Chef in the Vineyard is chef John Sarich’s fifth book devoted to his love of wine. In it, he takes his readers on a tour of ten of his favorite Wine Estates: He begins in the Pacific Northwest with Woodinville, Chateau Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, Columbia Crest, Snoqualmie, Col Solare and Northstar vineyards. Continuing on through Oregon Sarich journeys to Erath Winery and then to California and Stags Leap, Conn Creek and Antica Valley Wine Estates.
Chef in the Vineyard opens with an Introduction by Ted Baseler, CEO of Ste. Michelle Wine Estates. Baseler describes why certain wine estates have grown to greatness with their commitment to quality and a deep understanding of the delicate relationship between the unique geographical conditions and the type of grapes that thrive under these.
In the next section, Sarich discusses the differences in wines and gives an easy-to-use “Guide To Food and Wine Pairing”:
Each winery is illustrated in words and pictures in individual sections. Sarich describes the history of the winery and gives a description of what makes each winery and the wine that they produce unique. Another wonderful feature in this book is that Sarich provides a list of menu items and tells what wine pairs perfectly with each dish.
Lastly, there are 140 of Sarich’s new and unpublished recipes. Wine is used as the ingredient and also as a recommended accompaniment to the dinner. My family has had the opportunity to try over ten of the recipes-so far! I have found them to be uncomplicated and delicious! The ingredients to be rare and hard to find-which is always so frustrating! And the meals are scrumptious and rich without being pompous or overdone in the least! They are perfect for a nightly family dinner OR a special dinner party event when you want to impress! Here are some of our favorites:
The Summer Salad Nicoise with Grilled Asparagus:
The Prawn and Feta Pasta with Basil:
The Chocolate Mousse with Cabernet Syrup:
I would highly recommend this book to everyone from the wine connoisseur to the people who like wine, but who are just starting out in their “wine education”. The recipes are easy, flavorful and scrumptious!
Chef in the Vineyard is available for purchase for 32.95 including free ground shipping. Be sure to follow Chef in the Vineyard on Facebook and the Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery on Facebook and Twitter.
Disclosure: I was given a copy of Chef in the Vineyard to facilitate my review. All opinions are honest and my own.
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