Chef Christopher Greenwald

Chef Greenwald likes to take chances with his cuisine. "Safe dishes are always just that, while they can be good, they will rarely be great. Great food is necessary to pair with great wine". Greenwald knows great food, a native of California he has traveled the country extensively and has a real passion for regional American cuisine.

A graduate of the California Culinary Academy in 1995 he began his professional career at Joyce Goldstein's landmark restaurant 'Square One' in San Francisco. He spent the better part of the next decade working behind the stove and with small farmers between Sonoma County and Austin, Texas before coming to Iron Horse Vineyards as Executive Chef in May 2003.

His achievements at Iron Horse include Sonoma's annual Paulée - a sit down, six course, wine country feast for 150 guests at one long, continuous table set in the vineyards, which neighbor Brice Jones, managing partner of goldridgepinot, calls "the best party in winedom". It takes place in the spring, as the culmination of a major Pinot Noir barrel tasting event and auction called the Hospices of Sonoma, inspired by the centuries-old Hospices de Beaune in Burgundy. Every dish is designed to match with Pinot Noir and be comprised of picked that morning, estate grown vegetables. One year, the highlight of the meal was fresh Chanterelle mushrooms in a light cream sauce lavishly spooned onto a thick slice of crunchy toasted country bread, which was absolute perfection in it's Chez Panisse style simplicity.

Another one of his notable feats is the winery's Corral Club Harvest Party held exclusively for wine club members. This is a big, walk around "happening", with food and wine stations strategically place in an old 1920s redwood corral on the property. The views of the rolling vine covered hills is stunning - burnished gold and burnt sienna, hundreds of pumpkins in every shape, size and color embellish the setting, Iron Horse Sparklings and reserve wines flow in abundance. For Fiesta 2005, the menu included estate vegetables prepared three ways - in homemade tamales with chèvre and salsas, grilled with sea salt and fresh herbs, and roasted with estate olive oil. He made achiote marinated lamb tacos with estate greens and hot chilies, classic BBQ beef "sliders" with potato rolls and house made sauce, sweet pepper and rabbit pozole with crème fresh and oregano and chipolte-apple grilled chicken "drumettes" with sesame-cider vinaigrette.

He excels at pairing wine with food and his recipes have been published in Wine Country Living, Savor Magazine and the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.

Witnessing his third harvest at the ranch, Greenwald refers to his style of cooking as "California Heritage Cuisine" with a focus on western Sonoma county's fabulous regional delicacies particularly the extensive gardens on the Iron Horse estate itself. "Sonoma County is a place with rich, historical diversity and incredible artisan products. I try to marry both of them in my craft".

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