The culinary world feels emptier now after the passing of Sonoma County’s James Beard Award-winning chef John Ash on Aug. 8 from a heart condition. The harvest issue of Sonoma magazine had just gone to print, but our team chorused that a proper salute was owed to the legendary talent who put local, exquisitely fresh, seasonal ingredients in the national spotlight decades ago.
Ash, 83, dedicated his career to clean, sparkling cooking that riveted us with its artistry and clever wine pairings, which earned him the title of “the father of Wine Country cuisine.” Although long-retired from kitchens, Ash continued to write, host a radio show, and attend local wine and food events where we could look forward to being greeted by his gentle smile and warm hello.
A pioneer in farm-to-table
“I remember getting to know John when he was the culinary director at the Fetzer Valley Oaks Food and Wine Center in Mendocino County,” reflects Betsy Fischer, Santa Rosa Junior College department chair and instructor of Culinary Arts. “My wine tasting friends and I loved to visit there, with John introducing us to his world as he worked in the expansive gardens gathering up the ingredients he would cook for us later that day. Farm-to-table was not quite a thing yet, but I’m sure those days figured prominently on John’s future path to putting Northern California on the food and wine map.”
On connecting wine and food
For Merry Edwards, founder of Merry Edwards Winery and Vineyards in Sebastopol, this time is bittersweet. “I’ve felt an upwelling of cherished memories from our time together over nearly five decades,” she says. “I was first introduced to John by my college friend Don Baumhefner in 1977. He was putting together a team to revitalize the old Russian River Vineyards property in Forestville — he as GM of a hotel, John as chef, and me as winegrower. Over the years I partnered with John for many charity industry events, participated in his cooking classes at Ramekins in Sonoma as a guest winemaker, and appeared on the Food Network channel with him. John was always so extremely creative and talented. He was also kind, funny, and beyond generous. His contributions to the farm-to-table movement were similar to those of Julia Child and Alice Waters. I was honored to be his friend.”
A champion of sustainability
John Finger, the founder and CEO of Hog Island Oyster Co. in Marshall, credits Ash for helping establish the immensely popular waterfront mollusk farm and string of Bay Area restaurants. “John was, from Hog Island’s very beginnings, one of our greatest champions. He embraced our efforts to grow locally farmed shellfish at a time when most oysters in our market were coming from far afield. We shared a deep passion for sustainable seafood, so when we first needed to raise money, he became one of our earliest shareholders and encouraged many friends and colleagues to join him. As we grew and made the leap to open our own restaurants, his mentorship — and his guidance as a board member — proved invaluable. When he suggested creating the “Hog Island Book of Fish & Seafood,” published in 2023, it immediately felt right. He ensured our voice was represented and included many of our chefs’ recipes in its pages. I miss him dearly.”