Comfort Food For a Winemaking Family
Jacqueline and Patti Mitchell, on Jacqueline’s recent trip back to CA.
March is Women's History Month, and we use this time of year to shine a light on the remarkable women who shape the world of wine from the vineyard to the glass.
One way we do this is to introduce you to women winemakers, growers, and other women behind the scenes of some of our favorite producers.
This time around we are doing something a little more personal.
Our own collaborator, Jacqueline Mitchell, a sommelier, wine professional, and American living in the Langhe in Northern Italy, is bringing us into her mom’s kitchen. If you remember, Jacqueline and her mother Patti Mitchell are the mother daughter duo who make wine together for their family winery Ojai Pacific View Vineyard and Winery, one of Vero's California producers.
In this article, we get to know Patti Mitchell through a more intimate level. It’s her secret recipe that unites the family: a pot of smokey ham and bean soup.
For Jacqueline, living thousands of miles away in Italy, this hearty soup recipe carries a weight that goes far beyond ingredients. "There is something about certain foods that just takes you back instantly, and my mom’s bean soup does it for me" she says.
How Nostalgia Influences Us
There is a reason we reach for certain foods when we need comfort. Nostalgia is a powerful thing: it lives in flavor, in aroma, in the particular way a dish tastes and feels in a hungry stomach. Food has always been one of the most direct lines back to memory, to place, and to the people we love.
Patti’s preferred brand of dried beans, ready for Jacqueline to sort through.
For Jacqueline, few things make that journey quite as quickly as a bowl of her mother's bean soup.
On a recent visit home to California to see her mom and brother, when her family asked what she wanted to have while she was “home,” her answer was immediate: Mom’s bean soup.
Growing up, Jacqueline’s mom, Patti, used to make it in a restaurant-sized stock pot, quadrupling or quintupling the recipe; enough to feed the whole family for several days, with plenty left to freeze for later. Why Jacqueline remembers this dish so fondly is not only the delicious flavor but also the memory of making it and enjoying it together as a family.
Jacqueline says, "I remember sitting on the counter sorting through the dried beans, checking for rocks, while my mom cooked. Or I’d get to do the sorting on a fold out tray in front of the TV watching a movie. When I would see my mom pull out the bags of dried beans, I would get so excited for what was to come. That soup was so integral to my childhood: I can envision the taste and the warm feeling of eating it just by the mention of the soup."
It turns out that kind of deep, sensory memory does not stop at the dinner table, but it follows us into the glass, too, as wine is really no different.
The palate, like the heart, remembers. The style and types of wines you grow up around tend to feel familiar in a way that others simply do not. It is not something found in formal tasting notes or vintage charts. While, of course, well trained wine professionals learn to filter this out and objectively look at the wine in their glass of ratings, what happens when we don’t filter out the nostalgia, and we let it in?
Jacqueline and her husband, both sommeliers, have noticed themselves that sometimes they need to consciously filter out their nostalgic sentiments when evaluating a wine. Anecdotally, Jacqueline, who grew up in California surrounded by full-bodied, fruit-forward reds, tends to intuitively rate those styles higher. Her husband, a Langhe native raised at the table with Nebbiolo, finds himself drawn to wines with firm tannin and structure. Neither is wrong; they are instinctively following their familiar memories from growing up.
Making Ham and Bean Soup
Let’s explore Jacqueline’s personal nostalgia through her mom’s original recipe for Smoked Ham and Bean Soup.
Patti’s homemade Ham and Bean Soup
Patti and Jacqueline have a few tips to share with us about the recipe:
The Meat: The recipe calls for smoked ham hocks, but this is a dish that welcomes improvisation. "My mom would almost always make it in the days after Easter with the leftover spiral cut ham bone, and that is actually one of my most nostalgic versions because we got it only once a year," Jacqueline says. Smoked sausage is another great swap if hocks are hard to find; just chop it into bite sized chunks before adding it to the pot. And for those who prefer to skip the meat entirely, simply leave it out and use the suggested liquid smoke and some vegetable stock instead of water to “replace” the meaty flavor. The beans and broth can carry the dish beautifully on their own, making this an easy vegan option.
The Beans: Dried beans, soaked overnight, are always the best choice as they hold their texture and absorb the flavors in a way that canned beans simply cannot replicate. If time is short, the quick soak method outline in the recipe as well can work. In a pinch, canned beans will do the job, though the depth of flavor and cooking time will be a little different; to avoid the beans turning to total mush, you might have to boil the meat separately first, then add the beans after.
On the spice: This is entirely yours to decide. The recipe has a gentle warmth from chili powder or cayenne, but you can dial it up or down freely. "It depends on the day and who is eating," Jacqueline says. “For those who like heat, a drizzle of something spicy at the table, like a pepperoncino infused spicy oil, or even a splash of hot sauce. Frank's RedHot (my personal favorite!) and works wonderfully. Personally, I love the vinegary bite of something spicy like Frank's and it actually pairs really well with the thick, starchy beans. It cuts right through."
Wine & EVOO with Ham and Bean Soup
A soup this smoky, hearty, and deeply flavored deserves a wine that can meet it at the table, and for Jacqueline, there was really only one choice: her family’s Ojai Pacific View California Dolcetto. There is something beautifully full-circle about this pairing: this is Patti's recipe, paired with Patti's wine. It is a small production wine in the truest sense, with 200 vines producing sometimes just two dozen cases total! It has quietly earned an extraordinary reputation, winning back-to-back gold medals across the 2019, 2020, and 2021 vintages, including a Double Gold and Best of Class at the International Women's Wine Competition.
The wine greets you with plum, a touch of herbs, a little flint, and a whisper of vanilla spice; the kind of nose that already feels like it belongs next to something warm and smoky. "You want a red that is fruity and approachable, but with a touch of tannins to cut through the fattiness of the hocks and stand up to the spice," Jacqueline explains, and her mom’s Dolcetto delivers exactly that. It is juicy and fresh on the palate with wild berry, cassis, and soft tannins, but has just enough grip to stand up to a rich, hearty bowl. The finish has this lovely mineral quality, and it is that little detail that keeps you reaching for another sip, followed by another spoonful.
A bowl of bean soup with a bottle of California Dolcetto
Now for the extra virgin olive oil… a finishing drizzle of EVOO takes the bowl to another level entirely. We recommend reaching for something bold and assertive: a robust, peppery extra virgin olive oil that is not afraid of the smoky depth of the soup. Browse our selection of extra virgin olive oils and look for something with a strong, grassy, or peppery character to finish each bowl.
Time to Cook and Pair!
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Smoked Ham and Bean Soup
Cooking and Prep Time: Several Hours
Ingredients:
16oz mixed beans, dry
4 smoked ham hocks
(Alternative: 12 links of smoked sausage, chopped)
1 large onion, chopped
16oz can diced tomatoes
1 clove minced garlic
1 teaspoon chili powder
(Alternative: 1 tsp cayenne powder)
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and Pepper to taste
Optional: 1 cap of liquid smoke
Organic EVOO for garnish
Suggested Wine Pairings
Ojai Pacific View Vineyard and Winery California Dolcetto Red Wine
Note: This recipe is for 8-10 servings. Feel free to scale it up in proportion and freeze the remainder.
Procedure:
1. Wash beans thoroughly cover with water and 1 tablespoon of salt and leave to soak overnight, or at least 10-12 hours. Quick Soak Method: If you do not have time to soak your dried beans, you can use a quick soak method for them. Wash the beans and place in a pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and let sit at a rolling boil for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat, cover tightly, and let sit for one hour. Proceed as below.
2. Drain the beans. Place them and 2 quarts of water in the pot and set over medium heat. Add your ham hocks (or sausage chunks) and stir to mix. If any part of the ham hocks (or meat) is out of the water, add water to at very least nearly cover the hocks. Bring to a boil.
3. Once at a rolling boil, cover and lower to a simmer. Simmer, stirring occasionally for 2 ½ to 3 hours, or until beans are soft and ham hocks are falling apart.
4. Gently remove ham hocks from the pan and debone them. Discard the bones, cut the meat into bite sized pieces, and put the meat back into the pan. (Skip this step if using the sausage.)
5. Add the onion, tomatoes, garlic, lemon juice, chili powder, and liquid smoke if desired, to the pot. Stir all together and simmer for another 30 minutes. Taste, add salt and pepper as desired.
6. Serve with crackers, a drizzle of EVOO, and a glass of California Dolcetto red wine.
N.B. This recipe is courtesy of owner, Patti Mitchell, of Ojai Pacific View Vineyard and Winery.
