This episode kicks off with a chat about Michael Pollan’s Omnivore's Dilemma and the association with our upcoming guest, Angelo Garro of Omnivore products. We talk about salt as a critical ingredient in cooking and diet, one which often enhances a dish.

The wines we taste today include the 2016 1881 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon, with a label displaying the map of Napa’s wine regions. The rich red wine bursts with depth, spice and energy. We also taste the JCB No 3 Pinot Noir, a blend of grapes from Burgundy and Sonoma that my co-host Jean-Charles Boisset says represents the best marriage of France and America, his homeland and his adopted country.

This episode is made possible by Oakville Grocery, part of Boisset Collection, a portfolio of wineries and lifestyle destinations with strong historical and family roots.

Born in Sicily to a family of cooks, Angelo Garro grew up around good food from a young age. While he’s a blacksmith by trade, he missed his family’s home cooking as he traveled the world. He launched his Omnivore line of salts, herb blends and sauce to reproduce those familiar flavors. His flavor boosters caught the attention of Alice Waters, who used his mixes, and author Michael Pollan, who accompanied him during foraging expositions, documenting the experience in the third chapter of The Omnivore’s Dilemma. Foraging was natural to Garro, as it was a skill he learned from his grandmother. Eventually, he launched a Kickstarter campaign, with German film director and friend Werner Herzog as narrator of his pitch video, and raised over $100,000 to launch the business in 2015. The Omnivore line also features hot sauces and a Sicilian savory flavor concentrate, all made with fresh local organic ingredients.

Thanks for listening, and stay tuned for more shows in the coming weeks. Please share across your social media channels and subscribe to get each new episode directly to your podcast feed. You can find Napa Sonoma magazine on newsstands, subscribe here, or read the digital edition online.