Belden Barns is outstandingly beautiful: thirty acres of organic vines, vegetables and fruit trees including stone fruit, citrus and cider apples. There’s also a live oak wishing tree at the center of the property where guests can hang wishes, hopes and dreams. Our host vintners craft an array of delicious wines with their estate-grown fruit, including Pinot Noir, Syrah and Sauvignon Blanc. We’ll sip several varieties alongside our meal from guest chef Jammir Gray. Jammir is a Northern California native who cooked at acclaimed restaurants across the country before joining the team at Compline, a Napa Valley wine bar and restaurant featuring locally sourced Mediterranean small plates — the perfect pairing for Belden Barns’ award-winning wines.
Taxonomy: 2022 Tour
McEvoy Ranch
This olive ranch in Petaluma is about as stunning a spot for a table as they come. Between the rolling green hills, blossoming olive groves, and sweeping views of nearby vineyards, you might think you’re in Tuscany. Especially when you’re tasting through McEvoy’s award-winning single-varietal olive oils made in their on-site frantoio: a gigantic stone mill used to cold-press the olives. We will tour the property before we sit down among the olive trees for a feast from guest chef Yosuke Machida. tour of the property before we sit down among the olive trees for a feast from guest chef Yosuke Machida. He’s the Executive Chef at A16, one of San Francisco’s most beloved Southern Italian restaurants and one we’ve worked with since 2006. Yosuke was born and raised in Tokyo and moved to the states in 2009 to pursue a career as a chef — working in some of the most celebrated kitchens in the Bay Area, including Ame and Leo’s Oyster Bar, before joining the team at A16 earlier this year. He’ll be joined by pastry chef Charlie Guyard in the field kitchen for a delectable meal featuring plenty of McEvoy Ranch olive oil, peak season vegetables and fruits, and locally reared meat and fish. A16’s owner Shelley Lindgren also happens to be one of the most respected voices on Italian wine in the country. Expect some fantastic pairings with the food!
Robert Sinskey Vineyards
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.
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.