By Dr. Liz Thach, MW
Chef Rashida Holmes grew up enjoying the delicious Afro-Caribbean soul food recipes passed down by her mother and grandmother from Barbados. She remembers when she was three years old and tasted her first codfish cake made by her grandmother:
“It was like a flavor bomb that hit my pallet, with all of the textures and Caribbean spices,” she said. “So I want you to try it with this glass of J’s 2017 Blanc de Blancs. I worked with winemaker, Nicole Hitchcock, to find the perfect pairing. What do you think?”
All of the visitors attending this special wine and food pairing experience at J Winery listened aptly to Rashida, and then there were gasps of pleasure and surprise around the room as they tasted the codfish cake and sparkling wine together. As a participant in the crowd, I have to admit that it was the first time I had attended an Afro-Caribbean soul food and wine pairing session, and the experience was not only tastebud tantalizing, but highly educational and enjoyable.
J Winery’s ‘Shifting the Lens’ Program
Rashida is one of many talented chefs that have been invited to participate in J Winery’s Shifting the Lens program. In its third year, the program features well-known chefs who specialize in cuisine from a specific culture, such as Vietnamese, Mexican, Japanese, Indian, and others.
The chef spends a week at J Winery, working with winemaker, Nicole Hitchcock, to pair their recipes with various J wines. At the end of the week, a series of food & wine pairing experiences are offered to wine club members and visitors. There are two afternoon seatings each day on Thursday and Friday, one on both Saturday and Sunday (2.5 hours), and then two special dinner events on Saturday and Sunday evening (3 hours), which are often sold out.
The concept is revolutionary for the wine industry, because instead of offering visitors a traditional food and wine pairing experience centered around European cuisine, Shifting the Lens focuses on pairing wine with many different ethnic cuisines.
Interestingly, pairing wine with ethnic cuisine is one of the key findings in our Wine Market Council (WMC) research study focused on how to attract more young adults and multicultural consumers to wine. Young U.S. multicultural adults who were interviewed for the study suggested “why doesn’t the wine industry talk about wine paired with food from my culture?” (Note: I am also President of WMC, a non-profit that conducts research on the U.S. wine consumer.)
Now J Winery has taken a leadership role in pairing wine with multicultural cuisine. In fact the program is so cutting edge, that they won a 2023 Sonoma County Tourism Innovation Award, recognizing their work to develop an inclusive atmosphere and promote diversity in the wine industry.
Program Benefits Consumers, Local Farmers, Staff and Students
“We started the Shifting the Lens program three years ago, and it came out of a brainstorming session with our team here at J Winery who wanted to do something creative and inclusive,” stated Michael Pollock, VIP Consumer Experience Rep with J, who was in attendance at the event.
“The feedback from consumers has been very positive, and we see people returning a second and third time to experience the cuisine from new chefs,” he said. “Our team also enjoys learning from the different chefs and sampling the delicious cuisines.”
Corey Handa, Tasting Room Lead at J Winery, who was serving the food and wine at the tasting commented, “As a staff member here, I feel so fortunate to have the opportunity to listen to these talented chefs and taste these amazing pairings. We have all learned so much.”
But the experience is not only positive for consumers, staff, and the visiting chef (who expands their brand recognition), but also for local farmers. “During the first part of the week the chef visits local Sonoma County farms with our executive chef, Forest Kellogg, who serves as a guide and mentor during their visit. In this way, they are learning about the exceptional fresh vegetables, fruit, cheeses, and meats that can be sourced locally,” explained Michael Pollack.
J Winery has also donated $30,000 annually in the name of Shifting the Lens to the SRJC Shone Farm Agriculture Education Fund. The money is used to fund three students in working internships at SRJC Shone Farm for the academic year.
Learning About the History of Afro-Caribbean Soul Food
Rashida Holmes, who grew up in New York, now has her own restaurant, Bridgetown Roti, in Los Angeles. During the pandemic she was very successful in doing pop-up restaurants online and in different locations, and has been featured in The New York Times, Bon Appetit, The Wall Street Journal, and other outlets. She was also a 2024 James Beard Award Semifinalist for Outstanding Chef.
Rashida is passionate about the history of food in the Caribbean, and shared stories about each of the five small plate tastings paired with a different J wine. Here are a few of her food history lessons:
Plantains Placed on Slave Boats as Cheap Food – “Barbados is the first island you hit after leaving Africa, so most American soul food started in the Caribbean. Interestingly, plantains – originally from Asia – were put in the boats as a cheap source of food to feed the slaves. Once the plantains plants got to the Caribbean, they became a staple food,” explained Rashida.
For the plantain course, Rashida topped a fried plantain with Shrimp Escabeche, Mango Chow, Green Seasoning and Turmeric Curry Spice. Paired with the 2022 J Estate Pinot Gris it was truly mouthwatering, with the spicy food enhancing the floral and pear notes in the wine.
Caribbean Fried Bread Originally from India: Rashida shared a chilling story about the expected lifespan of African slaves working in the sugar fields of Trinidad: “The work was so hard that most slaves only lived nine years, so they had to bring in workers from India. These workers brought fried bread from India and now you can find it for sale on the side of any road in Trinidad.”
For the fried bread course, Rashida topped it with Curried Chickpeas, Cucumber Chutney, Tamarind Vinaigrette and Onion Flowers. It was a nice foil with the 2013 J Blanc de Noirs, with the structured bubbles of the wine cleansing the palate for another taste of the savory chickpeas and fried bread.
Goat is the Most Sustainable Meat in the World: According to Rashida goat is the most common protein in the world, but not in America. “It’s a shame,” she said, “because it’s the most sustainable meat in the world. Goats eat a lot of weeds and they don’t tear out root systems. But goat meat needs to be prepared right, so I like to marinate it in red curry sauce and then smoke it for a long time.” (It turns out goats also require less space than cattle, and have lower greenhouse gas emissions.)
Rashida served her Red Pepper Goat with West African Peanut Sauce, Callaloo Greens, Young Coconut Chutney, Cabbage Slaw and Paratha Roti. She and Nicole wisely selected the 2017 Edition No. 2 Pinot Noir to pair with this dish and it was truly genius at work. The fruity notes in the pinot with well-integrated oak were able to stand up to the smoked curry flavors of the goat, creating a symphony on the palate.
Rashida concluded the tasting by stating, “It’s nice to be here in Sonoma County to slow down a little bit and enjoy food and wine. It is also impressive that J Winery is on the forefront of shaping wine and food pairing in the country with different cuisines.”
J Winery’s Last ‘Shifting the Lens’ Program This Week – Oct. 17-20, 2024
For the 2024 season, one more chef is still scheduled for his week-long residency – Chef Damarr Brown will be presenting Southern traditions paired with J wines from Oct. 17-20, 2024. Damarr received the 2023 James Beard Award for Emerging Chef and Food & Wine Magazine’s Best New Chef in America 2022, and leads a renown culinary program in Chicago.
Cost for the 2.5 hour 5-course tasting menu is $200 for the public ($175 for club members), and the nearly sold-out dinners (3 hours for 5-courses with both Chef Damarr and winemaker, Nicole, in attendance) is $250 for the public ($225 for club members).
So what are the results of the Shifting the Lens program after running for three years? According to Michael Pollock, “The customers love it. The feedback has been great. It keeps our wine club members coming back for repeat visits, introduces visiting chefs to local farmers, and brings to Sonoma County visiting chefs that have cuisine that doesn’t compete with local chefs.”
“Our plan for the future is to continue the program – to broaden our reach, extend the range of wines offered, and continue to promote inclusivity and diversity,” he concluded.
Dr. Liz Thach, MW
Dr. Liz Thach, MW, is a Professor, Wine Writer, and President of the scientific non-profit, Wine Market Council. She has published more than 300 articles, 9 books, and lives in Sonoma County.
