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elliston winetaster dinners

By Deborah Grossman / Photography by Mitch Tobias

The setting sun casts a golden glow on the rolling hills and vineyards of Sunol. We walk past a chattering fountain, enormous oak trees, and blooming azaleas on the path to a camellia-bordered portico. We are greeted at the door with sparkling wine and an invitation to tour rooms full of antiques or stroll in the vineyard before our meal is served. It’s dining as usual at the Mansion at Elliston Vineyards, in Livermore Valley.

Built in 1890 by Captain Henry Ellis, the three-floor stone mansion is a stunning setting in which owner Donna Flavetta orchestrates a grand symphony of food and wine. Over the past four years, her four-course, prix fixe dinners, held on Friday and Saturday evenings, have evolved into a tradition that is worlds more dramatic than your average dinner party, yet far more intimate than a restaurant.

The gastronomic gatherings hold special meaning for Flavetta, who lived at Elliston during her youth, after her parents bought the mansion in 1969. “This house has a long history of entertaining,” she says. “It feels like I’m holding a dinner party at my home.”

Flutes in hand, my sister, my husband, and I go up to our table in the green and burgundy–hued Garden Room, one of the six rooms on the mansion’s first and second floors that accommodate 30 to 80 mingling guests. Once there, we continue to enjoy Elliston’s almost-dry sparkling wine — and its hints of fruit and flowers — with house-marinated olives and nuts, Point Reyes blue cheese, a decadent triple-créme Brillat-Savarin from Normandy, and Stilton-butter “bruschetta” topped with paper-thin pear slices.

Although the hors d’oeuvres arrive on a Victorian-style two-tiered server, the first and second courses evoke Executive Chef Brian Krediet’s modern sensibility. “I serve unusual ingredients and presentations,” he says, “so guests experience contemporary interpretations of world cuisine.” On modish black, triangular plates, he may serve a first course of beef cheek ravioli or Dungeness crab with avocado mousse timbale and blood orange couscous.

Colorful, seasonal produce takes center stage with each course. Krediet grew up in a Modesto home whose cupboards never held a commercially canned product. His grandmother was a caterer who cooked with farm-fresh foods. “Our menu changes quarterly and tracks the ripest bounty,” says Krediet, who has cooked at restaurants in San Francisco and Pleasanton.

The same sort of diligence governs Krediet’s selection of wines. His pairings illustrate his comprehension of the character of the wines he serves — and the dishes he prepares. “Before the wine arrives at the table, I’ve tasted it three times — in the barrel, before bottling, and after bottling. By then, I’ve visualized the best food to match with it.”

For a second course, Chef Krediet likes to create seasonal salads with cheeses and roasted nuts. After we finish off our Sonoma greens and semi-tart Humbolt Fog chévre — served with a slightly oaky Elliston 2000 Chardonnay — we peek into the other dining rooms. A grand piano and green velvet draperies from Captain Ellis’s era adorn the Drawing Room. Across the hall, the old seafarer’s presence is even stronger in the Captain’s Room, with the antique bed that accompanied Ellis on voyages.

After our walk, we head back to our table for the main event: the entrée. The prix fixe menu offers a choice of beef, seafood, duck, or pork. My sister and my husband are thrilled with their choice of grilled mahi mahi with celery root–potato mash, stewed tomatoes, and verbena beurre blanc paired with Elliston Sauvignon Blanc. I tackle my large portion of braised veal osso buco, but find the jus bland. The accompanying herb spaetzle, lightly sautéed and bursting with fresh flavor, is reluctantly shared around the table. Elliston Cabernet Sauvignon bridges the flavors of the meat and dumplings.

With dessert coming, we are definitely slowing down, but incredibly, we have room for it. The Fuji apple and wild berry crisp paired with cinnamon gelato is delightful, its sweetness moderated by light cinnamon spice.

My sister and husband and I agree we are glad there’s an open invitation to this ongoing dinner party.  DM

The Mansion at Elliston, Elliston Vineyards, 463 Kilkare Road, Sunol. Winetaster Dinners, Friday and Saturday, 7 p.m., $75 including wine pairing. For reservations, call (925) 862-2377. For menus and information, see www.elliston.com.

Spicy Rib-Eye

a horseradish crust heats up the classic roast

With the bone in, a rib-eye roast will have more flavor and tenderness. Toasting the coriander seeds and black peppercorns reduces bitterness and adds an earthy, nutty flavor.

Ingredients
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
2 tablespoons black peppercorns
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped fine
1/4 cup sugar
6 ounces horseradish root, grated
1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
8- to 10-pound bone-in rib-eye roast
2 tablespoons canola oil
3 cups veal stock
1 bottle Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot wine
1 1/2 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter

 

     
 

wine and food tango

What’s the toughest part of Executive Chef Brian Krediet’s job as culinary honcho at Elliston Vineyards? “Bringing out the best in both the food and the wine. I want the fresh, clean flavors of the food to shine through,“ he says. “Yet I love cooking with wine.”

For any given meal, Krediet recommends cooking only one or two dishes with wine. The wine, he says, should not overpower or dominate the ingredients.

The Cabernet Sauvignon sauce that accompanies his horseradish-crusted rib-eye points up the richness and spiciness of the dish. As a textural counterpoint, Krediet suggests crispy, slightly sweet butternut squash frites with sea salt. He adds further depth to the entrée by serving it with pearl onion confit, simmered for hours in duck fat to reduce bitterness and highlight caramel flavors.

To complement the spicy rib-eye, Krediet offers Elliston’s 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon. For other courses prepared without wine, Krediet also builds multidimensional flavors on the plate. “You can’t change what’s in the bottle, but with careful seasoning, you can bridge the food to the wine.”

“Think of pairing food and wine as yin and yang,” he continues, summing up his philosophy. “It’s the interplay and dance between the two that makes you happy.”

  
     

preparation

In a hot sauté pan, toast coriander seeds and black peppercorns for 2 minutes over medium heat. Remove and grind in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle. Combine coriander, pepper, salt, thyme, sugar, horseradish, and garlic in a small bowl.

Trim fat on the rib-eye to 1/4 of an inch. Liberally spread the spice mixture on the outside of the rib-eye until fully coated. Wrap with plastic and refrigerate for 10 to 12 hours.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add rib-eye and sear the outside until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Place rib-eye on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Roast at 350 degrees for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until internal temperature registers 120–125 F for medium rare, 135–140 F for medium. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes to allow the juices to stabilize and improve overall tenderness. Carve the roast and serve with red wine reduction sauce. Serves 6 to 8.

Red wine reduction sauce: Pour veal stock and wine into a two-quart saucepan. Simmer mixture until reduced by half. Season with salt and pepper. Remove pan from heat. Add the cold butter and whisk until smooth.

 

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