A California native, Gary Jenanyan has been cooking in the Napa Valley for more than 25 years. A noted restaurant consultant, chef, instructor and designer, Jenanyan has enjoyed the rare privilege of working with some of the most influential chefs of our era. Formerly the Executive Chef of the Great Chefs Program at Robert Mondavi Winery for 18 years, he has worked with many of France’s three-star chefs, noted American chefs and has received considerable acclaim for his own cuisine in San Francisco, Sacramento and the Napa Valley.

Jenanyan took on the new role as the official Chef and Spokesperson for the California Cling Peach Board in 2004. Asked to join the California Cling Peach Board because of his extensive knowledge and love of California agriculture, Jenanyan is able to provide culinary expertise that highlights the versatility of the California Cling Peach. As Chef and Spokesperson, Jenanyan crafts recipes for the foodservice and consumer sectors, highlighting the ease of use and benefits of cooking with California Cling Peaches.

Jenanyan also serves as the Consulting Chef to the fleet of Lindblad Expeditions where he is the responsible for all menu and recipe development, training the dining and restaurant staff, and securing the appropriate provisions for the fleet serving Central and South America, Baja California, Alaska and the Pacific Northwest.

Leveraging his sensibility and experience as a working chef, Jenanyan’s culinary consulting firm designs restaurant, winery and home kitchens; troubleshoots food service operations; and develops menus and recipes for a variety of clients. In 1994, he completed work as Executive Chef and food stylist on the 13-part PBS television series, “America’s Rising Star Chefs” and authored its companion cookbook. He served as the Culinary Chair for the Napa Valley Wine Auction in 1996 and1997, the largest event of its kind in the world, conceiving and managing all aspects of the sit-down dinners for 2,000 guests. These events raised over $2.1 million for local healthcare in 1996 and $3.2 million in 1997. As a chef-instructor, Mr. Jenanyan sits on several advisory boards of California culinary programs.

His culinary education started at a very early age standing next to his grandfather, who was a cook and a butcher, and his mother, who inspired Jenanyan to cook professionally. As a youth, he spent his youthful summers on his uncle’s orchard in California’s Central Valley where peaches grow in abundance, canned fruit always had a place on his family’s table and home. He describes his evolved cooking style as refined, no-nonsense and tasty. His cooking is grounded solidly in French technique with an emphasis on local, regional products and a focus on flavors that are in harmony with the best of California wines.

Gary lives with his wife, Julie, a wine writer, and son, Sam, in Yountville in the heart of the Napa Valley. He is an avid reader, traveler and computer enthusiast and is, of course, a fan of California wines. When he is not cooking, you may find him indulging in his other passion--flying airplanes.