Tip: The best way to enjoy wine-themed parties is to sample as many of the world-class wines as you can. So play it smart, and leave the driving to a professional. Pure Luxury offers great choices, ranging from limos to Town Cars to even charter buses of various sizes for your VIP group.
Tags: Bob Hurley, CADE, Compadres, Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo, Duckhorn Vineyards, Grown Ups, Hands Across the Valley, Hog Island Oysters, Hudson Vineyards, Hurley's Restaurant & Bar, Kevin Miller, Meals on Wheels, Napa Valley Grapegrowers, Pure Luxury, Red Meat, Rob Schneider, Rosso Pizzeria, Saturday Night Live, St. Helena, Stomp, The Hot Chick, the Napa Valley Food Bank, The Ranch Winery, Vintage Estates, Visconte Catering, Yountville
Posted in Food & Wine, Napa wineries, Special Wine Events | No Comments »
Monday, August 9th, 2010
You know you’re in Northern California’s Wine Country when even fast food takes a Slow Food approach.
 Gott's Roadside Tray Gourmet It’s true: that’s fresh-picked lettuce atop your hamburgers, and those heirloom tomatoes are still warm from the sun on your BLT, when you dine at Gott’s Roadside these days.
In a very un-McDonald’s move, restaurant co-founder Joel Gott has planted his own one-acre garden directly behind the St. Helena property, with the plucked-from-the-earth ingredients now offered at all three Gott’s locations, including Napa’s Oxbow Public Market Annex (daily) and San Francisco’s Ferry Building Marketplace (on weekends).
A few months after setting the soil then waiting for the seeds and starters to bud, chef Rick Robinson celebrated his first official harvest last week. Through the summer, you can snack on these additions to the Classic Americana menu:
Fried Zucchini – spears are dredged in flour and spices, then quickly fried to golden brown crispiness and served alongside lemon wedges and house-made ranch dressing. Since Gott’s — formerly called Taylor’s Automatic Refresher — is also one of the country’s only fast food joints to have a wine collection, try the appetizer with the 2009 Bieder Rosé from Provence.
Pesto Home Fries – made with Gott’s Garden ‘potato of the week’. A debut spud varietal of Yellow Finn potatoes and fresh basil pesto (also from the garden), pair nicely with a cool glass of Scarpetta 2008 Pinot Grigio or The Show 2009 Malbec.
Fried Green Tomatoes – Wedges of heirloom tomato are dipped in buttermilk and seasoned cornmeal and then fried until they’re crunchy-edged outside and juicy inside. Dunk them in spicy chili aioli and chase with an ice cold Trumer Pilsner beer.
 Gott's Ahi tuna poke taco As harvest heats up, Robinson will be rolling out other Gott’s Garden-Grown menu items every Monday on the restaurant’s Facebook and Twitter pages (@gottsroadside). It’s part of his new Unpublished “B-Side”: Ultra-Fresh Menu for Diners “In-The-Know.” These “you gotta know to ask for them” specials takes advantage of each day’s freshest ingredients for favorites from Robinson and are available until they sell out – if you’re not hooked into social networking, ask to see the under-the-counter list at each restaurant.
Other summer specials include Crispy Ahi Poke Tacos brimming with Hawaiian-style raw, marinated tuna, avocado, green cabbage, cilantro and spicy mayo tucked in crispy taco shells; Heirloom BLT as a hearty sandwich layered with Gott’s Garden heirloom tomatoes, bacon, mayo and romaine on toasted wheat bread; and spicy grilled chicken tacos of chili spice rubbed bird, jalapeño, Mexican coleslaw, lime-cilantro sour cream and avocado on warm corn tortillas.
Details: Gott’s Roadside Tray Gourmet. The St. Helena drive-in burger stand is on Highway 29 (933 Main Street), 707-963-3486. The Napa eatery is in the Oxbow Public Market Annex, 644 First Street, 707-224-6900. The San Francisco restaurant is on the Embarcadero in the Ferry Building Marketplace, Space #6,415-318-3423. gottsroadside.com.
Tip: Gott’s St Helena is a terrific place for private parties on its lawn, next to the garden. Gather a group of friends, set up a feast of summer food favorites and wine, and leave the driving to Pure Luxury.
Tags: Embarcadero, Ferry Building Marketplace, Gott’s Roadside, Gott’s Roadside Tray Gourmet, Joel Gott, Oxbow Public Market Annex, Pure Luxury, Rick Robinson, Scarpetta 2008 Pinot Grigio, Taylor’s Automatic Refresher, The Show 2009 Malbec, Trumer Pilsner
Posted in Food & Wine, New in California Wine Country, New in the Wine Counry, Sonoma restaurants | No Comments »
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