At Fleurie, soft-shell crab is prepared with a modern French twist. (Joseph Scala)
At Fleurie, careful sourcing is as important for the wine list as it is for the locally driven fare. Wine director Melissa Boardman oversees the Best of Award of Excellence–winning wine list offering a mix of high-end bottles and affordable options to complement chef Joe Walker’s modern French cuisine. The 420-selection list always includes at least 60 to 80 bottles priced at $65 or less, with particular value in Chenin Blanc and Northern Rhône Syrah. There are also numerous local bottles from Virginia wineries such as Lovingston and Horton to pair with dishes featuring sauces made using classic French methods like Chilean sea bass with bouillabaisse and beef tenderloin with Bordelaise and creamed spinach.
Apr 8, 2021
Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence winner Press Restaurant in St. Helena, Calif., has a new wine director. After stints at renowned destinations including Grand Award winners Gary Danko and the French Laundry, Vincent Morrow will now oversee the list at the Napa restaurant, which claims the largest selection of Napa Valley wines in the world.
“I feel more humbled than anything else,” Morrow told
Wine Spectator. “[Napa] is still very much a farming community … and I really tread carefully with taking over the wine list.”
While he’s looking forward to contributing to the program, Morrow stresses that he’ll stay true to the vision of the restaurant’s founder, late vintner Leslie Rudd, as well as his daughter and current owner, Samantha Rudd. “It’s always been what Leslie had in mind: Put those three things the food, the people, the wine on a pedestal.”
Philip Tessier, executive chef at St. Helena restaurant PRESS, talks about being the first American to make the podium at the prestigious Bocuse d Or culinary competition held every two years, and about providing thousands of meals for victims of the pandemic and fires through the Feed Our Families program. Andy Wilcox, Register
Philip Tessier had just been hired as executive chef by PRESS restaurant in St. Helena when the COVID-19 pandemic struck in early March.
He knew people were losing their jobs and ability to afford food, and he wanted to keep his employees working and the restaurant afloat, said Kristine Keefer, who nominated him for the Registerâs Heart of the Valley honors.