The Winemaker Cooks

August 16, 2010
Hanna, who is president of her own Sonoma vineyard, describes her first book as "part practical cookbook, part inspirational entertaining guide." She generally succeeds with the former, providing a variety of decidedly West Coast dishes full of things from the garden. But she treads a fine line between inspirational guide and overly flowery autobiography with such comments as "We exult in the first bud break in the vineyard," and overuses descriptive passages that employ variations of the words lovely, wonderful, and beautiful. The book is divided by season, with five major meal plans provided for each. The Winter Dinner Party, for example, includes recipes for prosciutto-roasted fennel, cream of chanterelle soup, Syrah-braised lamb shanks, and chocolate bread pudding. For the summer, there is a pizza party with toppings that include wild nettle, smoked duck, and picholine olives. Along the way there are plenty of color photos, a useful wine glossary, and several "Ask the Winemaker" sidebars providing short answers to huge questions such as "How do I pair wine with food?" and "How do I store my wine?"