Winemakers & Chefs Bios

CRAIG VON FOERSTER
Executive Chef, Sierra Mar Restaurant

For Chef Craig von Foerster, cooking is a personal philosophy, passion and way of life. At 21, he became the Executive Chef of the Perry House in Monterey before moving to Hawaii to study Pacific Rim cuisine and serve as Sous Chef in the Bay Club. An opportunity to be chef/owner of Boulder’s Café Bohemia led him back to the western states. Craig joined the Sierra Mar staff in 1994 and was named Executive Chef in 1997. Under his direction, the 2006 Zagat Surveys rated Sierra Mar the #1 hotel restaurant in California. Always in demand at culinary events, Craig was a guest chef at the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival and at The Chefs Culinary Adventure at Hotel Hana-Maui in 2006; participated in the 2007 Aspen Jazz and Wine Festival and the 2008 Central Coast Wine Classic; won Best Chef at the Carmel Valley Tomato Fest in 2008; prepared a celebrated dinner at the James Beard Foundation in New York in 2008; and served as a featured chef at the 2009 World of Pinot Noir in Pismo Beach. He has been featured on "Good Morning America," "Chow Hound" and shows on Recipe TV. He contributed to the Earthbound Farm and the Smithsonian Sustainable Seafood cookbooks. In 2006 Chef Craig shared his inventive recipes with the publication of the Sierra Mar Cookbook, which has received rave reviews.

CAL STAMENOV
Chef & Culinary Director, Bernardus Lodge

Chef Cal Stamenov has created innovative country cuisine for Bernardus Lodge featuring California country cuisine. Upon graduating from the California Culinary Academy, Cal began his career in 1982 at New York’s Four Seasons restaurant. His culinary credits include working with Alain Ducasse of the three-star Michelin restaurant; Louis XV at the Hotel de Paris, Monaco; Pierre Gagnaire in St. Etienne, France; Masa Kobayashi at Masa’s Restaurant in San Francisco; Jean-Louis Palladin at Restaurant Jean-Louis in Washington, D.C.; and Michel Richard at Citrus Restaurant. Cal worked as Executive Chef for the Highlands Inn in Carmel and served as Chef de Cuisine of the highly regarded Domaine Chandon Restaurant in Napa Valley.
Read more at www.bernardus.com.

JOSH JENSEN
Calera Winery, Hollister

Josh Jensen spent several harvests in Burgundy and subscribed to the Burgundian belief that limestone is essential to growing world-class Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. When Josh returned to California in 1971, he started looking for pockets of limestone as potential vineyard sites and discovered Mount Harlan, in the northern Gavilan Mountains between Monterey and San Benito counties. The property had so much limestone that it had been a quarry in the 19th century. In 1975, Josh planted 24 acres of Pinot Noir in three parcels, which he called Jensen, Selleck and Reed vineyards. Each vineyard has slightly different soils and exposure. Since then he’s planted more Pinot Noir, some Chardonnay, a little Viognier and a tiny plot of Aligoté. About three-quarters of the vineyard is Pinot.
Read more at www.calerawine.com.

STEPHAN ASSEO
L’Aventure Winery, Paso Robles

In 1998 Stephan Asseo and his family undertook the "Adventure” of a lifetime, when he left France after 17 vintages in Bordeaux for the Paso Robles wine fields. It was the terroir of Paso’s west side that attracted his attention, and with which he fell in love. The rolling topography, deep calcareous soils, and maritime influence characteristic of the region are ideally suited to the cultivation of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Stephan’s "wild card” Petit Verdot, the grapes that make up Stephan’s "Paso blends” Estate Cuvee and Optimus. Bio-dynamic practices are being introduced and implemented at L’Aventure in order to maintain the pristine land that Stephan found here 11 years ago, and to guard its integrity for future generations. Stephan’s unique style and level of quality garner acclaim and accolades from the European press, travel guides, the Wine Advocate and Wine Spectator.
Read more at www.aventurewine.com.

JOSEPH HUMPHREY
Executive Chef, Murray Circle, Cavallo Point

As Executive Chef of Murray Circle restaurant at Cavallo Point – the Lodge at the Golden Gate, Joseph Humphrey showcases the culinary talents that have earned him industry recognition and praise, and Murray Circle a Michelin star in 2009. Joseph served as Executive Chef at Auberge du Soleil in Napa Valley. Previously he was at The Restaurant at Meadowood, also in Napa, which under his guidance garnered two stars in the 2008 Michelin Guide. Joseph served as Chef de Cuisine at Mina and Redwood Park in San Francisco. Joseph also worked at One Market and at Fifth Floor and Picasso in Las Vegas. Joseph started his culinary career in New Orleans, where he learned contemporary Creole cuisine at the Palace Café.
Read more at www.cavallopoint.com.

JOHN S. ALBAN
Alban Vineyards, Paso Robles
Winemaker, Owner and Head Groundskeeper

In 1986, John started Alban Vineyards – the first American winery and vineyard established exclusively for Rhône varieties. Widely recognized as the patriarch of the American ‘Rhône renaissance’, Robert Parker dubbed John "…the spiritual and qualitative leader of the movement.” Jim Laube wrote in the Wine Spectator, "Leading the pack is John Alban…His [Syrahs] are stunning, among the most distinct and compelling I’ve had in more than 30 years of drinking wine.” Besides introducing Roussanne and Grenache Noir to California, Alban co-founded Hospice du Rhône -- the world’s largest international celebration of Rhône varieties. www.albanvineyards.com

MATT TREVISAN
Linne Calodo winery, Paso Robles

As a biochemistry major at Cal Poly, Matt Trevisan learned the science of wine, but it is in the vineyard where his wines are truly made. With a passion for sustainable farming practices and a desire to let the fruit speak for itself, his winemaking style is low-tech. He's guided by the qualities of the fruit and each year the blends are different. The Linne Calodo wines are driven by four factors: vineyard location, uncompromising viticultural practices, minimalist winemaking, and the desire to learn from experience.
Read more at www.linnecalodo.com.

"Food and wine bring people together and are the background music to the events of their lives."
- Craig von Foerster