Harvest is in full bloom on Spring Mountain. Not only for grapes, but for our culinary garden, which is bursting with an abundance of produce, including tomatoes, peppers, summer squash, beets, chard, and more. The garden, which Spring Mountain Vineyard designed for Charlie’s restaurant in St. Helena, has grown with the help of two men – Chef Elliot Bell and Master Gardener Aaron Keefer. To celebrate this bounty, we held a luncheon in the garden last week, co-hosted by both Bell and Keefer who explained their collaboration and demonstrated the fruits of their labor (literally!)

From Farm…

To begin the afternoon, Keefer walked guests around the grounds of Spring Mountain Vineyards, explaining the variety of fruits and vegetables grown on the property. In addition to our existing garden and orchards, we completed our main garden this year, assembled with rows of raised beds crafted from the repurposed redwood from our property. Every bed features a different variety of produce designated for the kitchen at Charlie’s. Keefer explained how he works closely with Chef Elliot as they decide what to plant and when. Sometimes Chef Elliot is looking for specific varieties of vegetables, and other times Keefer will guide the chef based on seasonal availability. 

An example of that collaboration is the Aji Dulce pepper, a famous, yet hard-to-find pepper from South America. Charlie’s is one of the only restaurants in Napa with it on the menu, and it is something that must be specially grown because it’s not commercially available. When Chef Elliot originally asked Keefer to grow it, Keefer set out on a global search to find the seeds. (In Peru, where the pepper originated, they use the term “Aji Dulce” for about five different peppers!) So, not only did he need to source seeds, he needed to determine which pepper was the correct one. He had to grow a handful of different plants, then taste through each one to find the exact fruity flavor and mellow heat that Bell was seeking.

Ultimately, he landed on a variety, which is now one of the top crops in our garden. And it makes an excellent hot sauce!

To Table…

Meanwhile, Chef Elliot prepped and served lunch in the garden. Platefuls of delectable dishes were passed around - blistered peppers, roasted summer squash, nasturtium pesto, marinated cucumbers, and kale salad topped with lemon zest from our orchard were some of the garden highlights. Each course was served with Spring Mountain Vineyard wines, including our 2024 Sauvignon Blanc, 2024 Chardonnay, 2022 Chateau Chevalier Estate Cabernet Sauvignon and 2022 Resurrection. 

Chef explained his philosophy for using local ingredients. For example, a tomato that is bred to travel long distances tastes completely different from the heirloom variety of tomato that is picked in the morning and put on the menu that night. This flavor intensity and freshness that comes from local sourcing resonated through each dish. 

Although it is a rare treat to have lunch in the garden with Aaron Keefer and Chef Elliot, we welcome visitors to stroll through the garden as part of your wine tasting experience. Enjoy the sights and smells of all the fresh ingredients, then head over to Charlie’s to experience all the flavors on the menu.