When restauranteur and Temecula winery owner Martha Culbertson first met the illustrious French chef Julia Child, she had no idea that one day she and friend Rebecca Farnbach, a writer and Temecula historian, would write their own cookbook 43 years later. Titled Flavors of the Temecula Valley Wineries, Culbertson’s and Farnbach’s book is a magnificent hardbound, full color coffee table sized tome that invites readers and novice chefs to take a journey to one of the top winery destinations in the world and “indulge in its rich flavors” of food and local wine.
“When we were conceptualizing this book, we thought it would be wonderful if it could be a little token to take home and to prolong visitors’ experiences with Temecula wines so that they could recreate some of the experiences and savor the flavors,” Farnbach says.
“It’s delightful to change your routine,” Farnbach states. “It’s fun for people to look at the pretty pictures and then (hopefully) it’s an inspiration to them to try different flavors, plating and presentation.” Culbertson agrees. “We wanted to create a memento,” she says.
Culbertson is a native Californian whose relatives settled in Fallbrook in 1924. She is a published writer and passionate foodie. Farnbach, who is also an award-winning poet, moved with her family to the area from Pasadena in 1988. Together, the authors have more than 60 years of food, wine and writing experience here in the Temecula Valley.
Culbertson and her husband John are the founders of the lauded Culbertson Winery (now Thornton Winery) that first brought award-winning champagne style sparkling wine to the Temecula Valley in 1988. A seasoned traveler with an interest in fine food, Culbertson had owned two restaurants previously, the Fallbrook Grocery and Belle Fleur in Carlsbad. “In the ‘80s, there was no (good) food here,” Culbertson says. “So we opened Café Champagne at the winery and finally gave people a place to eat in wine country.” There, Culbertson supervised the menu, oversaw the kitchen and offered cooking classes, including some taught by her friend, Child. “That was her baby,” Farnbach says of Café Champagne. “Martha brought fine dining into our Valley,” she proudly says of Culbertson.
Culbertson and Child enjoyed a warm friendship for many years and Culbertson would even cook for the renowned chef at her home. “Julia would come and stay with us at the ranch in Fallbrook. And I had my comeuppance one day,” Culbertson says with a smile. “When Julia came, I always tried to invite the other winery owners for lunch. One time I arranged a big lunch for Julia and I decided everything was going to come from our ranch. Zucchini blossoms were in season and instead of preparing them the classic way, stuffed with cheese, battered and fried, I decided to poach them and I stuffed them with some kind of avocado thing. They looked pretty but were God awful. So Julia looks up at me and she says, ‘Is this your recipe, dearie?’ I never cooked anything like that ever again!”
While the Culbertsons were busy running the winery and restaurant (and winning many national awards for excellence), Farnbach was getting involved in her new city and becoming familiar with the fascinating history of Temecula. “I did fall in love with Temecula, Farnbach says. “After we moved here, my husband Darell took me to see the Vail Headquarters. It was going to be bulldozed in 1998 and we were two of the four people who championed the saving of it. We did so without attorneys – we just had the passion and the knowledge of the significance of that site. I wrote and published articles in every publication in the Valley I could because I wanted to tell the story of the Vail Headquarters. So I published a book that shared what history I had learned. And as of last year, that site is now recognized as a national historic site.”
Farnbach comes from a very long line of writers. “My ancestor William Bradford, governor of the Mayflower Colony, wrote the first book on the North American continent, called “Of Plymouth Plantation,” she says. But it wasn’t until a lunch in May of 2018 at Journey’s End restaurant at Pechanga Casino, that she and Culbertson decided to collaborate on their new cookbook.
Farnbach says of that fateful day, “We were at lunch one day and Martha shared with me this idea that she had of taking Temecula wines – choosing a red and a white from each winery – and pairing her personal recipes with them. I thought it was brilliant.”
“Rebecca is the one who knows how to get things done,” Culbertson says. Using Farnbach’s contacts in publishing, the ladies pitched their idea to Great Oak Press and signed a two book deal. COVID slowed down their progress but the duo spent that time perfecting the recipes. “Every Wednesday was our cooking day,” Farnbach says. “We had conversations about how to plate the food for the photography and it would sometimes take more than an hour per dish. Of course, Martha did the cooking and I found myself assisting with design, plating, and holding screens and photography equipment,” Farnbach laughs. Finally, Flavors was published in 2023 and contains nearly 100 recipes and accompanying wine pairings from the wineries of Temecula Valley.
The public’s reaction to Flavors has been overwhelmingly positive. “People love it,” Farnbach says. “They love the beauty of the book, they love the recipes and people love that the recipes contain ingredients that you can easily get.”
“This book features home cooking using French techniques,” Culbertson adds. “My aim was to make good food accessible. This book is so regional and really uses Rebecca’s and my experience to the utmost.”
HERE ARE SOME OF CULBERTSON’S AND FARNBACH’S RECIPE & PAIRING RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Oefs – a baked egg dish that pairs perfectly with Lorenzi Estate Bella Mia Brut. Page 198
2. Chocolate Mousse with Syrup of Syrah Wine – a decadent chocolate dessert with which they recommend serving Leoness Cellars Syrah. Page 184
3. Spaghetti Carbonara – Culbertson’s version of the classic for which they recommend Bel and Vino Butterfly Effect red as a wonderful complement. Page 48
4. Chocolate Pear Tart – a reader favorite that pairs nicely with Foot Path Winery Late Harvest Zinfandel. Page 156
5. Guacamole in Crispy Cups – delectable small bites perfect as an appetizer which mesh well with the flavors of Monte De Oro Winery Nostimo. Page 248
What’s next? The ladies are planning their next book for Great Oak Press - Portraits of the Temecula Valley Wineries. “What we’re going to do is weave poetic thoughts and quotations through it,” Farnbach says. “Most of the photos are already done – mostly landscapes. It will be beautiful.”
Flavors of the Temecula Valley Wineries can be purchased on Amazon and locally at Ford + Elm, and at Citrus and Moss and Corbeaux Wine & Tea House in Old Town Temecula. You can also find them on both Facebook and Instagram @flavorsoftemeculavalleywineries.