Foragers Festival Winners and Wine Among the ‘Shrooms

January 28, 2025 – Perhaps the most thrilling aspects of this year’s Fungus Faceoff were the stunning cloud-framed views from the most beautiful part of the PCH, and the rain. It started out as a few sprinkles on the windshield as Ann Hougham and I drew closer to the village of Big Sur, leaving the horribly parked selfie-stick-armed tourists behind. 

By the time we arrived at the Big Sur Lodge, host once again of the annual Foragers Festival to benefit Big Sur Health Center, the precipitation was beginning to persist. Soon, it could not be ignored. But for the fact that the makeshift tarp over the back deck only covered about half of it, the rain was divine, unless you were among the many wineries and restaurants that got thoroughly drenched. In this situation, the only recourse was to drink more wine, a suggestion that didn’t require making. 

Our intrepid Edible Monterey Bay team tasted through the entire lineup of dishes, looking for the standouts. We had a few too many favorites, and too few categories. We might expand the awards next year to include a dessert category. 

Winners included:

1. Best Use of Foraged Ingredients
   Chefs Eddie Jimenez and Ben Spungin of Cella Restaurant
   Dish: Wild Fennel and Nasturtium Cavatelli with Chanterelle, Green Garlic, Duck Leg, and Snail Ragout, finished with Black Truffle Vinaigrette.
2. Most Creative
   Chef David Pasculli of Sammich’d
   Dish: Passionfruit Tart with Candy Cap Mushroom/Brown Butter Crust, topped with Bay Leaf/Candy Cap Meringue.
3. Best Overall
   Chef Salvador Merlin of Rio Grill
   Dish: Smoked Beef Tenderloin with Maitake and Chanterelle Mushrooms, complemented by a Coffee/Achiote Rub.
4. People’s Choice
   Chef Tim Wood of Woodie’s at the Airport & Woodie’s Del Mesa
   Dish: Chanterelles in Mushroom Sauce with Polenta.

By far, my favorite dish of the day was the stuffed mushroom cap with risotto and cheese, on a wonderful porcini mornay sauce drizzled with ancho chile oil, created by the Deetjen’s kitchen team. Those hot ‘shrooms with those sauces were a divine counterpoint to the chilly, damp air. 

I also loved Rio Grill’s maitake and chanterelle stuffed smoked beef tenderloin that had been coated in ground coffee. That definitively deserved the prize of Best Overall. Well-deserving of the Best Use of Foraged Ingredients award was Cella’s deftly done duck and snail ragout, topped with foraged greens and nasturtiums. We handed Most Creative to David Pasculli of Sammich’d, for his passionfruit tart with candy cap shortbread crust. That was a stunner: glad I saved it for last. I was able to score a bite of Debby’s, and Pasculli ran out shortly after. 

With their alluring fried dough aromas, Ventana’s buttermilk candy cap doughnuts with miso glaze were pretty awesome as well. 

Congratulations and thanks to all the chefs and their intrepid teams who stuck it out through a very wet and chilly afternoon outdoors. A hearty thanks to Big Sur Lodge for hosting, and to their staff for providing heaters and keeping trash at bay. 

Hearty thanks also to all the wineries who poured, and there was a quite an impressive lineup. Although we didn’t issue any wine awards this year, that is being considered for the next event. 

In recognition of the great contribution the wineries make, here are the Top 10 wines I tasted at the festival, in no particular order.  

Bernardus was pouring a new 2022 Arroyo Seco Pinot Noir, sourced from Griva, Mission Ranch and Cedar Lane vineyards. I loved its “only from Arroyo Seco” core of brightness, sweet red raspberries, dried cranberries and red cherries. 

Winemaker Greg Freeman of Chalone was mighty proud of his 2022 Chalone Pinot Noir which had just scored a Gold Medal at the SF Chronicle competition. Many people remarked how much they enjoyed its spicy, mouth filling wallop of fresh-baked marionberry pie. 

Scheid was pouring a really nicely done Pinot Blanc, that displayed a perfect rich roundness that would work nicely with a creamy cauliflower and leek soup with a drizzle of apricot balsamic. 

On the opposite side of the white wine scale, was the 2022 Dos Ninas Torrontes that Roxanne Lager was pouring at the Lady Somm table. Pure and seamless, the abundant acidity brought waves of coriander and Earl Grey tea.

It had been a while since I’d tasted at Big Sur Vineyards, but Lenora Carey was pouring a most excellent ensemble of Carignane, Zinfandel and Cinsault from old vines in San Benito, namely Wirz and Enz. The 2023 Big Sur Red is quite a beautiful dialogue between grapes from vines who were older than most of the attendees. 

Ian Brand’s Paysan wines, sport a new clean and appealing label. Bye-bye, plucky clucking chicken and infatuated fat Frenchman: perhaps another victim of Ozempic? The 2023 Central Coast Paysan rose, crafted from Mourvèdre, Carignane and Cinsault, is well beyond the peasant league, despite its sub $20 price point. The 2022 Jacks’ Hill Chardonnay, also in the $20 range, is a kissing cousin to Chablis, with its satiny veneer of crisp fruit and plentiful Arroyo Seco acid.  

Speaking of new label designs, Will Chesebro and I chatted about his recent sales trip to New York City. He says the new packaging and focus on Albariño, Sauvignon Blanc and Grenache rose are making a great impression for Chesebro wines. We talked about the industry, and wine adoption trends, and he says that if Gen Z’ers and Millennials have sufficient disposable income, and are drawn to wine over cocktails and other alternatives, they are certainly not interested in drinking the wines their Boomer and Gen X’er parents did. He also noted that we Americans have a very different relationship with wine than does the rest of the world. One of his friends is dating a woman from Spain, and in her culture, drinking wine with lunch and dinner, 7 days a week, is second nature. We need to reframe how we look at wine here in the USA.

Scott and Laura Shapley of Flywheel were making lots of friends with their knock-your-socks-off Grenache from Rodnick.Farm in Chalone. Scott told me that Gary Franscioni, who grows Grenache in his Sierra Mar Vineyard and makes it under his ROAR label, absolutely loves Scott’s Flywheel version. He’s one of Scott’s best customers. 

Another often talked about wine was the 2022 Morgan Double L Chardonnay, always a pitch-perfect tete-a-tete between CA sunshine tamed by ocean breezes, and oak that is neither seen nor heard. Such a satisfying and jubilant wine. 

In between all those bites of rich food, including Montrio’s superbly hot and crisply fried panko-crusted chanterelle arancini, stuffed with mozzarella and served with apple gastrique, it was essential to clear the palate. Among the briskest of the antidotes was Joyce’s 2023 Albariño from Arroyo Seco. Can’t get enough of that peach and pineapple with tart grapefruit freshness. 

We are so blessed to have all this natural beauty and overflowing bounty in our backyard. Revel in it, and let’s hope we get some real rain soon to bring on more mushroom magic.