Mario’s passion for wine has taken him around the world. His decade-long professional wine journey began with a job at a wine bar in his native France. As his expertise and experience grew, Mario moved to New Zealand for his role as Brand Experience Cloudy Bay. Today he is Senior Customer Experience Manager for iconic Napa Valley winery Newton Vineyard.

Get to know more about Mario and his achievements with the following 10 questions.

Tell me about your current role at Newton Vineyard.

I started at Newton Vineyard in 2017, and I am in charge of our hospitality, events, wine club, e-commerce, and private clients. It is a very exciting role as no days are similar. For example, last week, among other things, I launched an eCommerce campaign, worked on the opening of our future tasting room, hosted a Private Client dinner in NY, and organized and hosted a Club Event at our estate in Spring Mountain. We are a small team at Newton, and it allows us to be exposed to many different topics and challenges.

When did you discover your passion for wine?

Being French, wine is part of my culture, but when I moved to Paris at the age of 19, I discovered nice restaurants and excellent wines. I quickly became quite geeky and applied to a group with several wine bars as a server. The director was very friendly and gave me Mondays off and all his invitations for trade tastings that usually happened on that day. A few months later, the group’s CEO offered me to take responsibility for a wine shop close to the Arc de Triomphe. I accepted and stayed six years. During that time, I was running two wine shops (with a food offer) and was buying all the wine for the five restaurant wine bars. It was an incredible experience.

What is your favorite summertime wine?

I love Sauvignon Blanc, and Cloudy Bay has a special place for me as I spend almost four years working for that winery in New Zealand. Lately, I have discovered beautiful fresh California wines in the Mendocino Ridge appellation, including Sauvignon Blanc.

Favorite place in the Napa Valley(besides Newton, of course)?

Calistoga is a lovely little town with great wineries, a brewery, nice hotels, spas, and a cool, far west feel.

What sets you apart in your industry?

It is a difficult question. I think many French working in the wine industry are from a wine-growing region and tend to gravitate around what they know. It is not my case. I am from Toulouse, so I am open to loving any wine from any part of the world, as long as they are created with passion and integrity.

How do you stay connected to the local Napa wine community?

I do so by supporting local organizations and charities. I also maintain a good relationship with people who work and live in the valley. 

Newton Vineyard was recently nominated for American Wine of the Year. What do you think helped your team achieve this? 

We are all working toward the same goal with a lot of energy and passion. Incredible things happen when you work as a team.

Besides wine, what are some of your other passions?

I spend most of my time riding a horse, mainly bareback, in the vineyards. I discovered natural horsemanship when I moved to the US, and it is fascinating. It is incredible to create a special connection with this remarkable animal. When I am done riding, I usually cook on an open fire with friends, and we typically celebrate with some great wines.

What is one thing you hope to accomplish in your lifetime that you haven’t yet?

To have my own ranch/winery. It will take time but I am confident it will happen.

Tell us something that would surprise people about you?

Last year Newton gave me the fantastic opportunity to work in the cellar for two months during harvest. I learned a lot, which gave me more confidence in my daily job. My team and I are currently farming 200 vines that survived a fire. This vineyard is meaningful to us and a fantastic learning opportunity. On a more personal level, I moved to Paris from Toulouse to study acting, which I did for three years… I guess I was better at tasting wine.

For the first time, Calistoga Ranch, Solage, and Auberge du Soleil have partnered with Food & Wine Magazine to create ” Best New Chef’s Reunion Weekend.” This event is a first-of-its-kind epicurean event filled with mouthwatering cuisine and incredible wine from the best chefs and vintners in the California region. I was fortunate to be one of the first people to enjoy this unparalleled epicurean experience in Calistoga.

My time at the Best New Chef’s Reunion Weekend started with checking in at the beautiful Calistoga Ranch property. Calistoga Ranch is a spectacular resort rooted in nature. It is tucked away in a private 157-acre canyon ideally located between St. Helena and Calistoga.

At check-in, I was warmly greeted with a crisp glass of local Chardonnay and taken to my well-appointed private cottage. My cottage came outfitted with an outdoor shower, a soaking tub, a private hot tub, a private living room, and a double fireplace. The rooms are modern and filled with everything you could need. I gladly freshened up under the outdoor shower before heading out to my first event.

The first event of the day, Chef Demonstration lunch, was held at Solage, just a short 10-minute drive from Calistoga Ranch. At this event, we had a cooking demonstration with Chef Ravi Kapu of Liholiho. Chef Ravi showed us how to create a salad made with seasonal ingredients, including squash, Brussel sprouts with an Asian inspired pesto. Participants were able to ask questions and get feedback from the chef during this intimate event.

After the lunch I retreated back to Calistoga Ranch for a little R&R starting with a soak in my private hot tub accompanied by a glass of complimentary wine and cheeseboard from in room dining. After some R&R I explored the property via the golf carts, which come with drivers and are available 24 hours a day. I went to the resort hosted wine and cheese hour where I was able to meet and chat with other hotel guests.

I had a lovely dinner at the resort’s private restaurant, The Lakehouse. It’s a wonderful restaurant overlooking the oak grove and the lake. This is a great option without having to leave the property.

After a good night’s sleep, I was ready for the second day of festival activities. I borrowed one of the Mercedes Benz house cars for the morning to explore Calistoga before heading out for a luncheon at Solage. Maria Sinskey collaborated with Chef Gustavo Rios, executive chef at Solbar. We started the lunch in the garden with beautiful table settings and amazing passed hors d’oeuvres. Maria was a great host and had the guests laughing and celebrating the fantastic lunch. The lunch consisted of unique seasonal dishes paired with Robert Sinskey wines. Guests were sent home with home-made apple cakes and coffee.

Before heading to the final event of the weekend I enjoyed time in the main sun-drenched pool at Calistoga Ranch. The last event, dinner at the newly renovated Louis Martini Winery. This was an elegant dinner hosted by Michelin starred chef Daniel Patterson of Coi restaurant. It was a pleasure to share the table with accomplished winemakers, chefs, and culinary experts, and foodies come together in one breathtaking setting.  Some of the dishes presented were glazed veal sweetbreads, braised lamb with truffles, wild mushroom porridge, and a delectable curry and peanut butter dessert as a sweet ending to the wonderful  weekend. 

This was a great event that I recommend to all. If you are planning on attending next year I suggest you stay at Solage of Calistoga Ranch for easy access to all of the festivities.

Make sure to follow Auberge Resorts to stay up to date on their events and happening.

Auberge Resorts

Calistoga Ranch

Solage

Auberge du Soleil

The very first time I made cauliflower pizza it was ad-hoc style using everything I  had available in my kitchen.  Fast-forward 4 months later and I embraced high-protein cauliflower pizza that tastes amazing and is guiltless.

I discovered  ISOPURE® WHEY PROTEIN ISOLATE UNFLAVORED This is a premium protein that’s true to its name. ISOPURE® Unflavored Whey Protein Isolate contains 25 grams of 100% pure whey protein isolate per scoop, stripped of fat, carbs, fillers, sugars, and lactose. All with no added colors, flavors or sweeteners. It’s perfect for mixing into your favorite flavored beverages (hot or cold), soups, sauces and baked goods recipes.

I experimented with different recipes but ultimately LOVED it in my high protein cauliflower pizza recipe.    I hope you love this recipe as much as I do.

PROTEIN POWDER CAULIFLOWER PIZZA

Prep time: 12 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Servings: 2-4

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 head of cauliflower, broken into florets
   1 egg
2. 1/2 cup of ISOPURE® WHEY PROTEIN ISOLATE UNFLAVORED
3. 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
4. ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
5. ½ teaspoon garlic powder
6. ½ teaspoon dried oregano
7. ¼ teaspoon salt
8. Freshly ground black pepper

Toppings

1. 1/4 cup pizza sauce
2. 1/3 cup fresh mozzarella cheese
3. Baby heirloom tomatoes
4. Any other toppings your heart desires

Directions:

1.  Cut cauliflower and pulse in a food processor until it becomes rice-like
2.  Microwave the grated cauliflower in a bowl for 5-8 minutes depending on your microwave. No need to add water. After microwaving, transfer cauliflower to a fine mesh strainer and drain thoroughly, gently pressing out excess water. Once drained, transfer cauliflower to a clean dish towel and wrapped the sides around the cauliflower while gently pressing out excess water. This drying process is essential!
3.  Preheat oven to 375 and spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray
4.  In a medium bowl, combine all crust ingredients making sure everything is well mixed, place your mixture on the baking sheet and form a round pizza shape.
5.  Bake your dough at 375 for 15 minutes.
6. Remove from oven. Add sauce and your favorite toppings on the crust
7. Set oven to broil cook for additional 3-5 minutes

I would love to see your photos if you recreate the recipe, make sure to tag me.

Bon Appetit!!!

xo,

Teresa

This is a sponsored blog post, but all opinions are my own