Michael Chiarello

Chef, Vintner, TV Host, Sustainable Farmer

Michael Chiarello (1962–2023) was an award-winning chef, Emmy-winning tv host, author and vintner. As the owner of the critically acclaimed Bottega Napa Valley and Coqueta San Francisco restaurants, he made his culinary mark by combining the traditions of his Southern Italian roots with the distinctive hallmarks of the Napa Valley lifestyle.

Born in Red Bluff, California and raised in Turlock, he was immersed in a traditional Italian upbringing, learning to forage, fish and cook at his mother Antoinette’s side. From his earliest childhood memories, following her around while “tugging on her apron strings,” Michael knew he wanted to be a chef. Over the next four decades, he accomplished his dream and much more.

In Antoinette’s garden and kitchen, Chiarello learned to cook virtually everything by hand. He often credited those times for his full immersion into his family’s Calabrian traditions, ingredients, and recipes. By the age of 14, he began apprenticing at Ernie’s in San Francisco, setting him on a lifelong culinary journey that led to an extraordinary career.

Michael’s passion and dedication quickly propelled him onto the culinary stage. At age 20, he graduated from The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, NY, before continuing his studies at Florida International University’s School of Hospitality and Tourism Management. In 1984, at 22, he opened Toby’s restaurant in Miami, achieving his first major career milestone. His talent was recognized, and he was lured back to California’s Napa Valley, which would be his home for the next 37 years.

In 1986, at age 24, Michael was invited to design and open the Tra Vigne (“among the vines”) Restaurant in St. Helena as its Chef/Owner, where he developed an avid following for his unique style of Italian-influenced wine country cooking and entertaining. Following his instincts, he put olive oil on the tables, spawning his California-flavored olive oil business—Consorzio—by pioneering a technique to infuse the intense flavors of Italian cooking, such as basil and roasted red pepper, into the oil.

A decades-long partnership with Williams-Sonoma followed, including the launch of the first in-store tasting bars and an extra virgin olive oil made from 100% California olives called Olio Santo, which is still a leading brand at Williams-Sonoma today. Consorzio won Best Product Line at the International Fancy Food Show, became a million-case brand, and paved the way for Chiarello’s first cookbooks. In 1995, he was honored as Chef of the Year by the Culinary Institute of America, and in1998 received the Robert Mondavi Culinary Award, a testament to Tra Vigne’s success and Michael’s growing influence in the Napa Valley. He served as the Executive Chef/Partner of Tra Vigne and seven other restaurants until 2000.

Michael’s legacy extended beyond the kitchen into retail and media. In 2000, he launched NapaStyle, a multi-channel retail brand celebrating artisanal foods, unique cookware, tabletop and home decor that Chiarello designed in collaboration with artisans from America and Europe. NapaStyle became a symbol of the delights of the Mediterranean lifestyle as experienced in the Napa Valley, was enjoyed by customers all over the U.S., and Chiarello created hundreds of iconic products.

In 2000, Chiarello also launched a national television career. He hosted his own PBS cooking shows for three seasons, filming them from his home kitchen in Napa Valley. His Emmy Award®-winning TV show Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello, also filmed in the Napa Valley, began in 2003 in a multi-channel deal with the Food Network, Fine Living, and Cooking Channel. That show went on to win a total of three Emmy Awards. Chiarello’s television career made him the biggest Chef to film on location in the stunning settings of the Napa Valley for over a decade, bringing Napa into viewers homes and celebrating its unique beauty, charm and food and wine culture.

In 2009, he appeared on Bravo’s Top Chef Masters, winning second place and over $25,000 for charity. He gained more recognition on Top Chef and Top Chef Masters as a guest judge. In Fall 2011, he appeared on the Next Iron Chef on Food Network. A popular celebrity guest chef, Chiarello also frequently appeared on NBC’s The Today Show, CBS’s The Early Show, Regis & Kelly, and The View.

In 2011, the Culinary Institute of America once again honored Chef Chiarello with their Alumni of the Year award.

After turning his love of sustainable products to his own vineyards, he created Chiarello Family Vineyards in 1998. He transformed historic old-vine vineyards from fallow to fertile, and spent decades producing highly rated wines. Chiarello Family Vineyards had been a project he deemed both passionate and highly purposeful, so in 2013, he and famed winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown Chiarello challenged themselves to make their final and best yet Cabernet. Limited release of the MDC Cabernet Sauvignon (Chiarello’s initials) is available to loyal customers by joining the waitlist.

His passion for restaurants never wavered, and in 2008, Chef Chiarello opening Bottega in Yountville, a restaurant praised by Esquire Magazine as one of the "Best New Restaurants in America" and renowned for its fresh, bold, and seasonally driven Italian menu. Chiarello considered it his “artist’s workshop,” designed everything that the guests saw and touched, and it delivered on the promise for 15 years. In 2013, Chiarello created another iconic spot, Coqueta San Francisco, to honor his daughter’s adopted home of Spain, and his love of Spanish cuisine.

During his prolific career, Michael Chiarello also published 8 books, including Michael Chiarello’s Bottega, Live Fire by Michael Chiarello, Napa Stories, and Casual Cooking. As an author, his books have received awards and nominations from both IACP and the James Beard Foundation

Michael left an indelible mark on the culinary world and in the hearts of countless guests, fans, and friends who were touched by his vision, artistry and giving heart. Through his restaurants, he created unforgettable experiences that became cherished memories, woven into family celebrations and moments of connection around the table. His dedication to seasonal, sustainable ingredients and his support of artisan producers reflected his deep commitment to fostering community through food.

Michael’s ability to bring people together, whether in his Napa Valley restaurants or through his cookbooks, television shows, and advocacy, cemented his legacy as a chef, vintner, and champion of a culinary lifestyle rooted in tradition and shared joy. Share your stories and special memories using hashtag #ChefChiarelloMemories.

  • Home Kitchen PBS Show

  • the Emmy

  • With Julia Child

  • Top Chef Masters

  • At the Culinary Institute of America

  • Chiarello Vineyards Harvest Party

  • Chef's Table with Thomas Brown

  • With Margrit Mondavi

  • With George Hincapie

  • At Ottimo Yountville

  • Live Fire Cookbook "Photoshoot"

  • In the Cucina

  • Roasted Brussels in Vineyard

  • the Team

  • the Mozz

  • Farmers Market Trip

  • Sophia Loren's 80th Bday

  • PBS Tomatoes Episode

  • Tra Vigne Early Days

  • Harvest with Larry Turley

  • Toby's Miami

  • Gnocchi at the Chef's Table

  • the Comaraderie

  • PBS Panorama Bakery Episode

  • California Senate Memorial

  • With Paul Bocuse