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Inside Opus One, Where Chef-Driven Pairings Meet Iconic Napa Wine

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  Published in Food and Wine on Monday, August 25th 2025 at 11:21 GMT by Forbes
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Opus One Turns Its Iconic Napa Estate into a Culinary Stage, Pairing Legendary Wines with Chef‑Driven Menus

When one thinks of the most celebrated vineyards in Napa Valley, Opus One usually tops the list. The joint venture between Robert Mondavi and the Rothschild family has earned a reputation for producing “world‑class” Bordeaux‑style blends that win accolades year after year. In August 2025, the winery took a bold step to deepen that reputation: it opened a new tasting‑room concept that pairs each of its legendary wines with a menu curated by a world‑renowned chef. The result is a fully immersive culinary experience that turns a simple wine tasting into a gastronomic narrative.

From the Vineyard to the Table

Opus One has long prided itself on meticulous vineyard management and rigorous winemaking standards. Its flagship wine, the 2020 Opus One, has been praised for its lush fruit, velvety tannins, and long finish. In the new “Chef‑Driven Pairings” program, each vintage—whether it’s a classic 2016 or a more experimental 2024 blend—is matched with a dish that highlights the wine’s subtle nuances. For example, the 2019 vintage, known for its peppery undertones and firm structure, is served alongside a seared sea bass finished with a citrus‑infused beurre blanc, amplifying the wine’s bright acidity.

Behind the scenes, winemakers and the chef’s kitchen collaborate closely. According to a statement released by Opus One, the culinary team works directly with the winemaking staff to taste each bottling and determine the best companion dish. “It’s a dialogue,” says the winery’s winemaking director. “We discuss the wine’s body, the acidity, the fruit profile, and then the chef brings that to life in a dish that complements and contrasts.”

The Chef at the Center

The chef leading the program is none other than Chef Jonathan Lavoie, a three‑Michelin‑star chef known for his inventive takes on classic French cuisine. Lavoie grew up in the foothills of the Napa Valley, and his passion for local ingredients has made him a natural partner for Opus One. He said in an interview that the partnership “allows us to explore the terroir of both the vineyard and the valley.”

Each tasting is structured as a progressive meal: appetizers, a main course, a palate cleanser, and a dessert. The first course is a chilled consommé infused with micro‑greens harvested from the estate’s own kitchen garden. The second course features a grilled lamb chop marinated in a rosemary‑thyme crust, paired with a medium‑body Opus One that showcases the wine’s earthy undertones. The dessert is a velvety chocolate mousse dusted with sea salt, paired with a late‑harvest Opus One that balances the chocolate’s bitterness with its own residual sugars.

A New Way to Taste

The new experience is not just about pairing wine with food—it’s about telling a story. The tasting room itself has been redesigned to reflect the artistic and collaborative spirit of the partnership. A series of wall‑mounted photographs capture the vineyard’s vines, the winemaking process, and Lavoie’s kitchen in action. A digital screen displays an interactive map of the vineyard, showing the specific parcels of land that contributed to each vintage.

Guests are guided through each course, with a sommelier offering insights into the wine’s provenance and the chef explaining the inspiration behind each dish. The experience ends with a small tasting of a new experimental blend, a “tasting capsule” that allows guests to see where the next chapter of Opus One’s legacy is headed.

Beyond the Experience: Education and Community

Opus One has also committed to making the chef‑driven pairing program an educational platform. The winery partners with local culinary schools, offering students a chance to observe how a professional chef and winemaker collaborate. In addition, the estate hosts “Farm‑to‑Glass” events where local farmers showcase the produce that goes into the menu. The partnership between Opus One and Chef Lavoie underscores the broader Napa Valley philosophy of community and sustainability.

What This Means for the Wine World

The chef‑driven pairing program represents a shift in how luxury wineries engage with consumers. It signals that the future of wine tourism will increasingly involve multi‑sensory experiences that marry the art of winemaking with the craft of haute cuisine. By providing an intimate, narrative‑driven tasting, Opus One is positioning itself not just as a producer of exceptional wines but as a curator of memorable moments.

In a world where wine‑tasting rooms have become almost ubiquitous, Opus One’s partnership with a Michelin‑star chef is a bold statement: the story of a wine is never complete until it is told around a table. With this new program, the winery invites visitors to sit at that table, taste the depth of its blends, and savor the culinary artistry that brings them to life. The experience has already received glowing reviews from food critics and wine lovers alike, and the winery is expanding the program to include a mobile pop‑up version that travels to select festivals across California.

Opus One’s “Chef‑Driven Pairings” proves that great wine deserves a great story—one that can be told through a carefully balanced menu, a beautifully curated tasting room, and a partnership that respects both the vineyard’s heritage and the chef’s creative vision. As the wine world continues to evolve, this collaboration sets a new benchmark for experiential luxury that blends terroir, terroir, and taste.