Culinary Bon Vivant:
Chef Traci Des Jardins of Jardinière Restaurant with Akiko and Ken Freeman of Freeman Vineyard and Winery
September 9-12, 2008
About the Program
Join Traci Des Jardins and Akiko and Ken Freeman for three nights and two days of gourmet meals, wine tastings and intimate cooking demonstrations. Traci Des Jardins, one of the country's most acclaimed and respected chefs, cooks lavish seasonal fare at her award winning restaurant Jardinière. Akiko and Ken Freeman's shared love of wine, food and travel culminated in a beautiful Sonoma County winery. The Freemans' elegant cool-climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are hand-crafted in a Burgundian style and embody the region's concentrated complexity and distinctive sense of place. Come celebrate the harvest with the best of wine and food.
At-a-Glance
- The average program size is approximately 25 guests.
- The program fee is $1700 and includes all instruction, cooking lessons, wine, meals (including three breakfasts, two lunches and two dinners) and the hotel parking fee.
- 2008 Sign-Up Specials: Sign up with a friend and receive complimentary lodging for two for 3 nights – a value of $855 or more! Or sign up alone and receive one night’s accommodations free. Click here for details or contact Reservations at 888-651-2003.
Highlights
Sunday
Check in to Cavallo Point at your leisure * Welcome reception and dinner with Traci Des Jardins * Akiko and Ken Freeman introduce their family vineyard's wines
Monday
Full breakfast * Gather at the Cooking School for a demonstration cooking class with Cavallo Point Cooking School Director Kelsie Kerr and a local farmer * Experience a spectrum of tastes and smells in a expertly guided wine tasting with Akiko and Ken Freeman * Feast on a lunch of local, farm-fresh ingredients and heady wines * Enjoy the afternoon and evening free to relax at the Healing Arts Center and Spa and book a table for dinner at Murray Circle
Tuesday
Full breakfast * Meet with Chef Traci Des Jardins of Jardiniére for a demonstration cooking class * Dine with your fellow classmates the guest chef and vintner * Afternoon free to enjoy Cavallo Point * Six-course gala dinner from guest chef Traci Des Jardins and Cavallo Point chef Joseph Humphrey and wines poured by Akiko and Ken Freeman
Bio
Raised on a farm in California's San Joaquin Valley, Traci Des Jardins developed a deep love for the earth and its bounty. While she was a student in veterinary studies at the University of California, she realized her true calling was the kitchen. She left Santa Cruz to follow her heart. Though she never had a job in a restaurant before, she convinced Joachim Splichal to hire her and never looked back. She apprenticed in Europe with many of the French greats, including Lucas Carton, Alain Ducasse and Alain Passard. Back in the States, Traci worked at Montrachet, and Patina before moving to San Francisco to help open Aqua. In 1997 she opened her own award winning restaurant, Jardinière. www.jardiniere.com
Believing in the vast potential of the Russian River and Sonoma Coast to produce wines of complexity and refinement, and after years of searching for the ideal site, Akiko and Ken Freeman discovered a beautiful small winery in the picturesque Russian River Valley town of Sebastopol. Guided by the old winemaking adage that "wine is made in the vineyard," the Freemans researched and visited over 200 individual vineyards. The Freemans craft elegant cool climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay using fruit from some of the most acclaimed Sonoma Coast and Russian River vineyards. www.freemanwinery.com
Kelsie Kerr is a passionate chef and teacher. Over the past 20 years she has contributed to the success of many well-known restaurants in the Bay Area, most recently as the chef of Chez Panisse Restaurant. She collaborated with Alice Waters on her latest book, The Art of Simple Food. Kelsie operated an intimate cooking school in her home, which received rave reviews from students and media alike.
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