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EnzaZadencollaborateswithtopwinemakers and chefs to enhance flavor influence Buildingonagrowing repertoire of post-harvest research, Salinas-based Enza Zaden decided to enhance its flavor expertise by engaging local chefs and winemakers in an innovative Saturday-morning flavor masterclass in the sum- mer of 2018. Participants included: • Marleen and Greg Burch of Flavors • Alan Mello of Monterey County Business Develop- ment, Marina High School • Steven Siglin of Edible Ambassador • Marta Kra zeck of Scheid Family Wines • Annette Hoff of Cima Collina Winery • Kari Bernardi, Director of Living Light Culinary Insti- tute and Owner of Super Natural Foods Company Whether their individual expertise is wine or food, the common thread that bound this incredible group of collaborators was their commitment to professional knowledge-sharing, integrity and authenticity. "I believe Enza Zaden is cracking the code to more vegetable consumption worldwide by developing seed varieties that are flavor forward and building a lexicon to explain the character and taste of each one, " e xpla ined Ka ri Bernardi. First on the agenda for the team of Sandra Escribano, PhD, Flavor, Nutrition and Produce Quality Researcher, Enza Zaden, and Marc Clark, Station Manager North America, Enza Zaden, was to teach and certify the group in free choice profiling methodology. Next, they delved into carefully orches- trated sensory analysis of select Enza Zaden varieties. The final challenge was to dig deep into the exten- sively trained palates and vocabularies of the experts to develop a comprehensive lexicon of flavor elements for vegetables. Here, Enza Za- den is charting exciting new territory, targeting the same sophistication, detail and accuracy used to describe a Chardonnay, to describe a tomato, a melon or a pepper. For Enza Zaden's Avalantino tomato, the results are in. Described to date as a "won- derfully tasty smaller dark red tomato," Avalantino's flavor experience can now be described in a way that more accurately reflects the full sensory experience of Avalantino: "A rich, sweet to mat o w ith sa vo ry to nes, well-balanced aroma, with a crisp, firm texture perfectly balanced by a meaty nature." The group was able to strengths to achieve desired results. Winemakers accus- tomed to complex tasting exercises learned from the culinary perspective of how each item could be prepared and enjoyed. The effort is part of Enza Zaden's overall commitment to better understanding flavors, and to breed for them, alongside yield, ease of harvest and related agronomic factors. "Breeding for flavor sounds not really the case. We're o en breeding for agro- nomic factors because our traditional customers are farmers. When we look at our retail customers, how- ever, and then consumers, they are looking for different things. And as you move toward the consumer, flavor becomes bigger and bigger, and trumps everything," said Marc Clark. Clark noted that the team at Enza Zaden learned a lot from the panel; and enjoyed working collaboratively with such a c ommit te d g ro up of experts. "It was a unique op- portunity to apply analytical sensory methods to different products. It was a big learning experience," said Annette Hoff, Winemaker for Cima Collina Winery. Expectations based on smell or presentation were not al- ways met when the product was tasted. Similarly, tasting launched conversations about differently slicing or arranging the produce to achieve the full sensory experience. For Enza Zaden, the variance highlights the untapped flavor potential for the vegetable industry, as it begins to emulate 'flavor fo re runner' industries, lik e wine, chocolate and coffee. Universally, participants applauded Enza Zaden's effort to bring the sensory attributes of flavor back into food, and the overall healthy experience. "Enza Zaden is very enthusiastic about their flavor work. I'm excited to be a part of it, and I applaud their efforts," said Marta Kra zeck, Winemaker for Scheid Family Wines. Participants also acknowl- edged the value of consumer commitment, particularly for a global organization like Enza Zaden. "I loved the collaborative effort of this experience. It would be great for the public to know just how much Enza Zaden cares about food education and the consumer experience," said Steven Siglin, Chef and Proprietor of Edible Am- bassador. Enza Zaden and the chefs and winemakers will reconvene for another masterclass in the summer of 2019. group leverage each other's eeding like a slam dunk, but it's Winter 2019 Central Coast AGRICULTURE Winter 2019 Central Coast AGRICULTURE A Special Advertising Supplement to Monterey Herald and Santa Cruz Sentinel Twenty community leaders selected for FocusAgriculture program Twenty community lead- ers have been selected for Class 30 of the Focus Agriculture program. This "first-in-the-nation" program is designed for community leaders to learn about agriculture in Santa Cruz County and the Pajaro Valley. Each year, applications are submitted for this pro- gram and the Agri-Culture Board of Directors selects 20 participants. Class 30 members include: Fran- cisco Estrada, Mayor, City of Watsonville; Dori Rose Inda, CEO, Salud Para La Gente; Lynne Petrovic, Executive Director, CASA of Santa Cruz County; Ava Reinhold, Retail Store Manager, Annieglass; and Matthew Wetstein, Presi- dent, Cabrillo College. The program consists of once-a-month, daylong seminars, held over a pe- riod of nine months. The first session of 2019 will be held on Friday, March 8, 2019. Speakers range from farmers to elected officials to representa- tives from environmental groups address the class. The sessions cover such topics as ethnic groups in agriculture, new technol- ogy and diversity of com- modities locally grown. In addition, there are many farm tours and hands on experiences. The partic- ipants will spend one day working on a farm. In announcing the selected participants of Class 30, Agri-Culture President Steve Bontadel- li, said, "Community lead- ers will find this program beneficial and, in turn, growers who present in- formation to the class will learn the public's current perspective of local agri- culture. The program is designed to be a two-way learning process." The Focus Agriculture program received a national award for its innovative approach to bringing the public and the agricultural communi- ty together. For more information and a complete Class 30 roster, visit: www. agri-culture.us. Provided Photo of Matthew Wetstein Provided Photo of Lynne Petrovic Provided Photo of Dori Rose Inda Provided Photo of Ava Reinhold Local food and wine event ready for year nine The ninth annual Salinas Valley Food & Wine Fes- tival is coming to Salinas City Center on Satur- day, August 10, 2019, with other surrounding events in the planning stages. Don't miss the Winemaker's Dinner and Kick Off events which all provide an opportu- nity to get acquainted with local wine, beer and terrific eats. Each year, the Festival adds new wineries, beer sampling and a fun a ernoon of checking out the Saturday Farmers Market, enjoying live music, and supporting some amazing arts and cra vendors. Check out www.salinasvalleyfoodan- dwine.com for details on how to become a sponsor, volunteer, purchase tick- ets, or enter contests for free tickets. The festival is also on Facebook and Instagram and welcomes your photo submissions from past years festivals. The Salinas Valley Food & Wine Festival was able to make a sizeable dona- tion - $10,000! - to the Grower Shipper Associ- ation Foundation's More Produce in Schools efforts in 2018 and will once again be partnering with them for 2019. Photo by John Gay February 22, 2019 FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2019 SANTACRUZSENTINEL.COM | | 1 C

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