Luxury wedding chef in Napa Valley

A wedding menu that tastes of Napa Valley

I cook weddings in Napa Valley at vineyard estates, olive groves and private gardens across Napa Valley and Carneros, from an intimate dinner to 500 guests. You get one chef responsible for every plate, a menu written for you and a team I brief and lead.

Napa sits beside some of the best produce in California: Sonoma lamb, Dungeness crab from the coast in winter, Point Reyes cheeses, local olive oil and kitchen-garden vegetables all year. I build menus to stand beside the valley’s Cabernet Sauvignon and Carneros Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, cooking meat over vine cuttings and using wild mustard, fennel and bay from the hillsides.

Guests gather in the vines in the late afternoon heat, the ceremony catches the golden light over the Mayacamas hills, and dinner moves to long tables under the trees. I time the courses to the wines, with the fire-cooked dishes arriving as the air turns cool.

A menu idea: Sonoma lamb cooked over vine cuttings, garden vegetables with wild mustard, and figs with smoked honey and a late-harvest wine.

Season and logistics

The main wedding season in Napa Valley runs April to November. Napa County is strict about events at private homes and wineries, so I check what the property is permitted for and plan kitchen space, parking and timings with your planner. Summer days are hot and nights cool sharply, so I plan the menu for both. I work alongside your planner and venue so the kitchen fits into their timeline.