We return for the third time to this acclaimed vineyard and winery in the heart of Napa Valley, where 200 acres of Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, Zinfandel, Merlot, Muscat and other grape varieties are planted on sloping hills in the foreground of the Vaca Mountains. Not to mention olives, fruits and nuts. Robert Sinskey takes a soil-first approach to growing grapes, using regenerative organic farming practices that boost the health of their soil and the flavor of their fruit. A low intervention approach in the cellar means that all of these careful farming practices are reflected in the wines. We’ll dine between the vines with a meal from old friend Kim Alter of Nightbird. Chef Kim cooked her first OITF feast ten years ago at the Secret Sea Cove. Since then, she’s collected quite a few culinary accolades, including a James Beard nomination and a Top 100 Restaurants allocation from the Chronicle. She’ll cook up an extraordinary meal to pair with some extraordinary wine.
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Events
Markegard Family Grass-Fed
Markegard’s acres of golden pasture along the San Mateo coast come sprinkled with grazing cows and the faint sound of the Pacific ebbing below towering cliffs. Not to mention sweeping ocean views, a panoramic sunset, and a friendly bunch of chickens, pigs and lambs. The Markegards are very passionate ranchers who use regenerative grazing practices to boost the health of both their soil and their meat. And host ranchers Erik and Doniga will tell us all about it on our tour around the ranch. Then we’ll settle into an Indonesian-inspired meal from guest chef Siska Silitonga, a passionate ambassador for Indonesian cuisine. She is known for quite a few culinary ventures including a Michelin-recommended Indonesian restaurant, a slew of wildly popular pop-ups, a food truck at Google, and an award-winning jarred sambal hot sauce brand. She’ll cook us a flavorful feast featuring plenty of pastured meat from the ranch.
Fibrevolution
Fibrevolution is an extraordinarily inspiring place. Farmers Shannon Welsh and Angela Wartes-Kahl are working to revive and redefine Oregon’s fiber flax industry — bringing local, organic flax back to the forefront of American fiber production. They’re launching Oregon’s first fiber flax mill in over 50 years, and conducting trials to scale their model across the country. We’ll get a tour of the property, including a field-to-fabric demonstration where we’ll see the process from start to finish. Then we’ll sit down in the flax fields for a meal from guest chef Doug Adams. Doug’s a Texas native who’s made quite the name for himself since moving to Portland back in 2008—from appearing on Bravo’s Top Chef to working in some of the city’s hottest kitchens including Imperial, Paley’s Place and Pok Pok to opening his own spot, Bullard, with a menu inspired by his Lone Star roots. Now he’s running The Royal Coachmen, a pop-up culinary series that combines his passions for wood-fired food and fly fishing. We can’t make any promises, but it’s possible his famous fried chicken will make an appearance on the menu. Either way, expect a sumptuous summer feast surrounded by blooming blue flax flowers.
Everett Family Farm
This charming family farm near our hometown of Santa Cruz has been an OITF staple since the beginning. Take a stroll through their 45 acres of bountiful farmland and you’ll find persimmons, beets, blackberries, cider apples, artichokes and other goodies along with a lively flock of laying hens and a herd of friendly goats. Guest chefs Jessica Yarr and Cynthia Leung will share the field kitchen on our first night. Jessica is a Santa Cruz native who worked at hotspots Gabriella Cafe and Assembly before opening Chicken Foot early last year. Her menus combine the flavors and food traditions of her Ukrainian heritage with the agricultural bounty of the Bay Area. Cynthia is a French pastry aficionado. She studied French pastry in Paris and worked at the 3-Michelin starred Guy Savoy before starting C.ie.L Patisserie during the pandemic. She bakes up a variety of French classics like madeleines and sablés using locally sourced ingredients and the flavors from her East Asian heritage. Think black sesame madeleines, California citrus tarts and matcha sablés. Yum.
Rancho el Rincon
Rancho el Rincon
Prepare to be wowed by this haven of tropical fruits including guavas, passion fruit, avocados, cherimoya, dragonfruit, pomegranate, and citrus. Not to mention sweeping views of the Pacific, the Channel Islands, and the California coast. Host Jehanne Brown has curated a Mediterranean and tropical paradise highlighting the natural topography, various microclimates, and soil types to grow and showcase the best specialty fruits that this historic property has to offer. Her son Nick Brown, a sixth-generation farmer in the Carpinteria Valley, grew up on this ranch where he learned the ropes of farming fruit naturally with no pesticides or sprays. The Browns use a variety of regenerative techniques including cover crops, beneficial insects, and interplanted fields to produce some seriously stunning fruits that happen to be well-loved by some of the best chefs in Southern California, and beyond. Guest chef Jessica Largey has quite the culinary accolades under her belt, including a James Beard Award and a tenure as Chef de Cuisine at three-Michelin-star Manresa in Los Gatos. So the meal is bound to wow us, too.
Malibu Pier
From our table on the iconic Malibu Pier, you’ll get to enjoy the meditative sound of ebbing waves below your feet as you dine on the day’s fresh catch. Plus a panoramic view of the sparkling Pacific, soaring seabirds and Malibu’s majestic rolling hills. Our guest chef will helm the pier kitchen for a meal that celebrates both land and sea, and feature the bounty of fresh fish and seafood available, plus plenty of peak season produce from the plethora of area farms.
Pinnacle Farms
Pinnacle Farms is a wonderful place to dine outdoors. We may choose to set the table in their lush golden fields of heritage grains, or perhaps the fragrant citrus grove, the blossoming fruit orchard, or the historic Iraqi date garden featuring rare Maktoom dates. Or there’s always the bountiful rows of unique vegetable varieties including heirloom beans and corn. Farmer Janna is a passionate and conscientious farmer who’s worked tirelessly to revive some of the Southwest’s native crops including White Sonoran wheat, Chapalote corn, and Rio Bavispe pinto beans. We’ll get to taste many of these delectable edibles with our meal from guest chef Jeff Kraus from Crêpe Bar in Tempe. A former food truck, Crêpe Bar is known for sourcing high-quality seasonal ingredients from Phoenix-area farms and has quite the glowing press to boot. Join us for a vibrant, jovial and inspiring meal under the Arizona sun.
Somewhere in the Desert Farm
This 5-acre oasis of organic vegetables, fruits, and flowers located just on the border of Joshua Tree National Park is surrounded by a gorgeous desert landscape and is known for its fabulous sunsets as well as its fabulous produce. Host farmers Eric and Gardenia run an impressive operation that provides weekly produce boxes to communities across the valley. They’re an inspiring and dedicated bunch, and we can’t wait to hear more about what they’re up to on the farm tour.
Rancho el Mogor
Valle de Guadalupe in Baja California is Mexico’s premier wine region, and it’s gained quite a bit of attention over the last few years. In addition to delicious wines, the region boasts rolling hills, a pleasant Mediterranean microclimate, and a close-by coastline with seriously stunning sunsets. Rancho El Mogor is one of the Valle’s very best and most beautiful vineyards. This small-scale, family-run winery produces only 550 cases of wine each year and carefully crafts each vintage by hand. Our host vintner Natalia grew up on this land and will have much to teach us about its history as we taste through their world-renowned wines. Guest chef Drew Deckman runs the vineyard’s on-site outdoor restaurant, where he keeps a rotating seasonal menu featuring the bounty of organic vegetables grown on-site and other local products from the surrounding region. Join us for an unforgettable and intimate meal in the vines.