FOOD

FOOD & FARM

Stanly Ranch’s Farming Legacy Takes Root In Their Culinary Program

BY SOPHIA MARKOULAKIS PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESTY OF AUBERGE RESORTS

GENTLE SLOPES OF LAND appear to undulate all around as you approach Napa’s Stanly Ranch, Auberge Resort Collection’s newly opened property and residence compound. Hawks circle above, a sure sign that we’re merely guests on this historic ranch that once raised cattle before grapes became ubiquitous in the region. With 135 stand-alone cottages and suites for nightly stays and the active construction of a residential community that will be home to over 100 multi-million dollar luxury properties, this agrarian oasis captivates you the moment you pull off the highway and approach the circular driveway where “ranch hands” collect the keys to your car.

The property encompasses over 500,000 square feet of rest and relaxation space from the wellness hubs on the hill to the cycling and hiking trails that surround the 712 acres of land. With gravel trails winding throughout the open outdoor spaces, the cutting and chef’s garden, lavender fields, and Infinity Hill, where sculptor Gordon Huether’s “Infinity” piece commands the highest point on the property, you’ll find yourself forgetting your phone and relaxing your limbs.

Because Stanly Ranch is rooted in its agricultural past, the resort’s culinary and farm program is one of the keystones of the guest experience. Its spearheaded by executive chef Garrison Price and farm director Nick Runkle. The team works in tandem as they strategize what to plant and how to use the items. “I speak with our chefs multiple times a day and keep them in tune with what’s happening on the farm. I’m constantly in and out of the

LEFT Pinot noir vineyards at Stanly Ranch benefit from the steady breeze coming off of San Pablo Bay.

FAR LEFT Basin Bar’s plant-forward menu includes raw and preserved farm vegetables with cashew-miso dip.

BELOW Farm director Nick Runkle prepares the soil at the property’s in-house farm, The Grange.

OPPOSITE TOP Cottage seating areas include natural finishes that reflect the property’s commitment to Napa Valley’s agricultural roots.

OPPOSITE BOTTOM Chef Garrison Price at work, shucked local oysters from Bear.

kitchen and collaborating with them. I’m already talking with the culinary team about which varieties of tomatoes to plant for summer 2023.” Runkle says.

Edible flowers (and their plants) like lavender, lemon verbena, and borage play a big role in the property, not only with the culinary program as a source of beauty, medicinal use, and flavor but also as part of the property’s overall landscape design. Runkle shares his excitement for them, saying “Borage is my favorite. It’s a great pollinator and attracts hundreds of bees to our garden every day. Its flowers are mildly sweet and taste a bit like cucumber.”

Chef Price sees the culinary program as an extension of the resort’s commitment to regenerative agriculture in Napa Valley and says, “Sense of place has always played a tremendous role in how menus come together for me as a chef, and it’s all the more true here

“I love knowing that guests of our restaurant can harvest vegetables and herbs with me in the morning and then see those ingredients on their dinner plates the same day,” Runkle says.

THIS PAGE Food options include lavender morning buns from Gavel Coffee Bar and grilled snapper and seasonal fruit yogurt bowls from Bear.

For more information visit aubergeresorts.com or call 866.421.5122

with such proximity to farmers doing their best to care for the nutritional content of the soil in order to have better quality product year over year. Our commitment is to support our farmer’s work by utilizing the product they have opposed to demanding the product we want.” Furthermore, he explains how taking a single, sometimes unglamorous harvested ingredient and exploring the multiple ways it can appear on menus throughout the property is something that he’s very excited about. “This process sparks true creativity for us as a chef team in working with “underdog” ingredients and bringing them to the plate in a new way for our guests,” he says. “Everything we create in our kitchen is a reflection of this approach.” As an extension of that philosophy, The Grange, the resort’s culinary garden, hosts harvesting workshops. “I love knowing that guests of our restaurant can harvest vegetables and herbs with me in the morning and then see those ingredients on their dinner plates the same day,” Runkle says.

This return-to-the-land approach also applies to the locally made ceramic dishware from makers like Erin Hupp that guests encounter at Bear, the resort’s main dining room, and the Ranch House lobby. Boutique owner, style influencer, and former Vogue editor, Emily Holt, curated the home and lifestyle products sold at coffee bar Gavel which include items from some of ceramists commissioned. Even the restaurant’s name, Bear, harkens back to the state’s dominant forager. It’s another nod to the past while creating a modern culinary experience. CH

ABOVE Relaxation awaits in the cedar-clad Springhouse Sauna with wall-to-wall windows looking out over the native landscape. BELOW The sanctuary-like bathrooms in the Cottages offer outdoor views while still being completely private.