About Judith Henderson
Background
Judith Henderson is the force behind Wildberries Whole Foods Café a Vin!, Washington State's premier Whole Foods Café and Regional Wine Bar. Her career encompasses a 36 year love affair with regional seasonal food and wine, and includes publishing, broadcast and merchandising. She is a frequent radio contributor, writes the weekly food and wine column, Wine and Country Living, and is most enthusiastic teaching food history and the phenomena in food trending. She speaks on behalf of sustainable Vintners and Small Family Farmers of the Great North West, Imperial Valley and Mendocino, CA.
Contact
Email: Judith Henderson
Website: http://www.chefjudithhenderson.com
March 28, 2012 | 
No Comments | Topics: Local Businesses · Opinions · Things To Do
When entering the home of associate Chef Noel Keller, I was offered a beautiful peachy-pink hued Raspberry Sparkling Brut-Wine from the Ryhan Estate Vineyard of Livermore, CA. Served in a frozen champagne flute, the chilled wine was refreshing and made the term, “we eat with our eyes,” a reality. I am not usually a bubbly kind of person, especially when the word “Brut” is included on a label; however, in the case of this estate bubbly, the term Brut is used to define the level of dryness in the wine during the development of residual sugars formed from by the grape and fruit fermentation.
This evening, the domestic Ryhan Estate sparkling wines tickled my nose and curled my toes in the fashion of a good Parisian Champagne. With nose buried deep in the glass, my mouth gushed in a syrupy ripe muddling of ripe raspberries, unfurling a ribbon of citrus zest, enrobing the tongue in a clean crisp snap. This wine is definitely made for spring.
Continue Reading
January 14, 2012 | No Comments | Topics: Opinions · Things To Do
I recently got the chance to enjoy a private tasting at the McGrail Vineyards and Winery of Livermore, CA. The entire experience was delicious. I trekked up the hill in the afternoon to the winery after a rainy morning. The McGrail Vineyards and Winery is located at Crane Ridge Bluff on the outskirts of town.
After parking the truck in the winery parking lot, I looked out over the cliff and the sky below looked like a watercolor painting with broad strokes of explosive colors dripping over the valley floor. That breath-taking view and the occasional hawk and turkey vulture soaring above the carefully tended McGrail vines presented a perfect California winter wine moment.
The McGrail Vineyards and Winery is owned and operated by Jim, Ginger, and daughter Heather McGrail. Winemaker Mark Clarin, a husky man with knee high boots and rain slicker, greeted me at the tasting room door. A jovial man with giant paws for hands, Mark spoke about his wine making technique while leading me into the tasting room.
Continue Reading
September 3, 2011 | 2 Comments | Topics: Opinions · Restaurants
Upon entering Cellar 9 Restaurant and Bar at Grafton Station in Dublin, CA, I was immediately taken by the entry hall wine cellar and its collection of regional, local wines creatively displayed behind a glass door with lock. Cellar 9 is indeed serious about its wine collection. What I did not know, but would soon find out, is that this husband-and-wife team of seasoned restaurateurs are masters at making their guests feel comfortable in Dublin’s new hot spot at Grafton Station.
At the host podium, I was greeted by owners Doug Garcia and Rose Thome. Rose then led me into the richly appointed dining room, walls in deep maroon and French olive, antique patina mirrors and chandelier, linen topped tables, and comfortably wide chairs. I was immediately offered ice water with a float of lemon, as I thumbed through the leather bound wine list and dinner menu.
Continue Reading
July 22, 2011 | No Comments | Topics: Opinions · Things To Do
I was invited to an outdoor dinner party this weekend in the Livermore Wine Country. Guests sat on the outdoor patio with a view overlooking the entire valley and lights twinkling from below. An intimate group of Northern California food and wine writers gathered to talk shop and to network. We dined on skirt steak barbeque, a cantaloupe feta-mint salad, and a wonderful baked pasta dish stuffed in organic vegetables layered in smoked mozzarella cheese. I was asked to make dessert. After learning that we would be tasting red wines, I made a platter of hand rolled truffles that included a white chocolate-wasabi to stand alone, a dark chocolate-red chili pepper truffle rolled in 90% pure cocoa, and another pure chocolate truffle whose inside was encased in lavender honey.
The evening was deliciously paired with several valley red wines. One of them was the Boaventura ‘08 Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon. I had only heard about this Cab’ created by Boaventura Winemaker/Owner, Brett Caires. It was a luscious example of local estate fruit, handcrafted with originality, integrity and complexity beyond words. Wow! Rolling crushed blackberries in velvet mouth-feel, rich earthy tannins, great structure, elegant long legs wrapped around a long French kiss. I was as close to heaven as you could get for the entire evening with this one incredible wine.
Continue Reading
May 3, 2011 | 3 Comments | Topics: Local Businesses · Opinions
“Hear Ye, Hear Ye,” all new residents of the Tri-Valley region and Livermore wine terroir. Spring is here, and the time to discover the wine country and region you live in is now. Just knowing that we live in California’s oldest wine-producing region is fantastic news. Starting in May, wineries around the state and the Livermore region will be hosting events on site, including Mother’s Day events.
The spring wine tasting events, including Red Wine and Chocolate and several wine dinners featuring great food and the newest wines of the year, can be found on at the official website of Livermore Wine Growers Association. While visiting the wine pages, check out what kind of wines are being produced by which wineries, and see if there is something that piques your imagination.
Continue Reading
March 23, 2011 | No Comments | Topics: Opinions
The Tri-Valley holds a subtle beauty expressed in a swath of earthen tones, natural smells and textures. Mount Diablo’s cretaceous skirt sweeps the regions floor, offering recreational and historical value from indigenous peoples, their myth and lore, to hiking, water sports and wineries.
This weekend, friends took me for a walk up Mount Diablo. I was assured our efforts would be worth it, as we slowly ascended the west peak between rain and tiny snow flakes.
You locals may already know this, but the native people of the region believe the world was created within the massive crevices of Mount Diablo. Once you reach the north, south, east, or west peaks, you can understand why the natives feel something spiritual about the mountain; it’s eerily surreal standing in the heavens, and the views are breath taking.
If you want to know where you live within the north, south, east and western central coastal regions of California, I encourage you to climb Mount Diablo and take a look. Once I arrived at the northwest point, I was startled at the vastness in view. First, looking northwest I identified a familiar shape from my new perspective. Like a navy blue construction paper cut-out, the golden gate bridge lay flat against a lavender backdrop, floating in a sage sea. The city under a deluge of rain clouds, just turned on the afternoon lights. Like diamonds sewn on black velvet, the lights twinkled and danced over Twin Peaks. I could almost hear the Hyde Street cable cars ringing their bell.
Continue Reading
February 8, 2011 | No Comments | Topics: Opinions
Editor’s Note: The development of Cellar 9 Wine Bar at Grafton Station is not only watched closely by residents in Dublin, CA but also by a very special chef in Walla Walla, WA. Chef Judith Henderson of Wild Berries! reached out to the Around Dublin Team in late January about the expected opening date of Cellar 9. After checking with Dublin’s economic development director Linda Maurer, we were able to share with Chef Henderson that Cellar 9 had just passed the City of Dublin’s drywall inspection. Although the project timeline has slipped by a few months from what Charter Properties had published in its flier, Cellar 9 is definitely moving forward.
Over our email exchanges on the Cellar 9 project and the Grafton Station development, Chef Henderson shared a few of her favorite wine and food pairings with the Around Dublin Team. Impressed by her accessible writing style, the Around Dublin Team invited Chef Henderson to become a community contributor. — John M. Zukoski
This morning I watched a gaggle of Snow Geese honk their way over the house, flying north. I looked-up between their feathered underbellies, little black legs tucked tightly under their bodies, and caught a glimpse of the lavender swatched sky, dappled in violet hues against a backdrop of waving Silvertip Spruce and 40 foot dancing pines. It just took my breath away. It’s this kind of subtle beauty that reminds us why we live here in Touchet Valley.
Continue Reading
