The Secret to Our Sauce
Allow me to set the Monserate scene for you. The sun is beginning to set behind the hills, creating a heavenly golden reflection on the water. The water is still; the flowers are softly swaying; the doves are starting to coo; the image before you is like a beautiful painting frozen in time. You’re relaxing on our patio with your loved ones, enjoying a glass of your favorite Monserate wine. The wind brushes past your face, carrying with it, the irresistible smell of freshly baked dough. Jacob swiftly sets a Margherita pizza down at your table. The mozzarella is gently melted over a warm bed of tomato sauce with fresh basil leaves garnished on top. The crust is soft with a perfect balance of crunch and crisp. What better to pair with our authentic Italian wine, than authentic Italian pizza? This is bliss.
At Monserate Vineyards and Winery, we value authenticity and quality. We desire to provide our guests with an unforgettable experience, and we understand the necessity in offering our best in order to ensure this.
At Monserate Vineyards and Winery, we value authenticity and quality. We desire to provide our guests with an unforgettable experience, and we understand the necessity in offering our best in order to ensure this.
Our head pizza chef, Luca De Marinias, is the textbook definition of someone who creates authentic, top quality pizza. Luca was born in Naples, Italy, where it is actually said that the first-ever pizza slice was created. Luca grew up working in his father’s kitchen and learning the craft of cooking. In those early childhood years, Luca began to understand that making food is much more than just following recipes. Creating a dish involves creativity, personality, and style. Luca makes his Neapolitan pizzas with his own special flare and pizzazz. His talents even brought him to the International Pizza Expo and Conference in 2019, where he won the Neapolitan Pizza Division.
Luca sees pizza making as an art. He has a particular routine he follows with every step of the process, beginning with making the dough. When asked the secret to his pizza, Luca replied, “the secret comes from the heart. Maybe I give you the ‘recitta’ (recipe), but you will make a different dough from me.” Luca doesn’t just make his pizza with ingredients, like cheese and sauce. He makes it with emotion, like sincere love and tender care. Like Luca, we take extra care to pour our hearts into everything we create at Monserate. Whether it’s our authentic Italian pizza, our wine, our events, or our everyday guest experience, the secret to our sauce is in our hearts. Monserate is everything that it is because of the love and care we all hold in our hearts.
Come give us a visit. Take us a seat on our patio. Enjoy the birds, the sun, the flowers, and the water. Taste our award-winning wine and our delicious Neapolitan pizza. Laugh and talk with your dear friends and family. And above all, feel the love.