9 questions with Stefano Masanti, chef at V. Sattui Winery in St. Helena

You cannot cover Napa County without including its dynamic dining scene.

Part of The Press Democrat’s expanded coverage into Napa County will include interviews with some of the restaurant and dining scene’s biggest names and influencers. Look for our regular series that casts the spotlight on a different chef or restaurant owner who stands out in the world of food and drink.

This week, we caught up with chef Stefano Masanti, who splits his time between Italy and Napa Valley.

In winter, he and his wife, Raffaella, manage their Michelin-starred restaurant, Il Cantinone, located at a ski resort in the northwestern Italian town of Madesimo. In the summer, Masanti cooks at V. Sattui Winery in St. Helena.

We offered nine questions to Masanti. Here’s a sampling of our conversation.

The Press Democrat: Tell me about this partnership with V. Sattui Winery. Why did you start spending your summers in Napa Valley?

Stefano Masanti: The Davies family came to our restaurant and hotel in 2008. They were very impressed with the dinner I cooked and asked if we were available to come cook for the Harvest Bowl Gala dinner. In time we became friends, and in 2013, he (V. Sattui President Tom Davies) said, “Why don’t you come to Napa and do our events and so on.” And we took on the challenge. This is now our ninth season.

PD: How would you describe your culinary style?

Masanti: I started very traditional, because I learned to cook in my family’s hotel and restaurant. Now my style is more modern Italian. I like to see how new technology can improve the taste and texture of food. And I like to keep things simple. I know some chefs will use 14 ingredients in one dish, but I use just a few.

PD: What inspired you to get into cooking?

Masanti: The Disney movie “Fantasia,” with Mickey Mouse when he is a wizard and he is cooking something in a large pot. I was 8, and for Christmas I asked for a chef jacket. My mother bought the smallest one she could find, my grandmother reduced it again and the next day at 6 a.m. I showed up in the restaurant kitchen ready to cook. My father said, “Let him play with something,” and I peeled potatoes and made béchamel. I felt very important.

PD: What makes the Napa dining scene unique?

Masanti: It reminds me of Tuscany, with the hills, vineyards and relaxed way of life. There’s lots of star restaurants but also a lot of small places where you can have very good food. I like the way they cook here, in terms of simple and local.

PD: What’s your favorite restaurant to visit in your off hours?

Masanti: We like Sushi Mambo in Calistoga very much. It’s super simple and family run, but overall we like the atmosphere there the most.

PD: What do you enjoy doing when you’re not cooking?

Masanti: I am a reading addict. I try to read a couple of books a week. I like to run in the vineyards in the morning, and I enjoy wine tastings with friends. And I’m a guy from the mountains, so of course I love the opposite. One of my favorite places is Point Reyes and the beaches there. I like to walk and take pictures of the seagulls on the beach.

PD: What is your favorite wine to enjoy at home?

Masanti: My favorite is a zinfandel — it’s the expression of the valley. Here in the valley you can find great cabernets, but great zinfandels you will find only here.

PD: What do you hate to cook or never make or try to avoid cooking?

Masanti: I hope you’re sitting down, because I don’t like tiramisu. I can prepare it, and people say it’s pretty good, but I don’t really like it, I think the combination is too much for me. But most anything I will try at least once.

PD: What is the most popular dish you cook at V. Sattui, and how do you pair it?

Masanti: My most popular dish here is a ricotta ravioli with fresh tomatoes from (my) garden. I use three kinds of tomatoes for the sauce, for different nuances and colors. A dish like that goes with a good bubble. In Napa Valley, probably a good sauvignon blanc.

PD: What do you see as the future of fine dining?

Masanti: Fine dining is, in my opinion, becoming too expensive. The future will be great only if we can find a balance between price, quality and sustainability. I would love if we could make it simpler. For me, fine dining can be a very good sourdough bread and very good cheese. It’s about the quality of the food and respect you have to put into cooking it. At the end of the day, cooking and eating with family and friends is one of the most enjoyable things you can do with your life.

Dahlia Ghabour is an award-winning food writer. Contact Ghabour at dghabour@gmail.com and on Twitter at @dghabour.