Today, we have the distinct pleasure of welcoming Executive Chef Bryce Palmer of Sequoia Grove Winery to Living the Gourmet. Chef Bryce is here to share ways we can elevate our Game Day menu with some upscale recipes, wine pairings, and entertaining tips.
Recently, Sequoia Grove debuted their new Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc, and Chef Bryce tailored a gourmet menu to complement its layered complexity. With his natural talent for bringing wines to life through food, we are honored to help unveil his Game Day carte du jour.
The Interview
Q: The Journey to Sequoia Grove
Could you share a bit about your culinary background and what ultimately drew you to leading the culinary program at Sequoia Grove Winery?
Reading Anthony Bourdain's "Kitchen Confidential" sparked my interest in the culinary world. I was so inspired by the book that I enrolled at Le Cordon Bleu Sacramento and went on to work in several top restaurants in the area, including The Kitchen, a Michelin-starred restaurant. I later moved to Napa, where I worked at Don Giovanni and served as the opening chef for Scala Osteria before joining Silver Oak.
My time at The Kitchen was particularly influential because I discovered how much I enjoyed cooking in front of guests and connecting with them through food. Being able to share the inspiration behind a dish, introduce new flavors, and educate guests about food and wine made the experience especially rewarding. I realized that memorable dining experiences are about more than what's on the plate. They're also about the connections you create.
That philosophy ultimately drew me to Sequoia Grove, where I now have the opportunity to bring together my culinary background and my passion for creating thoughtful, sometimes unexpected food and wine pairings.
Q: The Winery's Culinary Vision
Sequoia Grove has long championed the art of food and wine pairings. How would you describe your overall culinary philosophy when creating dishes for the winery?
Everything starts with the wine. At Sequoia Grove, my approach is rooted in seasonality, locally sourced ingredients, and an understanding of how food can enhance what's in the glass. I like to start with exceptional ingredients, let their natural flavors shine, and find ways to give familiar dishes a thoughtful, modern twist.
Texture, acidity, and balance are especially important to me. Something as simple as a touch of lemon or salt can completely change the way a Napa Cabernet Sauvignon tastes. I enjoy exploring those interactions and using them to create pairings that bring out the best in both the food and the wine.
Sequoia Grove is known for its Cabernet Sauvignon, but I like challenging the idea that Cabernet must always be paired with steak. When thoughtfully prepared, fish and other unexpected dishes can be excellent matches. Ultimately, my goal is to create dishes that are interesting on their own but become even better when enjoyed alongside Sequoia Grove's wines.
Part II: Game Day, Elevated & Menu Strategy
Q: Bridging Wine and Sports Culture
Wine and sports culture aren't typically paired together in traditional media. What inspired the "Game Day, Elevated" series, and why is wine a natural fit for game-day entertaining?
The idea behind Game Day, Elevated was to show that football entertaining can be approachable while still feeling a little special. We wanted to bring Sequoia Grove's Napa Valley perspective to game day by pairing familiar, chef-crafted appetizers with wines from our nationally distributed collection.
Game-day food naturally lends itself to wine pairings. Think about the salt, crunch, acidity, richness, and bold flavors we associate with classic football favorites. Those are all elements that can make for exciting pairings. I liked the idea of taking foods people already love, adding a thoughtful twist, and showing how well they work with great wine.
Wine doesn't need to be reserved for formal dinners or special occasions. There's no reason you can't enjoy a glass of wine while watching football with friends on a Sunday afternoon. Beer will always have its place at the tailgate, but wine offers another way to make the experience a little more memorable.
We also designed the menu around approachable, make-ahead dishes so hosts can spend less time in the kitchen and more time enjoying the game. Each appetizer has a recommended Sequoia Grove pairing, but the recipes are versatile enough to enjoy with either red or white wine.
Q: Recipe Creation & Flavor Profiles
Walk us through the recipes you created for this series. What were the core flavor profiles, textures, or techniques you focused on to elevate classic game-day comfort foods?
I wanted to keep the spirit of classic game-day food while introducing thoughtful techniques, interesting textures, and a few unexpected flavors that make each dish feel more special.
The menu includes rockfish ceviche tostadas with mango, avocado, and leche de tigre; shrimp rolls on homemade brioche with garlic-lemon aioli and fresh herbs; duck confit tacos with crème fraîche, pickled shallots, cilantro, and cotija; and chuck-short rib burgers with pimento cheese, pickles, and arugula on buttery brioche buns.
Across the menu, I focused on balancing rich, savory elements with brightness and acidity while incorporating contrasting textures. The freshness of the ceviche against a crisp tostada, for example, or the richness of slow-cooked duck balanced by pickled shallots. Even the creamy pimento cheese on the burger adds another layer of flavor and texture.
These are relatively simple details, but they make a significant difference in how a dish tastes and how it interacts with wine. The goal was to create food that's familiar and fun to eat while offering something a little unexpected.
Q: The Host's Perspective: Make-Ahead Ease
Several of your game-day dishes feature make-ahead components. Why was ease of hosting such a critical factor in developing this menu?
Game day should be about enjoying time with your guests, not spending the entire afternoon in the kitchen. Life gets busy, and the last thing you want is to be preparing food while everyone else is watching the game.
I designed these recipes so that most of the components can be prepared ahead of time, leaving just a little assembly when guests arrive. That makes it possible to serve something thoughtful and delicious without adding unnecessary stress.
A little preparation goes a long way. Ultimately, I want the host to enjoy the food, wine, and game just as much as everyone else.
Part III: The Science of Pairing & The Spotlight Vintage
Q: Pairing Mechanics
When matching these specific game-day recipes to Sequoia Grove's portfolio, what principles guided your choices? Were you looking for contrast, harmony, or balance? A mix of the three, or something else entirely?
It's really a combination of harmony, contrast, and balance. Every dish is different, so I don't approach every pairing with the same set of rules. I look at the dominant flavors, richness, and texture of a dish, then consider whether the wine should complement those qualities or provide a refreshing contrast.
For example, the bright acidity of our 2025 Sauvignon Blanc works beautifully with the fresh, citrus-driven flavors of the rockfish ceviche tostadas, while our Napa Valley Chardonnay complements the richness of the shrimp rolls and garlic-lemon aioli. For the duck confit tacos and chuck-short rib burgers, our Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon brings the structure and depth needed to stand up to those richer, savory flavors.
I also enjoy experimenting with acidity, salt, and texture to see how they change the way a wine tastes. Sometimes the most unexpected combinations turn out to be the most memorable. That's what makes pairing food with Sequoia Grove's wines so interesting. There's always something new to discover, and ultimately, the best pairing is the one you enjoy most.
Q: Spotlight on the 2025 Sauvignon Blanc
Sequoia Grove's 2025 Sauvignon Blanc is making its national debut. What, in your opinion, makes this vintage particularly exciting, and how does its flavor profile perform at the dinner table?
This is a special release for Sequoia Grove and the first Sauvignon Blanc we're sharing nationally. The 2025 vintage is particularly exciting because it came from a cool growing season with a long, gradual ripening period, which helped preserve the wine's expressive aromatics, concentration, and lively acidity.
It opens with notes of lemon verbena, white peach, and floral aromas, followed by flavors of lemon, passion fruit, and guava, with a lightly creamy texture and flinty mineral finish.
At the table, its bright acidity and citrus-driven character make it incredibly versatile. It's a natural match for seafood, fresh vegetables and dishes that benefit from a little brightness. I particularly enjoy how it complements the rockfish ceviche tostadas, where the citrus and freshness of the dish bring out some of the wine's most expressive qualities.
Part IV: Advice for the Home Entertainer
Q: Approachable Hosting
If you could provide only a single piece of advice for someone who wants to create a food-and-wine experience, without making the gathering feel overly formal or intimidating, what would it be?
Don't overthink it. Start with food you genuinely enjoy making, choose good ingredients, and open a bottle of wine you're excited to share. You don't need to follow rigid pairing rules or create an elaborate tasting menu to make a gathering feel special.
Sometimes a small adjustment to a dish, like adding a little acidity or salt, can make a surprising difference in how it pairs with wine. But the most important thing is to keep the experience relaxed and enjoyable.
The best gatherings aren't necessarily the most elaborate. They're the ones where everyone feels comfortable, enjoys what's on the table, and has time to connect. At the end of the day, good food and wine are about bringing people together.
Q: Chef's Choice
If you were personally hosting friends for a big game, which recipe from this series, and which Sequoia Grove bottle, would be on your own table first?
I'd start with the chuck-short rib burger with pimento cheese, paired with our Sequoia Grove Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. I've always loved pimento cheese, and it adds a great combination of richness and flavor to a classic burger. The Cabernet has the structure and depth to complement the savory beef and creamy cheese, making it a particularly satisfying pairing.
I also love how versatile pimento cheese is. You can make it ahead of time and serve it as a dip, use it as a spread, or incorporate it into other appetizers. It's a simple way to make familiar game-day dishes feel a little more special.
For me, that's what Game Day, Elevated is all about: taking something everyone already loves and finding a way to make it even better with a great glass of wine.
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Thank you to Chef Bryce for taking the time out of his day to visit with Living the Gourmet. Enjoy!
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