Pairing Wine with Food at Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars
When you fantasize about the Napa Valley, two things usually come to mind: Delicious food and wine.
Pairing wine with food makes the Napa Valley such a popular tourism destination.
Today virtually all the wineries offer visitors the ability to enjoy pairing wine with food experiences.
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The Napa Valley
Located about an hour north of San Francisco, the Napa Valley shines as one of the most recognizable winemaking regions in the world. Here you will also find restaurants which naturally focus on pairing wine with food in set course menus.
In the last decade and more, many wineries have also come to incorporate pairing wine with food in the tours and tasting events they offer tourists.
Like most of the top wineries in the Napa Valley, Stags Leap Wine Cellars long ago replaced casual, complimentary wine tasting at the winery bar with elegant, orchestrated “tasting experiences.”
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Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars : Pairing Wine with Food Experiences
At Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, Chef Travis Westrope has created an assortment of experiences where guests can enjoy pairing wine with food. He is a third-generation Californian, and has over 28 years of experience as a chef in top Napa Valley restaurants.
At Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, guests can choose from a variety of pairing wine with food options from the Stagls Leap Wine Cellars website.
Pairing Wine With Food : The Cellarius Kitchen Experience
This pairing wine with food experience encompasses a tour and multi-course wine tasting with food complements. This experience, lasting nearly 3 hours, begins with a tour of the Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars estate by a winery guide.
During this tour, you will learn the history of the winery and see the beautiful cellars.
After the tour, your group of 12 (the maximum number permitted) walk to a stunning private dining room overlooking the vineyard.
Below you will find the menu I enjoyed during my visit.
Cellarius Kitchen Experience : First Course
The first course of Roman Fish & Chips with 1995 Beckstoffer Chardonnay Batter, Tonnato Sauce, Mizuna & Fennel was accompanied by the 2017 Arcadia Vineyard Chardonnay Napa Valley.
In this pairing of wine with food, the subtle buttery flavor of the Arcadia Vineyard Chardonnay complemented the Beckstoffer Vineyard based Chardonnay flavors of the battered fish. While the vibrance of the Mizuna and fennel contrast with the Arcadia Vineyard Chardonnay’s richness.
Cellarius Kitchen Experience : Second Course
The second course of Grimaud Farms Smoked Muscovy Duck Breast, paired with Cypress Grove Purple Haze Chevre, Violet & Violet Leaf Pesto Risotto was also a story of comparison and contrast.
Here, the wine paired with the dish was the 2016 FAY Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley. This wine had velvet tannins complementing the smooth texture of the duck breast, while cutting through the richness of the duck with its vibrant acidity.
Cellarius Kitchen Experience : Main Course
For the principal course, guests enjoyed Niman Ranch Tri-tip Polpettone, Calabrian Chile Glaze, Asparagus & Gold Beet, Celery Root. Here the more assertive 2016 S.L.V. Cabernet Sauvignon cut through the richness of the tri-tip,
Cellarius Kitchen Experience : Dessert Course
Even the dessert of Tellagio Cheesecake, Brown Butter Pecan Crust, Pliny the Caramel paired with wine. In this pairing it was the 2016 CASK 23 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley. The softer tannins of this aged wine provided a contrast to the soft cheese and contrast with the crunch on the Pecan crust.
Chef Travis : Pairing Wine with Food Principles for Home Chefs
Though he creates his menus with the wines of Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars in mind, Chef Travis offers advice for home chefs.
“I like to use the rules of complement and contrast,’ says Chef Travis, explaining that that in pairing wine with food exercises, the wines should either complement the flavor of a dish, or contrast with it.
“For example, the white Sauvignon Blanc grape makes a wine that has bright acidity and a subtle herbal aroma and flavor. One can find Sauvignon Blanc at most supermarkets and wine stores. It complements the green salads of spring and summer, especially if you add a bit of chopped herbs like cilantro or basil.”“Chardonnay has a heavier texture,” says Chef Travis. “It can be the oaked, buttery California style, or the more reserved unoaked style common to Burgundy.
A Chardonnay wine is a great complement to a richer dish, such as scallops, especially if the scallops are sautéed in butter. Pasta in a butter sauce is also a desirable option for the same reason.”
As for Cabernet Sauvignon, Chef Travis declares his bias for meat when he suggests Tri-tip steak as the perfect pairing, preferably marinated with dried chile pepper before grilling.
What are the options for a Cabernet Sauvignon wine for a person who does not eat meat? “Salmon can be a great option for people who eat fish,” he says, “then served with a side dish like braised kale.”
“There are no hard and fast rules for wine and food pairing,” says Chef Travis. “The important thing is to think about contrasting or complementing the flavors of a dish as well as the texture. Experiment and have fun.”
When asked about the philosophy behind The Cellarius Kitchen Experience, Chef Travis says, “One of the most important concepts I learned in my culinary career is that food is always better when served with a purpose or meaning. By creating a story during the dining experience, you create a lasting memory.”
Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars
If the name of the winery sounds familiar, the reason is that in 1976, its wine won the “Judgment of Paris” blind wine tasting competition pitting Cabernet Sauvignon from California’s Napa Valley and France’s Bordeaux against one another.
The competition has historic importance because prior to 1976, most wine aficionados – both American and French – assumed Cru Classé Bordeaux wine from France was the best. That competition proved this assumption wrong and paved the way for the fame the Napa Valley enjoys today.
Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Founder
Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars was founded in 1970 by self-trained winemaker Warren Winiarski. While working for the newly opened Robert Mondavi winery, he tasted some homemade Cabernet Sauvignon based wine made from the vineyard of Nathan Fay.
Mr. Fay’s vineyard was located about five miles north of the city of Napa. Impressed by the quality of the fruit in the wine, Mr. Winiarski bought a 44-acre block of land adjacent to Mr. Fay’s vineyard. This would become the Stag’s Leap Vineyard, more often called S.L.V.
After the 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon wine produced from this vineyard won the Judgment of Paris, Mr. Winiarski purchased the Fay vineyard in 1986, doubling the size of his holdings. In 1989 these vineyards became the foundation of the Stags Leap AVA. They created the AVA in 1989. In 2019 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars celebrated its 50th Anniversary.
Pairing Wine with Food Tasting Experiences and Tours at Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars
You can choose from several tours and tastings at Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars. As with most wineries in the Napa Valley, the tours and tastings require reservations.
Depending on the tour you choose, you may enjoy a tasting at a table outdoors. Outdoors you can taste the wines while overlooking the very vineyard where they grow.
The tour and tasting all have exciting names (Fire & Water, The Estate Wine Tasting & Cave Tour, the Estate Collection Flight). You can read a description of them here.
The important thing is to book the tours, tasting, and pairing wine with food experiences in advance.
Essentials to Bring for Winery Visits
- A hat, especially for sunny days.
- Sunglasses for the same reason.
- Sunscreen very necessary in summer. Personally, I find this face covering more protective and less irritating.
- A charger for your device so not to miss once-in-a-lifetime photos.
- Your favorite bottled water
- A cup for expectorating wine in case it is far away or not provided.
- A small notebook to record details about the wine or vineyards.
- Comfortable walking shoes for vineyard visits
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If you like this article you will like:
— Dominus Estate
— Chappellet Family Winery
— Hess Collection
— Frog’s Leap
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Here’s a Video About the Fay Vineyard
About Author Marisa D’Vari
D’Vari contributes to Forbes.com, Financial Times, World of Fine Wine, Quarterly Review of Wine, Decanter Robb Report, San Francisco Chronicle, South China Morning Post, and more.
She holds the (WSET) diploma, Certified Sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers, a Certified Wine Educator through the Society of Wine Educators … to see it all, please click on bio
