California wineries have been adopting a trend that will please culinary devotees who come to visit. They have been adding wine-pairing experiences with food prepared by in-house chefs. Many of these chefs come from top restaurants around the world and create the ultimate gastronomic experience for their guests.
Cakebread Cellars resident chef, Brian Streeter says, “There are definitely more chefs doing it now. There is much more of an interest from wineries in having a culinary program to offer their guests.”
Each dish is expertly designed to pair perfectly with a selected wine from the vineyard. These pairings enable guests and staff to engage in conversations and become educated about the winery. It also gives a showcase for cuisines from other parts of the globe such as Vietnam, Mexico, and India.
Wine country farmers markets located in California wine country often present opportunities to pair elevated food with fine wine.
Below is a list of wineries in California that offer culinary experiences along with wine pairings. Menus are subject to change but it will give you an idea of what some of these events are like.
North Coast
Cakebread Cellars in Napa Valley offers The Perfect Pair tasting, which begins with a tour of the estate vegetable garden and includes dishes created by winery chef Brian Streeter.
Far Niente Winery in Napa Valley recently launched a culinary program with a pairing menu created by executive chef Phillip Moratin, formerly with Angèle Restaurant & Bar in Napa and Thomas Keller Restaurant Group.
J Vineyards & Winery in Sonoma presents its iconic Bubble Room for Shifting the Lens, the winery’s guest chef series that aims to expand on traditional food and wine pairings that have historically been overlooked by traditional winery, culinary and pairing programs. This 5-course culinary experience provides a greater understanding of the possibilities of flavor and texture combinations.
Joseph Phelps Vineyards in Napa Valley offers culinary experiences and a Chef’s Tasting Menu created by chef Tod Kawachi, the former executive chef at Brix in St. Helena.
Long Meadow Ranch in St. Helena hosts a seated Wine & Food Pairing experience featuring bites prepared by chef Stephen Barber using ingredients from the winery’s organic farm.
Lynmar Estate in Sonoma’s Russian River Valley offers seasonal culinary experiences inspired by the winery’s kitchen garden, created by chef David Frakes, formerly of Applewood Inn in Guerneville.
Prisoner Wine Company tasting room in Napa Valley offers experiences that are creative, contemporary, and unexpected including a selection of dim sum-inspired culinary bites prepared under the guidance of winery chef Brett Young.
At Ram’s Gate in Sonoma, the Seasonal Wine & Food Experience includes a guided wine tasting with dishes created by executive chef Ruby Oliveros.
Central Coast
Buttonwood Farm Winery & Vineyard in Solvang offers a Farm Bites menu, crafted by executive chef Peter Cham using ingredients from Buttonwood’s farm and orchards.
Halter Ranch in Paso Robles presents signature tasting menus and a farm-to-table culinary menu prepared by the winery’s executive chef Paul Aragorn.
Le Cuvier Winery in Paso Robles hosts wine and food pairing experiences created by Rachael Zollo, a veteran of Paso Robles restaurants.
Presqu’ile winery in Santa Maria features small-plate pairings prepared by winery chef Julie Simon, formerly the chef at Foremost in San Luis Obispo. Ingredients come from the estate garden and local purveyors.
Robert Hall Winery in Paso Robles pairs Cavern Select wines with a seasonal, organic menu of small plates prepared by chef Michael Learned.
Sierra Foothills
Ironstone Vineyards in Murphys in the central Sierra Nevada foothills hosts Elevated Experiences, which pair reserve and limited-release wines with fancy canapés crafted by the winery’s culinary team.
Inland Valleys
Acquiesce Winery & Vineyards in Acampo in San Joaquin County offers an Elevated Tasting Experience with a selection of wines paired with savory bites by in-house chef Rebecca Forrest.
Southern California
Bernardo Winery in San Diego offers pasta-making classes in the winery barrel room with chef Ross Rizzo. Participants enjoy wine and small bites, plus instructor-made pasta.
Ponte Winery in Temecula has an award-winning al fresco restaurant. I have personally eaten a fabulous meal there paired with their excellent wines. Amin Boubaddi is their Executive Chef.
Farmers Markets in Wine Country
In addition to fresh produce grown in their estate culinary gardens, winery chefs source ingredients directly from local farms and farmers’ markets. Wine country visitors can also access this bounty to create farm-to-table feasts at home, paired with California wine. If you are in Napa, visit the Oxbow Public Market for a variety of food and wine experiences and visit CIA at Copia next door.
I wrote a blog post on my travel blog about Yountville, in the Napa Valley, and the top chefs who have restaurants there. You can read my post here.
Discover delicious county fair recipes from a Sonoma author, here.
For inspirational recipes with pairing suggestions, visit DiscoverCaliforniaWines.
Read “Along the California Wine Trail” available on Amazon, here.
Are you ready to visit the wine country in California? I sure am.
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