Inside Napa Valley - Holiday 2015 by Napa Register

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napa valley HOLIDAY 2015

WINE COUNTRY HOLIDAYS AND MORE!

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napa valley

Holiday traditions

A Wine Train Christmas

Marking Season of Lights

Affordable gifts

Sparkling wine world tour

Service with a smile

Father and son wine

Winter sporting fun

Local theater revived

Napa Valley Wine Scene

Dining in The Valley

Favorite Napa Valley things N O R M A KO S T E C K A Ad ve r ti s i ng Di re ctor

Norma Kostecka is the advertising director for the Napa Valley Register.

Wine Country is something special any time of the year, but the holidays add an extra glow to life in our corner of the world. In this edition of Inside Napa Valley Magazine, we’ll take a closer look at Napa County’s holiday season, starting with Christmas on our own Napa Valley Wine Train. Along the journey, we’ll hear from locals on their cherished holiday traditions, look at the way Jewish residents mark the Season of Lights, and get some family memories that inspired our great local pastry chefs. We’ll look at affordable

and do-it-yourself gifts and tour the world through that most celebratory of beverages, sparkling wine. But there’s plenty of non-holiday fun to be had too. We’ll meet some local characters, including the father-son team that runs Jarvis Estate wines and Ron Menegon, owner of Steves Hardware, who is bringing his old-time hardware business into a new era by maintaining service with a smile. We’ll visit some affordable places to enjoy winter sports, and learn more about local theater from our friends at Lucky Penny

Productions. And of course, we’ll bring you some of our favorite recent pieces from our Napa Valley Publishing family of newspapers, including in-depth coverage of the Valley’s thriving wine and food scene. So hoist a glass of your favorite bubbly and join us for this edition of Inside Napa Valley. On the cover: Join us for a Wine Country Christmas on rails, with a look at holiday experiences on the Napa Valley Wine Train. Story on Page 5. Photo courtesy the Napa Valley Wine Train. 3

CHRISTMAS A Napa Valley

S A M I E H A RT L E Y

hristmas is just once a year, but the memories made during the holidays last a lifetime. Every culture and country has its own interpretation of Christmas traditions, and Napa Valley is no different. Local families adore trips to Napa on Ice and waving to passersby during the community parades. But what Christmas ultimately comes down to is being with those you love and enjoying the traditions you’ve create for yourselves. For Gina and Curtis Clark of Napa, Christmas is always about family. The two were married on Christmas Day, in front of a Santa statue in Reno with their family on speaker phone. “This Christmas Day will mark seven years of marriage,” Gina said. “On Christmas Eve, we gather with loved ones and have a gift exchange. We then let our daughters Sopheah, Kassandrah, and Evalenah open one present each, which is a new pair of pajamas that we wear for family pictures on Christmas morning.” Christmas Eve is a special time for Napan Donna Cowan and her family as well. “Every Christmas Eve, our family gets fresh crab and clam chowder – most of the time right from Fisherman’s Wharf – and open up a bottle of wine we’ve saved all year for our special dinner,” Cowan said. “Even though we ‘kids’ are all in our mid-twenties by now, we still count on this tradition and look forward to contributing to it. “We still spend the night at our parents’ house 4

that evening so we can be together Christmas morning like old times. Christmas dinner is prime rib made by Dad. We will be sad when we can no longer do this, so it’s definitely a special tradition.” Napan Sherri Bradley celebrates her birthday on Dec. 24, so Christmas Eve is always extra special. “Every year, my mom and I would take my daughter Sierra out on Christmas Eve to see lights. My birthday is on Christmas Eve, so we would always start out with going to dinner,” Bradley said. “After that we would drive all over Napa and find the houses with lights.” Bradley’s mother passed away three years ago, but she and her daughter continue the family tradition, which they’ve enjoyed for more than 20 years. While viewing Christmas lights is a fun way to celebrate the season, sometimes it’s more fun to be the ones doing the decorating. While some family have yet to even think about their holiday displays, Caitlin Dulle and her clan have been

prepping well in advance. “I married into one of the craziest Christmas families ever to exist, and it’s absolutely amazing,” Dulle said. “For us, Christmas starts in October when the stores start stocking their shelves with new outdoor holiday decor. Once all the new decor is bought by my mother- and father-in-law, the planning starts. “In early November, the whole family helps decorate the outside of the house. It usually takes two weekends and a couple of weekdays in between to cover the house top to bottom, driveway and lawn. With Christmas music playing, the weather finally changing and the whole family together, nothing feels more like Christmas.” The family feasts on the fruits of their labor on Thanksgiving night, when they finally turn on all the lights at the popular Penny Lane home in Napa. “We gather to see the giant, bright glow of awesomeness that can be seen miles away. I grew up with my dad taking me every year to go see the house, never imagining one day I would be one of the Dulles on Penny Lane with The Christmas House.” Dulle and her husband Robby live near Lake Berryessa, so they don’t get nearly as much drive-through traffic as the constant flow of cars on Penny Lane, but that doesn’t stop them from putting together their own holiday displays. “We usually get the awesome hand-me-downs of last year’s decorations from the parents.”

Hanukkah traditions blend old and new M I C H A E L WAT E R S O N

A pine tree adorned with lights and ornaments, a Yule log blazing in the hearth, or, more likely nowadays, on a television screen, and a sprig of mistletoe hung over a doorway as a grand excuse for a spirited smooch. Every American instantly recognizes those three symbols of the Christmas holiday. But the origin of these iconic objects is far removed from Christianity; they were handed down from the pagan culture of northern Europe that was practiced long before Dec. 25 was declared the feast of Christ’s nativity by Pope Julius I in 337 C.E. Like its Christian counterpart, the traditions and trappings of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah, an eight-day celebration usually occurring in December – it moves because the Hebrew calendar is lunisolar and doesn’t align with the Western Gregorian calendar – have been influenced by the surrounding culture. Just as Christmas was Europeanized, Hanukkah was Americanized. Jewish immigrants to the United States in the 19th and early 20th centuries looked for ways to fit in with existing customs of their new homeland. “Hanukkah was a minor holiday (in the Jewish tradition),” said Barbara Lustig, president the board at Napa’s Congregation Beth Shalom, “that became prevalent (in the U.S.) because Jewish kids were feeling left out.” Dania Massey, religious director at the synagogue agreed. “Hanukkah’s popularity is because it falls next to Christmas,” she said. And these days, with so many interfaith marriages, Lustig said, many families celebrate both holidays. Christmas and Hanukkah share some similarities despite their distinctly different origins. Lights are central to each holiday, but for

David Issever lights the menorah before a crowd in the Shops at Napa Center in observation of Hanukkah in 2013.

different reasons. Hanukkah, also known as the “Festival of Lights,” commemorates the miraculous burning of the menorah, a special religious candelabrum, during the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem in the second century BCE after the victory of the Jews over the Seleucid Empire, a remnant of Alexander the Great’s conquests. After the victory, according to the Talmud, the Jewish religious text, the menorah miraculously burned for eight days, despite having only enough oil for one. Today, more than 2,000 years later, a new candle is lit on the eight-branch menorah on each of the eight nights of the holiday in observance of that miraculous occurrence. Christmas lights symbolize the star of Bethlehem, an astronomical anomaly that is said by believers to be the divine announcement of the Nativity. The gift-giving traditions of each holiday also have different origins. Christmas gifts are symbolic of the gifts of the Magi to Jesus. In the Jewish tradition the giving of “gelt,” Yiddish for “money,” goes back to Eastern Europe as the word’s origins implies, according to Chabad.org, a Jewish educational website. Gelt has several origins, the website says. Money was given to a teacher out of appreciation. It also served as a reminder of the Jewish law forbidding the counting of money by the light of a menorah, and helped the poor purchase menorah candles and Kiddush wine, another Hanukkah tradition. Today, thanks to American influence, gelt can be presents or, in the case of young children chocolate “coins.” Both holidays are a time for feasting – another name for Hanukkah is “Feast of Dedication” and Jewish law forbids fasting during this time – and certain foods and beverages are associated with both

Luke Simon-Fotouhi spins his dreidel as the congregation of Temple Beth Shalom join in singing the dreidel song on the last day of Hanukkah in 2012

holidays. While it’s common to serve a turkey or ham as the centerpiece for an American Christmas dinner, Hanukkah meals feature foods cooked in oil – the substance of the holiday’s miracle – often potato pancakes (“latkes” in Yiddish) or jam-filled doughnuts or fritters. Some households also eat cheese in remembrance of Judith’s deception of an invading Babylonian general. After he passed out from drinking too much wine because of eating the salty cheese, Judith decapitated him. A cold winter evening is a great excuse for a cup of Christmas cheer, often eggnog or brandy. The Jewish tradition calls for a glass of wine or grape juice, over which Kiddush, a special blessing is said. Each holiday also has a substantial body of music, from the pious: “Silent Night,” “Oh, Hanukkah,” to the lighthearted: “Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer,” “Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel.” And while Christmas is officially observed for one day and Hanukkah eight, traditionally in Europe there were 12 days of celebration between Christmas Day and the Feast of the Epiphany (Dec. 25 – Jan. 6), as recounted in the popular partridgein-a-pear-tree carol, and many people take vacations for the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day. This year Hanukkah is observed Dec. 6-14. The public is invited to the sanctuary at Congregation Beth Shalom, 1455 Elm St., Napa, for dinner, singing and the lighting of menorahs on Friday, Dec. 11. The 6,000 square-foot synagogue, established in a 50-year old repurposed building in the 1950s, underwent a $3.9 million renovation and reopened last year. 6

Gift fair events offer unusual, inexpensive options for holiday giving S E A N S C U L LY Looking for a unique holiday gift from the hands of an artist – at an affordable price no less? Try one of the area’s Christmas craft and gift fairs. For 24 years, for example, Santa’s Helpers Holiday Gift and Craft Fair at the Napa Expo has been assembling scores of artisans from near and far to bring an assortment of food, art, crafts, and other items under one room. “When people hear ‘craft fair,’ they think ‘uh-oh, doilies,’ “ said organizer Christy Beeman. “But there is so much more.” This year, Beeman expects 100 or more exhibitors at Chardonnay Hall on Dec. 12 and 13, ranging from rustic sign-maker John Pendleton, who has been with the fair from year one, to newcomers, including a 14-year-old from Sonoma who

makes his own line of earrings and a Native American musician who makes and sells his own flutes. Prices range from just a few bucks to the hundreds for high end artworks, so there is something for every taste and budget. But, Beeman said, this is no flea-market – or, as she likes to put it, “We don’t do vacuum cleaners.” Every exhibitor is checked by Beeman to make sure he or she is providing something interesting, unusual, artisanal, or hand-crafted. Many exhibitors make their own works or food, she said, but larger companies are allowed if their products fit into the artisan vibe she is trying to create. There is no charge for the show, which runs 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. For information, visit santashelpersnapa.com.

Submitted photo

Santa’s Helpers Holiday Gift and Craft Fair in 2014. This year’s event runs Dec. 12 and 13 at the Napa Valley Expo.

Other holiday gift fair options include the 42nd annual Gifts ‘n Tyme Holiday Craft Fair, also held in Chardonnay Hall, with 85 exhibitors on site from Nov. 20-22. For information, call (925) 372-8961.

Upvalley, Calistoga’s annual Christmas Faire will be open Dec. 5 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Tubbs Building at the Napa County Fairgrounds, 1435 N. Oak St. For information, visit “Calistoga’s Christmas Faire” on Facebook.

3341 Solano Ave (Redwood Plaza), Napa (707) 252-8131 • www.creationsfinejewelers.com

Affordable for the holidays

Ph o to s a nd s to r y by A N N E WA R D E R N S T editor@weekl yc a l isto g an. com

ometimes the most precious gifts are ones that are made especially for you by someone you love. Time and energy are put into a handmade gift, and that means the gift giver thought about you all the while the gift was being made.

There’s no need to travel too far to get supplies or to spend a lot of money. Your local ACE Hardwares – Steves in St. Helena and Silverado in Calistoga – both carry art supplies. You’ll find acrylic paint, pastels, brushes, colored pencils and more along with canvases, watercolor paper, sketch pads and other supplies, all at reasonable prices – paint starts at $8, pastels at $4, colored pencils at $2, and brushes at $5. Can’t draw or know how to paint? Not to worry, there are other ways to create. For example, a grandparent might enjoy a handprint painting. Paint the entire canvas with a medium to dark color of your choice and let it dry. Next paint the palms of each family member with white or a light shade of a complimentary color to the base and press gently on the canvas. After that has dried use a black Sharpie and each family member autographs their hand print. Maybe you are buying for a crafty person, in which case purchase the supplies mentioned above, and add a pair of Frieda Kahlo socks for inspiration – they can be found for $10 at Azusa in Calistoga. Another low-cost option for gifting art is to purchase an adult coloring book – they are all the rage these days, with groups gathering to color together almost like a book club, and others finding the activity calming and inspiring – and color in one of the pages, carefully cut it out of the book, sign and date it, then place it in an appropriate frame. The art image has already been designed for you, but you can add your touch by selecting the palette. Both Copperfields and Blackbird in Calistoga – books are around $15 — have a nice selection of adult coloring books and colored pencils. Again, this is a perfect gift for someone who loves art, or the person who is looking for a way to unwind.

Adult coloring books come in a variety of themes. They are available in Calistoga at Blackbird and Copperfield’s, where colored pencils are also sold.

Tradition or traditional Having a family tradition helps create memories and one way to do that inexpensively is with a glass pickle ornament. The story behind the glass pickle ornament linked to German tradition is a myth, but that doesn’t mean you can’t use the idea and make it a family tradition. The story is that German families would hang the pickle ornament last on the tree and hidden deep within the branches and on Christmas morning the first child to spot it got an extra gift. Have a little more fun with giving this gift and place the pickle ornament inside a Mason jar before wrapping. Of course there is the traditional Lighted Tractor Parade – this year is the 20th anniversary – in Calistoga, so blend the traditions and gift a tractor ornament. Let that be your pickle tradition. Both ornaments are available at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) for $6 for the sparkly pickle, and $10 for the tractor with lights on it, just like you’d see in the famous Calistoga parade. While you’re at the CIA there are a number of fun items to consider. For the chef-intraining, there are itty-bitty chef coats, some with the CIA logo that come in white, dark blue or bright pink ($40), and the teeniest ones with a cheery yellow duck and the word “confit” under it ($52). There are also t-shirts that read “sous chef” in pale pink, medium grey, or lime green ($17). A playful hat has a simple embroidered “CIA” on it ($22). Does it stand for Culinary Institute of America or Central Intelligence Agency? You decide. Pair that with a silicone folding trivet ($8) – available in bright colors such as orange, lime and hot pink, and it can stand on all

These artful measuring spoons are available at Silverado ACE Hardware in Calistoga.

Carmel Gallery in Calistoga has hand-painted silk scarves (above) and wooden baskets as well as a small selection of jewelry and a large selection of art in a wide variety of styles and sizes. Socks with an image of famed artist Frieda Kahlo are available at Azusa in Calistoga.

four legs or fold down flat — and a set of decorative measuring spoons from ACE ($22), and you’ve got a lively, thoughtful gift for the home cook. Artisan created gifts are always special. At Carmel Gallery in Calistoga there are the gorgeous large pieces to drool over, but there are also smaller items more appealing to a smaller pocketbook. Hand-painted wine glasses and flute are artful and functional ($30) and hand painted silk scarves ($60) offer style and class. Charming carved wooden baskets ($50) entice one to slide a hand over its smooth base and find something equally charming to nest inside.

Colored pencils are available in Calistoga at Silverado ACE Hardware, Copperfield’s Books, and Blackbird, and in St. Helena at Steves ACE Hardware.

It’s a Holly Jolly Christmas! CHRISTMAS PARADE

Is there any time of year as special as Thanksgiving and Christmas? Here in the Napa Valley Fall colors still linger on the vines, morning and evening temps are turning crisp and families come from far and near to share the holidays together. Here are some of the activities families can enjoy together while Home for the Holidays.

the time between rides shopping and The 53rd annual Christmas dining in beautiful downtown Napa. parade begins at 5 p.m on Saturday, Thursdays, Dec. 3rd, 10th and 17th, from Nov. 28th. The theme “Have a Holly 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Jolly Christmas” lends itself to all kinds of creative interpretations, as Napans HOLIDAY TROLLEY Get everybody together and hop build floats, decorate cars, animals and children, and march down the street. on a Holiday trolley. Sign carols, drink Participants are encouraged to decorate hot chocolate or just visit as you ride using lights, with a prize of $500 going throughout downtown and the Oxbow to the entry that the judges think does area. The Christmas-decorated trolley that better than anyone else. A second will be playing music of the season as $500 prize goes to the entry that best it travels between four regular stops follows the parade theme. –at the Oxbow Public Market, Historic This year’s parade Grand Marshal Napa Mill, First & School Streets near is Tom LeMasters and the staff from the Andaz Hotel, and at Main & Pearl Bank of Napa. Celebrate with Napa’s Streets. Signage will show you exactly best local bankers. If all Napans have where to get off and on. Enjoy the whole been good girls and boys, Santa Claus loop at one time, or get on and off as himself will be in the parade. Afterwards, you wish. The trolley runs on Fridays, he’ll be in the lobby of the Andaz to hear Saturdays and Sundays, from December what kids want for Christmas. Parents can listen in, and maybe help Santa 4th through the 20th, from 3 to 6 p.m.

CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING

make those dreams come true. It’s all free and all fun.

This year, it’s Thanksgiving at your house. Before all the cooking and football games start on Thursday, gather the clan and head to Veterans Park, at the north east corner of Main and Third, when Mayor Jill Techel will light Napa’s Christmas tree. Free hot chocolate and cupcakes, courtesy of Downtown Joes and Kara’s Cupcakes, are available to all. Students from the Napa Dance Center and the ever-popular Tap Dancing Christmas Trees will delight the crowd with Holiday dance moves. Catch a fun performance from Tubas at Large, led by Alan Parks. Wednesday, Nov. 25th at 6 p.m. Of course, it’s free and open to the public.

CARRIAGE RIDES Enjoy free horse drawn carriage rides through downtown Napa. It’s one of the best ways to take in the Holiday lights on all the buildings, see what the Christmas windows look like in the stores, and just snuggle with the family. One carriage leaves the Historic Napa Mill on each of the scheduled nights, a second one departs from Dwight Murray Plaza during the same time. Ride either or both – there are two separate routes, with each route lasting about twenty minutes. Members of Napa’s 20-30 Club will help you board the carriages, passing out candy canes to the little ones. Spend

J.L. Sousa/Register

A sampling of some of the holiday treats that will be available at Sweetie Pies bakery in downtown Napa this holiday season. Owner Toni Chiappetta, left, with cake department supervisor Olivia Ramos. Clockwise from bottom, Buche de Noel, assorted holiday cupcakes and harvest cupcakes.

Make time N for desserts

Pastry chefs share their holiday memories RO S E M A R I E K E M P TO N

o matter how sophisticated we think we have become, something happens with many of us when the holiday season rolls around. We discover that, alas, we are still children at heart.

J.L. Sousa/Register

Fondant pumpkins are prepared as a garnish for Harvest cupcakes at Sweetie Pies Bakery.

We hear a carol on the car radio or smell the freshness of evergreens for sale on a tree lot and we begin longing for a taste of Auntie Bernith’s spritz cookies or mom’s Russian Tea Cakes – sweet treats indulged in only at Christmas time. Top pastry chefs, like the rest of us, tend to crave what their mothers, grandmothers and aunties baked for their families and friends at this festive time of year. Pastry chef Sonjia Spector yearns for her mom’s apple pie with an “all Crisco crust,”

cinnamon and spice as well as “anything pumpkin” and ginger snap cookies during the holidays. Spector and her chef husband, Matt Spector, own “JoLe Farm to Table” restaurant in Calistoga. As a rule, the two-chef family, along and their two children, are “generally pretty healthy eaters,” but Spector believes that “holidays are a time for splurging – for indulging in the desserts that connect us to others. “My favorite things are the baked goods our friends and

J.L. Sousa/Register

Sweetie Pies Bakery cake department supervisor Olivia Ramos applies frosting to a Christmas present cake for the upcoming holiday season.

neighbors drop off during the season, like homemade rocky road candy, caramels, apple bread— traditions that people have been making in their families for years,” Spector said. Tasting desserts can rekindle our fondest memories. Spector will never forget the year “Santa” brought her a Barbie Dream House and she put her little sister inside it. Each year her holiday was filled with pleasure and chaos. “Now that my siblings and I are grown, the chaos revolves around our eight collective children—Gin fizzes at my parents’ on Christmas Day and Prime Rib dinner on Christmas Eve,” she said. Holiday staples At the restaurant, Spector always makes white chocolate peppermint stick ice cream sandwiches at Christmas time. They offer a pumpkin roulade with a ginger mascarpone filling that will be carried through Christmas. “We make all of our own ice creams and sorbets. Spector said. She suggests looking for seasonal ice cream flavors like bourbon butternut squash, eggnog, gingersnap, green apple. And of course, a lot of chocolate. “My assistant Julie, and I will be busy during the holiday season filling special orders for desserts. There are some items listed on our bakeshop menu on the website, but we also take requests.” “I love that desserts and sweets make people happy,” Spector said. “I’ve had guests come up and hug

me in the restaurant after they have had dessert. Being a part of that is pretty cool.” Mixing many traditions Executive pastry chef Kara Haspel Lind, a busy mom and owner of nine Northern California Kara’s Cupcakes Bakeries, including Napa, goes to Pittsburg, where she grew up, to celebrate the holidays with her German/Italian/ Serbian family. Her 93-year old grandma is still baking the traditional holiday goodies Kara came to know and love during her childhood. “There’s are always Italian cookies – the pizzelles are my favorite. My mom still makes about 500 of them at Christmas. I always say, ‘mom, you are making too many’ but they all go,” Lind said. The pizzelles as well as other Italian cookies make the perfect after dinner treat with coffee because they are not overly sweet. Not being too sweet is an important consideration for Lind, the daughter of a dentist who discouraged sweets. “In Napa guests bring wine. Back east they bring cookies,” she laughed. “The cookie tradition will never die in our family. The holiday cookies are already made for me by my mom and grandma. Eventually I’ll have to do this (cookie making). I bring my family cupcakes and they give me nut cake and pizzelles. Kara’s Cupcake Bakeries carry seasonal cupcakes on their menu as well as cakes and artisan sweets.

Celebrating 20 Years of It’s a Grand Night for Singers

Congratulations to

Richard B. Evans

Founding Host and Music Director Here’s to Another Twenty Years! Don’t miss our holiday show: December 5th! 11

Sean Scully/Register

Sonjia Spector, co-owner and pastry chef at Calistoga’s JoLe, makes a batch of scones. Her holiday flavors include cherry, cranberry, and apple-cinnamon.

They also have a gluten free line of pastries. Lind shares a holiday cupcake recipe as well as cooking tips with readers. Desert makes it memorable Pastry chef Toni Chiappetta, owner of Sweetie Pies Bakery in Napa, whose pumpkin pie was rated the top pumpkin pie in the nation by Rachel Ray a few years ago, cherishes fond memories of holiday celebrations with her large, extended family. “Growing up holiday celebrations always seemed to be at our house,” Chiappetta recalls. Each year her mother, a professional cook, started baking at the beginning of December. “She would give tins of cookies to everyone. She would start baking at the beginning of December and would do 6-10 different cookies, most of which she was well known for – her butterballs (Russian Tea Cookies), anisette cookies, a raisin nut spiral made with pie dough, fried ribbons and wine cookies to name a few.” “Christmas time, to me, is all about the dessert. It is about the different cookies and cakes that we make. As the days grow shorter, Chiappetta yearns for steamed puddings—popular early in the 20th 12

and 2015. Bergen got involved in baking because customers at her C CASA, a quick-serve tacqueria serving ecofriendly and innovative Mexican street food at Oxbow Public Market in Napa, were asking for gluten-free desserts. To please her customers, Bergen opened Cate & Co. It offers breads, pastries, cakes, sandwiches, and quiche—all gluten free. “My favorite holiday family memory was at Christmas and a salad that my grandmother made. She called it Candle Stick Salad. It was butter lettuce with vinaigrette on the salad plate, a pineapple ring on top of the lettuce, a half a banana inside the ring of the pineapple standing up with pointed side up, a cherry on top finished off with a silver candy,” Bergen said. “It doesn’t sound that delicious now but we would have a big table set that would seat about 24 people and when we were called to the table, these salads would be at each place setting,” Bergen continued. “So beautiful.” Wherever our holiday dessert preferences fall in the spectrum— from simple and pristine to decadent and sugary—Napa has skilled pastry chefs as well as talented home bakers who are already the planning tempting treats that will enhance the season. Why not indulge?

century. “They (steamed puddings) Holiday means pie are basically cake batters that are “I only eat pie twice a year. I put into a decorative mold with a savor every bite of pumpkin pie lid and cooked in a simmering water for Thanksgiving and Pecan Pie on bath,” she said. Christmas Eve,” said pastry chef, Sweetie Pies is well-known for its Catherine Bergen, owner of CCASA buche de noel (yule log), a flourless and Cate & Co, a gluten-free bakery. chocolate cake filled with chocolate Both eateries are located at Oxbow ganache and whipped cream frosted Public Market in Napa. in fudge frosting to look like a log. CCASA was awarded the MicheIt is covered in chocolate shavings lin Bib Gourmand Award and Zagat and gold dust with white chocolate rated 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 mushrooms and sugar holly berries. The bakery also does a variety of decorated cakes, cupcakes, cheesecakes, pies and cookies. Their cookie boxes are popular as gifts. “For me desserts at the holidays create an end to the holiday meal that is enjoyed by friends & family,” Chiappetta said. “I have always said that you always remember the beginnings and end of the meal and that makes J.L. Sousa/Register dessert especially Garnish is applied to assorted Christmas cupcakes at Sweetie Pies Bakery as the popular important.” shop prepares for the upcoming holidays.

Downtown Talk

Toy B Ville – the stop for Christmas It’s probably not a surprise that Christmas is the favorite time of year for Toy B Ville owner Darren Turbeville. He lights up just talking about it. “It’s when kids want microscopes, telescopes and chemistry sets, and I get to talk about those things all day. On the other hand, it’s also when families want games they can play together. Whether the games are silly or competitive events with bragging rights on the line, it’s the time of year that families come together. I love everything about it.”

This year’s hot toy is Kendama, a Japanese ball-in-a-cup style game, which is popular with ten year olds and teens alike. “It’s a pushback against technology,” said Turbeville. “It takes eye-hand

coordination, bent knees and body movement. It’s a 3D experience versus flatboard.” This Christmas will be particularly special for Turbeville and his wife Amanda, as they will celebrate it with their seven monthold son, Austin. “I know what Austin likes to play with now, and I can map out his toy-future watching older kids in the store.” Turbeville has a Masters Degree in Materials Engineering, and was preparing to spend his life in research, dedicated to helping people. He’s worked in retail most of his life, and was running his family’s toy store in Healdsburg, also Toy B Ville, while pursuing his education. That’s when he had a social epiphany. “If a child is allowed to be a creator and not a consumer, you can change his future,” said Turbeville. “I realized I can have just as big an impact in people’s lives by offering toys that engage and educate kids as by doing research.” Turbeville is not preachy, and hopes not to offend with his philosophy. But he looks at the toys he had as a kid, GI Joes and the like, and as an adult remembers most the ones that got him outside, or allowed his imagination to run wild. Turbeville is committed to Toy B Ville being a place where a child’s imagination can grow, no matter his or her age. Turbeville stays away from

toys that over stimulate infants with loud noises, rapidly flashing lights and such, as they hurt a child’s creative abilities and attention span. “America’s greatest generation grew up with one type of toy,” he said. “I want to provide toys for our next greatest generation.”He also supports products that are made locally and in the USA, and does his homework to find such vendors. He cites as an example a toy that has been made in the states for fifty years, which a Chinese company knocked off three years ago. The new company has saturated the market with television ads for the product, and consumers now think the product originated with them. When a customer asks for the Chinese version, which most do, Turbeville shows them the local version, which is manufactured in Arizona, and they are happy with it. If Turbeville believes that a toy is not good for children, he won’t carry it, even if customers request it. In the eight years they’ve been in Napa, Toy B Ville has continued the very popular Birthday Club. Register your child, and in his (or her) birth month through age twelve, he will receive a five dollar gift certificate. The club is free and offers a “Wish List” gift registry. Make sure Santa makes a stop at Toy B Ville this year. Open seven days a week at 1343 Main Street, across from Shackfords. 253-1024.

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Around the world by flute Sparkling wine is a holiday must-have

C AT H E R I N E B U G U E

here is something about a bottle of bubbly that adds a current of electricity to the room, raising levels of anticipation and excitement that only heighten as the cork is popped and the frothy beverage is poured into waiting glassware.

Sparkling wine greeted guests arriving Meadowood for the 2014 Auction Napa Valley.

Call it self-torture or denial, but we often save this attitude-adjusting goodness for the holidays. Sparkling wines are perfect for celebrations, but they are also some of the most versatile wines on the planet to enjoy year-round with food. Crisp, fruity sparklers don’t overpower the flavors of fresh fish, crab salad, and light-sauced pastas; they are a palate refresher between bites of rich foods like sautéed scallops, salmon, or fried chicken; and they pair well with veal, pork tenderloin, and other white meats. In Europe, some regions serve aged, full-bodied sparkling rosé with stews and red meats. With sparkling wine being made across the globe, it can be good fun to travel the world by flute. Let’s start in France with Champagne. The sparkling wine takes its name from its place of origin, the region of Champagne. It is highly regarded and its production method, called classic or traditional (where the full, labor-intensive process of two fermentations takes place in the same bottle), is copied around the world. Made from chardonnay, pinot noir and/or pinot meunieur grapes, the wines have to be aged in the bottle before being sold, and they develop complex baked

biscuit, yeasty, toasty aromas and flavors as they mature. Sparkling wines are made in other French regions, but they can’t be labeled as Champagne because they weren’t made there. The French, and European producers in general, use place names on their wine labels to explain what is in the bottle, many times instead of a grape variety. If you see the word Cremant on a label, this is a term used for sparkling wines made in France but outside of Champagne. The word “cremant” will be followed by the region where the wine was produced; ie Cremant de Bourgogne (from Burgundy) or Cremant d’Alsace. The grapes used in cremants are the signature grapes of its region, so the Cremant de Bourgogne, for example, is made from pinot noir and chardonnay, the reigning grapes of that region’s still wines. Cremants are made in the same traditional way as Champagne, but they are generally aged for less time, and are less expensive. Cremants are great values: you get a classically made French sparkling wine at a more purse-friendly price. Feel like discovering Italy instead? The wildly popular Prosecco wines are made in

J.L. Sousa/Register

the region that calls Venice its capital: the Veneto, in north-east Italy. The grape is Glera and these sparklers are made to be fresh, fruity and bubbly, without toasty, baked biscuit flavors. They are lighter in body and less complex than Champagne — but there are always exceptions. If you see this tongue-twister on the label: Prosecco di Conegliano Valdobiadenne, these are fuller bodied, top quality Prosecco with deeper aromas and flavors. Traveling is good fun, but it is always nice to come back home, and we can’t forget the sparkling wines made in the U.S. — especially the top wineries in Napa Valley: Schramsberg, Domaine Carneros, and Mumm, among others. These are made in the classic method, and rival the best in Europe. The first commercial winery in the U.S. was not in California, however; it was in Ohio, where success came from a sparkling wine made from the native Catawba grape in the mid-1800s. Today, great sparkling wines are made all across the country, from New York to Oregon. Pick up a glass of sparkling wine and travel by flute to some of the most beautiful regions of the world. There are so many great bubbles to be had. 15

Kelly Asbury Guenthner, left, and Vicki Asbury stand next to a display of their jewelry at Vicki’s home in Napa.

Raphael Kluzniok photos/Register

The Crown Jewels unveiled

A L I S H A W Y M A N B U S I N E S S @ N A PA N E W S . C O M

apa’s Vicki Asbury has managed to craft a hobby into a side business. She now runs the Crown Jewels while she helps raise a grandchild and enjoy retirement with her husband.

Asbury’s background in jewelry-making started about two years ago with admiring the jewelry a friend made. Her friend taught her how to make them herself, and Asbury found she had a knack for it. “I just enjoy it as something that I never knew I could do,” she said. She and her friend went into business together until her friend bowed out. Her daughter, Kelly Asbury Guenthner, has since joined in helping with some of the logistical aspects of running a business, such as managing its Facebook page and helping her with jewelry shows. Asbury makes simple, classic jewelry using a variety of natural stone or acrylic beads and metals she finds either online or at bead shows. Her Facebook page shows a collection of chunky beaded necklaces, chains, bracelets and earrings. Some of the materials featured include carnelian, howlite, glass, agate and onyx. All her pieces are one-of-a kind, handcrafted based on colors and designs that appeal to Asbury herself. 16

She has made over Info: a thousand The Crown Jewels pieces, 707-255-4022 which she vjasbury@att.net sells at facebook.com/ Thomas The-Crown-Jewels-415110815348801 Bartlett Interiors in Napa, the Mustard Seed, jewelry parties or at craft fairs. “It sort of is a nice way to express your love for color and for jewelry,” she said. “I do love jewelry.” She sells necklaces for $40 to $95 and bracelets for about $35. Right now long chains with tassels are in fashion, made of silver, gold or gunmetal. “I like to look inside of magazines and see what kind of jewelry they’re displaying,” Asbury said. “It keeps me up to date.” She doesn’t have large-scale ambitions for the Crown Jewels. For now, it is a fun hobby she can

do at her leisure. Any money she makes she puts back into the business. “I like the pace it’s going,” she said. “It keeps me busy, but then it allows me to do other things, too.” She will do custom orders, where a customer can come over to her home, pick out beads, and she will make a piece tailored to the customer’s tastes. Recently, a woman who bought a piece of hers from Thomas Bartlett asked her to do a small show in her home as a fundraiser for scholarships for women. She donated 20 percent of the proceeds to the scholarship fund. Ashby has been a homemaker for most of her life and continues to help care for a grandchild. With her husband’s retirement a couple of years ago, she’s found her jewelry business to be compatible with their lifestyle. She enjoys sifting through the variety of beads at bead shows, hunting for the elements of her jewelry, and pairing colors and beads together. During the various holidays, she makes jewelry to match the season. Now her selection features the colors of fall, and soon she will shift to Christmas-themed pieces. “I express my love of what I do,” she said. “It always makes me happy when people say, ‘I bought a necklace and I really love it.’”

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Sean Scully/Register

Ron Menegon. left, helps customer Jack Bailey find an elusive bit of plumbing for a home repair job.

Steves Hardware

A family passion Service, knowlege keep customers coming back to local institution

RO S E M A R I E K E M P TO N

on Menegon, who, along with his brother, Gary, owns Steve’s Hardware and Housewares in St. Helena, doesn’t shy away from the challenge of changing demographics nor the encroachment of big box stores. As the ratio of visitors to locals on Main Street steadily increases and Home Depot, a 20-minute drive away, lures some customers with low prices, he continues to do what he has always done—serve the local community as well as tourists. “There’s a little change in demographics in town. I think the local serving mom and pop store has a chance to survive in small towns but I do see it as more of a challenge each decade,” Menegon said. Menegon was born in San Francisco to Verino and Louise Menegon when his father was in the Korean War. The family moved

back to St. Helena to be near their relatives and Menegon has lived there 61 years. In 1955 his father and business partner, Jerry Gard, purchased Steve’s Hardware and Housewares from Warren Steves, the son of its founder, John Henry Steves. Menegon began working at his father’s store as a boy. Before school he would come in to put tools out and then go to school. After school he’d come back to work in the store. He continued working at the store during the afternoons while he attended Napa Valley College. Later, in hopes of

becoming a physical education instructor or a coach he went to Sacramento State. When he married Ann, at age 23, Menegon went back to his father’s hardware store where he has been there ever since. The couple have three grown children: David, Courtney and Bryan. David and Courtney now work at the store. Menegon’s brother, Gary, helps manage the business and his wife, Roberta, works in the office. “Many years ago dad put in a few housewares. Ann took over housewares. She’s done well with them. Now locals as well as tourists are purchasing and we are shipping all over the country,” Menegon said. Six years ago the housewares section of the business was built on the area that used to be their parking lot. “Every time it is my wife’s birthday, I go to the housewares section and Ann will say she knows that my wife doesn’t have this or that – and she’ll suggest something. It is a big hit with my wife every time,” said Pope Valley Fire Chief Mike Damonte, whose grandfather started the Hub Cap Ranch. “ This family is the most generous people you could ever know. They always give generous donations to charity,” Damonte continued. “Their son, David, who works there is generous like his father and uncle, Gary. If you buy a barbecue, he will bring it to your house and assemble it. I don’t know of another hardware store that does that.” “The employees are that way too. Rick, Roger and Glenn are knowledgeable. If they don’t know about it, you don’t need it,” Damonte laughed. “They are the kind of guys who will go find out about what they don’t know.” St. Helena Rotary president Joice Beatty concurs. When a 1926 plaque of all past Rotary presidents crashed to the floor, she took it to Steve’s Hardware and Housewares and asked how to fix it. After being told what to do, she explained that she didn’t have the right tools.

“Ron asked if he could fix it for me,” Beatty said. “He pulled out a drill at the register and put in the right size bit and fixed it. He wouldn’t accept payment,” Beatty said. “I was out of there in 15 minutes and owed them nothing. Their whole business is incredible.” An avid cook, Beatty is a fan of the store’s housewares section “There’s nothing like it. I used to shop at Williams Sonoma and other high end stores – I gave that up,” she said. “You can get it here.” The well laid out store “has it all” with a depth of product selection. Ace is their buyer group. Dealers own the company and are allowed to do as they see fit. Menegon works at his store from 6:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday. “I enjoy what I do—organizing the guys, ordering and organizing departments and solving customer’s challenging problems,” Menegon said. He is proud of the store with its own parking lot in back, its reputation for helping people and its full hardware and housewares line. “Do we have 50 types of faucets? No, but we can order it for you,” he said. “There’s plenty of check out areas and people to check you out. There’s camaraderie here from shopping with people you know.” What pleases Menegon most is his friendly, knowledgeable employees. “One gentleman – Rick Stice—has been here about 30 years. Donna Mitchell has been here about 30 years, Glen Raderie about 25 years. You see the same guys here. In lots of cases customers ask for associates by name.” In addition to his store on the corner of Adams and Main, Menegon has owned another hardware store in South Lake Tahoe for two years. “I would like to think the future for Steve’s will be as stable as the past has been,” Menegon said. “I’d like to think of it as being a part of St. Helena for a long time.”

1317 Napa Town Center • 707-224-0997 Visit napavalleyjewelers.com

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Tim Carl photo

William Jarvis, winemaker Ted Henry and Will Jarvis taste aging wine in the Jarvis Estate wine caves.

Tim Carl photo

William Jarvis and his son Will stand in front of one of the wine casks located in the underground caves that house the Jarvis winery operations.

“Our name is on the bottle” Father William and son Will run Napa’s Jarvis Estate

TIM CARL tf carl@g mai l. com

ill Jarvis is finding out what it means to be a second-generation vintner in the Napa Valley. Will is son to William and Leticia, founders of the Jarvis Estate winery and vineyard located in the eastern hills above Napa. The estate is about a 15-minute drive from downtown and has stunning views of the valley and beyond. “I’ve always known I would eventually come back,” said 32-year-old Will during a winery tour. “After graduating with my MBA from Stanford in 2011, I spent a couple of years in banking, gaining outside experience. But my parents and I always knew that I’d help my family manage the winery someday.” The Jarvis estate comprises more than 1,300 total acres, 37.5 of which are planted in vines. A large understated door at the entrance to a cave opens to a 45,000-square-foot system of tunnels that house all the winery operations and are powered by solar energy. The vast underground caves are lined with barrels. Sconced lighting provides an elegant glow to the cave walls, and

the sound of rushing water grows louder as one twists deeper down under the earth. Will and his father lead the tour, each talking in turn, highlighting that their wines are all estate-grown and emphasizing that all the winemaking occurs underground in temperature-controlled conditions. Up ahead a spectacular underground waterfall comes into view. Will grew up in Napa, and by the time he finished middle school he had made his own first wine. “After going to elementary school in Napa, I transferred to Harker private school down in San Jose,” he said. “I spent my weekdays there and weekends back home. When I was about 13

I got the idea to ask the headmaster if I could make wine for my science project that year. I was a little surprised when he agreed. I picked the grapes myself and made the wine in my dorm room. A few months later I had created my first vintage. My parents and I opened a bottle of it years later and we were all pleasantly surprised by the fruity flavors.” William’s path to wine and the Napa Valley was not as clear cut as his son’s. He was born in 1925 in Sayre, Okla. His first stint in college was at the University of Oklahoma, after which he went on to Annapolis to become an officer in the U.S. Navy, spending time in China just after the end of World War II. Back in the United States after his tours of duty, he furthered his education at both UC Berkeley and Stanford. After obtaining his MBA at Stanford, he did what many other successful men of the 1950s did — he went to work for Hewlett-Packard and then left to start his own company. 21

“After HP I spent a year back at Stanford taking graduate-level electronics courses to learn the latest technology,” he said, “And then in 1960, two other engineers and I started Wiltron, an electronics company.” Looking for a place to settle By the early 1980s, his company Wiltron had grown into a multimillion-dollar business and he and his wife Leticia were spending some of their time traveling and exploring the world. “We had spent time in France studying French literature at three different universities in three different French regions,” he said. “Each region had its own winemaking style, and we got interested in wine.” By the mid ’80s Will had been born and William and Leticia were looking for a place to settle. “We had some friends who had a place in Napa,” William said, “but we couldn’t decide between moving to France or staying here. But his wife’s background helped tip the scales. “My wife grew up on a hacienda in Mexico, and the hills above Napa must have reminded her of home,” he said. “That was enough.” Beyond the ties to Leticia’s memories of growing up, Napa provided an environment that supported experimentation. “The great soils here were

reminiscent of our French experience,” William said. “But my engineering background led me to wonder at the time if all their winemaking traditions were really founded in good science. For example, the French said that older vineyards were better. Dr. Smart, our viticulture consultant, said the reason old vineyards were better is that the vines had fewer leaves, which permitted more sunlight on the grapes. He proved that we could achieve the same result on new vineyards by just picking the leaves that shaded the grape clusters. Many vineyards in Napa are doing that now.” Elegant underground table The tour pauses at an underground room set with an elegant table covered in wineglasses and plates of cheese and bread. Seven wines are poured, including the 2006 cabernet sauvignon reserve ($230). Although known for their elegant cabernets and chardonnay, on that day, two of the standouts included the 2012 merlot ($52) and the 2012 tempranillo ($88). They only produced 1,477 cases of the merlot, which had velvety tannins and rich dark-fruit flavors, finishing with chocolate and a hint of raspberry. Although the 2012 tempranillo is nearly sold out, only now available in half bottles, this wine is stunning with rich, round tannins

and deep plum flavors that blend seamlessly with leather and cigar tobacco. The wine lingered on the palate, leaving a lasting impression of cherry cola and clove.

Valley families for inspiration. “I think Peter Mondavi Jr. is a good example,” he said. “Peter is a fellow Stanford alum and an active contributor to the business school. I saw him speak once or twice at Second generation challenges Stanford, and it seemed like there When asked if the winemaking was successful continuity between approach might change over time, Peter Mondavi Sr. and the next Will is quick to respond. generation.” “I’m a strong believer in the Will sees technology as one way winemaking process that has been to make his mark. established by my dad, consult“I see an opportunity to take ing winemaker Dimitri Tchelist- advantage of recent agricultural cheff and our technologies to winemaker optimize the Ted Henr y,” consistency of One of the most he said. o u r p ro d u cunique challenges So what tion,” he said. are some of is how to strike the “This is an the challenges increasingly right balance between faced by secimportant o n d - g e n e r - respecting the challenge in a t i o n N a p a established traditions the context of Valley vintners climate change, and also making like him? which can result “One of the your own mark.” in increased most unique variability from — William Jarvis challenges is year to year. how to strike An example of the right balusing new techance between respecting the estab- nologies is our recent collaboration lished traditions and also making with Fruition Sciences, which has your own mark,” Will said. “I already proved to be useful during think I’ve been able to strike the the 2015 growing season, allowing right balance so far, but I would us to optimize our water use.” never change something that was Like his parents, Will supports already working well just to satisfy the local arts. my own ego.” “My parents have given me a He said he looks to other Napa deep appreciation for the performing arts,” said Will. “They have steadfastly supported the local community through their creation of the Jarvis Music Conservatory in Napa, which I also strongly support. I think the conservatory is relatively unknown, in spite of its quality programs, and I see an opportunity to increase its activity and visibility.” When William was asked what he’d like to be remembered for in 50 years, he looked at his son, a small smile on his face. “I hope the winery is still making high-quality wine,” he said and paused for a moment. “Wine caves can last for a very, very long time. Besides, our name is on the bottle.” Will returned his father’s gaze, repeating his father’s words with earnestness, “Our name is on the bottle.” Tim Carl is a Calistoga resident and freelance writer.

“

JESS LANDER At the very first whiff of snowfall, hordes of Bay Area skiers and snowboarders strap chains to their tires and jam up the roads leading to Tahoe’s most-renowned slopes, like Heavenly, Squaw and Northstar. But if you find crowds, exorbitant costs or black diamonds problematic, there are plenty of budget, beginner and family-friendly alternatives. These five spots aren’t the biggest or the fanciest, but they do offer a relaxed, unpretentious day on the mountain that won’t break the bank—even if you bring the whole family. Though not always challenging enough for advanced skiers, it’s on these slopes that beginners thrive. Here’s to hoping the 2015-16 snow season is much more fruitful than the last. Donner Ski Ranch Located on the historic Route 40 atop Donner Summit, this ranch’s 500 acres or terrain suits all abilities and cheap beginner ski packages include a 90-minute lesson. Donner is one of the last remaining family-owned and operated ski ranch’s around, and is also one of the most affordable, especially on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday when old school specials run for just $35 for adults, $20 for children. Diamond Peak Ski Ranch Beginner lift tickets at Diamond Peak, located at Incline Village, run for just $29. This small resort has some of the most killer views of the lake and ski runs for varying levels. Kids under six ski free and the youth rate surprisingly goes up to age 23, so college students should take full advantage during winter break. If you can spare a weekday, the Locals Lunch deal features a $25 lift ticket valid from 11 a.m.—1 p.m., plus a $10 food voucher (and you don’t actually have to be a local). Pro tip: Head to Costco or Sports Basement before your trip for some deals that will save you even more money. Badger Pass Ski Area Go against the grain and avoid the Tahoe traffic at California’s oldest ski resort, Yosemite’s Badger Pass. Here you can dabble in just about

Christophe Testi/ Dreamstime.com

Cross-country ski trail at Badger Pass.

Let it snow! Plenty of area options for winter sports

everything: cross-country, downhill and backcountry skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing and tubing. With 85 percent of their slopes dedicated to newbies and the longest-running ski and snowboard school in the West, it’s a beginner’s haven, plus children six years and under ski free here too. The school has a learn to ski in one day guarantee, so if you don’t pick it up right away, they’ll pay until you do.

town, the Take 3 Ride Free, which awards a free season lift pass after three lessons. For the adventurous experts, there is extreme snowboarding off of life-sized cannons at the gnarly, pirate-themed terrain park. Here you can also try something fun and different with night skiing as the slopes are open until 9 Pp.m. Kids are sure to love tubing and the trampoline park, and college students and active duty military can take advantage of $15 lift tickets on Fridays.

destination in the Tahoe National Forest gets blanketed in snow and becomes a great place for snowshoeing or cross-country skiing, no lift ticket required. While everyone else is at the bustling resorts, Page Meadows offers a true, peaceful escape into nature where you’ll seldom pass fellow travelers—just their footprints—on the many spidering trails (more than 10). This is also a great place to take your dogs and the perfect, open and safe area for Boreal Mountain kids to play in the snow. There are This Truckee resort is where the a couple of different ways to get to cool kids go to play. For beginners, Page Meadows the trailheads, and be prepared with this spot has one of the best deals in In the winter, this popular hiking chains, just in case. 23

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We are creative. We are curious. We are confident. We are Blue Oak School. Please join us on December 9 at 6:30 for our Kindergarten Information Session or on January 10 at 3:00 for our Middle School Open House.

Lower School Grades K-5 1436 Polk Street Middle School Grades 6-8 1272 Hayes Street www.blueoakschool.org 707-261-4522

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Lucky Penny takes Napa Valley theater ...

One step beyond F O R I N S I D E N A PA VA L L E Y

Lucky Penny Productions is always striving to be something more—something beyond expectations. Founded just six years ago as a partnership between Taylor Bartolucci and Barry Martin, it has grown into a successful non-profit corporation with its own venue called the Lucky 36

Penny Community Arts Center. Lucky Penny has brought to Napa critically acclaimed and popular musicals like “Funny Girl,” “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,” “Monty Python’s Spamalot,” “Oliver,” “Bonnie & Clyde” and “The Secret Garden,” along with edgy, and sometimes locally-written plays like “Wretch Like Me,”

“Yesterday Again,” and “Becky Shaw.” Lucky Penny collaborates with partners like New Tech High School, Stonebridge School, Blue Oak School, Arts Council Napa Valley, Napa School of Music and other organizations for events in the Community Arts Center. Lucky Penny also provides educational content through the Napa Academy of Performing Arts. The first summer program culminated in a youth production of “Charlie and Chocolate Factory” and recently the popular “I’m the Greatest Future Star Musical Theater Competition For Kids” featured 25 performers aged 6 to 18. Lucky Penny opened the Community Arts Center in January of 2015. In just a few months, with tremendous support from the community, they transformed a former light industrial/warehouse space into a 99-seat theater, a rehearsal and dance studio, and a spacious multi-use lobby that can be transformed into a gallery for painting, photography, and other fine art shows. Now in development are small studios for instrument and voice lessons and other learning opportunities. And the Community Arts Center are available for rental at very reasonable prices. Organizations can use the space for meetings, events, and fundraising in conjunction with, or apart

from, any Lucky Penny production in the space. Schools without their own theater can use the space for their productions. The concept of the Community Arts Center (CAC) is to have an affordable and accessible “creation place,” an incubator for all kinds of art, where the local community can imagine, develop and present performing and visual arts. The CAC is unique in Napa—the only hands-on, ground-up, low-overhead facility of its kind that can provide a place for all kinds of arts and cultural creations to take shape and be seen. For more information on facility rentals contact Taylor Bartolucci at info@luckypennynapa.com or call 707-695-7157. Future productions will continue to focus on quality, innovation, and value for the ticket buyer. Lucky Penny recently was accepted by the Actors Equity Association as a Tier 1 partner, which allows professional Equity members to perform in their productions. Due to the critical success and popularity of past productions, auditions are now drawing professional, semi-professional, and experienced amateur performers of all ages from around the Bay Area. Lucky Penny will continue to offer more than you might expect. You will get the high quality productions including musicals, comedies, classics, modern edgy plays, and original and locally written works. But also look for more variety of performances including poetry and short story

readings, adult singing competitions, standup comedy competitions, playwright competitions, and special seasonal events. Lucky Penny wants to be your local go-to spot for affordable, accessible, high quality live entertainment. If there is something you would like to see at Lucky Penny, email info@luckypennynapa.com and let them know.

Next up on the Lucky Penny stage is the hilarious comedy, “Beyond Therapy” by Christopher Durang, running Nov. 6 through 22. Following is the ever popular musical comedy,“The Great American Trailer Park Christmas Musical,” by David Nehls and Betsy Kelso, running from Dec. 4 through 19. Both productions feature adult themes and are not recommended for children. The Lucky Penny Community Arts Center is located at 1758 Industrial Way, Suite 208, Napa. Call 266-6305 or go online at www.luckypennynapa.com for ticket information and upcoming shows and events. Donations are still very much needed to complete the entire project and can be mailed to 1357 Foster Road, Napa, 94558 or online at www.luckypennynapa.com . Lucky Penny is a registered 501c3 non-profit tax exempt organization.

E & M Presents:

Collaboration brings more family-friendly shows to Napa REGISTER STAFF “One of the things I miss most from my days at the Opera House is the pleasure of putting smiles on the faces of parents and their kids,” says Evy Warshawski, who, as artistic director of the newly renovated Napa Valley Opera House from 2004-2011, drew scores of locals into the venue with her wide-ranging programming that presented everything from jazz great Wynton Marsalis to the popular “Idol NV,” which put a spotlight on talented local singers.

To fill that “family-friendly gap,” Warshawski and her husband, Morrie Warshawski, have started a Napabased presenting company, E & M Presents LLC. “We feel that there is an important missing link in the cultural landscape of the Napa Valley,” Warshawski explained. “Our goal is to bring affordable, highly entertaining, educational performing arts geared to families, as well as other performing arts events involving strong community partnerships.”

Submitted image

The World Famous Popovich Comedy Pet Theater returns to Napa on Saturday, Dec. 5.

Submitted photo

Chris Perondi brings his stunt dogs to the Napa Valley College Performing Arts Center in another E & M Presents show on May 8. The Warshawskis have formed the company to bring more family-friendly shows to Napa, including those that were hits when Evy Warshawski was artistic director of the Napa Valley Opera House.

For their first “season,” E & M Presents offers three different events, a total of five shows, to the Napa Valley College Performing Arts Center. One hour prior to each performance, free arts activities for children will take place in the theater lobby. All shows are presented in partnership with Cafeteria Kids Theater, a nonprofit organization that uses theater as a vehicle to bridge different ethnicities, backgrounds and perspectives. E & M Presents’ shows include: — The World Famous Popovich Comedy Pet Theater, Saturday, Dec. 5, 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Returning to Napa by popular demand, this family-friendly, 75-minute romp combines the award-winning comedy and juggling skills of Gregory Popovich plus the extraordinary talents of his performing pets. Get ready for a caravan of talented animals including geese, doves, a parrot, 12 cats and 14 dogs (rescued from shelters), plus eight Russian performers. Popovich also promises to bring a few animal “surprises.” The Popovich Comedy Pet Theater has a rich performance history, presenting thousands of shows in more than 20 countries, and is currently in its sixth season at the Planet Hollywood Resort/Casino in Las Vegas (ComedyPet.com). All seats are $35 general admission. “It’s the cat’s meow,” the New York Times reports. — Sing-A-Long “Frozen,” Saturday, Jan. 16, 2 p.m.

“Frozen” (rated PG) is the 2013 computer-animated, award-winning musical, fantasy-comedy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, and the 53rd animated featured in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series. Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale “The Snow Queen,” the film tells the story of a fearless princess who sets off on an epic journey alongside a rugged iceman, his loyal pet reindeer, and a naive snowman to find her estranged sister, whose icy powers have inadvertently trapped the kingdom in eternal winter. Prizes will be awarded for kids who come dressed as their favorite “Frozen” character (frozen. disney.com). All seats $15 general admission. — Chris Perondi’s Stunt Dog Experience, Sunday, May 8, at 2 and 6 p.m. Chris Perondi’s cast of performers and “pound pups” will delight audiences of all ages and is sure to guarantee howls of delight from beginning to end. Witness some of the most incredible stunts ever performed by dogs including: comedy antics; dancing dogs; the Extreme Canines Triathlon; and the Golden Bone Showdown, a series of five separate challenges that will test each dog’s intelligence, speed, accuracy and leaping ability. Each show includes interactive crowd participation. These “stars” have been featured on “The Ellen Degeneres Show,” “The Queen Latifah Show” (Latifah called the show “paw-tastic”), “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno,” Animal Planet’s “Pet Star!,” Fox

Sports’ “You Gotta See This!,” the CBS “Early Show” and many more (StuntDogShow.com). All seats are $30, general admission. Tickets are available at Eventbrite.com. For information about sponsorship opportunities and/ or to join the E & M Presents mailing list, email evywar@gmail.com or call 707-224-4353. 39

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A look at what made The Valley famous 42

Happy 50th anniversary Schramsberg Vineyards

Acclaimed winery celebrates the team that brought it to acclaim A N N E WA R D E R N S T E D I TO R @ W E E K LY C A L I S TO G A N . C O M The grove of olive trees that covered his head weren’t as tall as they are now when Hugh Davies was a boy growing up among them. The area in which he welcomed guests to his winery’s 50th anniversary celebration in September – a tree-lined grove with flanking vineyards – was, in his childhood, not an area to receive business guests and associates, it was part of his family upbringing. “We called it the picnic area,” he said. The area now known as Jack and Jamie’s Grove, named for Hugh Davies’ parents and the founders of Schramsberg Vineyards, played host to some 200 guests during the Schramsberg 50th Anniversary the Calistoga property on Dia- dream to create a premier American Celebration. mond Mountain. sparkling wine house. Hugh Davies was born in “They pursued a niche that was “They wanted to be there with 1965, the year his parents found singular,” Davies said of his parents’ their sparkling wine,” he said.

It a l l a wa i t s

Anne Ward Ernst/Calistogan

A 1999 J. Schram Late Disgorged wine is poured for guests attending Schramsberg’s 50th anniversary dinner celebration.

The first wine they released in 1967 was $6.75 per bottle, and five years later their Schramsberg 1969 Blanc de Blancs was served at the State dinner “Toast to Peace” hosted by President Richard Nixon for the Premier Chou En-lai in Beijing. It was the first time any American wine was served at any White House or State event, at home or abroad. It wouldn’t be the last time Schramsberg wine would be served at the White House or at other dignitary events. Making a fine sparkling wine in America wasn’t seen as a good

Better Beckons

BERINGER RHINE HOUSE

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Anne Ward Ernst/Weekly Calistogan

Hugh Davies welcomes guests to Schramsberg’s 50th anniversary celebration dinner with his wife, Monique. Hugh’s parents started Schramsberg in 1965, the same year Hugh was born.

business venture back then. “They wouldn’t listen to ‘no,’” Davies said. Davies took the opportunity of the evening to recognize several longtime employees, a handful of current and former winemakers — such as Keith Hock, Todd Graff, Harold Osborne and others — family, board members, restaurateurs, wine sellers and wine writers for supporting the Schramsberg and J. Davies brands.

He also asked for influence by those who have it for Schramsberg Vineyards, which has been named one of five nominees for Wine Enthusiast’s Wine Star Award for American Winery of the Year, the winery’s third nomination for the prestigious honor in five years. It is the only Northern California winery on the list of nominees. Wine Enthusiast said of Schramsberg that the winery “has long

Prager Winery & Port Works

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Anne Ward Ernst/Calistogan

A server offers bacon wrapped “musque de provence” squash prepared by Cindy Pawlcyn, one of the passed hors d’oeuvres that were paired with two Schramsberg sparkling wines — a 2007 J. Schram Blanc de Blanc and a 2007 J. Schram Rose.

topped California’s list of incredible sparkling wine producers. Acclaimed for its range of bubbles, from bruts to vintage reserves, Schramsberg is consistently reaching new heights.” The evening welcomed guests

with generous pours of 2007 J. Schram Blanc de Blanc and 2007 J. Schram Rose paired with Cindy Pawlcyn prepared hors d’oeuvres such as Ahi tuna poke, avocado and wakame on a crispy wonton; crispy parmesan basket with creamy goat cheese and burgundy truffle; and smoked salmon gougere trout roe, dill and watercress aioli. The first course, foie gras ballotin en croute with late Summer stonefruit chutney, was paired with a 1999 J. Schram Late Disgorged. The second course offered two J. Davies’ pinot noirs – 2013 Ferrington and 2013 Nobles – with roasted wild king salmon with herbed lentils, heirloom carrots, caramelized baby turns and mustard sauce. The J. Davies Estate Cabernet Sauvignon showcased the third course with a 2012 and a 2005 estate pairing with a duo of Emigh Ranch lamb; wood oven shoulder and grilled chop, served with late summer ratatouille and grilled olive bread. Dessert paired a 2011 Cremant Demi-sec with a Gravenstein apple rum and raisin crostate with whipped creme fraiche.

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New cave, winemaking facility for Tom Eddy Wines A N N E WA R D E R N S T E D I TO R @ W E E K LY C A L I S TO G A N . C O M Anne Ward Ernst/Calistogan

Tom Eddy opens the lock on the “Hobbit” door on the eastern side of the cave at his winery. His wife, Kerry, said she always wanted a round door to a cave. The door is made of African mahogany and crafted by Calistoga artist Michael Johnson.

Anne Ward Ernst/Calistogan and Chick Harrity

Tom and Kerry Eddy at their home and winery property on Foothill Boulevard. At right, A giant “e” is carved into the back wall of the cave where a cross section of volcanic soil can be seen.

ot yet old enough for a driver’s license when he decided he wanted to be a winemaker, Tom Eddy’s infatuation with wine has never wavered. Having just finished his 42nd commercial harvest, and the 25th harvest for his own label, Tom Eddy Wines, he and his wife, Kerry Eddy, are also celebrating the August completion of their state-of-the-art on-site winery and cave. It was a long time coming to get the winery and cave built, largely due to limited funds and ever-changing winery and building rules. But with the help of friends – most of whom were found through Tom Eddy Wines – the Eddys financed the project without using a bank. “We call them our ‘Cave Partners,’” Tom Eddy said. And in their honor they dedicated and hung a plaque on a curved wall leading to the cave. The winery and cave were constructed with high-efficiency energy materials, and with the underground infrastructure in place, it is constructed to be able to expand one day. The 4,000-square-foot cave is 100 percent waterproof with two entrances

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– something that older caves aren’t required to have — both with doors crafted by Calistoga artist Michael Johnson. One entrance features a door made of fir wood harvested from the property, the other made of African mahogany and shaped round like the cave, something Kerry said she’s always wanted. “We call it the hobbit door,” she said. The backs of both doors are lined with copper. Kerry Eddy, a self-described “shroomer” — or mushroom hunter — and once a member of a mycological society, said Johnson is also a shroomer. Johnson made the mushroom-shaped door handle on the inside of the hobbit door in honor of their shared hobby. Deeper inside the beautifully LED-lit cave are set-in arched niches showcasing Kerry’s sculptures, and at the end of one section a giant “E” is carved into the volcanic soil, which Tom said shows a cross section of soils present in the Calistoga region. Their 22-acre property on Highway 128, which peaks a bit above 1,000 feet, straddles county lines in two parcels — one parcel is in Sonoma County, the other in Napa County. “The county line runs right through this picnic table,” Tom Eddy said. While living in Napa the couple had been searching and searching for property on which to start a winery, but every time they found a place something just didn’t work out. “(This property) found us,” Kerry said.

Tom was in Los Angeles when he got a call on his cellphone from a real estate agent they didn’t even know from St. Helena — they had told everyone they knew they were looking for property, and word must have gotten around, they figure. Tom called Kerry and asked if she wanted to go take a look at it. She did, and didn’t wait to consult Tom about putting in an offer, that would have taken too long and she didn’t want to risk losing it. They paid the asking price and ended up friends with the sellers who once raised sheep there. “I think they were glad to know that we would take care of (the property),” Kerry said. Three sides of the property are surrounded by 900 acres of Sonoma Land Trust where Angus cattle can be found grazing. Tom encountered a big bull staring at him recently while shoveling pressed skins for compost. The protected land provides tranquility and stunning views, and intimate spots ideal for tastings of Tom Eddy Wines. Tom Eddy got the wine bug at 14 when a professor at UC Davis started telling him about wine, how it is made, and what goes into the process. He was already living in Davis with his family when he graduated from high school, and though his parents wanted him to attend Berkeley or Stanford, he wanted to study wine.

His friends thought he was crazy, too, telling him he needed to go away from home to go to college. “The first two years (of college) are for booze and broads,” he said they told him. But he was obsessed. He had been setting up wine tastings for his parents since age 14, and whatever it took, he was determined to be a winemaker. “I just inhaled information about wine,” he said. In college classes he would take handwritten notes then rush back to his apartment to type them up. “I just absorbed it all. I couldn’t read enough about it,” he said. He graduated from UC Davis in 1974, and counts among his lab partners and classmates winemakers who come from generations-long winemaking families, including the likes of Tim Mondavi, whose family owned Robert Mondavi Winery, and Mike Martini, whose family owns Louis M. Martini wines. Eddy has worked, and still does some consulting, for a number of other wineries. No matter who is making wine for, or what kind of varietal he is working with, he carries with him the same philosophy. He uses state-of-the-art equipment and techniques to produce an Old World style, a wine with elegance. “He doesn’t make wine for the Pepsi palate,” Kerry said.

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More of the same, please? Growers love 2015 crop quality, wish there was more A N N E WA R D E R N S T E D I TO R @ W E E K LY C A L I S TO G A N . C O M ‌Early bud break, early bloom and early harvest combined with stellar quality define the 2015 vintage in Napa, said a panel of industry experts at the Napa Valley Grapegrowers harvest conference in October, as the harvest wound down. “We couldn’t be happier with what we brought in,” said Matt Reid, winemaker for Benessere Vineyards and Estate Winery. It was a “roller coaster” season, said P.J. Alviso, director of estate viticulture

for Duckhorn Wine Company, with warm weather at the beginning of the year, including record heat in some of their vineyards, that triggered the early bud break, followed by a cool spring and then a hot summer. “Bud break started about three weeks ahead of normal and despite some cooler weather that followed in May, the vines never really slowed down,” Reid said. Some “well-timed rains” in December and February contributed

to a good growing season, said Remi Cohen, vice president and general manager of Lede Family Wines. “After that, it was warm and dry so bud break started early. Then had really cool weather mid-May through June, so we were actually tracking thermal time accumulation behind 2012, 2013, and 2014 until July,” Cohen said. The length of the growing season wasn’t any shorter than usual, they said. It just was earlier in all aspects from bud break to harvest. Yields are lower in 2015 compared to the previous three years, which were abundant, but overall it is average in comparison to historical averages. “If you look actually look at the records, the yield was closer to the multi-year average. But after getting spoiled the last three years, it feels like Mother Nature shorted us on the grapes,” Reid said. He said his only complaint of the vintage would be that there is too little of it because the quality of the grapes is terrific. “At Benessere, we couldn’t be

happier,” he said. “The tannin quality is really fine.” High quality is found “across the board,” Alviso said. “We’re seeing really nice concentrations in our wines, also a lot of freshness from bright, vibrant acidity, and I think that’s going to make the 2015 wines really age-able,” Cohen said. As harvest woundnd down, vineyard managers were turning to preparing for the winter and a potential El Nino rainy season. They started to focus “on erosion control, cover crop seeding and getting the vines ready for winter,” Alviso said. At Clif Lede, the 15 inches of rain in December and five or six inches in February helped replenish the ground water and reservoirs, Cohen said, but they use technology, such as drones, weather stations and Fruition Sciences, to help control water usage in the vineyards. “A day in Carneros and a day in Calistoga are not the same day,” Alviso said, so it’s important to monitor each vineyard individually.

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MacNeil ready to release new edition of famed ‘Wine Bible’ TIM CARL tfc a rl @gma il .c om There is plenty to be learned from a woman who’s tasted more than 3,000 wines a year for the last 30 years, and it’s all in the new version of Karen MacNeil’s “Wine Bible,” which was released Oct. 13. “I taste about 10 different wines every day,” MacNeil said, smiling. Sitting in her brightly lit office in downtown St. Helena, she discussed the history of “The Wine Bible” and how she became one of the foremost wine experts in the United States and beyond. The office walls are covered with maps of wine regions, the many shelves full of wine- and food-related books. MacNeil has a disarming smile and a long mane of red hair that gives her an air of casual elegance. Beyond being an accomplished author, MacNeil is also the chairman of the Rudd Center for Professional Wine Studies at the Culinary Institute of America, an educator and a consultant. “I spent 10 years creating the first version of ‘The Wine Bible’ and four more years completely rewriting it and updating the maps, charts and photos for this new version,” she said. “If the first one was a solid B, I’d give this new one an A-plus.” Calling the first version of “The Wine Bible” a “solid B” is surprising considering that since its release in 2000 it has sold more than 750,000 copies, making it the best-selling single volume wine book in the history of U.S. publishing, according to MacNeil. “I wrote ‘The Wine Bible’ because most of the wine books at the time came straight out of the 1950s and were based primarily on British wine experts who presupposed a detailed knowledge of European geography,” MacNeil said. “There was also no single source. Instead, anyone wanting to learn about wine needed to read 40 or 50 books, many of which had repeated errors. But I wanted to create a thoroughly researched single reference that had a distinctly conversational, American tone.

“The writing of the book was challenging. I worked on it for years, ostensibly on my own.” But MacNeil was no stranger to overcoming challenges. “I grew up in Boston in a poor Irish family,” she said. “At 15 months I contracted polio and became paralyzed on my left side until I was about 8. That’s when my mother divorced my father and we moved out to an abandoned Air Force base 40 miles on the outskirts of Reno, Nevada.” By the time MacNeil was 14, she was on the move again — this time on her own. “Home life was difficult, and I was forced to run away,” she said. “I looked through the Yellow Pages under ‘Attorneys’ and called the first listing. They took my case, and the judge agreed that I could live on my own so long as I worked and kept up my school grades,” MacNeil said. “It was tough. I was young and had to work 16 hours a day on weekends as a busgirl and had other jobs before and after school on weekdays.” But even with all the turmoil, the young MacNeil managed to stand out and excel. “I was valedictorian of both my junior and high schools. When I got out of school I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to do, so I traveled around the country with my boyfriend in a VW Bug. It was the early ’70s and that didn’t seem too far from normal.” But soon MacNeil realized she wanted to become a writer. “Writing sort of chose me,” she said. “I had always written, and so I headed off to New York to become a writer. “I submitted lots of articles, and after 324 rejection letters, number 325 was the charm: The Village Voice picked up my article on butters served in delis around the city.” MacNeil found that writing about flavors and tastes was something she was good at and enjoyed, and eventually she became a food writer for

Tim Carl/Star

Karen MacNeil takes a short break from putting the finishing touches on her “Wine Bible 2.0,” which was released in bookstores and wine shops on Oct. 13.

publications such as Elle, Cosmopolitan and The New York Times. “I had become a well-established food writer, but after I wrote an article on gewürztraminer, friends encouraged me to focus on wine, saying that I had a ‘good wine voice.’” Later, in 1990, her publisher asked her to embark on writing a relatively simple book on wine. The original assignment was estimated to take only one year to complete. But years passed and the project grew. MacNeil’s ambition morphed into what eventually became the 900-plus-page “Wine Bible.” “I’d been writing about wine for

years, but after ‘The Wine Bible’ I gained national recognition as someone who knew about wine at a deep level.” MacNeil’s hope? “I’d like to have helped advance the culture of wine in America.” Given the impact of her life and work, history will likely look back at her as one of the first great women of wine in America, pointing to her books, teaching and ceaseless advocacy, all of which have left a strong and powerful imprint on current and future generations of wine aficionados around the world. 51

New experiences

Gloria Ferrer Winery retools visitor amenities, program

PAU L F R A N S O N

That’s a bit ironic since its Catalonian parent plate, local and Spanish cheese plates and special company is best known here for its inexpensive wine and food pairings as well as olives from the ‌Like many other wineries, Gloria Ferrer in Freixenet Cava bubbly. estate. Office staff from the winery help farmworkthe western end of Carneros has dramatically ers harvest the olives, in fact. upgraded its hospitality experience to help build AN ENHANCED EXPERIENCE The cheese and charcuterie plates cost $12 its sales directly to customers. Gloria Ferrer, which is named after the wife to $22. It’s in a good position to do so. of company president José Ferrer, has significantly One unique exhibit is part of Gloria Ferrer’s One of the first wineries to greet visitors expanded and remodeled its visitor space and personal collection of glass for sparkling wines. heading for wine country across the Golden added new tour and food options. Sitting on a Her total collection numbers in the thousands, Gate Bridge, it also lies across the highway from knoll overlooking vineyards, it offers a blend of and about 100 of the unusual and often beautiful Cornerstone Sonoma, an interesting collection Spanish and California traditions. glasses are on display in the new winery. of art galleries and other shops about to welA new entrance leads visitors toward the come Sunset magazine’s relocated test gardens tasting room; in the past, it seemed to highlight A VARIETY OF TOURS AND TASTINGS and kitchens. They’re sure to be a big draw. the restrooms. Gloria Ferrer offers an almost dizzying selection The old tasting room was of experiences, from simply buying a glass or botrather dark and somber, with a tle of wine to drink to flights, tours and tastings giant but largely unused fireplace and food and wine pairings: dominating a wall and blocking Flights range from $18 to $33; wines by the exceptional views. glass from $7 to $20 and bottles from $22 to $75. That fireplace is gone, replaced You receive a complimentary flight if you buy by windows, and the whole tast- $100 in wine to go, which is easy to do. ing room has taken a cue from The winery makes a few wines that you can modern Catalonian style; its cap- buy only at the winery or if you’re a club member. ital, Barcelona, is one of the style These include a number of pinot noirs, a pinot centers of the world blanc, chardonnays and sparklers. With the fireplace gone, Reservations are required for groups of seven the room is 30 percent bigger, or more. and new windows highlight the The sparkling tour demonstrates the process for extensive vineyards below, where making sparkling wine. According to the winery’s you can sometime see jackrabbits website, “Along the way, you will visit the profrolicking. I’ve also seen cotton- duction and cave overlooks, see and touch Pinot tails nibbling on the herbs by the Noir and Chardonnay vines, and learn about the patio when it’s quiet. sustainability practices used by our vineyard team.” The contemporary tables and It includes two sparkling wines and one estate chairs inside are also more luxuri- still wine. The price is $20 per person. ous and inviting than the former One of the real treats is the Bubbles & Bites stand-up tables. Pairing Tour, a private tour and pairing of four A larger Vista Terrace, almost wines with seasonal bites. These aren’t just cheese double the former size, now has or charcuterie, but sophisticated creations. a covered pergola featuring a It costs $60 per person for a minimum of six Submitted photo‌ shade canopy to shield the hot guests by appointment only. A 30 percent increase in square footage inside the Visitor Center, sun for Californians, though outThe winery also offers other tour options with additional windows to bring the impressive Carneros view of-state visitors can still sit in the for groups. and light into the updated indoor tasting area and more luxurious, sun. Heaters allow almost yearcomfortable and contemporary furniture, inviting guests to linger. round use. SPECIAL EVENTS New exclusive areas on the Being in Sonoma County where the rules aren’t Also nearby are the Olive Press, hilltop terrace welcome Gloria Ferrer club members and as restrictive as they are in Napa, Gloria Ferrer can Viansa Winery with its deli, and Cline, Jacuzzi, a new private room called the Vista Room is used host anniversaries, weddings or other special famSchug and Anaba wineries. for special food and wine pairings and meetings. ily, social or business events. It can accommodate Gloria Ferrer also specializes in fine sparkling The room where tours begin, is getting a new up to 120 guests during the evenings. wines, a category of wine that is undergoing a educational display on vineyards, soils and the For information, visit GloriaFerrer.com or huge boom. winery’s extensive work with clones. call 933-1917. While also making fine pinot noir from Perhaps most welcome, the former refrigerGloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards is open its just-cool-enough vineyards, the winery fits ated case with a few food items to grab have been daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is at 23555 among the top tier of California sparklers. replaced by plated presentations like a charcuterie Arnold Drive (Highway 121) in Sonoma. 52

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Dining in

Napa Valley A look at whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cooking for fall and winter

Michelin UALITY Napa restaurants maintain three-star status

L . P I E RC E C A R S O N | L P C A R S O N @ N A PA N E W S . C O M

Farmstead joins Bib Gourmand recommendations

pair of acclaimed Napa Valley restaurants — The French Laundry and The Restaurant at Meadowood — have once again been awarded threestar status by the estimable Michelin Guide.

One more Bay Area restaurant was added to the elite three-star category for 2016 — chef David Kinch’s Manresa in Los Gatos which re-opened after a devastating fire — joining the two wine country dining establishments plus Benu and Saison, San Francisco restaurants that also maintained their top-tier ranking this year. The three-star designation is Michelin’s highest ranking given to a handful of

restaurants around the world, declaring those in this category are “worth a special journey.” The Napa Valley has never broken into the two-star category (“excellent cooking, worth a detour”). Area restaurants retaining their one-star rankings (“very good in its category”) are Auberge du Soleil in Rutherford, Bouchon in Yountville, La Toque in Napa, Solbar in Calistoga and Terra in St. Helena.

The world-renowned publication announced its latest rankings in October for the 10th edition of the Michelin Guide San Francisco Bay Area & Wine Country. Also included were the restaurants in the Bay Area that received the guide’s highly regarded Bib Gourmand designation — eateries that offer two courses and a glass of wine or dessert for $40 or less. Joining a half-dozen restaurants from last year’s list is Farmstead in St. Helena, owned by the Hall family and helmed by executive chef Stephen Barber. The other Bib Gourmand designated restaurants in the valley are Bistro Jeanty and Redd Wood in Yountville, Oenotri and Grace’s Table in Napa and Cook St. Helena and The Farmer and the Fox in St. Helena. Dropped from this list was C Casa in Napa. “The number of new restaurants in all categories, including Bib Gourmands, demonstrates the growth and fortitude of the level of cuisine found on the West Coast,” noted Michael Ellis, international director of the Michelin Guide. “Over the last 10 years, our inspectors continue to be more impressed with the level of cooking that can be found across the entire region.” The Michelin Guide San Francisco Bay Area & Wine Country 2016 is available for $18.99. A total of 505 restaurants representing 53 different cuisines are listed.

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Rooting for fall â&#x20AC;&#x201D; or falling for roots? L . P I E RC E C A R S O N L P C A R S O N @ N A PA N E W S . C O M With this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s grape harvest behind us and chilly nights signaling autumnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s arrived, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time to incorporate fall and winter garden crops into the meal plan. Dare we anticipate a soaking rain before serving the family a hearty beef stew â&#x20AC;&#x201D; with chunks of carrot, potato and onion making it all the more savory â&#x20AC;&#x201D; or bringing a seasonal sweet potato casserole to the dinner table? If you have a home garden, then you should have prepared the soil for this monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s planting of beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots (try some of the heirloom varieties), cauliflower, kale, lettuce, peas, spinach and winter squash. This erstwhile tiller of raised beds is considering a potato crop this year. In most regions of the state, the advice is to plant oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s winter crops early enough to allow them to reach full maturity before the first killer frost arrives. Choose

vegetables that have the greatest chance of surviving until harvest. Fast-growing vegetables like leaf lettuce, chives, spinach and radishes are excellent choices. These plants typically mature in about 30 days. We usually experience a longer, milder growing season in the valley, so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been OK to plant coldweather vegetables that mature in about 60 days, such as turnips, leeks, cabbage, Swiss chard and kale. You may even want to plant carrots, beets, Brussels sprouts, parsnips, cauliflower and cabbage. These late-maturing crops have a 90-day harvest period, and while you may be pushing the limits of the growing season, the rewards will be worth the risk. In cold weather months, home cooks often retreat from fresh produce, thinking itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not as available or as tasty. Admittedly, a juicy, summer-ripe tomato is hard to beat, but done

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the right way, fall and winter produce can be just as exciting. We thumbed through some inspirational cookbooks to see what noted chefs, growers and restaurateurs had in mind from the winter larder. Renowned New York City chef/ restaurateur Marcus Samuelsson serves up Raw Kale Salad with Root Vegetables in his latest cookbook, “Marcus Off Duty — The Recipes I Cook at Home” (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $35). It’s an easy recipe to prepare and one that’s a real Samuelsson favorite. “It’s fair to say you would always be a very lucky person if you were invited over to Marcus’ house for dinner,” TV celebrity foodie Anthony Bourdain said of the new publication. “Now, with this book, everyone can join the party.” Locals know Steve Sando as founder of Rancho Gordo New World Specialty Food in Napa, and for his amazing variety of beans, mostly from south of the border. Sando has published a terrific cookbook, “Supper at Rancho Gordo” (available at the Napa store for $24.95). One of the standout recipes Steve includes in the book came from fellow chef and foodie

Dreamstime stock image

Georgeanne Brennan, Caramelized Onion Cassoulet, a vegetarian version of the classic. Award-winning chef/restaurateur Charlie Palmer — who opened Harvest Table at the Harvest Inn in St. Helena earlier this year — has a crowd-pleasing recipe for Parsnip and Celery Root Puree in his latest cookbook, “Charlie Palmer’s

American Fare” (Hachette Book Group, $40). We love the recipe for a most flavorful Tuscan Roast Pork with Yellow Potatoes, Fennel and Parsnips that we’ve turned to often, published in “Roasting,” part of the “Fine Cooking” book series from The Taunton Press ($14.95). From a new cookbook hitting

the shelves this week — “Fire + Ice: Classic Nordic Cooking” (Ten Speed Press, $40) by Darra Goldstein, the foremost American authority on the culinary traditions of Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden — we’re sharing a recipe for something entirely different and delicious, Lanttulaattiko, or Rutabaga Pudding.

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RaeSet offers Asian-inspired cuisine PAUL FRANSON newsroom@napanews.com

Late-night scene a hit with the valley’s hospitality staffers RaeSet Asian Grill & Craft Brew is a most welcome addition to Napa’s dining scene. It offers Asian-inspired food, much grilled, with lots of choices including vegetarian preparations served as soups (pho), bowls, sandwiches and more. It also has an exceptional selection of beers, sakes, ciders and even wine, and the prices are reasonable by Napa Valley standards. The location on Jefferson Street also has plenty of parking. RaeSet opened at the beginning of June, a creation of Maury Feaver and Barry Shimo. Feaver was general manager at La Toque and opened Bank Café. Earlier, he worked at famed Don

Yard Shopping Center just down from Haku Sushi. Feaver said that they could have opened a tourist spot downtown, but they’ve opted for exceptional food in a casual environment. “We could have gone downtown, but we’d have to target tourists with the prices we’d have to charge due to the rents,” said Feaver. “Instead, we want to make a place for locals.” The Pizza Hut is now a small takeout location, but RaeSet inherited some nice amenities, including a large walk-in refrigerator, ideal for storing its many kegs of beer and other beverages. The locals filling the spot include Raphael Kluzniok/Register Beef Pho, complete with a garnish of mint, basil, lime, bean sprout, peppers many people who work at the hospital and nearby medical offices, and and hoisin sauce from RaeSet Asian Grill & Craft Brew in Napa. may prefer an alternative to nearby Johnson’s Ana Mandara and at for Wolfgang Puck at Chinois in fast food, but also winery and hospiAbsinthe in San Francisco. Santa Monica. tality workers — and lots of families. Barry Shimo came from Ozumo RaeSet occupies most of what was You can sit at two counters that in Oakland; he also once worked an immense Pizza Hut in the Grape wrap around the kitchen, at a long

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communal table that welcomes families and encourages new friends, or grab one of the smaller tables or even rent the private dining room. In addition, they hope to add tables on the large covered sidewalk in front of the restaurant. And the food? “It’s the food we like to eat,” said Feaver. ”It’s centered on southeast Asia including Vietnam and Thailand with a specialty of grilled foods.” GRILLED FLESH, FISH AND FOWL RULE Some of the food is vegetarian, but there’s no question that meat from the grill is the specialty. In fact, they have a robata grill from Japan that’s so unique that they had to get special safety approval. It is the only one in the U.S. The most popular item on the menu is steamed buns filled with char siu chicken and vegetable strips. You get two of the small sandwiches, which use homemade buns, for $9. Vietnamese Pho soup, which was inspired by pot a feu when

Raphael Kluzniok/Register

Steamed buns with pork belly are one of the most popular items on the RaeSet menu.

Vietnam was a French colony, is also very popular. Chef Shimo, who took lessons on making it from famed author Andrea Nguyen (“Into the Vietnamese Kitchen” and “The Banh Mi Handbook”), seeps a special selection of bones, oxtails and aromatics to create the beef version. He doesn’t use MSG to build the rich umami.

In addition to the traditional beef ($12), he offers chicken and vegan ($9). The pho is served with a side of thin-sliced serrano chilies, fresh mung bean sprouts, fresh herbs and lime wedges. Also popular, particularly among the sports fans who gather to watch games on the four large TV screens, is the chicken basket.

It contains 10 (really 11) marinated wines, necks and feet cooked confit style in aromatic oil, then grilled to create a crunchy skin before tossing with RaeSet’s own hot sauce. It’s $9. You can get just wings for $3 more, but Feaver says you’d be surprised how many people have taken to the feet and necks. Pork belly sliders are $9, while grilled shrimp cocktail with remoulade is $15. The sandwiches include a tskune burger made from a mix of chicken and pork, sai oua banh mi with chicken liver mousse, grilled kalbi sandwich with kimchi and a French dip. The sandwich rolls are made at Lucy’s bakery on Jefferson Street. The rest of the bread including that for burgers is made in-house. The other two categories of main courses are skewers and bowls, the latter over either jasmine rice or rice noodles and served with various picked and grilled vegetables. Many of these bowls feature the skewers, but they also include chicken and

vegetable curry. The basic chicken skewers are two for $7, with shrimp or salmon for $12 and an assortment of six for $19. Bowls are $11 to $15. RaeSet also offers a selection of side dishes. The most popular is okonomyaki-style roasted potatoes with aioli, tonkatsu sauce, bonito flakes and nori for $9 but spicy rice noodles are a perfect match with the skewers. Kids’ dishes include chicken fingers, salmon and cheesy rice noodles plus bread or rice for $5. While desserts are limited, they include an unusual mint ice cream sandwich and halo halo shaved ice. Shimo is constantly tweaking the menu; he’s already abandoned some items and added others. “Some people come in two or three times a week,” said Feaver. “We don’t want them to be bored.”

dozen. A number of flights let customers try four Bay Area beers on draft, ciders and sake. RaeSet serves pitchers of beer and sake and wine by the glass as well as a large selection of craft beers, ciders and sake by the bottle, but Feaver admits that he doesn’t sell much wine, especially red wine. The most popular wines are sparkling and aromatic white varieties like riesling and torrontes. They also have Vietnamese coffee, Thai iced tea, hot tea and fruit-based soft drinks plus root beer on tap. On Friday and Saturday nights, RaeSet has been bringing in a barrel of beer accessed the old-fashioned way with a faucet, not gas pressure, and pairing it with a special menu for $40. (That could vary.) You can also order the special treats a la carte. The menu changes often, but it recently included panfried chicken shiitake chai gio spring BEER AND MORE rolls, satay-style pork riblets, Wagyu They have 12 taps for beers, plus meatballs, sesame wilted greens and root beer and Thai iced coffee, and spicy rice noodles – plus an apple Feaver says they plan to add another and almond bostock. The latter was

On the Riverside of the Riverfront

Raphael Kluzniok/Register

Okonomyaki-style Potatoes are made with aioli, tonkatsu sauce, bonito flakes and nori.

paired with a homemade ice cream beer float in the full menu. RaeSet targeted a local clientele, as did another shopping center favorite, Harvest Eats, with which it shares many similarities, but the tourists are finding their way in, too. “We just had a family of eight from China. They found us on Facebook,” Feaver said. “They couldn’t speak English, but just pointed to dishes to order.” They’re open from 11 a.m. to

11 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and until midnight Friday and Saturday. RaeSet is now serving brunch on Saturday and Sunday, starting at 9:30 p.m. It should especially appeal to the sports fans who can watch with the big screens all around the room. RaeSet is at 3150 Jefferson St. in the Grapeyard Shopping Center in Napa. For information, call 707666-2475 or go to RaeSet.com.

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Evangeline revives Creole cookery L . P I E RC E C A R S O N lp ca rson@napanews.c om CALISTOGA — Local chefs have hung their toques on Creole cookery but a few times since Napa Valley’s ongoing culinary evolution began in the mid-1970s. Most restaurants offering dishes you’d expect to find in Louisiana set up shop in Napa. One, however, legendary Catahoula in Calistoga, served to introduce the West Coast to enterprising, talented chef Jan Birnbaum. The latest effort, also in Calistoga, is a blend of French and Creole cooking, the collaboration of Brandon Sharp, executive chef of Solbar

— located in Calistoga’s Solage — and Gustavo Rios, an engaging chef and brand new father. Sharp and his partners, Solage Hotels and Resorts, opened Evangeline last February in the footprint of Calistoga’s Wappo Bar & Bistro, a popular dining destination for more than a decade. Judging from the traffic onto Evangeline’s inviting outdoor patio on a recent Sunday night, diners are lapping up the creative, tasty fare Rios and his kitchen Chloe Jackman photo crew are serving up. Not only is Gustavo Rios executive chef at Evangeline in Calistoga, he and For the opening menu, Sharp his wife, Laurel, a Calistoga native, are first-time parents of a baby girl and Rios brought to the table a mix named Sofia.

of Creole and French bistro fare as Sharp had cooked in Louisiana and Rios had prepared such dishes as gumbo and etoufee while a young chef working in Virginia. As the menu reflects the seasons, Rios has been changing up dishes and adding soups, sandwiches, salads and specials that are in his repertoire. Anyone for red beans and rice or a bowl of maque choux? Rios has been cooking since he was a high school kid. “I grew up in Gloucester, Virginia, so you know I did a lot of deep-frying,” he quips. A native of Ensenada, he left Baja California with his family as a youngster, as his father, a marine biologist, accepted a post at the College of William & Mary, the public research university located in Williamsburg, Virginia. Soon after high school graduation, Rios hightailed it to Southern California, landing his first full-time job at the Peninsula Beverly Hills. Homesick, he returned to the East Coast, signing on with the culinary team at the prestigious Inn at Little Washington in Virginia. He spent two years working and fine-tuning his craft under the direction of chef/owner Patrick O’Connell. A friend and fellow chef suggested he tag along on a trip to California. His friend had accepted a job at Thomas Keller’s Bouchon in Yountville. It didn’t take long for Rios to convince Bouchon chefs Joshua Schwartz and Josh Crane that he had the experience and talent necessary for the Bouchon team. “I spent a year at Bouchon, wishing that I’d come out here five years earlier,” Rios said during a recent visit to Evangeline. “I knew that I would stay in the Napa Valley at that point.” Rios was a member of the opening team in 2007 at Solbar, Sharp’s restaurant at Solage in Calistoga. Solbar has been awarded a Michelin star for most of the time it’s been up and running. He filled the roles of both sous chef and chef de cuisine prior to helping Sharp with the transition of French Blue to Archetype in St. Helena. When the Evangeline project came along, Rios was asked to

Darrin Sander photo

Smoked trout rillettes topped with trout roe and pickled apples are popular with both dinner and bar crowds at Evangeline in Calistoga.

step into the role of executive chef. “The idea from the beginning was a French bistro. Since Brandon had worked in Louisiana, the decision was made to have the French bistro but with a definite Creole influence.” His teammate in the front of the house is general manager/sommelier Sasan Nayeri, who noted that the restaurant design team retained the patio’s casual vibe as the main dining focus. Beyond the host station just off Washington Street, white tablecloths and bistro chairs await hungry diners at both lunch and dinner. There’s an intimate, welcoming feel to the indoor dining space with its smart black and gray color scheme that includes a marble-topped bar seating a baker’s dozen. The patio can accommodate 75 while half that number can squeeze inside should the weather threaten. A native of Iran who moved to the United States with family at

age 15, Nayeri started his restaurant career as many young men and women do — washing dishes and preparing ingredients. “For some, this is a prelude to cooking; but for me I wanted to work in the front of the house,” Nayeri said. “I need the human interaction … it keeps me excited and engaged. I get to see different people every day.” His first jobs were in trattorias in Boulder, Colorado. “Then I got to work in a fine dining restaurant where I was introduced to wine. I was a server, then captain and finally sommelier.” Given a chance to take part in the grape harvest in Italy, Nayeri traveled to Tuscany to help with all aspects of the crush at Fortulla winery not far from the Ligurian Sea. “I was there for three months … from start to finish of the harvest,” he notes. “It was the hardest and most rewarding thing I’ve ever done.”

When he returned to this country, Nayeri was inspired by his time in Italy to look for a job in the Napa Valley. He spent a year with Hiro Sone and Lissa Doumani at award-winning Terra in St. Helena. He was flattered when chef Brandon Sharp asked him to head up the team opening Evangeline. GET YOUR GUMBO ON If you only glanced at a list of Evangeline’s daily specials, you’d swear you were in the Crescent City. For Sunday dinner, chef Rios dishes up gumbo ya-ya ($18), its rich smoky roux bringing all the dish’s elements together — mainly meaty chicken thighs and andouille sausage — plus welcome spice and requisite rice. “Monday is laundry day in Louisiana,” the chef said, “so we cook up some red beans from Louisiana, rice and smoked ham hocks ($15).” 65

Tuesday’s special is duck cassoulet ($19), prepared with both pork and duck sausage and duck confit. Wednesday night, it’s a Gulf shrimp po’boy ($17); the following night diners can opt for a Bienville burger ($12.26), named for the founder of New Orleans. The popular Friday night attraction is shrimp etoufee ($20) with its heady roux, served with hush puppies. For the Saturday dinner crowd, the kitchen brines quail, dips them in buttermilk, flour and Cajun spice and deep-fries them, served with hot vinegar and three bean salad ($20). If you’re into oysters on the half shell, Evangeline has ‘em. Sommelier Nayeri brags that he’s found the perfect white wine to wash them down — a rare chasselas from Switzerland. Additional options for a happy hour nosh or a pre-dinner nibble — which the restaurant calls “Premieres” — include crispy fried Monterey Bay anchovies that come with an addictive aioli, fried pickles, and pickled veggies, all $5. For something a little more serious, there’s duck pot of foie ($19) with pickled cherries, smoked trout rillettes ($13) with trout roe and pickled apple, and a Gulf shrimp cocktail ($14) with Cajun remoulade. For seafood fanciers, the restaurant features a tower of seafood ($85), featuring Maine lobster, Gulf shrimp, rock crab and oysters. A seasonal winner is chef Rios’ chilled yellow tomato soup ($11) poured over halved Sun Golds and dabs of Parmesan mousse, and garnished with olive oil croutons and basil. Also available on the appetizer menu are a couple of salads — salade maison with greens and breakfast radishes ($9) and Sweet Gems ($12) with peas, beans and pickled onion — plus smoked salmon ($13) on rosti potatoes, and melon and tuna carpaccio ($16). Both cheese and charcuterie plates are offered, $17 and $19 respectively, along with California white sturgeon caviar ($90). The entree selection ranges from a Croque Marin ($14) — a grilled cheese with “millionaire’s bacon” and a fried egg — to the classic steak frites ($28). 66

Darrin Sander photo

Evangeline chef Gustavo Rios captures the very essence of summer with this chilled yellow tomato soup with basil, Parmesan mousse and olive oil croutons.

Garden Tomato Soup G U S TAVO R I O S , E X E C U T I V E C H E F Evang e li ne‌ ‌1 0 pounds freshly picked tomatoes, cored 1¼ ounces fresh basil 1 cup olive oil 1¼ ounces coarse salt 1 ounce sliced garlic cloves 4 ounces sliced shallots Combine all ingredients in a

large saucepan or pot. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes. Let cool slightly, then blend in batches on high for 1 minute at a time. Strain and chill. Season with salt if you think the soup needs it. Serve chilled with a drizzle of fruity olive oil.

The chef ’s poisson eau fou ($23) features Petrale sole roulade cooked in a wine and fish broth with fennel, onion, olives and capers. Grilled salmon ($23) is served on a bed of chicory salad, while cornmeal crusted soft shell crab comes as a po’boy ($17). The tuna Nicoise tartine ($18) is served open-faced — tuna confit, tomato, arugula, red mizuna and hard-boiled egg with olive mayonnaise. Poulet Grand-Mere ($24) loves whipped potatoes while crispy braised pork shoulder is served over grits, with bacon, padron peppers and mushrooms added for both flavor and texture. “Complements” ($5), or sides, include traditional maque choux

(white corn and the “holy trinity” — onions, bell pepper and celery), dirty rice, fried green tomatoes with tomato chutney, grilled Andouille sausage, sauteed spinach as well as both whipped potatoes and french fries. For those with a sweet tooth, the kitchen offers a trio of distinct desserts ($8) — tarte tatin with vanilla bean ice cream, Coeur a la Creme with poached blackberries and Baumkuchen with raspberries and creme anglaise. Service, under Nayeri’s direction, is polished and servers are as knowledgeable about wine as they are about the dishes coming out of the kitchen. His wine list is focused on the

kitchen’s collaborative efforts and is, as he demands, “approachable, fun and one you can navigate easily.” On one sheet, printed on both sides, choices in both white and red categories come from both Old and New World. You’ll find classics from Stony Hill, Shafer Rombauer, Chappellet and Chateau Montelena as well as hot small lot brands like Rivers-Marie, Pott and Sarah Francis. Also represented is the Tuscan winery where Nayeri discovered what it takes to be a cellar rat. Diners will find a respectable list of wines on tap and by the glass, as well as a good selection of craft cocktails. For beer lovers, there’s two from New Orleans on tap. Lunch is served daily from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. with the kitchen featuring sandwiches such as lobster roll, sole po’boy and pork shoulder on a buttermilk biscuit with peach jam, accompanied by peach coleslaw. A chilled steak salad is also offered. Evangeline serves dinner daily from 5 to 9 p.m., with the restaurant’s happy hour running from 3 to 5:30. The restaurant is at 1226 Washington St., Calistoga. For reservations, call 707-341-3131 or go to EvangelineNapa.com.

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A hidden treasure on Third Street PAU L F R A N S O N N E W S RO O M @ N A PA N E W S . C O M

Courtyard Cafe offers affordable and appealing lunches downtown Hiding behind an unobtrusive gate next to the Uptown Theatre on Third Street is one of downtown’s hidden treasures. Most people who attend shows at the theater have bought snacks from the Courtyard Cafe there, but they may not know that it’s also open for lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. They’ll also deliver for $5 downtown. The cafe is little known to most people who work downtown, yet it offers an appealing menu at reasonable prices Maureen Savage opened the cafe at the end of June last year. It’s sort of an extension of her Suppertime business in the Napa Valley Outlets. For 21 years, Suppertime has provided takeout (and onsite) meals, though mostly in the evening. She uses Suppertime’s kitchen to prepare the food offered at the Courtyard Cafe, and both locations feature good home cooking. The cafe started to feed the bands that perform at the theater. “The bands love the home cooking,” said Savage. “They’re sick of generic catered food they get on the road.” The cafe closes to the public before the shows so the bands can eat, then opens for performances. The bands get food from Suppertime as well as the Courtyard specialties. Savage said that the tri-tip with Jack Daniels barbecue sauce is a favorite, as are strawberry shortcake and carrot cake prepared by Savage’s aunt, Pat Easley, who manages the Suppertime operation and also does its baking. Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard’s crew loved the baby back ribs, and salmon with honey mustard is always popular. She has to clear the menu with the band’s manager in advance, of course, and even prepares vegan 68

J.L. Sousa/Register

Maureen Savage is the owner of Courtyard Cafe. She opened the restaurant in a space next to the Uptown Theatre in June 2014.

food if requested. She made a vegan stir-fry with tempeh for Keb’ Mo’. “He said it was one of the best meals he’d ever eaten.” Ani DiFranco is also a vegan who’s eaten there. She noted sadly that she served one of B.B. King’s last meals. 21 YEARS OF FOOD Savage’s mother started Suppertime in 1994 when Maureen was in school, and she helped out. There weren’t many options for takeout food in 1994, she said, though competitors have come and gone over the years. Originally they did a special every night, but over time added options. Many of the recipes come from Savage’s mother and grandfather. “My grandfather lived in southern Louisiana, and he liked spicier food. My father preferred plainer food.” Maureen graduated from high school in 1999, then got a creative art degree from Sonoma State University. She said, joking, “I needed that creativity to survive in 2008!”

In 2008, they moved to the outlets, and that’s when Maureen really took over the reins. “We either had to find another location or I needed to get a job. It was really hard.” WHAT’S SERVED Courtyard serves a selection of soups and salads at lunch as well as main courses, but the specialty is sliders. At lunch, they offer lots of choices, including the bread, cheese, dipping sauce and the filling: hamburger, grilled chicken, deli or hot turkey, pulled pork, pesto grilled cheese, grilled cheese or tri-tip with barbecue sauce. You can get one, two or three sliders and they come with either fries, coleslaw, salad or soup. One is $8, two $10 and three $12. Then there are the soups: chicken tortilla, chili or the soup of the day with bread for $5 or $7, or add salad for $2 more. Salads include green or Caesar for $4, chef, and three chicken salads for $8.

If you feel like a full lunch, you can have chicken strips for $10, breaded fried shrimp with fries and coleslaw for $11 or beer-battered fish and chips for $10 to $14. A veggie burger is $9. Coming up for the fall will be a hot turkey sandwich, a Suppertime favorite, plus Southern beef brisket and baked mac ‘n’ cheese. The cafe’s only downside might be on a hot day, for though the outside space is covered and heated when it’s cold, the only air is natural, not conditioned. It’s nice in the rain, however, when you can head the rain drops hitting the thin roof. Savage has also started catering. “The catering business is really taking off,” she said. It’s mostly meat and potatoes — especially turkey — she added. She has served 25 to 200, but prepared 500 steaks for an event at the Veterans Home. She also prepared meals for Meals on Wheels for a year, but getting up at 3 a.m. to prepare them got to be too much.

Tri-tip sliders from the Courtyard Cafe in downtown Napa.

Savage shared a couple of recipes, but one she refused to disclose was her popular salad dressing. It includes oil and vinegar, but that’s all she will say. Bands ask her for jars for their buses, too. “People ask me for the recipe all the time, and I always say no,” she said. The Courtyard Cafe website is UptownCourtyardCafe.com and the phone number is 690-2350. The address is 1350 Third St.

Submitted photo

in Napa. And it should be noted that Suppertime is open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. You can order online at SuppertimeInNapa.com and they’ll deliver, too. Their biggest day is St. Patrick’s Day, when they prepare corned beef and cabbage, but they serve it on the 17th of every month, too. “No one wants to cook corned beef, but they love to eat it,” said Savage.

Strawberry shortcake from the Courtyard Cafe.

J.L. Sousa/Register

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A perfect dessert pairing served at the Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant is the Gala Apple Crisp ($7) and the 2008 Tokaji Aszu 5 Puttonyos from Tokaj-Hegyalja ($11). The dessert menu includes two other desserts, a wide menu of dessert and fortified wines, and coffees and teas.

bout 60 people, three times what was expected, recently showed up for opening night of the new Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant in St. Helena in September. Restaurant manager Lindsay Borenstein said the first night was “very exciting” and added, “We’ve really been looking forward to it.” The revamped restaurant is in the same but smaller space at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone campus. “Our concept is very comfortable, like a modern farmhouse,” Borenstein said. “We’re taking recipes that we hope people feel good about and are comfortable when they’re eating.” On opening night the menu included eight appetizers, including a summer vegetable soup, lettuces with warm mushrooms, pork belly and clams and an heirloom tomato salad. All of the appetizers and entrees are locally sourced and dependent on what is growing in Farm Manager Matt Gunn’s gardens, either across Highway 29 at the Charles Krug Winery or on Deer Park Road. The five entrees included a house-made fettuccine with farm vegetables, a buttermilk fried half Mary’s Chicken with tomato jam and zucchini almond slaw; seared Arctic Char with summer beans and a fennel puree; The Greystone burger, with a fried egg and crisp onions; and a grilled Five Dot Ranch beef, either an 8-ounce flat iron cut or 12-ounce rib-eye. Both beef dishes came with cream-less corn and sauteed mushrooms. Wait a minute. Hasn’t the Wi n e Sp e c t a t o r Gre y s t o n e Restaurant (WSGR) been serving dinners for about 20 years, since the CIA at Greystone opened? Yes. At first it was a professionally

run restaurant and then it was 100 percent student run. But, according to Borenstein, “We felt like we were leaving out our locals by not being able to take care of them and show them what we have to offer.” So this is a new concept that reflects what once was. The restaurant is in a smaller space with high standards and CIA graduates running it. (Borenstein graduated from the CIA at Hyde Park and moved to the St. Helena campus about 18 months ago.) Besides the smaller space, with a bar in the back of the house serving the same farm-to-table menu, in the evening the new restaurant has professional staff as servers, cooks and managers. It is open for dinner from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and in the future, the staff may open on Sunday, for a late brunch and a family-style dinner. Additionally, Borenstein said she hopes to open the terrace sometime this month. D u r i n g m i d d a y, f r o m 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., the restaurant is open for lunch and staffed by CIA students. It is a research and development kitchen that serves the public. Among those dining on opening night were Bob Bath and Christie Dufault, two CIA instructors for the school’s Advanced Wine and Beverage Program. Bath said he had a delicious steak. The diners at the table, who included his wife, Julie, tried a variety of appetizers and small plates. “I think the consensus is that everything tasted really good,” he said. “It was a nice first night. A perfect debut.” Dufault added, “I would say that visiting the Greystone Restaurant in its reincarnation is a wonderful thing. The

establishment is beautiful, the service staff was excited. The food was tremendous, everything was fresh, bright, balanced, harmonious. And absolutely delicious.” She said, “It was a delight to be here, a delight to see a lot of locals and friends in the restaurant. We just want Greystone restaurant to excel and take on its next life after 20 years.” The extensive wine list includes eight categories, ranging from sparkling and aromatic whites, sauvignon blancs and chardonnay to pinot noir and gamay to zinfandel, Rhone reds and Bordeaux varieties. Borenstein said Bath created the wine list, which is about 80 percent California and local, Napa Valley and St. Helena wines. Wines are sold by the glass, on tap, in two flights (bubbles and cabernet sauvignon) and by the bottle. Beyond that, there are

imaginative cocktails, created by CIA Hyde Park students, four draft beers, including The Fox and the Stork from St. Helena’s Mad Fritz Brewing Co., and a Sonoma cider. Dinner on opening night w a s f a n t a s t i c a s Du f a u l t said, although the restaurant was probably staffed for the expected 20 people, rather than the 60 who turned out for the evening. Borenstein said the staff included four servers, two server assistants, four cooks and two managers. It is likely the opening night jitters have been solved. After dinner, there were desserts to share — or not — including apple crisp, coffee cardamon Panna Cotta and a California cheese plate. To go with dessert were a number of dessert wines, including late harvest, botrytis and an ice wine and fortified spirits, including 10-year-old Maderias and Tawny Portos.

Calistoga candy business is a sweet success A N N E WA R D E R N S T E D I TO R @ W E E K LY C A L I S TO G A N . C O M Business is so good for Regina Carlin’s candy business that she has outgrown her Calistoga home kitchen and is moving the business into a commercial kitchen in St. Helena. “My business continues to grow, the candy is more popular than ever. This October it will be one year that I started selling my toffee at the Farmers Market here in Calistoga,” Carlin said. Since she launched Regina’s Heavenly Treats she has continued to grow her product line. Recent additions include two more flavors of her toffee crisps, which are a paper-thin layer of toffee coated in dark Belgian chocolate.

“Coffee Crisps are the most popular with a fresh espresso powder, and Orange Crisps, which has freshly grated orange rind,” she said. In May she cut back her hours from full time to part time at Rombauer to allow her more time to focus on Regina’s Heavenly Treats. Her candy can be found in five markets in Napa County – including Calistoga’s CalMart — two markets in Sonoma County and one in Sacramento. She has plans to include San Francisco and Marin County in the next six months. For all locations and to learn more about Carlin and her candy, visit ReginasHeavenly.com.

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Moose tree lives on in book J E N N I F E R H U F F M A N J H U F F M A N @ N A PA N E W S . C O M

Sue Osborn pays tribute to beloved Napa icon Napa’s beloved “moose” may be gone from its longtime home on Dry Creek Road, but one local has created her own tribute to the beloved bulge, and it’s something that any reader can enjoy. Sue Osborn, a retired graphic designer, has written and created a coffee table photo book about the moose and its many guises. “I just want to share the moose,” said Osborn. The creature was born from a head-shaped, moose-like bulge with branches for antlers located on the side of a large eucalyptus tree in north Napa. For years, locals painted and decorated the outgrowth in all manner of colors and themes such as school and sports team colors. On Dec. 31, thieves stole the landmark. The head was later dumped on the mayor’s front lawn. Eventually, local bar owner Joe Peatman Jr. gave the moose a new home at his restaurant, Downtown Joe’s, where its noggin is on display. Osborn said the book, titled “The Napa Tree Moose Coffee Table Book,” was born from the thousands of photos she has taken of the moose since 2008. “It’s so interesting and entertaining,” she said. “Every time it was painted, I took a picture. I wanted people to see what was going on with that moose and let everyone enjoy it.” She even created a moose tribute Facebook page, which has 1,860 “likes.” The book is her latest homage to the moose, a figure that “became a piece of graffiti” and art reflecting our life and times, said Osborn. Painted to celebrate football teams, politics, birthdays, holidays and other cultural happenings, the moose was authentic and unique, she said. “It was something people identified with and enjoyed. You never knew what you were going to

Raphael Kluzniok/Register

Sue Osborn displays her book about the Napa moose at her home in Napa on Thursday. Osborn began photographing the moose tree while walking her dogs to Alston Park. The book features photographs documenting the moose’s various paint jobs over the years.

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wake up to.” Creating the book itself was a lengthy process. “It took a while to go through the photos,” she said. By her count she took 1,520 of them. It was also hard to narrow down her choices to fit on just 42 pages. Featured photos include the moose decorated in colored stripes, papier-mâché accessories, a top hat, monocle, mustache, patriotic themes and a rainbow of other colors. Osborn, who hadn’t written a book before this, also included the history of the moose and how it evolved over the years. She thinks she spent several hundred hours on the labor of love, including writing, designing and finding a publisher. The hardbound 13-by-11-inch

full-color photo books are printed as they are ordered. Each is $79.95. The price reflects the cost to produce it, plus a small profit, the author said. “I know the price is up there, but if it really means something,” people will buy it, said Osborn. “I’d be happy if I sold two. I don’t really care,” Osborn said. “I’m just happy to get it done. The book is just beautiful.” For those who don’t want to own a copy, Osborn’s book could also end up at the Napa library. “We are always interested in local history,” said Danis Kreimeier, director of library services at the Napa County Library. “A book about the moose is definitely one for the collection.” The moose tree itself was recently cut down to make way for a new development of homes on Dry Creek Road. “I miss it every time I drive by,” Osborn said. “It just looks

so empty.” She has visited Downtown Joe’s to see the moose in its new, and more secure, location. “It’s not quite the same as being on the tree,” she said, but she was glad it has been preserved. Peatman of Downtown Joe’s is displaying some of Osborn’s photos around the mounted head. The moose continues to be a draw at the restaurant, said Peatman. Most recently, it was painted red, white and blue to celebrate the American women’s soccer team at the World Cup. Locals often make it a point to stop and visit the moose, he said. “It’s something to talk about.” Osborn said she never painted the moose herself, but her daughter did, and in her honor. “For our 40th anniversary she painted it purple with a heart on it and ‘happy anniversary mom and dad.’” 73

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Just look at the remainder of the 2015‐2016 season. All shows performed at the Lucky Penny Community Arts Center, 1758 Industrial Way, Napa, 94558. CALL 707‐266‐6305 OR GO TO www.luckypennynapa.com for tickets and information Come and enjoy professional quality theater at community theater prices.

“Beyond Therapy”, by Christopher Durang, Comedy, Rated PG-13 November 6 through November 22, 2015 “The Great American Trailer Park Christmas Musical, Music and lyrics by David Nehls, Book by Betsy Kelso, Musical Comedy, Rated R December 4 through December 19, 2015 Gidion’s Knot” by Johnna Adams. New drama that raises profound questions about parenting and education. Rated PG-13. Limited run January 20 through 24, 2016. “In Love with the 8 X 10: Ten Minute Play Festival”, competition of original love themed short plays with winner selected by the audiences, Rated PG-13 January 21 through February 13, 2016 “The Andrews Brothers”, by Roger Bean, featuring songs made famous by the Andrews Sisters, Musical Comedy, Rated PG-13 April 15 through May 1, 2016 “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change”, book and lyrics by Joe Pietro, music by Jimmy Roberts Musical, Rated PG-13 May 13 through May 29, 2016 “Revenge of the Space Pandas”, by David Mamet, Comedy Rated G.A production of Lucky Penny’s Napa Academy of Performing Arts summer program. Dates TBA. 74

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New direction, more security for Calistoga’s tractor parade A N N E WA R D E R N S T E D I TO R @ W E E K LY C A L I S TO G A N . C O M

Growing attendance causes safety concerns CALISTOGA — The 20th annual tractor parade will reverse course this year in hopes of finding the safest route through town for both spectators and tractors. Instead of beginning at Lincoln Avenue and Cedar Street and heading through downtown and making a left turn on Fair Way, the proposed new route would start on Stevenson Street at Lincoln Avenue and move through town making a right turn at Cedar Street. By switching and lengthening the route over a longer stretch of

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road, the hope is that spectators will spread out and not bunch up. The immensely popular annual Lighted Tractor Parade drew upward of 10,000 people, officials said, posing a safety challenge for the vehicles to maneuver Lincoln Avenue and the spectators who pour off the sidewalks and spill into the road. The biggest concern is that “people like to congregate at the beginning of the parade,” which has typically started at Lincoln Avenue and Cedar Street, said Mike Kirn, public works director. People “stack up on the sidewalk and encroach onto the roadway. We think we’ve crafted a solution

to reduce some of that pressure,” Kirn said. The new direction of the parade did not dissuade Carolynne Wilkinson Clair from requesting sturdier fencing and inclusion in the city’s liability insurance. Clair is co-proprietor of Dr. Wilkinson’s Hot Springs Resort, which sits at Lincoln Avenue and Fair Way. For the last two years Clair complained that the parade route put her business at risk of lawsuit and liability, and requested the city fence off the resort’s sidewalk area and hire additional security to patrol the corner where her business is located. The city and Chamber of

Commerce, which organizes the event, accommodated with snow fencing and security personnel last year. Plans include increasing private security for this year’s event, said Carolyn Denero, events and membership manager for the Chamber. Normally they have “volunteers to help with crowd control” but this year there are plans to hire additional private security officers. Garbage cleanup was a problem last year, Denero said, so that will be addressed as well so that the “impact of the parade isn’t seen” the morning after. This year’s parade will take place on Saturday, Dec. 5, beginning at 7 p.m.

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Local musician puts Napa twist on ‘Aloha’ music J E N N I F E R H U F F M A N J H U F F M A N @ N A PA N E W S . C O M

Slack key guitarist recorded CD of original music Hawaii may be 2,300 miles away but Napa resident Jimmy Duhig has brought his artistic version of the islands to the valley with his new CD, fittingly titled “Aloha Napa.” He writes his own songs, some of which are Napa-themed, such as “Carneros” and “Soscol Ferry.” The titles pay homage to an area of Napa County where his Duhig ancestors owned land and a road is named after them. “I’d always been interested in acoustic guitar and finger picking,” the musician said. After visiting his father and stepmother, who have a condo on Kauai, he fell in love with the traditional slack key Hawaiian style of guitar playing. “It instantly moved me,” said Duhig, who has transformed his backyard in Napa into lush evocation of the Hawaiian islands. “It’s mesmerizing.” Created by islanders who used the instrument Spanish cowboys brought to the Hawaiian island, slack key guitar music is made by loosening the strings. It’s been popular for years, but its use throughout the 2011 movie “The Descendants” caused renewed interest in the musical genre. Duhig , who owns his own lighting design business in Napa, has been a musician since age 15 when he got his first guitar. Napa High students of the late 80s may recall his band, Flies Don’t Sit Down. Later, Duhig was a member of a punk band, the Bar Feeders, which enjoyed some success. Slack key guitar music overflows “with emotion and spirit,” said Duhig, who five years ago 76

Raphael Kluzniok/ Register

Jimmy Duhig plays guitar in his backyard in Napa. Duhig recently released his first album of slack key guitar music.

How to buy it: “Aloha Napa” can be found at: — Napa Bookmine, 964 Pearl St. — Napa Music Supply, 2026 Redwood Road — iTunes Cost: $10 jimmy@napalighting.com

“decided to take the plunge and try slack key.” But learning the technique wasn’t easy, he said. There are some ukulele players in Napa but few if any slack key guitar players. As a result, Duhig said he’s mostly self-taught.

Hawaiian music is often created and inspired by actual locations visited by the composer, explained Duhig. “I am equally inspired by rolling vineyards and oak trees as well as beaches and tropical waterfalls.” Thinking of those places, “the notes just kind of fall together.” The idea of making a CD appealed to him, said Duhig, whose grandfather, Ste war t “Duke” Duhig, had his own radio show on KVON in the 1970s and ‘80s. “He would tell stories about growing up in Napa, as well as

stories shared with him from throughout our history in the valley. I was not blessed with my grandfather’s gift of gab, but I like to think I can keep the tradition going through music,” he said. Duhig said that one thing many people like about slack key guitar music is that is relaxing. “Put that on after a long day, you can really unwind and imagine yourself back in Hawaii,” he said. Recorded in El Cerrito, Duhig had 300 CDs made. While he hopes to sell them all, “It’s just an honor to make music in that style,” he said.

St. Helenan cares for Romania’s abandoned kids TO M S TO C K W E L L ts tock we ll@s the le nas tar. com‌

Local donations supported humanitarian outreach ‌S T. HELENA — The infant was about 4 months old when Ash Clements met her in her crib. She didn’t have a name tag and none of the nurses knew her name. ”Big, bright brown eyes, jet black eyelashes and a smile that absolutely melts your entire being,” Clements wrote in her blog. “The nurse told me ‘mama ei nu o iubesc,’ which is ‘Her mom does not love her.’” For the past three months, this was Clements’ world as a volunteer at Spitalul clinic de Copii in Brasov, Romania. She had volunteered through Firm Foundations Romania (FFR), a nonprofit in Brasov. According to the nurse in the hospital, this particular infant’s parents never visited. “In my broken understanding of Romanian I understood the baby’s mother was only 13, and the father was 30,” she wrote. But later the translation was made clearer to her: The mother actually had 13 children, so she didn’t want this baby. She was, according to the definition provided by Spitalul clinic de Copii, “abandoned.” Clements, who during the school year works in St. Helena’s Boys & Girls Club, had gone to Romania to help with children who are abandoned in public hospitals and who need basic love and attention. Clements traveled through the generous donations of people in the Napa Valley, including a grant by the Grace Family Foundation. These people had learned about Clements’ personal mission in an article written in the St. Helena Star last spring. That article was filled with Clements’ contagious

Submitted photo

The children at St. Helena’s Boys & Girls Club created artwork to send to abandoned children in Romania. “They talked a lot about what it means to have no one who cares about you,” said Ash Clements, who spent the summer helping to care for abandoned babies in Brasov, Romania.

enthusiasm, but as enthusiastic as Clements was to go, she was perhaps not quite prepared for all she was to experience. “My first day at the hospital was hard,” she wrote. “I am not used to infant babies – had never changed a diaper, never fed a bottle, never really held more than two babies in my life.” But she learned quickly. And though she said she started out feeling very intimidated and nervous, within two weeks she’d been promoted to the position of volunteer supervisor for FFR in the hospital. Spitalul clinic de Copii has five floors with rooms where sick babies and their families stay, and other rooms where seven to nine metal cribs line the walls with abandoned babies. Clements’ experience, she says, left a deep mark. “This work is hard on the heart,” she wrote in her blog. “Coming and leaving a room full of crying babies in their metal cribs” — metal cribs in a room

painted white, with no colors and few toys, she wrote — “nurses who take toys away from some children JUST because their parents are gypsies … and knowing that for the majority of the day these babies lay in their cribs (bottles propped against the bars so they can be fed) with no stimulation and no attention. I have a hard time not taking all this on with my own heart. I wish I could do more.” One toddler just wanted to see the world outside. “I pulled him out of his crib and walked him up and down the hospital hallways. We pretended to be airplanes and racecars. He was SO happy to be out of the baby crib …. I lifted him up and let him look out of the 4th floor hospital window out in the hall. He stared in amazement for 30 minutes. All he wanted to do was just LOOK outside. I wish so badly the babies were able to be out in fresh air each day.” Clements’ own experience with kids at the Boys & Girls Club

proved important, even in this difficult environment. Last spring, in preparation for this trip, she had rallied St. Helena kids at the Boys & Girls Club (B&G) to help through their artwork. “We drew and painted pictures and mailed them to the kids in Romania,” she said. “Just to let them know that we were thinking of them. And the kids at B&G talked a lot while they were making their art. I heard them talking about what it must be like to have no one to care about you. No mom or dad.” The pictures were sent off last spring. She was surprised when, near the end of her stay in Romania, she went to a classroom and “there were our pictures! And these kids were drawing new ones to send back to St. Helena! Now I’m trying to come up with more ways our kids can continue to communicate, despite the language barrier.” With the start of the school year in St. Helena, Clements has now returned to her job at the Boys & Girls Club. But her thoughts are still with the children she left behind. She hopes to do more work with disadvantaged children, preferably on an international level, she said. Firm Foundations Romania, the organization that arranged for Clements’ trip, is a nonprofit that is dedicated to abandoned children. Its mission is to “transform the lives of disadvantaged Romanian children and families by providing physical and educational guidance and sharing the Gospel.” Clements said she became aware of the program through her church. “I have nothing but the utmost gratitude,” she said, “to all the wonderful caring people who made this trip possible. I cannot thank them enough. Thank you for helping me to change these babies’ lives.” 77

Silverado Orchards: Senior housing with a family touch BONNIE DURRANCE N E W S RO O M @ N A PA N E W S . C O M

New generation takes over management ST. HELENA — Growing older isn’t what it used to be. No longer will a person of post-retirement age plan on sitting by the window in a son or daughter’s house watching the sunset years go by. Everyone wants to remain independent for as long as possible without burdening their adult children — who may be of retirement age themselves, and wondering how to help their aging parents without interfering. It’s a tricky situation, but the late Alan Baldwin, a third-generation St. Helenan and former City Council member, saw a solution. “My dad called it the ‘in-between’ place,” said Kerry Baldwin,

who has taken the helm of Silverado Orchards, the independent-living community on Pope Street his dad founded in 1978. The idea was that people who started to slow down could thrive in a safe, familial place where certain daily activities were taken care of for them. “If you’re living on your own, or are widowed, suddenly you have a lot of problems to handle,” said Baldwin. “There’s yard care, housekeeping, lots of separate bills, not to mention cooking.” They may not need a nursing home, or memory care or even “assisted living,” all of which involve different levels of medical help — with commensurate expense. But they do need some “help around the edges.” In Silverado Orchards, this means independence, with a new

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freedom, in a family atmosphere. “It’s a very welcoming place,” said staff member Randi Lamb, who, when not behind the reception desk, can be seen leading a popular reading group or talking with residents and their pets. “I’m here because I like the people here,” she said. “These are people who have lived a lot longer than me, so they can teach me a thing or two.” The residents’ stories bring a sampling of St. Helena life. “My dad called it ‘living history,’” said Baldwin. “Over the 37 years, we’ve had folks here who were at Pearl Harbor. We’ve had people who’ve gone through the Great Depression.” He breaks out in a laugh. “We even had an FBI agent who worked on the Jimmy Hoffa case. And he swears he knows where the body is, but he won’t tell us. I don’t know if he’s pulling our leg!” A FAMILY PLACE “My dad always said that if we drew circles farther and farther out, the highest concentration of residents and staff will be from St. Helena,” said Baldwin. Many residents have come to be near their adult children who can check on them and visit and provide any needed assistance as part of their daily

routine. For the adult children, it’s a relief to know their parents are safe and happy close enough to feel as though they are part of the family, but living independently. Keeping residents active is important and Silverado Orchards offers an exuberant driving service in the person of Dave Lider, who for 30 years was a volunteer in the St. Helena Fire Department, as well as a Little League coach and bus driver. He is known for his booming voice and infectious laughter. Driving with Lider is a great way for residents to get around. “It’s a way they can get their wheels back,” said Baldwin. “If they don’t drive any more, they can ride with Dave. Residents can go shopping in town with Dave in the Cadillac or out to the coast with Dave in the bus. He’ll take them to church or to the library or wherever they want to go. If you ask Dave what keeps him smiling, he’ll tell you, ‘It’s the residents. Helping the residents out.’” The feeling of the place reflects the people. “People have fun together, laugh together, care about one another,” said Baldwin. “People are authentic here, and you sense that Submitted photo when you walk in the door. It’s homey. There’s a comfortable feel. I think it just permeates Dave Lider is a driver for Silverado Orchards Retirement Apartments in St. Helena. after all these years.”

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Cameo Cinema bucks trend with help from friends KIRSTEN M I C K E LWA I T Fo r t he St a r Pick up any newspaper these days and you’re likely to read about the closure of yet another small-town, single-screen cinema. Due to rapidly evolving technology and an increasingly competitive film industry, small movie theaters have been struggling to compete with larger multiplex theaters for the last decade or more, and a majority of them have been forced to close their doors. The Napa Valley is no exception: Of the several independent movie theaters that once thrived here, St. Helena’s historic Cameo Cinema is the only one still operating. There’s a reason for that: Under the direction of proprietor Cathy Buck, the Cameo operates today as much more than just a movie theater – it has become a full-fledged arts organization and community resource. In 2012, the nonprofit organization Friends of the Cameo (FOC) was formed to raise funds that underwrite a wide range of community-oriented films and activities – fundamental to the survival of the 103-year-old theater – and help make capital improvements to ensure its longevity. Of the few single-screen cinemas that continue to survive in the U.S., more than 75 percent have either converted to a nonprofit model or are supported by a nonprofit foundation, said FOC President Robert Clegg. “The FOC and the Cameo are partnering to find the right relationship to ensure that the Cameo exists for another century,” he added. “This could mean anything from continuing our current supportive relationship to an outright merger between the two entities.” Demonstrating its commitment to keeping the Cameo a viable arts organization, the FOC has just hired Laura Rafaty as its executive director – its first paid employee since its inception. Rafaty — already known to many from her work with NapaShakes and her former newspaper column “Up the Valley” — was hired Aug. 18 to support future efforts by the FOC to keep the Cameo Cinema financially sustainable. “I’ve had the chance to engage 80

Submitted photo

New Friends of the Cameo Executive Director Laura Rafaty. left, and Proprietor Cathy Buck are partnering to ensure the healthy future of the Cameo Cinema.

Friends of the Cameo Events supported by private donations to the Friends of the Cameo include: — Monthly family films (2 to 4 per month) — Art, foreign, and independent films (4 to 8 per month) — Guest speakers and Q&As with film professionals — Family Film Festival — Napa Valley Film Festival — Free showings of NBA Final and World Cup — New Year’s Day free movie — Spring student movie workshop — Underwriting to reduce rental costs for nonprofit events — Tuesday film classes

with the Cameo both as an audience member and as a nonprofit partner,” Rafaty said. “I appreciate how truly dedicated Cathy and the Friends of the Cameo are to bringing entertaining and enlightening programming to our community, and I’m thrilled to be joining their efforts.” Buck will continue to run the theater, and the two women have already teamed up to devise innovative ways to keep the Cameo a vibrant part of the Napa Valley community. “Laura is passionate, creative and

professional,” Buck said. “I’m so excited to have her joining our team.” Anyone who has sat in the Cameo’s plush seats, experienced its stateof-the-art Dolby Atmos sound system, or enjoyed its upgraded lobby and restrooms has benefited from the capital improvements funded by the FOC. In addition, the organization underwrites the kind of community programming that makes the Cameo a full arts organization. Public support of such events is a key element in keeping the Cameo fiscally sound, said FOC Treasurer Rob Morrow. “Many people have asked why the Cameo doesn’t just raise its ticket prices,” Morrow said. “Movie studios generally take 50 to 60 percent of the ticket price off the top, so for every dollar raised, the Cameo realizes only 40 or 50 cents of increased net revenue. While buying tickets is an important way to support the theater, a tax-deductible donation to Friends of the Cameo is an even more direct contribution to the Cameo’s longterm sustainability.” Upvalley demographics are also a problem: The upper valley is a small community with many second-home

owners who attend movies elsewhere. The industry benchmark suggests that it takes a population of 18,000 to support one screen – the combined population of St. Helena, Yountville and Calistoga is approximately 13,000. The Cameo’s average occupancy is 38 percent. Clegg said the local community must think of the Cameo less as a movie theater and more as a major arts organization, like the symphony, ballet or live theater. “The model of a single-screen theater in a small town is something we all treasure,” Clegg said. “It’s run as efficiently as possible, but it simply cannot survive without consistent community support.” If people want to continue to enjoy the Cameo’s movies and events, there are three things they can do: Regularly attend its films and activities, consider renting the Cameo for their own private events, and support the cinema with monthly or annual donations to the Friends of the Cameo. Kirsten Mickelwait is on the board of directors of the Friends of the Cameo.

YOUTH BASKETBALL 1ST – 6TH GRADE (7 – 12YRS)

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Games: Saturdays, 1/16 – 2/27 *no games 2/13/2016

Locations: Harvest Middle School, Redwood Middle School & Napa High

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Mini Hoops: This instructional basketball league will provide a fantastic opportunity for your child to obtain social skills, teamwork, and basic basketball skills. All equipment and rules have been specially designed to ensure the success of all of the players. The first 20 minutes of each week will consist of instructional practice and the last 30 minutes will be used for games. This league relies on PARENT VOLUNTEERS to coach each team. A coach meeting will be held Tuesday, January 5, 2016. Players will not be contacted by a coach. Show up the first day ready to play! Location: Redwood Middle School New Gym

These Leagues coached by PARENT VOLUNTEERS. If you are ableto help please contact Dan Opperman at dopperman@cityofnapa.org or 707-257-9210.

NAPA PARKS & RECREATION SERVICES 1850 Soscol Ave, ste 201 Napa, CA 94559 www.naparec.com 707-257-9529

December 4 & 5, 2015

Go to www.VisitCalistoga.com for more information 82

The York House, located at First and Jefferson streets in Napa, has been nominated for the National Register of Historic Places.

Making history JENNIFER HUFFMAN J H U F F M A N @ N A PA N E W S . C O M A 123-year old downtown Napa home is about to join an exclusive list. The York House, prominently located at First and Jefferson streets, has been nominated to the National Register of Historic Places. “The building has character that you don’t see very often,” said property owner Vincent Spohn. The attorney has his office, along with others, inside the former residence. “It’s like I’m a caretaker of a piece of art built long before I was born,” Spohn said. “God willing, it will be here long after I’m gone.” According to the National Park Service, there are 38 other homes or buildings in the city of Napa with the National Register designation. The city previously designated the house as a local landmark property and historic resource. The National Register nomination, which is expected to be approved, “is a nod to protecting our heritage,” said Stacey DeShazo, director

of Napa County Landmarks, a nonprofit that seeks to preserve Napa history and buildings of interest. “History is the key to our future,” she said. Such recognition “gives folks the opportunity to remember who and what came before.” “These nominations are important for preserving the city’s historic buildings,” culture and history, said city Planning Manager Ken MacNab. Historic properties “really lend character to the city,” said Emi Theriault, assistant planner with the city. “It’s what defines a sense of place.” Spohn said that he and partners bought the home in 1985 for $263,000. “I had to scrimp and save,” he said. “We put everything we had together to buy it.” Over the years, a new roof was added, plumbing and wiring were replaced, along with other significant improvements. However, “We were very careful not to remove anything that was original to the house,” he said. Besides the house itself, four large palm trees that date from the home’s construction remain.

J.L. Sousa/Register

York House nominated for National Register Well-known Napa architect Luther Turton constructed the Queen Anne-style home in 1892. It was built for Joseph Noyes, director of Napa’s First Bank and brother of Frank Noyes, who owned the Noyes Mansion across the street at the northeast corner of First and Jefferson. Before that, the property was close to a vineyard owned by John Patchett, who is credited with building the Napa Valley’s first commercial winery further west on the banks of Napa Creek in 1850. In 1920, city attorney, and later Napa County Superior Court Judge John T. York bought the house, and the York family lived there for many years. In 1985, Spohn and partners purchased the house for professional office space. The history of the site and the home are described on a sign that faces traffic on Jefferson Street. Assuming the nomination is approved by the National Park Service, Spohn may be eligible for a property tax reduction, but that’s not why he applied for the recognition, said the attorney. “I did it because I want to make sure that it is preserved. It’s been a real labor of love.” 83

At Frys.com Open, no shot goes unseen H OWA R D Y U N E h y un e @ n apanews.c om How did thousands of golf fans at the Silverado Resort know that Johnson Wagner’s last tee shot of the Frys.com Open traveled precisely 315 yards? What allowed viewers on television and online to see that he had 257 more yards to the 18th hole? For more than a decade, the answers to those questions — and many more — have been found in a mix of laser range finders, computers and data networks at every stop on the PGA Tour. The system known as ShotLink turns every drive, chip and putt into a data point — in real time — to be beamed onto the scoreboards facing the fairways, screen titles on TV, and into archives that can be mined for new types of statistics golfers can use to shine new light on their games. “It pretty much re-enacts every shot that takes place on the golf course,” said Aaron Spearman, the Tour’s director of ShotLink production, before the Frys.com Open’s final round in October. At Silverado as at other tournament sites, the path of data began with a cohort of volunteers — numbering about 200 in Napa — who were equipped with handheld devices to record players’ running scores or use lasers to pin down ball locations after each shot. Twenty-eight wireless data stations along the Silverado links’ 7,203 yards passed the information into a private wireless network to a control-room truck parked outside the clubhouse. Inside the truck, about a half-dozen ShotLink workers monitored the data, which was matched to maps of all 18 holes segmented into grids of 5-yard squares. Within five seconds, distance and location data from each shot passed wirelessly to the course’s leaderboards as well as The Golf Channel’s studio truck, whose staff folded the data into on-screen graphics during its four-day broadcast. Scoreboard pages on the PGA Tour website and other sports sites are refreshed with the new information in 10 to 30 seconds. Because setting up the ShotLink truck and equipment takes more than a week, the Tour keeps two mobile control rooms, deploying them in alternating tournaments. The resulting torrent of distance, direction and location data for a tournament’s 12,000 or 84

J.L. Sousa/Register

Sean Schicker, PGA Tour ShotLink producer, coordinates information in the trailer at the Frys.com Open at Silverado Resort and Spa.

so shots — and the ability to package it into a narrative — is designed to let fans, writers and broadcasters spot trends and tendencies, not only when recapping a tournament but especially while golfers are still on the course. “If you notice a player hitting left a lot, the data is all there,” said PGA Tour spokesman Doug Milne. “You can build a much deeper and broader story if you know someone has hit nine of the last 14 tee shots to the left.” Shot data also is fed directly to Tour headquarters in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, for transmission to media outlets that are not at the golf course. The information also is added to an archive of in-tournament information dating to ShotLink’s creation in the early 2000s – a stash that has provided the raw material for more precise glimpses of a golfer’s play. For example, a Columbia Business School professor used ShotLink data to develop “strokes gained-putting,” a metric the Tour introduced in 2011 to show how much a golfer improves his score with superior putting ability. The

number of putts a player takes from a certain distance is measured against a statistical baseline to determine how many strokes he gains or loses on a hole. The ability to sift for finer grains of golfing action vastly expands the number of metrics and makes them more truthful, according to Spearman, who credits the strokes gained-putting measurement with separating truly skilled putters from those who use the flatstick less because of erratic shot-making. “We used to have only six stats; now we have over 500,” said Spearman. “Just because you’ve had the fewest putts all year doesn’t mean that you’re the best putter. It gives you a true sense of how you’re putting; otherwise you could just be missing a lot of greens.” While telecasts may be the most visible face of ShotLink, Milne, the PGA Tour spokesman, said its greatest influence is on the golfers themselves. “Players have hunches about certain parts of their game,” he said, “and ShotLink validates those hunches — or not.”

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AP file photo Federal investigators at the site of a Vallejo wine warehouse blaze on Oct. 13, 2005, the day after hundreds of millions of dollars worth of wine went up in smoke. Former Marin County wine dealer Mark Anderson later pleaded guilty to starting the fire and several other counts.

New book documents ‘the largest wine arson in the world’ TO M S TO C K W E L L t st o ckwel l @sthel ena sta r.c om Ten years ago, on Oct. 12, 2005, a fire in a Vallejo warehouse destroyed an estimated $250 million in wine. Mark Anderson, a Marin County civic leader and a man once considered to be an expert in wines, was ultimately convicted of arson, along with 17 Mark Anderson other crimes. His motives, according to court documents, were to cover up his business failures and 86

the collapse of his wine enterprise. Now a new book by Frances Dinkelspiel titled “Tangled Vines: Greed, Murder, Obsession and an Arsonist in the Vineyards of California” has been released documenting Anderson’s crime. There’s more to Dinkelspiel’s narrative than just Mark Anderson, which makes this tale of crime richer and deeper. It’s also a story that sends vinicultural tendrils back into the early turbulent days of the California wine industry. Dinkelspiel readily acknowledges in the introduction of the book to a dual set of motivations in seeking out Anderson in jail. On

the one hand, she wants to obtain material about the heinous crime for a New York Times article. But on the other hand, she also wants to “understand a chapter from my family’s past.” That past has taken her back to a vineyard 40 miles east of Los Angeles, in Rancho Cucamonga, where her great-great-grandfather made Port and Angelica wine in 1875. Anderson’s crime — destroying 4.5 million bottles of wine — happened to also destroy 175 remaining bottles of those 125-year-old vintages. “I found myself on a quest of sorts, one to comprehend why someone would knowingly ruin that much wine,” Dinkelspiel writes. But also “… to better understand the drive it took to make a good bottle of wine. … Was it only liquid? Was it heritage? Was it a link to anything that mattered?” In “Tangled Vines” Dinkelspiel chronicles the many steps of Anderson’s demise over many years of jailhouse correspondence. She

relates how, as Anderson’s grasp on his past life of luxury began slipping away, he grew increasingly desperate to cover his initial crimes of deceit with other crimes of fraud. Ultimately those devious steps led him along a path to the arson that was to become “the largest wine arson in the world.” Ted Hall of Long Meadow Ranch — who lost two vintages of cabernet and an entire library of vintages — was quoted at Anderson’s sentencing, “This was a crime against families: those that owned the businesses and many everyday working men and women who helped produce these irreplaceable wines. It has taken us years to recover from the fire. … We nearly lost a lifetime of work. May his sentence reflect the havoc he wreaked and may it be long to reflect the lasting damage he has done to our lives.” Anderson received a sentence of 27 years and an order to pay $70.3 million in restitution. He remains in prison today.

Honig puts blending in wine lovers’ hands H OWA R D Y U N E hyu ne@na pa news.c om RUTHERFORD — For one morning, Honig Vineyard & Winery acquired new winemakers – about 35 of them. They arrived one late summer Sunday as guests of the Rutherford winemaker, until they were shown to their tables on a leafy, shaded patio. Alongside the expected bottles of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and other wines were long graduated droppers, tubes and pitchers etched milliliter by milliliter. On this day, the visitors were here not only to appreciate fine wine, but to gain a hands-on appreciation for the intricacies of blending and the sharp shifts a percentage point or two can make in the character of their favorite wines.

“Your challenge today is to make a cabernet, if you want,” Honig’s winemaker Kristin Belair told her apprentices for the day. “Or you can make a Bordeaux blend,” she added to those looking to concoct varieties with less than 75 percent cab grapes, in search of a rounder, less tannic flavor. Blend Your Own Cabernet, a learn-by-doing event Honig has occasionally hosted over the past several years, gives wine enthusiasts a glimpse into a process less wellknown than the grapevines lining the Napa Valley highways — but just as crucial to the success of the product. “It gives people an insight into what we do while we’re making

Howard Yune/Register

Sarah Hartstein (left) and Laura Kerepesi measure different varieties of wine by the milliliter while creating customized blends Sunday morning during Blend Your Own Cabernet, a demonstration at Honig Vineyard & Winery in Rutherford.

wine,” said Belair, who has directed Honig’s winemaking for 17 years. “Instead of telling them, we let them experience it for themselves,” she said, describing the exercise as the distillation of a blending process that can take up to 15 months to plan and carry out for each vintage. “When I see folks go through this process, I say that a small percentage

makes a big difference, so try it for yourself and see what you think.” “Consumers see the beautiful bottles of wine and don’t understand the whole background,” said Michael Honig, owner of the winery. “When you show people the final process of taking different components of wine — like going through a recipe to make a

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wonderful dish — it’s a chance for them to see behind the curtain and see what it is to be a winemaker. “You see the part that is science, adding yeast, turning sugar to alcohol — and then you see the … artistic side, and that’s what separates our wine from other wines.” Over two hours, the guests turned the winery patio into the most flavorful of test labs. Over and over, a pour of petit verdot, or three or four drops of cabernet franc, became instant and one-of-a-kind favorites for the wine tasters — or off-taste mistakes leading them to tweak their mixtures some more. “It’s vastly different. More tannin in this one,” C.J. Anderson of San Francisco told his table mate Ri Scott at one table. “This one’s brighter,” Scott said of his own mixture, before the two picked up their tubes and droppers once more. An already cab-stained worksheet recorded Anderson’s adjustments balancing the percentages of cab, merlot and petit verdot: 70-20-10, then 60-10-30, 60-0-40, 60-40-0

Howard Yune/Register

David Francel of Sonoma pours drops of wine into a mixture of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet franc during Blend Your Own Cabernet, a winemaking demonstration hosted by Honig Vineyard & Winery for about 35 guests.

and 50-20-30, with more than an hour to go. The endless experimenting, and the sometimes intense concentration over a few milliliters, gave some guests a quick lesson in the challenges of wine blending. “Much more difficult to blend wine than I thought,” admitted Laura Kerepesi. “I like them all

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individually, so I thought it would be easy to blend them, but I haven’t liked the results so far.” “I’ve noticed small amounts matter, even fractions of a percent,” said John Silva as he labored to get the combination of four varieties just so – then sent a friend in search of another cab bottle to top off his pitcher of blended wine at an even 3

liters, enough for four bottles. Still, the destination soon proved less important than the tasty road there. “It’s interesting and fun, almost like chemistry,” said Sarah Hartstein. “My husband likes more tannin and I like more smoothness; his is more cab and mine’s more of a Bordeaux blend.” By noon, Hartstein’s husband, Keith, had not only struck on a formula, he was having the result corked in a bottle, which he then hand-labeled with a marking pen. “Keith’s Bordeaux Blend,” the dark glass read, along with its maker’s golden ratio — cabernet, merlot, petit verdot and cabernet franc in a 70-22-4-4 mix. “Took me seven or eight attempts before I got this right,” he said. “I tried heavy cab (content), then light cab, and finally I ended up in the middle. I think it was the 80 percent cab that I tried, that was too much; I went for drinkability … although I will set this bottle aside and treasure it for many years.”

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Fraud experts tell wineries to wise up JENNIFER HUFFMAN j h u ff man @n ap an ews.c om In the wine industry, your most trusted employee could also be your most dangerous. So said a panel of law enforcement and business auditors at September’s Wine Industry Financial Symposium in Napa. “Fraud is pervasive” in business, said moderator Jim Petray, a CPA at Burr, Pilger & Mayer. “Most disturbing, it can happen from a person who is a well-trusted individual” — someone whom you’d never normally suspect of theft.” There have been a number of examples of wine-related crimes in recent times. Gerilee “Geri” Densberger was sentenced earlier this year to eight

years in state prison for the theft of more than $600,000 from her employer, Whitehall Lane Winery, and $37,000 from winery owner Thomas Leonardini Sr. Martin “Chris” Edwards, formerly a Napa-based executive with The Wine Tasting Network, was sentenced in federal court in 2014 to 33 months in federal prison for embezzling nearly $900,000 from his employer. In April, as many as 250,000 consumers who used their credit cards at dozens of Napa Valley wineries had their financial information and personal data stolen by a cyber thief. Also this year, Joshua Krummenoehl, the former owner of WineGavel.com, was sentenced to 18 months in jail in connection with the theft of more than $500,000 worth of wines stored in south Napa County. Small family-run wineries with limited budgets or absentee owners

Gary Lieberstein, Napa County District Attorney

are particularly vulnerable to fraud, said the experts. For example, if the same employee is responsible for collecting the mail, sorting checks, making deposits, paying all the bills and then reconciling bank statements, “That’s a terrible set of controls,” said Jeff Dieleman, an agri-business auditor with CPA firm Moss Adams. That person could easily take advantage of such complete control. “There have to be checks and balances, literally,” said Napa County District Attorney Gary Lieberstein.

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Dieleman said that fraudsters usually work in accounting, operations, sales, executives or upper management roles and are typically older than 40 years of age. “We see more theft in that age group because they are trusted more,” said Deileman. Often those employees are at the height of their careers, with the most responsibility, access and opportunity. Dieleman said that there are three main types of business fraud: embezzlement, corruption and fraudulent financial statements. The most common is embezzlement or theft and misappropriation of company assets, he noted. According to the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, the median loss for such theft is $130,000. For a small winery operation, that could be devastating. Fraud cases usually start small, Dieleman said. An employee will steal a small amount, intending to

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pay it back, but after no one notices, they do it again, “and pretty soon they get bolder,” stealing more and more frequently. It can take years to discover such theft, he noted. “The longer they are stealing, the more they are going to take over time,” Dieleman said. Warning signs of theft by an employee can include things like changes in lifestyle, living beyond apparent means, close association with one particular vendor, someone who won’t take a vacation, personal financial difficulties, control issues, family problems or addiction. Once you have enough evidence someone is stealing, remove that person from his or her position “so they don’t have their fingers in the pie anymore,” said Michael Donovan, chief investigator at the Napa County District Attorney’s office. “Once they realize the jig is up, they have an opportunity to hide things. Evidence is gone.” One of the most important things is to report fraud when you find it, said the panelists.

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No one likes to admit someone stole from their business, said Dieleman. “It hurts, it’s embarrassing. They’d rather sweep it under the rug.” “They don’t want adverse publicity,” admitted Lieberstein. The problem is that employee may leave your company and victimize the next employer. If there’s no record of any complaint or case, the next business owner may never know what kind of employee they just hired, said Lieberstein. “Report it.” Lieberstein also said to be wary of electronic fraud schemes. He cited an example of a Napa real estate investor who lost $300,000 in a wire transfer scam. “That’s a huge area where people

are getting ripped off. Educate your people not to trust everything in a phone call or electronic mail,” said the DA. Wineries are increasingly at risk from losses due to cyber crime. “We are seeing several instances where customer email is being hacked and monitored,” said an email statement from former U.S. Secret Service Agent Michael Musgrave, now senior vice president and director of the Financial Intelligence Unit for Rabobank. Musgrave had been scheduled to appear but was not able to attend. “Fraudsters are requesting wire transactions to be sent as if the president or CEO has ordered the

wire transaction. In these instances, the perpetrator represents that the requested transaction is time sensitive and that they cannot be reached by phone,” he wrote. Petray suggested that companies create a fraud hotline, use background checks, monitor monthly operating ratios, have unopened bank statements opened by the owner first, create a culture of ethics and accountability from the top, require mandatory vacations, do surprise inventory counts and report embezzlement. It’s not enough to create a policy in an employee handbook, said Dieleman. “Make this part of your culture. Make sure that no one thinks no one is paying attention.” In addition the crime presentation, attendees at the Wine Industry Financial Symposium also participated in sessions about such topics as designing a successful tasting room, mergers and acquisitions, using research data and reports, social media and tied house regulations, vineyard development and how legalized marijuana may affect the wine industry.

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Savory, sweet dishes call for seasonal pumpkin L . P I E RC E C A R S O N lp carso n @n apanews.c om Not only for carving up on All Hallow’s Eve, pumpkins are a welcome addition to the fall diet. From sweet to savory, the fall pumpkin is a most welcome addition to any number of dishes on the family menu. Showing up most often in the form of holiday pies, the pumpkin is a must for everything from soups to sauces, pasta to pancakes, cookies to custard. Pumpkin is one of the very low-calorie vegetables — 3.5 ounces (100 grams) of the pulp provides just 26 calories and contains no saturated fats or cholesterol. However, it is rich in dietary fiber, anti-oxidants, minerals and vitamins (A, C and E). The vegetable is one of the food items recommended by dietitians in cholesterol-controlling and weight-reduction programs. In addition, pumpkin seeds are an excellent source of dietary fiber and mono-unsaturated fatty acids, which are good for heart health. The most popular variety is the Sugar pumpkin because it’s suitable for a wide variety of uses — carving, painting as well as cooking. Weighing usually between 5 and 8 pounds, the Sugar variety — with its dark, sweet flesh — is touted as the king of pumpkins because it is ideal for pies. The Sugar pumpkin also has great seeds for roasting. Another variety you’ll see in local markets is the Cinderella (also known as Rouge Vif d’Estampes). The Cinderella variety has become popular of late in the Bay Area although it was introduced in this country in the latter part of the 19th century. Some maintain it’s the prototype for the pumpkin carriage in the Cinderella folktale. Cinderella pumpkins are deep red to orange, flattened, and deeply ribbed. They keep well, and their semi-sweet flesh is also good for pies. The Lakota is an heirloom variety from America’s heartland. Red with green/black markings up from the base, this variety is mostly pear-shaped and its flesh has a butternut-like flavor. Jarrahdale — also known as Ghirardelli — is flattened like the Cinderella but with a light blue/gray color. Deeply ribbed, it’s an Australian heirloom variety, developed as a cross between the Blue Hubbard and the Cinderella. The flesh is golden yellow with a mild, slightly sweet,

Pumpkins wait under the vines to find a home at Big Ranch Farms. Local pumpkin patches are now open for business as the fall holiday season is quickly approaching.

flavor. Some maintain this is the best pumpkin for pumpkin pies. Another variety you’ll find this time of year is the White Ghost. Pure white outside with a bright yellow flesh inside, White Ghost pumpkins are good for cooking, painting as well as general fall decorating. Their thick flesh and squat shape make them challenging to carve however.

As the workweek began with a celebration of National Pumpkin Day and ends with traditional Halloween trick-or-treating, it seemed most appropriate to share some tantalizing recipes that feature pumpkin as one of the main ingredients. Who wouldn’t jump at the chance to stick a fork into a stack of pumpkin pancakes with hot plum syrup? We found this recipe in a new cookbook 91

by Norway native Paul Lowe, “Eat & Make — Charming Recipes + Kitchen Crafts You Will Love” (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $30). “When I was a boy, I loved to watch American TV shows like ‘Flipper’ and ‘The Brady Bunch,’” Lowe writes in his recipe introduction. “I would marvel over the giant, fluffy towers of pancakes dripping with butter and maple syrup that appeared in practically every breakfast scene. The pancakes were so much different from the thin, delicate ones we ate in Norway. (Grandmother) Mormor did not think they looked as delectable as I thought they did and would disapprovingly mutter, ‘Only in America,’ when she saw a stack of them. “Now that I live here, pancakes are one of my favorite dishes to make. I’ve not only managed to master the art of cooking a perfect stack, but of course I add my own twist. My recipe uses pumpkin puree, which gives the pancakes a deep golden color. I top them off with my plum maple syrup, an ideal marriage of tart stone fruit and dark, sweet maple, simmered until the plums are just beginning to soften. I think Mormor would approve.” A tasty soup that incorporates both pumpkin and apples comes from one of our favorite cookbooks, “A Good Day for Soup” (Chronicle Books, $16.95), from

the Bay Area’s Jeannette Ferrary and Louise Fiszer. This is a great warming soup now that nights have turned colder. Seattle native Susan Volland has just published her first solo cookbook, “Mastering Sauces: The Home Cook’s Guide to New Techniques for Fresh Flavors” (W.W. Norton, $39.95). We really like her recipes, variations and technique for easy adaptive vegetable stock, so we included one variation — Sweet Autumn Vegetable Stock — that’s ideal for the fall season of recipes. In celebrating National Pumpkin Day, Internet grocer Peapod offered up several tempting recipes, including one for Pumpkin Corn Pudding. It’s a simple recipe that family and friends would welcome as a side dish at dinner throughout the fall. Food writer Carol Field celebrates the recipes and traditions of Italian grandmothers in “In Nonna’s Kitchen” (Harper Collins, $30). She includes a terrific dessert made from simple ingredients, a pumpkin pudding cake, Torta Della Zucca, that will have your dinner guests asking for seconds. In another new cookbook, “The New Sugar and Spice” (Penguin Random House, $27.50), Samantha Seneviratne incorporates pumpkin in her cookie version of cazuela, a traditional, yummy Puerto Rican pudding.

Apple and Pumpkin Soup J E A N N E T T E F E R R A RY A N D LO U I S E F I S Z E R ‘A Good Da y for Sou p’ Bobbing for apples requires only one ingredient — apples — and lots of them. Chances are, you’ll still have lots of them when the bobbers have finished bobbing and the trickor-treaters have been by. Along with the too-prevalent pumpkins — not the one you used for the jack-o’-lantern, of course — they make a great warming and spicy soup. Serves 6 to 8 4 cups chicken stock 4 apples, peeled, cored and diced 2 cups diced pumpkin 1 small onion, diced 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon 92

1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg 1/2 tsp. ground coriander 1 cup apple cider 1/2 cup sour cream Salt and pepper, to taste 1/4 cup chopped chives In a large nonreactive pot, bring stock to a boil. Add apples, pumpkin, onion, cinnamon, nutmeg and coriander. Simmer, partly covered, 30 minutes. Puree mixture in a food processor or blender. Return to pot. In a small bowl, whisk together cider and sour cream until smooth. Stir into soup mixture and reheat gently. Taste for salt and pepper. Sprinkle with chives and serve.

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Pumpkin Pancakes with Hot Plum Syrup PAU L LOW E ‘ Eat & Ma ke’ Serves 6 to 8 For pancakes: 2 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1 Tbsp. baking powder 1 tsp. ground cinnamon 1 tsp. ground ginger 1/2 tsp. salt 1 cup canned pumpkin puree 1 large egg 2½ cups whole milk 1 tsp. vanilla extract Butter for the griddle For syrup: 3 ripe plums, pitted and cut into wedges 1½ cups maple syrup Heat the oven to 250 degrees. To make the pancakes: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger and salt. Add the pumpkin puree, egg, milk and vanilla, whisking until combined. It is OK to have a few little lumps. Lightly butter a large skillet and heat it over

J.L. Sousa/Register file photo

Napa’s Big Ranch Farms, located on Big Ranch Road just north of Trancas Street, sells a wide variety of pumpkins for Halloween — both edible and decorative.

medium heat. Working in batches, use a 1/4-cup dry measure to scoop out the batter onto the griddle and cook for about 2 minutes, or until you see a few little bubbles on the surface. Flip with a spatula and cook for another minute. Keep the pancakes warm on a baking sheet in the oven as you finish them. Repeat with the remaining batter,

adding more butter to the pan as needed. To make the syrup: In a small saucepan, heat the plum wedges and syrup over low heat until the plums just begin to soften, about 2 minutes; don’t boil. Serve the pancakes in stacks topped with the warm plums and syrup.

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Taco night on the back porch PAU L F R A N S O N n e wsroom@napanews.c om It can be challenging to serve dinner to a group that includes young and old and meat-eaters and vegetarians, much less vegans and gluten-avoiding people. Fortunately, there’s a fun way to make everyone happy: Let everyone make their own taco or burrito. Simply set out some appetizers, then a choice of tortillas and fillings and condiments. Add some drinks and dessert and you’re covered, though if you want to add a little something special, Mexican corn on the cob (elote) is very popular.

conventional lime margaritas on the rocks, but you can try other flavors if you like. Don’t bother with fancy tequila in a margarita, for the lime juice and orange liqueur will overwhelm it. Speaking of lime juice, fresh limes are vital. Never use that nasty bottled stuff for anything. If you want to be a purist, you can get large bags of Mexican (or Key limes) around town, but it’s a lot of work to squeeze enough of the tiny limes, which are also full of seeds. In any case, use a Mexican lime squeezer, which almost turns the lime inside out. BEVERAGES I’ve had them in beautiful colors Paul Franson photo Margaritas are a natural for (yellow for lemons, smaller green Chips and a variety of dips, including salsa, bean dip and guacamole, make the adults. I’m a sucker for for limes, though ripe limes are for easy appetizers.

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also yellow) but the enamel doesn’t seem to stand up to the acidity. I found a stainless steel version that does. For the orange liqueur, you can use Cointreau or Grand Marnier, but I use cheap triple sec. Again, the tequila and lime numb any subtleties in flavor. Some people make Margaritas without any added sugar, but I add simple sugar solution to keep them from being too acidic. Of course, Mexican beer is the perfect accompaniment. Modelo is cheap and good, but you can move upscale with Tecate or Bohemia. For the kids, what’s better than aqua fresca? It’s simply an infusion of fruit, sugar and water. One favorite is Jamaíca (hah MY cah), made from dried hibiscus flowers. It’s deep purple but tastes a bit like lemonade. You can buy bags of the flowers at Mexican markets and seep your own, but I cheated and bought a KoolAid-type mix that you just add to water and stir.

APPETIZERS For this evening al fresco, we had chips (totopos), bean dip, salsa Mexicana (called pico de gallo in the States) and guacamole. We also had jícama and cucumber strips plus radishes served with cayenne powder and lime juice. This is confusingly called pico de gallo in Puerto Vallarta. Everyone loves Frito Lay bean dip, but I found a recipe on the Internet and made a similar version using the beans prepared for the tacos. This was where I should have served the elote (Mexican corn on the cob), but had some problems getting the fire hot enough. This Mexican street food specialty is made from grilled corn rolled in crema Mexican, sour cream or mayonnaise, then coated with grated Cotija queso añejo cheese, which is similar to a dry cow’s milk feta. Finally, it’s sprinkled with lime juice and a bit of ancho chili powder — not too hot, mostly smoky and tangy.

THE MAIN COURSE We had both corn and flour tortillas in different sizes, although I tend to think of the ones with flour as burritos and the ones with corn as tacos. Ideally, you should heat the tortillas to make them more pliable, especially if you’re going to fold up the burritos rather than just rolling them. You can wrap them in a moist kitchen towel, place in an unsealed plastic bag (so it won’t explode) and heat in the microwave oven for a minute or two. You can also heat them on a grill, which is better. We offered pinto beans (the canned ones are fine as are black beans), beef filling and cheese plus rice for the basic fillings although I consider rice in a tortilla superfluous. One of my favorite Mexican gurus, Rick Bayless, suggested an authentic sauteed and garlic chard filling for the vegetarians and it was very tasty. Be sure to add plenty of Cotija cheese In addition to the dry salty

Cotija queso añejo, we had queso fresco, similar to mozzarella but also readily available. For the kids who like that mild orange cheese, we had some Mexican cheese blend. To flavor the tacos, we had the salsa Mexicana, roasted tomatillo and chipotle salsa, guacamole and crema Oaxacana, which is sort of like creme fraiche or sour cream but even better. For a special treat, grill or griddle the filled taco or burrito for a bit on each side before eating. You can also make quesadillas from the main ingredients. Fold a flour tortilla over cheese and other ingredients and heat until the cheese melts. You can also make a sandwich with two tortillas. Serve with the condiments on top. Tropical fruit would be a suitable dessert, but I served flan. It was made from a mix, not eggs, so is probably healthier if a bit rubbery. To gild it, I offered cajeta, delicious Mexican goat milk caramel, which is also great on ice cream.

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Elote Mexicano (corn on the cob) 4 large ears of corn, husk and silk removed and snapped in half 1/2 cup crema Mexicana, sour cream or mayonnaise or mix 1 cup grated Cojita queso añejo cheese Ancho, pequín or cayenne chili powder to sprinkle on the corn Lime quarters Wood skewers Hot grill

Poke a hole in the broken part of each half corn ear with an ice pick, then force in a skewer. Roast ears over hot fire, turning to secure substantial browned kernels (but not burned). Rotate each ear in crema mixture, then in cheese. Let people add chili powder and lime to taste.

Sauteed Chard Taco Filling Paul Franson photo

An assortment of fixings allow for a variety of tastes for a family taco night.

Try your local Mexican market PAU L F R A N S O N n e wsroom@na pa news.c om In writing articles about Mexican food, I’ve discovered that most supermarkets carry a lot of Mexican ingredients, but it’s still worth shopping at Mexican markets. That may be true even if you’re not fixing Mexican meals, but that’s another story. The reasons are four: — You can find ingredients you won’t find in Raley’s or Lucky. — The prices are often much lower. — The produce is often ripe and ready to eat, especially avocados and mangos. Mexicans are used to buying food for tonight’s dinner, not three days from now. — The meat departments and butchers are fabulous. You’ll note that most sell very reasonable prepared food, most prepared to order. Many people say La Luna’s tacos are the best in the valley. And don’t be worried about communicating. Everyone speaks perfect English. They never even address me in Spanish, which I find a little disheartening. I guess I don’t look authentic. I haven’t shopped in all of these, but I’ve had very good experiences

at La Tapatia almost in downtown Napa and at Economy Market Mercado Economía, in an unlikely spot on East Imola. — Azteca Market, 2995 Jefferson St., Napa — Economy Market, 1100 Imola Ave., Napa — Juanita Market, 1725 W. Imola Ave., Napa (It should be noted that they’ve had problem with the health department) — La Morenita Market, 2434 Jefferson St., Napa — La Tapatia Market, 504 Brown St., Napa — Lola’s Market, 2750 Old Sonoma Road, Napa — Mi Familia Market, 2565 Kilburn Ave., Napa — La Luna Market & Taqueria, 1153 Rutherford Road, Rutherford — Azteca Market, 789 Main St., St. Helena — Vallarta Market, 1009 Foothill Blvd, Calistoga It’s not in the same category, but we can’t forget Steve Sando’s Rancho Gordo New World Specialty Foods at 1924 Yajome St., Napa. Foodies will go nuts (and poor) over the authentic ingredients, some almost impossible to find.

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil 1 small onion chopped 1 large head of garlic minced 1 bunch Swiss chard, chopped and large stems reserved for other uses Up to 1/2 cup water Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil over medium-high heat, add onions and saute for a minute or two, then add garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Add chard and stir, then cover. After a minute or two, uncover, add part of the water, stir and cover again. Cook until the chard is wilted and cooked, about 5 minutes, adding more water if needed, but you want the mixture dry at the end.

Beef Filling 1 Tbsp. cooking oil 1/2 onion sliced thinly 1 clove garlic minced 1/2 lb. ground beef 1 tsp. sauce from chipotle can 1/2 cup salsa Mexicana or bottled salsa (I like piquant Pace) Salt and pepper to taste

Salsa Mexicana (fresh tomato salsa) 1 lb. ripe red tomatoes, chopped 2 cloves garlic minced 1/2 sweet onion chopped finely 1 or 2 jalapeño or Serrano pepper finely chopped depending on how hot you want it 1/2 bunch cilantro chopped Juice from 1/2 lime Salt to taste Mix ingredients.

Saute onions in oil for a minute or two, then add garlic and continue for about a minute. Add beef and cook until it is no longer pink. Add chipotle sauce and salsa and mix well.

Bean Dip 2 cups pinto beans or refried beans (canned or freshly cooked) 6 nacho slice pickled jalapeño peppers 1 Tbsp. brine from jalapeno jar 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. sugar 1/4 tsp. onion powder 1/4 tsp. smoky paprika powder Pinch garlic powder Pinch cayenne pepper Puree in food processor. Serve with chips. • Recipes by Paul Franson

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