Récolte
HEALDSBURG, CALIFORNIA | JULY 2025
For over a decade, Russian River Valley Winegrowers has gathered together winemakers from across Sonoma County to celebrate the start of the harvest season with a Paulée. In Burgundy, Paulée celebrations mark the end of the grape harvest, but why wait? Each Paulée is a chance to come together to celebrate the terroir of this special place, the unique conditions of this particular year, and the singular group gathered together to share their craft and the (literal) fruits of their labor. Winemakers bring their favorite bottles from previous vintages to share, passing around harvest tips while pouring glasses, and taking a minute in the midst of a very busy season to slow down and simply spend some time together.
We were thrilled to be invited back for the second year to host the Paulée celebration for the Russian River Valley Winegrowers. This year, we set the table at the far reaches of a fallow vineyard, just on the other side of the treeline from the Russian River itself, at the historic Foppiano Vineyards. There, Chef Elliot Bell prepared a menu designed to highlight the beauty of Russian River Valley wines with classic pairings like Sena Seafood Copper River salmon, Pasture Bird chicken with locally foraged mushrooms, spicy-sweet in-season Jimmy Nardellos blistered over the flames of the Big Green Egg, and sweet summer berries.
After a Welcome Social at the Foppiano tasting room to meet each guest winemaker and try their work, guests trekked across the winery and down the vineyard rows to the table, dressed in shades of sage and cool purple from Pomegranate, which almost blended in with its surroundings: lush riverside greenery and dappled light sifting through the grapevines. One guest described the Paulée experience as that of beautiful chaos — winemakers wandering around hawking their favorite vintages, platters of beautiful food brought out every several minutes, and savory-scented smoke wafting up into the tree canopy (eliciting a few distant squeals from the property’s herd of feral hogs). It was a riotous, richly flavored good time, exactly as any harvest celebration should be.
WELCOME
We gathered 14 local wineries across the beautifully manicured lawn behind the Foppiano tasting room to pour for guests. Everyone was greeted with a glass of sparkling outside Foppiano’s historic barn upon arrival, and set free to explore the seemingly endless options of Russian River Valley Wines.
A MENU BY ELLIOT BELL
Chef Elliot Bell from Charlie’s in Saint Helena is a true wine country chef. He volunteers for the local fire department, grazes cattle on nearby ranchland, and pulls delicious produce and ingredients from across Sonoma County to highlight the seasonal bounty of his home. He gathered vegetables from the garden to pair with Pasture Bird Chicken and Sena Seafood Copper River salmon in order to build a menu expertly designed to pair with Russian River Valley Wines.
MENU
WELCOME
Garden Radishes house cultured bay butter
Garden Cucumbers Brokaw avocado
Pimento Cheese-Stuffed Garden Pepper
ON THE TABLE
Wood Fired Flatbread preserved tomato garlic oil, stracciatella squash blossom, tapenade
FIRST
Summer Tomato Salad garden basil, cucumber
SECOND
Sena Seafood Copper River Salmon fire roasted Jimmy Nardello peppers, garden opal basil, local rice sofrito
MAIN
Roasted Pasture Bird Chicken wild California
mushrooms, Brentwood corn
DESSERT
Biscuits & Cream blueberries, whipped Sonoma cream
FEATURED WINEMAKERS
Ancient Oak Cellars
Benovia Winery
Bricoleur Vineyards
DeLoach Vineyars
Chev & CIRQ
Domaine Della
Joseph Jewell Wines
Marchelle Wines
Martin Ray Winery
Morét Brealynn Wines
Mon Premier Wines
Russian River Vineyards
Notre Vue Estate
Tongue Dancer Wines
WINE PAIRINGS
In the tradition of the Paulée, we decided to forego typical wine pairings in favor of special selections from the cellars of our guest winemakers — and some of our guests! Russian River Valley Pinot Noir was well represented, of course, alongside some sparkling bottles and several delicious wildcards generously shared with friends seated across the table or many glasses away.
SECRET LOCATION: FOPPIANO VINEYARDS
This winery has been producing wines since its founding in 1896, when Giovanni Foppiano purchased 80 acres of land formerly known as Riverside Farms.
Over the last several years, Foppiano has entered a new chapter of renovation and restoration. The team has dedicated themselves to continuing the heritage of Russian River Valley varietals while restoring the many historic structures on the property to their time-honored glory.
It was wonderful to be welcomed by their entire team, from their front tasting room to the farthest reaches of their vineyards.
