Lindsey Shere is a legendary pastry chef in California and this tart became a signature dessert. Adapted from Lindsey’s original recipe and tweaks by David Lebovitz.

This tart is best eaten with the fingers; it is too hard to cut easily with a fork. It is a good picnic dessert because it is virtually indestructible.

Delight guests with something different this holiday! The blackberry sage sauce can be made ahead, refrigerated and reheated. Serve with an earthy combination of pan-roasted mushrooms and sautéed greens. Note the cooking method starts with a cold pan. Gradually heating draws out more of the fat and crisps the skin of the duck.

A beautiful salad that captures the flavors of the season. Blue cheese is called for in this recipe, but you could use any cheese that you prefer. Also, if Asian Pears aren’t available use apples, mangoes or whatever else is best in your market.

Quality of the scallops is crucial to this dish and fresh “Day Boat”, “Diver” or “Dry Pack” jumbo scallops are called for (order from your fishmonger).  Day boat scallops are harvested daily and never put into a brine solution. As a result, the texture is meatier and they sear or grill beautifully, as opposed to those that have been soaking in a brine solution which is usually laced with tripolyphosphate that bleaches the scallop and encourages it to soak up water.

This brightly colored soup is delicious either hot or chilled.  You can punch up any of the flavor elements to your taste.

Sonoma-Cutrer  Leads Three Decades Reunion of “Focus on Chardonnay”

The World’s Finest Old World and New World Chardonnay Producers Come Together to Share Winemaking Expertise During Finale Reunion

Four times over the past three decades, an intimate group of French and American winemaking masters have come together to divulge in the tradition, expertise and secrecy of all-things-Chardonnay. Gathering in Meursault, the quaint village in the heart of France’s Burgundy region, 14 of the world’s finest Chardonnay producers traveled near and far to join the culmination of “Focus on Chardonnay.” The highly regarded event paid homage to decades of convention and camaraderie as the art of Old World and New World winemaking united once again.

A tradition since 1986, the invitation-only event takes place at a different winery each year, where French and California winemakers participate in various meetings, seminars and activities focused on issues that impact the winemaking industry, from climate change to vineyard terroir and from production methods to winemaking culture. As it has for all previous Focus on Chardonnay events, Sonoma-Cutrer,  known for producing world-class, handcrafted Chardonnay in the esteemed Russian River Valley of Sonoma County, was the ‘guest host’ of the finale reunion. The events took place at Domaine Matrot, one of the oldest estate-bottled wine producers in Burgundy, with seven other French winemakers and six California winemakers in attendance.

Sonoma-Cutrer has played an important role at each Focus on Chardonnay reunion, as it is one of the few California wine producers to practice both Old World and New World winemaking methods. Chardonnay is a resilient grape varietal grown in many regions around the world; Old World Chardonnay refers to wines that are typically produced in the classic grape-growing regions of Europe (France, Italy, Spain, Germany, etc.) and employ meticulous, time honored and terroir-focused production techniques. New World wines are produced virtually everywhere else, often employing innovative vineyard and winemaking practices with a fruit-forward lens. A leader in premium California winemaking, Sonoma-Cutrer’s commitment to ‘Grand Cru’ methods of traditional Burgundian winemaking are paired with California innovation to provide a perspective that is unique among the world’s acclaimed wineries.

This year, Sonoma-Cutrer Winemaking Director Mick Schroeter focused on the brand’s acclaimed Les Pierres Vineyard, its bold movement into screwcap testing and closures, and a special tasting of three of its library wines.

The most highly anticipated portion of the Focus on Chardonnay event was the time capsule wine tasting. After 15 years locked in a temperature-controlled vault at Sonoma-Cutrer, the group of winemakers tasted the collection of storied 2000 vintages, rediscovering a past era of Chardonnay. The aging wine labels and closures told a story of time, both in visual and liquid form. Sonoma-Cutrer’s V’00 Les Pierres Chardonnay offered surprisingly delightful lemon and lime aromas balanced with the vineyard’s classic minerality, bright acidity, creamy mouthfeel and vibrant citrus fruits on the palate.

Events concluded with a celebratory dinner, where guests  tasted various Chardonnay offerings alongside exquisite French dishes, shared personal stories, and above all, enjoyed one another’s company.

“I felt this incredible sense of camaraderie between all of us, in that over the course of the years of Focus on Chardonnay, we all have the same goal – producing great Chardonnay,” said Sonoma Cutrer Winemaking Director Mick Schroeter. “It’s not a competitiveness, but rather each of us respecting our own terroir, and the creation of the wines giving us a sense of place.”

As the noble French Philosopher of Taste and Moderator of Focus on Chardonnay Jacques Puisais said, “You can’t talk about the wine, the wine talks to you… the wine does not talk to your neighbor, it talks to you.”

A full list of attendees include:

1. Sonoma-Cutrer Vineyards, Russian River Valley
2. Ramey Wine Cellars, Russian River Valley
3. Peter Michael and Morlet Family, Knights Valley, Oakville
4. Grgich Hills Cellar, Napa Valley
5. Patz & Hall, Sonoma Coast
6. Sanford, Sta. Rita Hills
7. Chateau de Fuisse, Pouilly-Fuisse
8. Domaine Louis Carillon et Fils, Puligny-Montrachet
9. Domaine Bernard Morey, Chassagne-Montrachet
10. Domaine Leflaive, Puligny-Montrachet
11. Pierre Morey and Morey-Blanc, Meursault
12. Domaine de la Romanee-Conti, Vosne-Romanee
13. Domanie Daniel-Etienne Defaix, Chablis
14. Domaine Matrot, Meursault – 2017 Host