Wente Vineyards CEO Carolyn Wente receives Grande Dame Award from Les Dames d’Escoffier

Les Dames d’Escoffier International’s (LDEI) prestigious Grande Dame Award is being presented this year to Carolyn Wente, CEO of Wente Family Estates, America’s longest continuously operated family-owned winery.

LDEI is an organization of women leaders in the food, beverage and hospitality industries. Its Grande Dame Award honors a lifetime of outstanding professional achievement, excellence, and charitable/community contributions within the culinary industry and is bestowed annually. Wente, the sixteenth recipient of this international honor, receives the award at LDEI’s first virtual conference this year.

Joining the family business in the early 1980s, Wente’s culinary career in wine spans over 40 years and she is a part of the fourth generation of Wente’s family-owned vineyards, sustainably cultivating over 3,000 acres. “There are very few family businesses that survive past the third generation,” shares Wente. “I am proud to be a member of the fourth generation in a successful and growing family business in a very competitive global environment.”

Under Wente’s leadership, the company has become a world-renowned destination located in the idyllic settings of the Livermore Valley and Monterey County, California. The first step to realizing the family’s dream for a new appreciation of wine as part of America culture was the opening of the Wente Vineyards Visitors Center and Restaurant in 1986. In that same year, The Concerts at Wente Vineyards was launched featuring musical artists including James Taylor and Sheryl Crow. In 1998, an 18-hole championship golf course designed by Australian golfing great Greg Norman was developed. And in 2010, the course was awarded with the esteemed “Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary” status.

Wente has guided the expansion and growth of the Wente Family Estate’s portfolio of wines and the development of the Wente family’s lifestyle businesses for four decades. A co-founder of LDEI’s San Francisco Chapter, Wente has been a member of Les Dames d’Escoffier for 31 years and has served on the national Board of Directors as well as in San Francisco.

Wente has authored two books. In 2003, “The Casual Vineyard Table” was published, sharing wine and food pairing along with everyday meal planning. Prior to its publication, she co-authored “Sharing the Vineyard Table: A Celebration of Wine and Food from the Wente Vineyard Restaurant” with Kimball Jones.

Over the last several years, Wente has been awarded numerous honors, perhaps most notably the Leading Women Entrepreneurs of the World in 2002 sponsored by J.P. Morgan, Baccarat and Hermes. Additionally, she was awarded Winery CEO of the Year 2019 by North Bay Business Journal; the “20 Most Admired People in the North America Wine Industry” in 2013 from Vineyard & Winery Management; the Women Leadership Award in 2012 from Girl Scouts of America; and the American Winery of the Year Award in 2011 from Wine Enthusiast — among many others.

Wente is well-known for her generosity of time and community outreach as seen through her board service with the Stanford Athletic Advisory, the U.S. Department of State’s Fine Arts Committee, and more. She also has the distinction of being the fifth member of the Wente family to serve as Board Chair of the California Wine Institute (2014-2015).

Currently, Wente is heading efforts to meet her family’s goals for Wente Family Estates: continued business growth, strengthening the brand promise, and developing a high performing organization — each integral to ensuring transition where the fifth and future generations take over a healthy profitable business to include both family and non-family members. Wente says, “As a family, we are always pushing the quality envelope for our wines. With our lifestyle businesses, the same holds true, providing a quality experience that exceeds our guests’ expectations.”

Les Dames d’Escoffier International (LDEI) is a worldwide philanthropic organization of professional women leaders in the fields of food, fine beverage and hospitality. The invitation-only membership, composed of over 2,400 women in 44 chapters across the US, Canada, France, the United Kingdom and Mexico, is highly diversified and reflects the multifaceted fields of contemporary gastronomy and hospitality. For more information, visit visit ldei.org

About Wente Family Estates

Founded in 1883, Wente Vineyards has been resoundingly celebrated for its industry-wide contributions to innovation as the longest continuously-operated, family-owned winery in the country, now owned and managed by the fourth and fifth generations of the Wente family.  The company portfolio is comprised of Wente Vineyards, Murrieta’s Well, Hayes Ranch, Ravel & Stitch, entwine and Angel’s Ink brands. The winery draws from certified sustainable estate vineyards in the Livermore Valley, San Francisco Bay and Arroyo Seco, Monterey appellations to create an outstanding array of fine wines that are distributed in all 50 states and in over 70 countries worldwide.  In 2010, it joined the top 4 percent of  California wineries who meet all three tiers within the Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing codes & designation. In 2011, Wente Family Estates was named American Winery of the Year by Wine Enthusiast and is among the top 30 wineries in the United States according to Wine Business Monthly, (February 2020). 2012 marked the 100th anniversary of the Wente family bringing Chardonnay cuttings to California from France. Today, the Wente clones of Chardonnay are the most widely planted in California.

Located just east of San Francisco in the historic Livermore Valley, Wente Vineyards is recognized as one of California’s premier wine country destinations. In 2018, the winery took a leadership role in its longstanding mission to inspire employees and guests to make time for what really matters, as realized through Wente Vineyards’ best practices, outstanding wines and wine country experiences. The property features wine tasting, world-class concerts, award-winning fine dining and championship golf. Wente Vineyards is also proud to have 100% estate grown wines and have the Certified Sustainable designations across their vineyards and winery through California Certified Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance.

For more information, visit www.wentevineyards.com.

Virtual Chocolate Salon Panel: In Conversation Self-Taught Chocolatiers

TasteTV and the International Chocolate Salon in conversation with award-winning Self-Taught Chocolatiers about their creative inspirations business challenges, including tips for great chocolate, flavor profiles, travels, and tips for success. Discover and support these great artisans!

Featuring panelists such as Seth Bain of the Confectionist, Karen Urbanek of Flying Noir, David Gambill of Sonoma Chocolatiers, and moderator Charly Kayle.

This educational panel is free to attend.

Watch the full recorded panel below

 

ENTREPRENEUR INNOVATION: Makeshift Weight Uses Canned Foods for Home Workouts

Stuck at home without workout equipment, yet have a pantry-full of cans during shelter in place? Enter the perfect recipe for a healthy body: MakeWeight, an innovative gadget that can act as a makeshift set of weights without breaking the bank or taking up space. Emily Fukunaga, nifty inventor obsessed with reducing waste, is a management consultant working with Fortune 50 companies streamlining businesses, and had her “aha” moment during the COVID pandemic when she found she had no weights or workout equipment in her apartment during lockdown. Pre-covid she hadn’t purchased weights due to space limitations and because she was going to the gym. In midst of quarantine, weights are impossible to find online. Her solution? Cans doubling as weights for her workout routine before eating them.

The MakeWeight device allows users to install desired weight in the form of food cans to create flexible workout equipment at home, inspiring you to exercise with what you have around the house.  Emily says, “I wanted to create a tool to help folks with this solution. As I thought more about it, even outside of COVID there is an opportunity to use it; with small apartments or budgets, you can just buy one item that allows you to adjust the weight that goes into it. I love the idea of utilizing capacity, and now people may use cans without buying separate weights. The MakeWeight currently has one product that turns cans into a dumbbell, but the idea doesn’t stop there. I would love to make it so that people can use heavier weights, different shaped items, and products for different types of workouts, like kettlebells or a bench press.”

More about Emily Fukunaga:

Management consultant by day and entrepreneur by night, Emily has a passion for tinkering and making things that help people and the planet. She worked for the last 10 years in the consumer goods and retail industry and graduated with an MBA from Columbia Business School in 2018. Born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii and moving to Colorado College for school, then to Hong Kong for work, Emily currently lives in Baltimore and has worked extensively with PwC in strategy consulting.

https://www.facebook.com/emily.fukunaga

https://www.instagram.com/emilyfooks/

Virtual CHOCOLATE SALON Panel: Conversation with 3 Master Chocolatiers

TasteTV & the International Chocolate Salon in conversation with 3 Master Chocolatiers about their creative inspirations & business challenges, including tips for great chocolate, flavor profiles, travels, and tips for success. Discover and support these great artisans!

The Panel Discussion features:  Chocolatier Michael Benner of Michael’s Chocolates, Elyce Zahn of CocoTutti, Julie House of Panache Chocolatier, and moderator, food writer Amy Sherman.

This educational panel is free to attend. Watch the full recorded panel below

Virtual CHOCOLATE SALON Panel: In Conversation with Black Chocolatiers

TasteTV & the International Chocolate Salon in conversation on June 11th with Black Chocolatiers about their creative inspirations & business challenges, including tips for great chocolate, flavor profiles, educations, and tips for success. Discover and support these great artisans!

The Panel Discussion features: Chocolatier Phillip Ashley Rix of Phillip Ashley Chocolates, Robert Bowden of Vivere Chocolates, Syovata Edari of CocoVaa Chocolatier, Michael Poole of Hot Chocolat, Margaret King of Magnolia Chocolatier, and moderator, author Joey Garcia

Watch the full recorded panel below

TASTE AWARDS Winner Family Style’s Stacy Fan on Culture, Cook and Communal Virtual Dining

“Family Style” won an 11th Annual TASTE AWARD for Best Ethnic Lifestyle Series, Program or Film, as well as having 3 nominations for Best Food Program – Online & Streaming, Best Food Travel Series – Online & Streaming, and Best Branded Program, Native Content, Video, or Advertisement

Stacy Fan is a member of the “Foodie Fam” – the eight-person Asian cast of the Stage 13 award-winning, unscripted docu-series “Family Style.” The 12-episode digital series features the “Foodie Fam” exploring popular Asian restaurants and cultural locales, with each episode ending around a table sharing a meal. The series takes viewers on an enriching food journey to bring the intricacies, history, and flavors that make Asian culture and food so enjoyable.

As a member of the ‘Foodie Fam’ Fan brings unique knowledge and love for culture, cuisine, and sharing family moments around the table. Season one guests included: Daniel Dae Kim (“Hawaii Five-O” and “The Good Doctor”), “Fresh Off the Boat” actor Hudson Yang and his father, CNN journalist Jeff Yang, “Cloak and Dagger” actress Ally Maki, Wong Fu Productions founder Philip Wang “Crazy Rich Asians” and “Shadowhunters” star Harry Shum Jr. and “Crazy Rich Asians” director Jon M. Chu, among others. The series is produced by Stage 13 and Director Justin Lin’s (“Star Trek Beyond,” “F9,” “True Detective”) production company, YOMYOMF, with Executive Producers Phillip Chung, Marie Jamora, and Jason McLagan.

Fan shared some of her favorite moments in the series, and how she is handling the shelter at home situation.

1. “Family Style” shows the bond between friends, family, and the ceremony and story behind the food and dishes we eat. How important is that tradition of eating around a table – even if it’s virtual – coming out of the shelter at home orders?

We’re living in a bit of a groundhog-day at the moment, so taking the time to sit down and enjoy a meal with the ones we’re sheltered in place with, or virtually, is something to look forward to. It also allows us a moment to be grateful for what we have, being able to stay safe at home, and having food on the table. It’s more important now than ever to come together to eat for support during this time. It can be such a calming experience, especially if you’re indulging in your home comfort foods. They really go hand-in-hand for soothing the soul. It’s especially nice to make those dishes right now that remind you of your family that you can’t see.

2. The restaurants showcased in the show are all small businesses that have felt impacted during the COVID-19 shutdown. How are you and the cast of “Family Style” supporting them?

Stage 13 has created a campaign called #stage13supports to highlight various restaurants featured in season one of “Family Style” on Facebook and Instagram. We spotlight sensational food available for takeout and where possible, give a humanistic backstory on the restaurants. We hope this helps drive traffic to their restaurants at this challenging time. I’ve also been buying takeout from local eateries for my family and friends as a way to introduce them to the delicious cuisines, and contactless drop off’s of course!

3. How does tradition play into season one of “Family Style”?

Most of the restaurants we visited in season one of “Family Style” were family run and had traditional recipes passed down through the generations that emphasized the importance of family, heritage, and culture as well as the significance of carrying on those traditions.

Some of the restaurants were founded by the younger generation of Asian Americans designing new dishes that reflect the fusion of their own cultures within an American context. Button Mash, for example, infuses traditional Vietnamese dishes but with the restaurateur’s (Nguyen Tran’s) own flavors and his take on the way he serves up the dishes. We are all so mixed today, whether by blood or culturally, and I think that was mirrored beautifully in the food we experienced and the message that the restaurants presented through those dishes.

4. How important is the bond of food culturally?

Growing up in Hong Kong until the age of six, I used to go for Dim Sum meals on Sunday with my family that would last hours. Once I moved to England, I’d go for roast dinner at my grandparent’s house every Sunday. A totally different meal, in a completely different atmosphere, but they were about bringing the family together. Equally so traditional to both sides of my culture. To this day, they speak to different parts of me. I have my roast dinner with my English family, which propels me back to being six years old in England. Dim Sum, I’m back in Hong Kong, surrounded by Cantonese catch-ups and a large family setting.

Speaking to people from all over the world during “Family Style,” it became apparent that everyone had food memories that were so woven into their memories of growing up in the family they were raised in. So much about food is entwined into the fabric of who we are. It’s some of our earliest memories, and eating some of the traditional foods that we grew up with can be the best way to give ourselves a little home comfort.

5. How have you been spending your time during the pandemic shelter at home orders?

I’ve been calling friends and family a lot. Having time to connect with them has been a priority for me during this time. In addition to ordering to-go from my favorite mom and pop shops, I’ve been cooking many meals from scratch. I’m enjoying taking the time to really experiment with some recipes and have fun with baking. It’s been a good time to get back to basics. I’ve enjoyed exploring new methods as well as recreating dishes that I ate growing up. I felt this urgency to eat the food I used to have as a child. I called my dad for the recipe for the congee that he used to make for my brother and I as kids, and I’ve also spent time perfecting the roast potatoes my English Nan used to make for us every Sunday. They were legendary!

6. Season two is in development – after having eight weeks at home, what tradition and food would you want to see in an episode, and how do you think it will be different from season one?

I would love to see what people learned to cook during the shelter in place in one episode. Perhaps we learned new recipes from our family that we never had the time to prepare before, and we can share some of those? Did we finally start to take notice of how our parents or grandparents made their traditional dishes? It is a really great time to take the time to learn about our family’s traditional recipes. Especially now that we have the time and are in a position to appreciate them at an earlier stage in life so that we can pass on to the next generation, I would love to have some of those discussions around a table.

I also think the conversations we have might pivot towards eating intimately during this time of social distancing. What was that like for us? Also, how hard the restaurant we’re sitting in worked to survive those tough months, and a reality check on what we have taken for granted pre-COVID-19. I believe we will relish more than ever, the food in front of us, the conversations over that meal, and indeed the company we keep.

SEE A BIT OF FAMILY STYLE HERE