Michael Chiarello’s BOTTEGA Ristorante

I think I live a very adventurous life. Similar to my dad, I just get up and go and see what the world has to offer me today and go where the wind blows me. I’d like to think I have a very free spirit that just embraces what seems to come along. I rarely make plans, I mean I have an idea of what I’d like to get done in a day, but leave a lot of room for spontaneity and creativity. I sorta just wing my life which on most days keeps it pretty interesting.

I TRY to stay open to just about everything not knowing who I might meet or what I might learn from the experience. This attitude has taken me to some pretty spectacular places where I’ve met some pretty fascinating people and have gotten to do some pretty cool things.

This especially seemed to happen to me a lot on my trip to Northern California. When I had free time I would jump in my car and just see where I ended up and it never failed me! Stepping into Bottega Ristorante for a drink and some small plates was just one of those moments because before I left I got to meet chef Michael Chiarello.

If you haven’t been to Bottega’s in Napa Valley, you must go. There are many restaurants in Younteville that are fabulous, but Bottega is exceptionally good, in my opinion. Similar to Thomas Keller’s sustainable, seasonal, terroir driven farm to table concept, BOTTEGA Ristorante is serving up Italian fare with a twist: dishes made to compliment wines. Because Michael believes that wine is an integral part of every meal he really understands how to pair wine and food.

Michael Chiarello, Napa Valley chef, Emmy-winning TV personality, author, and founder of NapaStyle, is creating a lot of heat in the kitchen at BOTTEGA and I’m not talking about his looks either.

At the young age of 8 Michael knew he wanted to be a chef. He attributes this to his father’s stroke that left him paralyzed. As a result, Michael ended up spending much of his time in the kitchen with him mom watching and helping her. There is a great article on Michael is the October 31, Wine Spectator.

In addition to being a top Chef, Michael makes his own award winning estate wines with winemaker Thomas Brown. From grape to bottle Michael has a hand in it all. The grapes used to make his fabulous wines come from the 20 acres of vines in his own backyard which are carefully maintained and cared for using organic, sustainable farming practices. No surprise there!

Good salumi is similar to good wine. The quality of what you start with determines the quality and taste of the end product. While not all vineyards are the same, not all salumi is either. This is why Michael works very closely with Volpi Foods in order to ensure that the best quality meats are used in his dishes and for sale in his store. That is something I really appreciate, but don’t take my word for it!

BOTTEGA Napa Valley
6525 Washington St.
Younteville, Ca
707-945-1050
BottegaNapaValley.com
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