J Vineyards & Winery is Shifting the Lens in Sonoma County

J Vineyards recently won Sonoma County Tourism’s Stars of the Industry Innovation Award, at the Hyatt Regency Sonoma Wine Country. The winery is one of the best and brightest in Sonoma County’s tourism and hospitality industry.

Winners! Photo by J Vineyards & Winery

They are one of 11 businesses and individuals recognized for their excellence and positive effect on the Sonoma County tourism and hospitality industry.

Winemaker Nicole photo courtesy of J Vineyards & Winery

This winery seems to be winning a lot of awards, including J Vineyards & Winery’s Nicole Hitchcock’s award ‘2022 Winemaker of the Year Wine Star Award’ by Wine Enthusiast magazine.

When Nicole joined J Vineyards & Winery as head winemaker in 2015, she focused on making award winning still and sparkling wines that uplift wine and food experiences.

Now the second year of ‘Shifting the Lens’ started on Thursday, May 11 and ends on Sunday, May 21. It’s a unique food and wine experience for the public and wine members.

Chef Tu – photo courtesy of J Vineyards & Winery

This year they invited Chef Tu David Phu, for two-weeks preparing a five-course tasting lunch inside the Bubble Room. His residency showcases diverse cuisine through his personal story about growing up in Oakland with Vietnamese parents. His mother’s cooking enlightened him about flavors, textures and dishes that aren’t normally represented in wine country tasting experiences. Chef Tu David Phu has been a Bravo’s Top Chef contestant, plus James Beard Award nominee and an Emmy Award nominee as co-executive producer for the Emmy-nominated film, “Bloodline.” The film, is about his family, food prejudice and the evolution of his culinary aesthetic.. The San Francisco Chronicle named him “Rising Star Chef”.

Besides his Vietnamese-American five-course tasting lunch, there is a special VIP dinner on Sunday, May 21, paired with Hitchcock’s small-lot sparkling and still wines.

Chef Tu – Photo courtesy of https://cheftu.com

The serene fine dining experience is amped up by Chef Tu’s 70’s and 80’s playlist. He shares with guests his unique perspective of this era, and infuse some personal family stories that inspired him to be one of the best Vietnamese chefs. “We play a little Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Journey, Scorpion and Jon Bon Jovi,” said Chef Tu during a phone interview. “The music helps shift the lens, taking the wine experience out of context, while introducing Vietnamese food.”

Cooking in the kitchen at Daniel in New York and San Francisco 2-star Michelin, Acquerello, Chef Tu is a first-generation Vietnamese-American chef. His family is from the island of Phu Quoc, the birthplace of fish sauce in Asia. They have been producing small-batch artisanal Phu Quoc Fish Sauce since 1895. It’s considered Champagne of fish sauces.

J Vineyards & Winery

During lunch, diners start with a glass of J Vineyards sparkling 2015 Blanc de Blancs with Chef Phu’s exquisite Hoanh Thanh Dac Biet. It’s made with duck liver and lobster with pork and mushroom in a velvety roasted duck bone broth. The Russian River Valley Chardonnay offers an exquisite depth and quality of fine bubbles. Pleasing aromas of fresh green apple and orange blossom from the glass offer bright notes of Asian pear, nectarine and lemon. This wine pair nicely with the surf and turf starter.

Chef Tu celebrates Vietnamese American food culture with his Summer Truffle and Garlic Sapporo Noodles, sprinkled with black and white sesame seeds, and dazzled with oyster sauce. This is paired with a 2021 Chardonnay, Strata from Russian River Valley. This wine opens with rich, beautifully balanced notes of crisp green apple, tropical guava, ripe peach and Meyer lemon. Subtle hints include orange blossom and caramel. This bright and refreshing wine also offers a zest of minerality.

J Vineyards & Winery

Next is Campuchia-style BBQ Liberty Duck, glazed with Sonoma honey, then crushed ginger and scallions. It’s uplifted even more with a velvety Bernaise sauce. Liberty Duck Farms produces larger, meatier, and more flavorful duck meat. It’s served with Hitchcock’s Estate Grown 2020 Pinot Noir, Strata, Russian River offering a full bodied red with notes of dark cherry, plum and currants with hints of cinnamon and vanilla.

Pho Flavors with Picahna, has cuts of beef first made popular in Brazil and Portugal, and is also known as a top sirloin cap in the U.S. Chef Tu enhances this entree with charred alliums that are similar to garlic, along with hoisin sauce and Vietnamese herbs. This is served with a pour of 2020 Foggy Bend Pinot Noir providing hints of bright cranberry and pomegranate, along with notes of black cherry, raspberry and fig. It’s a smooth, well-structured wine providing a long finish of dark plum and cardamom.

Dessert is served with a pinnacle sparkling wine, 2012 Late Disgorged Brut. It’s poured to be enjoyed with a banana bread pudding tart with salted caramel and an ethereal creme anglaise. The fine wine has delicate pearls of bubbles and a generous aroma of honeycomb, pear and citrus zest. It’s luscious apple, berry and floral characteristics are balanced by vibrant acidity.

Photo courtesy of J Vineyards & Winery

Just as Chef Tu is a big believer on giving back to the community, so does J Vineyards & Winery. They have teamed up with a local partner to donate funds towards their efforts to diversify the agriculture industry.

Reservations are Thursday through Sunday at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. The price is $200 per person; $185 for Club J members; Luxe and Elegance members can use the Bubble Room experiences included with their membership level for this event.

On Sunday, May 21, Shifting the Lens is hosting a VIP Dinner and Dialogue dinner. Chef Tu will be joined by Winemaker Nicole Hitchcock and other winery leaders to engage diners and oenophiles about the current food and wine culture. This dinner begins at 6:30 p.m. It priced at $250 per person; $235 for Club J members; Luxe members receive two event tickets with their membership, which can be used for any Shifting the Lens Dinner & Dialogue event. Reservations are available on TOCK.

Chef Ana Castro – Photo courtesy of J Vineyards & Winery

The next Chef Residency at J Vineyards & Winery is Mexican-born and European-trained Chef Ana Castro. Named one of Food & Wine magazine’s Best New Chefs 2022, she was raised in Mexico City and learned how to cook standing next to her grandmother in the kitchen.

Chef Ana enjoys cooking by instinct in a healthy, relaxed environment. She trained at Le Cordon Bleu and has worked in top, Michelin-level restaurants in New York and New Orleans. Her menu is rooted in recipes passed down through generations with a goal to provide comfort to ailing souls. Her unique story during J Vineyards Shifting the Lens wine dinners takes place on Thursday, September 14 through Sundays September 24. Reservations are available Thursdays through Sundays on TOCK.