Chef Eric Maczko displays some seasonal ingredients

If you enjoy preparing new dishes or just want to learn more about the art of pairing food with wine, join winery chef Eric C. Maczko on Sundays for our delicious food and wine pairing seminar.  Read what the Wall Street Journal, Snooth and  others are saying about food and wine pairing seminars at Pine Ridge. Or try preparing some of Eric's wonderful creations by picking a recipe picking a recipe here.

Appellations & Appetizers and Creative Culinary Combinations
During summer months, Pine Ridge offers Appellations & Appetizers, a unique opportunity to taste seasonal dishes paired with wines from Napa Valley’s best growing regions. Chef Eric demonstrates the preparation and cooking of three appetizers. Following the demonstration, sit down in our Estate Gardens to enjoy the three hors d’oeuvres, each one paired with a different Pine Ridge wine.

In winter months, learn how to create a delectable dish to pair with the perfect Pine Ridge wine. Chef Eric prepares the culinary delight for you to try with three different Pine Ridge wines, and discusses the effectiveness of each combination. The recipe, which changes monthly, is yours to keep.

Seminars run from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. only on Sundays. The cost is $45 per person for club members, $65 for non-club members; seating is limited; and reservations are required. Reservations and cancellations must be made 48 hours in advance. Click the link below to reserve your space at our next food and wine pairing seminar or contact our Concierge at 800.575.9777 or by email for more information.

2010 Schedule

JANUARY:  White Fish & Red Wine 
Pan Seared Blue Nose Bass, Couscous and Tomato Fondue
Gnocci and Bay Scallops with Porcini Cream
Roast Monkfish with Cabbage, Ham and Laurel Sauce

FEBRUARY:  All Birds, All Day! 
Salt Crusted Roast Chicken
Oven-Roasted Pheasant with Acorn Squash Napoleon & Cranberries
Tuscan Sausage Stuffed Quail

MARCH:  Canapés That Impress and Don't Take Forever! 
Brioche and Brilliat Savarin Canapé with Apples
Smoked Trout Blini with Tarragon Crème Frâiche
Focaccia with Tomato, Olive and Sea Salt
Mini Beef Empanadas

APRIL:  Vegetarian Preparations for Balance in the Spring 
Cauliflower Potage with Roast Apples and Chanterelles
Morel Mushroom and Asparagus Tart with Black Peppercorn Cream
Grilled Vegetable Timbale with Roasted Eggplant

MAY:  One Grill, A Lot of Options... I'll Pick My Favorites. 
Grilled Prawn Salad with Pear Vinaigrette
Grilled Venison Loin, Roasted Cauliflower and Hen of the Woods Mushrooms
Grilled Tenderloin Filet with Fresh Thyme and Coarse Sea Salt

JUNE:  Pork BBQ - Go Slow  You've Got the Time... to make Flatbread!
Pork Baby-Back Ribs with Pomegranate Glaze
Slow Cooked Port Butt
Grilled Flatbread with Mushrooms and Kale

JULY:  Marinades and the Grill 
Grilled Molasses Marinated Quail with Frisée
Grilled Pork Tenderloin Marinated in Dijon and Garlic
Grilled Marinated Hanger Steak with Shallots

AUGUST:  What Goes With My White Wines? 
Grilled Spicy Calamari and Chickpeas
Pan Seared Sea Scallops with Butternut Squash and Chive Oil
Seared Salmon with Citrus Salad

SEPTEMBER:  Harvest Month Already?! 
Cassis Glazed Black Mission Figs
Heirloom Tomato and Baby Mozzarella Tart with Arugula and Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Grilled Porcini Crusted Lamp Loin with our Garden Ratatouille

OCTOBER:  Curing, Preserving and Confit 
Duck Confit Salad with Tomato Vinaigrette
Roast Turkey Breast with Fennel Puree and Cranberry Gastrique
Pork Chateaubriand with Ratatouille Gratin

NOVEMBER:  The Braising Technique and Cabernet 
Sicilian Braised Tuna with Coriander and Mint
Braised Pork Shoulder with Couscous
Braised Beef Short Ribs and Yukon Gold Whipped Potatoes

DECEMBER:  Bone-In and Bone-Out Roasting
Standing Rib-Roast of Beef with Root Vegetables
Roast Pork Tenderloin Wrapped in Serrano Ham and Wild Rice
Roast Leg of Lamb with Garlic Confit and White Beans

Meet Our Winery Chef
“I strive to continually educate myself, my peers and our guests about food and wine through extensive reading, testing and tasting. During Appellations & Appetizers, Creative Culinary Combinations and Signature Dinners, I aspire to increase the guests’ enjoyment of Pine Ridge wines with their favorite foods by sharing trade secrets and cooking tips. I take full advantage of the time spent with these guests, impressing upon them my enthusiasm for the wines and winery I’ve represented for the last five and a half years.”
-Eric C. Maczko, executive chef

Eric Maczko was born and raised in the garden state of New Jersey and worked extensively in the restaurant industry prior to joining Pine Ridge. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Eric became the winery’s executive chef in 2001. When his attention isn’t focused on consumer education of food and wine pairings, Eric develops recipes for the Pine Ridge wine club newsletters and works his magic in the kitchen preparing delicious multi-course meals to match the intensity of Pine Ridge wines, using only the highest quality local ingredients with an emphasis on organics.

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