Jeff Bundschu is President of Gundlach Bundschu Winery a co-producer of Sonoma’s Huichica Music Festival.
What was the food highlight of your year?
I’d have to say the Italian Night meal at the local Catholic School here in Sonoma. Though I heard it was fun, my kids don’t go the school and I had never attended until this year. It is a fundraiser for the school put on by their Dad’s Club. The red and white checkered table cloths were expected, as was the copious amounts of wine, and the generations of Italian-Sonoman families in attendance. What blew me away though was the food! Homemade antipasto, Chicken Cacciatore, and Spaghetti Marinara. Turns out that the three head chefs/dads (none of whom cook professionally) concoct the meal every year using old family recipes, and start cooking days beforehand. Everything was so good, in a head-spinning way. Deep rich flavors not from this world, or at least this hemisphere.
What was the music highlight of your year?
Pond, an Australian hard rock band. The best live show I’ve seen in some time, though seriously self destructive lead singer. Saw them at SxSW in March. Like Led Zeppelin crossed with Deep Purple with a large dose of Gibby Haynes. Run don’t walk if/when they come to town.
Was there a moment when food and music came together in a memorable way?
Actually, I’ve been working on a project that combines wine and music and was blown away to see first hand that that what you are listening to really does impact what you taste. Stay tuned for much more on that in 2013.