Michael Chiarello is an award‐winning chef, Emmy‐winning Food Network host, tastemaker behind the NapaStyle retail company, highly rated vintner, and noted cookbook author. Throughout his career, Michael has combined his Southern Italian roots with Napa Valley living to pioneer culinary and lifestyle trends. Michael’s ongoing endeavors inspire friends and family to gather around the table and create meaningful traditions in their own lives. Michael incorporates his personal passion for seasonal, sustainable living, into all that he does. From the growers that he supports as chef and owner of Bottega Napa Valley and his product designs for NapaStyle, to his earth‐friendly farming practices for his vineyards and the storylines for his Emmy‐winning Food Network show, Michael shares his unique perspective on what comprises good food and healthy living in an old‐world lifestyle. Download Bio as pdf (includes Michaels timeline history).

The Story

Born in 1962 and raised in the central California community of Turlock, Michael developed his passion for growing, harvesting and cooking from his Italian immigrant mother, who taught Michael the Calabrian traditions of food and family. He followed his dream of becoming a world‐class chef, apprenticing in restaurants at age 14 and eventually graduating from The Culinary Institute of America (Hyde Park, NY) in 1982. After attending the Florida International University’s School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Michael began his professional career by opening Toby’s restaurant, in Miami, Florida. The restaurant won immediate acclaim and brought Michael rapid success, including being named Chef of the Year by Food & Wine magazine in 1985. In 1986 he was lured back to his Californian roots to design and open Tra Vigne Restaurant in the Napa Valley, where Michael developed an avid following for his unique style of Italian‐influenced wine country cooking and entertaining. He acted as Executive Chef/partner for Tra Vigne and seven other restaurants until 2000, when he left to create NapaStyle, Chiarello Family Vineyards, and focus on his television career. In 2008, Michael officially stepped back into his clogs and chef’s jacket with the opening of his Bottega Napa Valley restaurant, which was quickly named to the Top 100 Bay Area Restaurants (San Francisco Chronicle) and won a critical nod from the Wine Spectator for its wine, list all within 6 months of opening. Bottega is located within the historical Vintage Estates property, which is developed in a 140 year old winery and estate, originally the Groezinger Family Estate. In Summer of 2009, he appears in a new spin‐off of the # 1 food show on cable, Bravo’s Top Chef Masters, where he competes against 23 other renowned chefs in an attempt to win $100,000 for charity.

In The Kitchen 2009 - Three Stars, Top 100 Bay Area Restaurants, San Francisco Chronicle

During his 20+ years as a chef/restaurateur, Michael was twice named Chef of the Year ‐‐ in 1985 by Food & Wine magazine, and in 1995 by the Culinary Institute of America. Michael’s new restaurant, Bottega Napa Valley, opened in November 2008, and is located in the culinary epicenter of Yountville, CA. Prior to Bottega, Michael was Founder/Executive Chef of Tra Vigne (Napa Valley) as well as seven other restaurants. He is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, NY. (www.botteganapavalley.com)

On Television - 2005 Emmy Award, Best Host

Michael co‐produces, writes and hosts the Food Network’s “Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello” which airs daily and won three daytime Emmy Awards, more than any other Food Network show. He also hosts “NapaStyle” on the Fine Living channel, and the PBS television series, “Michael Chiarello’s Napa”. A popular celebrity guest chef, Michael appeared frequently on top programs such as The Today Show, CBS Early Show, Regis & Kathy and The View. In summer 2009, Michael will star on Bravo channel’s new “Top Chef Masters”, the spin‐off series of cable’s #1 Emmy and James Beard Award winning food show “Top Chef.” Michael will compete against 23 other renowned chefs as they try to win $100,000 for charity. The series will air over 10 weekly segments, then it will continue to air multiple times weekly.

In Print - 2002 IACP Award Winner, Michael Chiarello’s Casual Cooking

His most recent cookbook, At Home with Michael Chiarello, follows the publication of Michael Chiarello’s Casual Cooking, Napa Stories, The Tra Vigne Cookbook, Flavored Vinegars and Flavored Oils. Due to the ongoing success of Chiarello’s cookbooks, Chronicle Books recently reissued his first two titles, Flavored Vinegars and Flavored Oils, into a combined edition entitled Michael Chiarello’s Flavored Oils and Vinegars. Chiarello is currently working on two new books.

In The Vineyards - 93 Points Wine Spectator, 2004 Eileen Cabernet Sauvignon

Michael’s small family winery, Chiarello Family Vineyards, makes limited production estate wines from the 96 year old vineyards surrounding his St. Helena, California home. Michael’s passion for sustainable living is reflected in his eco‐friendly vineyard farming practices. Chiarello Family Vineyards are highly rated – the Wine Spectator awarded 93 points to the 2004 Eileen Cabernet and 91 points to the 2004 Bambino Cabernet, and all three additional wines he makes have each scored 90+ in their recent vintages. (www.chiarellovineyards.com).

In Retail

In 2000, Michael founded NapaStyle, a showcase of handcrafted home goods and artisanal foods that encourage experimentation in cooking and entertaining. NapaStyle shares Michael’s perspective on Napa Valley living through its catalog (1‐866‐776‐6272), website (www.napastyle.com) and retail stores, as well as through television shows and cookbooks. In 2006, Michael opened the first NapaStyle retail store in Berkeley, California’s upscale Fourth Street shopping district. With strong consumer demand, NapaStyle stores opened in other California locations including Los Gatos, Pasadena, Corte Madera and Costa Mesa. In early 2008, Michael found the dream location for his Napa Valley flagship store in Yountville, CA. Housed in a historic 1800’s brick building, NapaStyle Yountville includes a Panini Bar & Café, Wine Shop & Tasting Bar, Olive Oil Bar, Salumeria and outdoor terrace seating for 45. NapaStyle Yountville is located directly across from Michael’s new and acclaimed Bottega Napa Valley restaurant.

Artisan Products 1994 Best Product Line, International Fancy Food Show

Chef Chiarello has been a tastemaker for culinary adventurers and epicureans since the early days at Tra Vigne. In the late ‘80s, he was the first to replace butter on his restaurant tables with extra virgin olive oil for dipping. The popularity of that idea drove him to make his own extra virgin olive oil and sell it out of the back kitchen to the lines of waiting customers. He then pioneered a way to infuse olive oil with strong Mediterranean flavors such as roasted garlic, basil, and roasted red pepper, winning the 1994 Best Product Line award at the International Fancy Food Show. Through his artisanal food lines at NapaStyle, he has introduced customers to a variety of high quality ingredients and foods, including all natural spreads, dips, fresh fruit preserves, vinegars and sauces. By educating consumers on his television shows, he launched a huge salt craze and introduced Americans to the wide variety of natural sea and rock salts. He took chicken to new heights by discovering the ultimate ceramic vertical chicken roaster, and ushered in a new wave of cured meats at his NapaStyle Yountville store, which has a salumeria (curing room) inside. At Michael’s culinary headquarters, the Bottega Restaurant and NapaStyle Paninoteca, Wine Bar and store in Yountville, he unearths never‐before‐tasted flavors and introduces them first to the thousands of visitors and diners in the Napa Valley. On any given day, he may have them tasting a fresh batch of Marinated Parmesan Dip or Mediterranean Spuma di Tonno, getting a waft of Triple Lemon Gray Salt, made from just dried lemon zest, as it cooks on a piece of cedar plank salmon, or nibbling a piece of Spicy Calabrian salami spiced with Silafunghi chili paste.