Dustin Valette is the fourth generation of his family to call Healdsburg, California, home since his great-grandfather, Honoré Valette, emigrated from France in the early 1900s. He grew up surrounded by food, with a bottle of wine on the table regardless of the dish. Today, he is chef-owner of three Healdsburg restaurants, Valette, The Matheson, and Roof 106, and collaborates with acclaimed California winemakers on Valette Wines. We asked him to pair five of those wines with dishes from his restaurants.
2022 Valette Pinot Noir and Creste di Gallo Pasta
The single-vineyard Pinot Noir by winemaker Bob Cabral from Bush Crispo Vineyard showcases the best of the Russian River Valley. It’s an excellent wine to pair with Valette’s creste di gallo pasta. The dish’s locally grown brown beech mushrooms from farmer Duncan Soldner complement the earthier elements of the wine, such as forest floor and cedar, without overpowering them, while the brightness and acidity cut through the richness of the pork belly.
2022 Valette Cabernet Sauvignon and 14-Day Dry-Aged Flannery Beef
There is no pairing more classic than a big Cabernet and charred steak. At The Matheson, we pair our beautifully marbled 14-day dry-aged Flannery beef ribeye with our award-winning 2022 Valette 100-point Cabernet Sauvignon produced by winemaker Jesse Katz. The structure of the wine holds up to and enhances the rich, nutty ribeye, perfectly complementing each other.
2023 Ramey Chardonnay With Scallop and Halibut Ballotine
This pairing works because the wine’s vibrant, acid-driven, and mineral-laced profile matches the delicate seafood ballotine. The bright, elegant structure of the Chardonnay made by winemaker David Ramey harmonizes with the dish’s flavor profile with notes of Meyer lemon, citrus blossom, and fresh brioche. These mirror the Meyer lemon and baked, buttery brioche elements in the ballotine. Meanwhile, the crisp acidity, minerality, and nectarine flavors in this wine cleanse the palate, cutting through the richness of the fish without overpowering its delicate and oceanic flavor profile.
