30 sweet success years of
Anette’s Chocolates has prospered despite much adversity over the years
A
CRAIG SMITH
nette’s Chocolates is celebrating 30 years of business in Downtown Napa, having opened in December 1991. Anette Madsen Yazidi, Brent Madsen and Mary Stornetta serve and create amazing artisan chocolates and truffles for locals from their storefront at 1321 First Street. “We are astounded that it has been 30 years already. We’re extremely thankful that our families and decades of loyal customers have shared in the love of our creations. They’ve stuck with us throughout the ups and downs of downtown Napa’s changes,” said Anette. And the family-run business has seen it all—from the many empty store fronts of the ‘90s, to floods, earthquakes, fires, road directional changes and what seemed for years like it would be never ending construction on First Street. Then, add
Anette’s location inside the Oxbow Market.
36 | INSIDE NAPA VALLEY
COVID-19. “We’ve managed to weather the storms,” said Anette. Anette, Brent and Mary pride themselves on creating small-batch, exquisite quality chocolates, salted caramels, sauces and gourmet ice creams. Brent is the Master Chocolatier and Mary is the GM for wholesale, which includes wineries across the country, niche shops and specialty products for Williams Sonoma. Anette manages their two retail shops at First Street and inside the Oxbow Public Market. Along the way, Anette’s Chocolates has won 13 “SOFI’s” awards (Specialty Outstanding Food Innovation,) considered to be the Oscars in the world of specialty foods. Many of those honors are for various varieties of Anette’s brittle as well as their chocolate dessert toppings. Heady stuff for a family-run business. Brent is wonderfully innovative and a Master Chocolatier, who came into his own when he began making truffles, which people loved. The popularity of those got the business owners’ wheels turning. “It occurred to us that we could take our delicate truffle ganache centers and make a dessert topping pourable over ice creams, cheesecakes and fresh strawberries. And that is what Brent did. ” said Anette. After experimenting for months, he perfected what is now known as “Brent’s Cabernet Chocolate Wine FALL/WINTER 2021
