Michael Chiarello’s Napa Valley
A top chef savors the art of living in California wine country.
The steaming scents of peat and earth filled my nose as I gingerly pushed one bare leg into the sluggish vat of volcanic mud. Gurgling, it reluctantly accommodated the rest of me. As I lay back and tried to relax, I kept thinking, “This is what it must be like to be a newly born vampire.” It was not the typical tourist experience, but Napa Valley is anything but ordinary.
In this 5-mile-by-35 mile strip of land between California’s coastal mountains, you can wallow beneath the soil in Calistoga’s restorative mud baths or soar above the fields in a rainbow-colored hot air balloon. Over 4.5 million visitors a year come here for experiences like these, as well as for spectacular Cabernet Sauvignons, farm-to-fork organic cuisine, leisurely train rides, million-dollar tasting rooms and vineyard views that rival Tuscany. If you’ve seen the movies “Sideways” or “Bottle Shock,” you have a sense of the unique history and flavor of the Napa region.
Thirty-six years ago the beauty and bounty of the area attracted one of America’s top chefs, Michael Chiarello, now owner of Bottega restaurant in Yountville, author of five cookbooks and Emmy Award-winning host of “Easy Entertaining,” “NapaStyle” and “Michael Chiarello’s Napa.” Shortly after he was named Chef of the Year by Food & Wine magazine in 1985, Chiarello was searching for a place to put down roots when the Valley stole his heart.
“I came into the Napa Valley on a late February day and the mustard was up around my waist. It was just a blanket of yellow and the famers all around beyond the grapes were really growing some fantastic produce which is the mainstay for Italian cooking, so I had this immediate crush on the Napa Valley,” he said. “The love started deep and has only gotten deeper over time.”
How much time should you plan to spend in this plain an hour north of San Francisco? Chef Chiarello says, “A day and a half longer than the longest time you can afford.” While the summer months attract the biggest crowds, don’t overlook the shoulder seasons that feature a mustard festival in late winter/early spring and the grape harvest from mid-August to November weather depending.
“I love the beginning of March. All the vintners are back and you’re more likely to find the owners in the tasting room. It’s a little more affordable too,” said Chiarello. “Right before Thanksgiving also is spectacular, when the leaves are changing and the entire valley looks like you’re in Maine.”
Whatever season you choose, factor in a leisurely pace, as the delights of the plate and goblet are best savored slowly. “People come here for the sole purpose of enjoying food and wine and I love that. Americans tend to power tour but you want to factor in time to take a nap,” he advised.
Malbecs and More
Foodies and wine-lovers alike have built the once sleepy region into a spot with more acclaimed wineries than any other region in North America, while Yountville boasts more Michelin-starred restaurants per capita than any other city in the world. Residents are called “Napkins” due to their strong appreciation of quality cuisine.
“It’s one of the few places in the world where you can live like you’re in the country and cook like you’re in the city,” said Chiarello. “Farm-to-table might be a term that was coined recently, but in Napa Valley that’s been going on forever. We sit inside the 42nd latitude so all of the things you’d find in Tuscany you find here – eggplant, tomatoes, figs, grapes, nuts, persimmons...It’s Mediterranean, low-carbon footprint, super high quality with produce as the mainstay of cuisine.”
While 80-percent of U.S. wine comes from California, only 4-percent of California wine comes from Napa Valley, yet it still takes a leading role. “Over the years the farming has transitioned from conventional to sustainable to organic to biodynamic. It’s always on the leading edge of the best barrel techniques, the best farming techniques, the best wine making techniques, all brought together to help Napa Valley lead the way for wine countries throughout North America,” said Chiarello, who runs the Chiarello Family Vineyards.
With over 400 wineries, a game plan is in order for those who come to swirl, sip and swish. “We eat when we’re hungry but we tend to taste all day from 10 in the morning to 6 at night. I like to break it up,” said Chiarello. “If you want to enjoy four or five wines over the day, start with sparkling wine. Go to Domain Chandon or Mumm and work your way through the light whites just like you would through the progression of the meal. By the time you get to the end of the day you could be into Cabernet or Petit Syrah.”
Another option Chef Chiarello recommended is staying with one or two varietals. “People try to learn too much in a narrow amount of time. If you sprinkle in all these bits and pieces you go away having enjoyed yourself but never really digesting enough information to build on for your next visit,” he said. Far better to narrow your focus in order to go home with deep-seated knowledge you can have for the rest of your life and share with your family and friends.
What to concentrate on? How about wines you most enjoy drinking-, or those you’ve bought most often in the past year or two? “A lot of wineries specialize in one or two varietals. You can go through winespectator.com if you’re a ratings person pick 88 and above and go prepared to taste a specific thing,” he added.
Farm-To-Fork
When it’s time to dine, Chef Chiarello recommends restaurants like Bouchon, Ad Hoc and Étoile at Domain Chandon. “Everyone’s talking about the taste of the soil, or terrier, but I have this thing I call “manier,” of taste of the person. I find when I have a flavor for a particular person I really enjoy their food, so Richard Reddington’s Redd and Cindy Pawlcyn’s Mustards Grill, Go Fish and Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen are some places I really enjoy.”
Starting the evening with champagne and oysters at Bouchon and finishing the night surrounded by a group of friends around a fireplace is the perfect way to spend a night in Napa Valley. The next day you can head north to Calistoga to experience the hot springs, mud and mineral baths Old Hollywood style. “All the actors and actresses would come and hang out, and I like to close my eyes and imagine Greta Garbo walking by in a one-piece and Clark Gable, who used to have a ranch up in St. Helena, smoking a cigar in the corner,” said Chiarello. After your swim, a massage and glass of sparkling wine is the perfect way to unwind.
When I mentioned to Chef Chiarello that his last name means “famous” and “light” he responded, “Yes, it means light as in clear, and I try to keep clarity of thought about what the founders of Napa Valley brought, which is it’s really not about us, it’s about continuing to carry the torch forward so this experience can continue. No matter where I go this is a place I’m thrilled to come home to.”
Barbara Wayman is the author of Living An Extraordinary Life: 9 Transformational Strategies to Live Your Best Life Now.
Nice article with great recommendations. Happy to hear that Mustard's Grill is still a top-notch dining spot in Napa. Also enjoyed the comment that all foodies can relate to regarding following the flavors of a chef if they move to different restaurants.
However, the winemakers of Santa Barbara may be a little upset that the film "Sideways" was linked to Napa;)