Southern Oregon Favorite Irvine & Roberts Gets a New Chef

One of the Rogue Valley’s best wineries has upped its game with a new chef and a new menu. Irvine & Roberts is perched just off of the inopportunely named Dead Indian Road. It has long had commanding views of the valley and top-notch roses and Pinot Noirs.

Previously the winery generally only served cheese and charcuterie plates—which I think many of us are bored with—but the owners have brought in a stunning new chef. Chef Charlie Hutchinson joined the team at Irvine & Roberts Vineyards in fall of last year.

His background is super international having grown up partially in West Africa and China as the son of a foreign service professional. He then studied at Le Cordon Bleu, Paris, before going on to work at iconic Paris restaurant Taillevent. He worked at the, now shuttered, Amuse in downtown Ashland before joining the winery team.

What’s on the Menu

While Hutchinson is not always in the kitchen, he has added a few additional offerings to the regular menu as well as shining a spotlight on locally sourced, multi-course lunches and dinners. I have been lucky enough to go to two of them and the focus is on Southern Oregon ingredients with international influences. The dinners run to five courses, while lunches stop at three, all of which are served with wine pairings. The lunches cost $75 a person.

Chef Hutchinson’s food is both delicate and subtle. It’s something he wasn’t producing at Amuse but I am thrilled to see him hit his stride here. Irvine & Robert’s nice selection of clean Chardonnays and diverse Pinot Noirs also pair nicely with these dishes.

The standouts for me were the fowl. Not every chef knows their way around a bird and they can frequently come out gamely. I am a big fan of game birds if they are properly prepared. His duck sausage was a standout, as was a squab duo with olives and shallots. The squab was served with winery’s 2020 Estate Pinot Noir, which is lush with soft, red fruits.

Generally, the main courses are served with two different wines. The pours are quite small, but the staff will generally offer you a tad more: if you ask. He’s also turning out some stunning desserts: and it is unusual for a chef to excel so well at both the savory and sweet ends of the spectrum. His coffee pot de crème was fluffy and delicious.