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W I N T E R / S P R I N G 2 0 1 6 | 7 9 J Vineyards and Winery Executive Chef Erik Johnson. Kate MacMurray of MacMurray Estate Vineyards. Next, we visit MacMurray Ranch, former home of actor Fred MacMurray, who was perhaps best known as lovable widower and patriarch Steve Douglas on My ree Sons. When Fred passed away in 1991, his daughter Kate MacMurray set out to sell the ranch to a family that would uphold her father's wishes. "He wanted the ranch to stay in an agricultural family, and he wanted the fence line to remain intact." e Gallo family was a logical choice, and when they purchased the prop- erty in 1996, the estate vineyard, comprised of 284-acres of Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris, was established the same year. Kate accompanies us on a vineyard tour by Jeep; we wind our way through rugged dirt and gravel roads that ultimately lead to a breathtaking view of the Russian River Valley. "Dad loved to fly fish on the river," says Kate, while passing around a basket of still-warm rosemary buttermilk biscuits, a delightful repast to our informal hilltop tasting. We reconvene at the MacMurray house later that evening to partake of a meal prepared by Chef Gia Passalacqua and her team from e Dry Creek General Store. Gia is a fourth-generation Italian-American; her ancestors have lived in and farmed vegetables in Healdsburg for decades. We gather round a farm table decorated with amber-hued persimmons, to watch Monterey oysters and calamari sizzle and pop on the grill. When asked about her favorite pairing on the menu, Gia explains, "I love the Pinot Gris; it pairs beautifully with the oysters. Everything is prepared simply, over blazing heat. e Pinot Gris is reduced with shallots and butter. You end up with the acid—the sweetness, and the wonderfully caramelized shallots." Her style of cooking is slightly rustic, as she puts it, "from the heart." is sentiment translates in each course, amplified by the nostalgic charm of the house itself. Locally sourced fall vegetables are the foundation of the rest of the meal, combining subtle, caramelized sweetness with earthiness and savoriness that are the perfect match for Pinot Noir's nuanced flavors. "I don't have a desire to cook food that is contrived or molecular," says Passalacqua, "It's a lot of work, but I love the process." A common thread runs through all of these meals, these culinary experi- ences—each prepared by different chefs, at different wineries. At J Vineyards and Winery, yet another gem in Gallo's stable, Executive Chef Erik Johnson is proud that 95 percent of the produce used at the on-site restaurant, appropriately dubbed the Bubble Room, comes from Healdsburg. "Staying on top of what's in season and not allowing ourselves the choice to source vegetables from Central Valley, or from South America is a challenge that I enjoy," says Johnson. His interpretation of that most classic pairing—duck and Pinot Noir—is rendered anew by an unexpected flavor combination that comes from ingredients that are both locally sourced and foraged. He used fermented wild huckleberries, Roselle hibiscus and sesame leaf to form a rich, complex sauce. e marriage of this sauce with tender sous-vide duck breast perfectly echoes the J Vineyards and Winery 2013 Bow Tie Vineyard Pinot Noir's brambly black fruit notes and delicate floral aromatics. "e whole foraging thing is big in our area. It's a trend that keeps growing and is [taking the farm-to-table movement to] the next level because it's natural and finicky. It's exciting to go into the wild and roam," says Johnson. He continues, "Chefs are getting more particular with certain things. We no longer look for carrots. Instead, we look for who in the valley is growing the best variety of carrot, and we're talking about where it grows the best. You can talk about the terroir of carrots; they're sweeter in the fall. Cold nights concentrate the sugars, and certain varieties of heirlooms and some of the hybrids are just fantastic." Terroir, indeed. around a basket of still-warm rosemary buttermilk biscuits, a delightful repast to We reconvene at the MacMurray house later that evening to partake of a meal prepared by Chef Gia Passalacqua and her team from e Dry Her style of cooking is slightly rustic, as she puts it, "from the heart." is sentiment translates in each course, amplified by the nostalgic charm of the house itself. Locally sourced fall vegetables are the foundation of the rest of the meal, combining subtle, caramelized sweetness with earthiness and savoriness From J Vineyards and Winery Bubble Room, grilled Monterey Bay abalone, roselle hibiscus and succulent iceplant. ■cr