08/19 - Yalumba Wins 2013 Excellence in Sustainability Award

Slow Living Radio celebrates achievements in sustainability in winemaking with the 2013 winner of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas, Yalumba Wines of South Australia.

The Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT) is thrilled to announce Australia's oldest family owned winery, Yalumba is the 2013 recipient of the International Award Of Excellence in Sustainable Winegrowing competition. An internationally recognized award, wineries from around the world submitted applications documenting their sustainable programs with Yalumba being the clear winner.

This award further cements Yalumba's success as a globally recognized leader of sustainability, something that is incredibly important in all facets of their business. Yalumba is the first international winery to win this award since its inception.

 

 

 

Yalumba, Australia's oldest family owned winery

Cecil Stephen Camilleri

Manager, Sustainable Wine Programs

 

Cecil Stephen Camilleri was born and bred in Malta and currently holds the position of Manager (Sustainable Wine Programmes) at The Yalumba Wine Company. He graduated from London University in the field of plant sciences and went on to complement his applied botany degree with a masters in agricultural economics. He furthered his professional training at Deakin University (Australia) where he was awarded a post-graduate honours in rural development.


Yalumba is a part of the Negociants USA Portfolio

 

Negociants USA is an importer of premium Australian and New Zealand Wines of Provenance. All the brands are multigenerational and producing premium wines that display wonderful regionality and varietal character.  They represent some of Australia's icons and highly sort after brands such as Yalumba, Jim Barry Wines, Henschke, Giaconda, Vasse Felix, Wirra Wirra, Jansz Tasmania, Pewsey Vale and Langmeil. Together they represent over 20 generations and over 500 years of winemaking.

 

Botanical Research Institute of Texas

 

 

 Chris Chilton

Director of Marketing + PR
 

Since 2010, Chris Chilton has been the Director of Marketing and Public Relations of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT). In that position, Chris’s key functions are raising awareness of the Institute both within the United States and abroad and increasing its membership base.

 

Skilled in creating and managing environmental and non-profit marketing programs, Chris’s activities at BRIT range from handling the marketing for BRIT’s highly touted move into its new LEED Platinum certified headquarters; to building awareness for its international awards program and managing the application processes; to building alliances with similar minded organizations, and promoting the merits of sustainability and conservation.

 

 

Will McClatchey, Ph.D.

V. P. and Director of Research

 

 

Dr. Will McClatchey, oversees BRIT Research, which includes the herbarium (plant collections), biodiversity informatics, publications and the library as well as multiple research projects.

 

The author of numerous scientific articles, Dr. McClatchey’s research addresses hypotheses about the evolution of patterns of human interactions with plants and ecosystems.  He has extensive research experience in the South and Western Pacific regions on questions combining plant systematics, biogeography, and ethnobiology.

 

McClatchey was recently received the Distinguished Economic Botanist Award from the Society for Economic Botany for his roles as an accomplished teacher, mentor, and advisor.

 

Melissa Mitchell

Development Director

Growing up in rural settings in the southeast United States, Melissa learned at an early age to appreciate the natural environment around her.  After studies at the University of Montevallo outside Birmingham, Alabama, Ms. Mitchell moved to Europe where she worked as a counselor with the US Army and Allied Forces as well as President of the Berlin American Women’s Club.  Among their many activities, the Club was involved in helping the children of Chernobyl as well as working to reunite parents separated by the former East German regime with their mentally disabled children.  Following that, she worked with the late Ambassador Richard Holbrooke and the US State Department in organizing volunteer activities for then President Bill Clinton’s July1994 visit to Berlin. 

 

 

08/12 - Behind The Kitchen Door - Farmers and Foragers

This week, Slow Living continues it's look behind the scenes at some of our favorite restaurant, with chefs bringing their farmers, winemaker, and, in this case, their foraging buddies!

Todd Humphries Chef and Owner Kitchen Door, Napa       Entering Todd Humpries' Kitchen Door, guests will be embraced by the warmth and energy of the live wood-fired rotisserie and oven in Chef Todd Humphries’ kitchen. Famed for his forager’s eye, Humphries has stocked his kitchen with local and sourced mushrooms, both fresh and dried – including his favorite candy caps, mousserons, agaricus, morels grilled over wood, and whole roasted porcini.   Guests will have a new opportunity to enjoy Humphries’ quality cooking in a convenient venue and at an attractive price point. For Kitchen Door, Humphries has crafted an ingredient-driven menu of handmade American comfort food, created with local and seasonal products, selected to complement wine regions and meant for sharing.       Kitchen Door is the latest offering from Humphries and business partner Richard Miyashiro. General Manager Tim Seberson and Chef de Cuisine Chris Litts round out the core leadership team. Kitchen Door is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week from 11:30 a.m., with continuous service until 9 p.m., and serves breakfast and brunch on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Telephone: 707-226-1560

 

The Farmer (and forager), Juston, Full Table Farm













The Other Forager, Sean O'Toole

As Sean O’Toole puts it, the running joke with his chef friends is how an Irishman like himself learned to cook. So, as O’Toole — who has cooked at Bardessono, Quince, the Mina Group and most recently Hopper Creek Kitchen — ramps up his first solo restaurant, he’s doing it with a slight wink to his Irish heritage.

O’Toole has claimed the gorgeous downtown Napa space that previously housed celebrated vegetable restaurant Ubuntu. This fall, he’ll open a new casual, contemporary American restaurant there named Torc.

The moniker is the Gaelic word for “wild boar,”‘ and O’Toole explains that boar held a special ceremonial place in Gaelic lore, symbolizing feasts and hospitality.

O’Toole, who has lived in the Napa Valley for the last five years, will take over both the dining room, back patio and the mezzanine, which currently houses the yoga studio. With an October debut in his sights, he doesn’t plan to change much about the picturesque space.

“In my opinion, it’s one of the nicest dining rooms in the Bay Area,” he says, referencing the 100+ seats, 30 foot ceilings and 4,200 square feet overall. “The bones on it are great. What Sandy [Lawrence of Ubuntu] did on it was incredible. I think the design is timeless. It’s a pretty special room. We’ll do minimal work. but you’ll see some minor changes.”

 

08/05 - Cheers to Beer with The Trappist

 

 

 

The Trappist

 

The Trappist is a specialty beer café conceived by partners Aaron Porter and Chuck Stilphen, with the goal of bringing the finest beer available all under one roof. Their beers are served properly at the correct temperature and in the correct glass led by cicerone-certified staff. Their bottle list features a rotating stock of approximately 100 Belgian, Dutch, Scandinavian and American craft brews as well as 28 rotating taps which feature Belgian, local (California), and several specialty micro brews from the US. There aren’t any big corporate brews to be found; just the finest artisan beers. Trappist Chef Anthony Roark has crafted a menu stocked with beer –friendly dishes that enhance the experience or can be enjoyed on their own.

Located in an 1870's Victorian building in downtown Oakland, the design is reminiscent of Aaron and Chuck’s favorite pubs in Belgium and the Netherlands. The spacious interiors are separated into three areas: the main bar, back bar and patio bar. Each area has its own rotating draft list. 

The Trappist is open 7 days a week from 12:00pm – midnight on Sundays through Thursdays and from 12:00pm- 1:00am on Fridays and Saturdays with the exception of Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas day.

The Trappist is at 460 8^th Street between Broadway and Washington. For more information about Trappist and its various beer events and releases, call (510) 238-8900.

 

 

Aaron Porter

Owner
The Trappist/ Trappist Provisions

Aaron Porter and co-founder Chuck Stilphen are long-time friends with a common passion for beer. Together they own and operate The Trappist and the recently opened Trappist Provisions, specialty beer bars both located in Oakland, California. Established in 2007, The Trappist is consistently rated in the top 50 beer bars in the world according to RateBeer, a worldwide consumer web site dedicated to craft beer and the craft beer culture.

The vision for The Trappist and Trappist Provisions extends beyond the establishments themselves. Aaron and Chuck have hosted collaborative beer dinners with acclaimed Chef Dominique Crenn at Atelier Crenn and at Chef Daniel Patterson’s Haven, as well as Chef Dave Cruz formerly at Ad Hoc. They partner with renowned artists Jan Håkon Robson and John Casey on merchandise design, develop exclusive house-beers with renowned master brewer Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø of Evil Twin Brewing, and actively participate in the Copenhagen Beer Celebration and The Festival--two of the premiere beer festivals in the world.

Aaron lives in Oakland with his wife Adriana and is excited to be a new dad: they recently celebrated the birth of their twins in July.

 

 

 

Ray Hsieh

General Manager
The Trappist

A 10 year veteran of the craft beer industry, Ray Hsieh started off as a bartender while earning his English degree at UC Berkeley. In between classes he worked at Triple Rock Brewery in Berkeley, CA, one of the first 3 brewpubs to open in the state of California. Ray joined the Trappist family in August 2008, about 8 months after opening the flagship Trappist in downtown Oakland. He transitioned to management a little over 3 years ago and now oversees the entire day-to-day running of the bar and works closely with the owners to establish long term beer programs, as well as Chef Anthony Roark in the evolution of its menus.

 

The Trappist Crew with V Wine Cellar's Scott Lewis (far right)
From left seated, Chef Anthony Roark, Stephen Laborde,
Standing, Ray Hsieh, Aaron Porter

 

Stephen Laborde

General Manager
Trappist Provisions

Stephen Laborde’s interest in beer and beer making started at a very young age.  When he was 11 years old, he hung out at a friend’s house watching his father make a batch of home brew while tasting sips of his previous batch. Fast forward to the high school years and the beginnings of the micro-brew revolution and Stephen knew he was hooked.  While his friends were drinking Stroh’s or whatever was the cheapest thing they could get their hands on, he was enamored with the likes of Anchor Liberty, Sierra Nevada and St Stan’s.  With fake ID in hand he would become a regular at Judy Ashworth’s Lion’s Brewery in Dublin (the first great tap room in the Bay Area) trying every new beer they had and asking as many questions as the bartenders could tolerate.

Eventually Stephen took a stab at home brewing under the guidance of the head brewer at North Coast Brewery in Fort Bragg, CA.  Although the beer he made was undrinkable, his fascination for beer continued to grow. But hobbies and drinking pastimes were no way to earn a living so he turned to wine. Stephen worked in wine shops, attended restaurant tastings and eventually became sommelier at Farallon Restaurant in San Francisco.  After eight years, he moved to the wine distribution side of the business working for a Bay Area based wine importer/marketer.

While taking a break from the corporate world, a chance meeting with Master Cicerone and Trappist bartender, Nicole Erny, at a local watering hole led him to his new career and true calling. Nicole suggested taking some daytime bartending shift at the Trappist. What started as a short stint to further his knowledge of beer became a 2 ½ year gig.  Hearing of owners Chuck Stilphen’s and Aaron Porter’s intention to open a smaller venue in Rockridge, he jumped at the chance and was selected to lead the Provisions’ opening team.

Since opening in January 2013, Trappist Provisions has already become a big hit with the craft beer crowd as well as its neighbors in Rockridge. 

 

Chef Anthony Roark

Chef de Cuisine
The Trappist

Born in San Jose California, Chef Anthony Roark’s love of beer led him to The Trappist, where his carefully crafted menu is carefully and thoughtfully designed to enhance the beer experience and vice versa. Highlights include a large selection of charcuterie, cheeses and specialty dishes such as “Green Eggs and Eggs” which includes gently boiled eggs, white soy, wasabi tobiko, Japanese mayonnaise and Habanero oil; seasonal salads such as the Stone Fruit Salad composed of little gem, yellow peach, white nectarine, red plums, avocado and fromage blanc dressing; hearty sandwiches like the signature Trappist Reuben made with Zoe’s pastrami brisket, Emmentaler, house dressing with sauerkraut on rye. Anthony has ensured that desserts receive equal billing with items such as sour ale chocolate mousse and a green tea –citron panna cotta. Each item on the menu reflects his love of beer --stouts, saisons and prairie ales, in particular.

 

When relaxing away from cooking, Anthony spends his time with his wife and Battle, their 9 ½ month old baby boy. They enjoy watching futbol, eating pupusas, and absorbing anything Japanese together.

 

 

 

 

07/29 - Grapeseed Flour - A New Product from the Vine!

Nannette and Valentin Humer

Food and Vine, Salute Sante!

Salute Santé!® Introduces Line of Varietal Grapeseed Flours

  

Food & Vine™, Inc. have now added a line of Salute Santé! Varietal Grapeseed Flours, available in Merlot & Chardonnay, to their top-quality line of Salute Santé! products all made in Napa, California, USA.

The industry’s top purveyor of grapeseed oil, Food & Vine is recognized for their high quality grapeseed oil line, ranging from Salute Santé! Extra Virgin Cold Pressed oils to Salute Santé! infused oils to their original award winning grapeseed oil.   Salute Santé! literally means “To your health” in French & Italian and now, Food & Vine, Inc. offers two delicious options for baking with their Salute Santé! Varietal Grapeseed Flour, available in Merlot & Chardonnay!

Salute Santé! Grapeseed Flours are rich in anti-oxidants, calcium & potassium, high in dietary fiber, and are GLUTEN & SODIUM free. These multi-purpose flours are perfect for sweet, as well as savory baked goods, including fruit breads, muffins, bars, granolas, grain breads, focaccia, pizza and home-made pasta! Or sprinkle over yogurt!  

On further exploration and experimentation, Slow Living Chef, Sally James, found the flour terrific for thickening pan juices when sautéing or stirfrying, inplace of cornstarch, and for coating chicken and fish before cooking.  Mixed through burgers, the flour adds a great texrure, not to mention greatly improving the fatty acid profile and nutritional content.

Easy to incorporate into every day recipes, grapeseed flour offers multiple flavor & potential health benefits.  Explains Food & Vine, Inc. co-owner Nanette Humer, “You simply add 1 TBSP of grapeseed flour per 1 cup of flour or substitute 10-30% in your favorite recipe. This adds a nuttiness & crispy texture to your favorite baking recipes.”

Sofi Awards at Fancy Food

Salut Sante! Extra Virgin Cold Pressed Syrah Grapeseed Oil was a Finalist for Outstanding Oil for the 2013 sofi Awards at the New York Fancy Food Show - out of 1885 products submitted.  Star Chef Michael Chiarello says - "The extra virgin cold pressed grapeseed oil is the best artisanal product I have seen in 25 years in the Napa Valley!" Now you can really pair your grapeseed oil creations with your wine!

Food & Vine has perfected a unique method of cold pressing California grape utilizing their special grape seed press at their headquarters in Napa Valley. They now offer eleven different cold-pressed grapeseed varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Syrah, Riesling, Zinfandel, Chenin Blanc, Viognier, Sangiovese, French Colombard, and Sauvignon Blanc.

Seeds are carefully collected from the premium vineyards of Northern California and gently cold pressed in Napa using state of the art technology. Food & Vine, Inc. Founder Valentin Humer explains, “Our stainless steel press gently expresses the oil without heat or oxygen. This process, which we developed especially for grapeseeds, allows the oil to flow at temperatures that are consistent with the temperatures grapes experience in nature - no more, no less.  By not refining out the biologically active substances within the grapeseeds, Salute Santé! creates the most nutritious and superior grapeseed oil possible.

These cold pressed varietal oils offer a smooth, buttery feel; a nutty, yet fruity taste, reminiscent of each individual varietal’s characteristics; aromas of fresh crushed grapes; and a beautiful golden-green color. Best used as finishing oils, these varietals quickly elevate a dish as they are drizzled on seafood, salads, cheeses, or simply used as gourmet dipping oils for bread or artisanal crackers.

Eli Colvin

The Model Bakery



Sarah and Eli at Model Bakery Oxbow, Napa

Eli Colvin has been working with Valentin Humer to incorporate their Grapeseed Flour into several of Model Bakery Breads.  One is rEVOLUTION Bread, the backbone of what he is doing with the grapeseed and whole grain bread he makes. Available at Greenstring farm in Petaluma using only locally sourced ingredients - a platform to create a dialogue and raise awareness about industrial food production.

About Model Bakery

For approximately 90 years, The Model Bakery has been part of the Napa Valley culinary scene, providing discerning and hungry residents and valley visitors the best breads, pastries and coffee house at the original location on Main Street in St. Helena. Karen Mitchell, once a successful caterer in the Napa Valley, has been the proprietor of The Model Bakery for nearly 30 years. Today’s Model Bakery specializes in artisan breads made with organic stone ground flours and the highest quality ingredients as well as a complete range of pastry products. Karen's daughter, Sarah, works with her mother as managing partner of the bakery and both are dedicated to authentic, artisan baking traditions.

In January 2008, The Model Bakery opened its second location in the Oxbow Public Market, incorporating state-of-the-art equipment and ovens to continue to create their world-class breads and baked goods. Both locations also offer delicious, daily breakfast and lunch specials for dining in or take out. In addition, the Napa Oxbow location also offers a "late bake" - an afternoon bake of signature breads for consumer purchase, and as a service for the region's best restaurants. 

Known for their artisanal products, The Model Bakery sets the standard for such items as the English muffin (featured on Food Network), chocolate “rad” cookies, cinnamon morning buns, gargantuan luncheon pizzas and distinctive sandwich combinations. With more than 17 varieties of breads in their daily baked repertoire, The Model Bakery offers the most complete menu of options for consumers and commercial operations to be found in the North Bay.

OLD WORLD ARTISAN MEETS HIGH TECH

The original Model Bakery in St. Helena boasts two vintage and nearly century-old ovens, where they are heated by hand several times a day to complete the baking cycles. These brick ovens were built by Italian masons in the early 1920s, and are works of art in themselves. Each oven is hand fired, where the internal temperature can reach 600 degrees, cooling down several hundred degrees as the hours elapse, ideal for baking a variety of items from pastries, to pies, cookies, and breads. Although beautiful, the Model Bakery was limited by the natural cooling cycle of these historic ovens, and without complete temperature control, their ability to keep pace with demand was impossible. The new facility at Oxbow Public Market complements the original St. Helena shop by providing ultra modern, state-of-the-art ovens that excel at producing quality breads of all shapes, sizes and varieties.

THE LATE BAKE!

 The state-of-the-art ovens at the Napa Oxbow location also offer the ability to produce a "late bake" at 3:00 PM, resulting in the absolute freshest bread available to North Bay restaurants for their evening diners. Prior to that, the option for most area restaurants was product that was baked in the early morning hours, often around 2:00 AM. By the time the bread reached a diner with an 8:00 PM reservation, the bread was nearly day-old. The late bake at Model has changed that scenario for many of Wine Country's most celebrated restaurants.