Aaron Meneghelli
Chef de Cuisine at Angèle Restaurant

Bagna Cauda (Hot Bath) - A traditional Italian dish in which you put olive oil, butter and anchovies on the fire and the entire family gathers around with skewers and dip assorted vegetables... in my family's case meats, too."

Anne Gingrass Paik
Executive Chef at Brix Restaurant

Crowned pork roast with the classic white tassels and homemade manicotti were holiday staples growing up. My mother would make her own crepes for the manicotti and stuff them with cheese and bake them covered in tomato sauce that had taken her two days to make.

Chef Ken Frank
Owner of La Toque Restaurant

Peppermint candies. Peppermint Stick ice cream and anything with cranberries.

Doug White
Director of Public Relations at Vintner's Collective

Pumpkin Pie.. Yum Yum… The only time I ever eat Pumpkin Pie is when I sit down for Thanksgiving and Christmas Feast and I always save room for 2 slices!!!!

Elizabeth Pressler and Spencer Graham
Owners of Elizabeth Spencer Wines

Our favorite holiday food is fresh Dungeness crab which is in season in northern California starting in mid-November. Crab is perfect for everyday meals and also for special celebrations with family and friends. We serve a platter of fresh cracked crab as a main course accompanied by a salad of fresh organic greens and a sourdough baguette along with a glass of our Sonoma Coast Chardonnay. A favorite starter course around the holidays is my homemade roasted red pepper soup served with a big dollop of fresh crabmeat. We also love to grill crab with plenty of warm garlic butter or we will add crab to a simple composed salad for a complete meal. Our traditional New Year’s Eve dinner is crab cakes which we serve with fresh vegetables like green beans or asparagus along with a salad of endive, avocado and grapefruit in front of our cozy fireplace. We love fresh Dungeness crab because its flavors are so purely northern Californian.

Annika Sorenstam
Proprietor of Annika Vineyards

Traditional Swedish Christmas smorgasbord i.e. herring, meatballs and cured ham, potatoes, a drink called glurg.

Rebecca George
Assistant Winemaker
Schramsberg and J. Davies Vineyards

Creamy mashed potatoes and homemade gravy remind me most of the holidays. My Great Gramma Carter used to cook every Thanksgiving dinner until she was 90 years old! I remember those potatoes the most because they were super creamy and light. She was from Texas originally and had no qualms about using lots of cream and lots of butter. That was definitely the first dish left empty on the table

Manuel "Manny" Yajeya
Wine Connoisseur at Celadon Restaurant

Cordero Lechal (Suckling Lamb) - Milk fed baby lamb, oven cooked in a casserole. The lamb is brushed with olive oil and salt until crisped.