The desk
About the journal
The Tasting is an independent editorial publication documenting Napa Valley gastronomy as culture — not as a booking engine.
We write for readers who want context: gardens, cellars, kitchens, and the ideas that travel farther than any single reservation.
Founded as a digital journal, The Tasting covers wine-country foodways with essayistic patience. Our subject matter includes Californian cuisine, farm relationships, tasting-menu craft, and landmarks such as the French Laundry — treated as cultural reference points, never as properties we operate or promote commercially.
We publish in English for an international audience of curious eaters, students of food history, and travelers who prefer understanding before itinerary.
Editorial team
Elena Marchetti
Editor-in-ChiefFormer magazine food editor focused on institutional kitchens and the language of tasting menus. She leads long-form commissioning and standards.
Jonah Reed
Features EditorWrites on landscape, labor, and Californian culinary lineage. Previously covered agricultural communities across the Pacific coast.
Sofia Lang
Wine & Place EditorSpecializes in cellar culture, village studies, and the social rituals that surround tasting in Napa Valley.
Marcus Chen
Photo EditorShapes the journal’s visual voice — vineyard light, kitchen hands, and table still lifes with documentary restraint.