The magic of soufflés

Cheese Soufflé

In 1965, Jack and Jamie Davies bought Schramsberg Vineyards and brought the Napa Valley winery (founded in 1862) back to life with the production of sparkling wines. They tell their story in Sparkling Harvest: The Seasons of the Vine (Harry N. Abrams, New York; $45).

A charming vignette happened early on, when Jack called Jamie late one afternoon, asking if he could bring a guest who was tasting their wines to dinner. It was James Beard, a grand figure in girth and in the food world. With three young sons and little time, Jamie decided to serve a cheese soufflé. It’s a rare refrigerator that doesn’t yield most of the ingredients.

The soufflé was a success, and the evening went well ― except for one detail: the Windsor wing chairs at the Davieses’ table wouldn’t accommodate Jim Beard, who found the piano bench more to his comfort.