
Nov 23, 2019
Wendy Sherwood, the pastry chef behind La Forêt, is living the sweet life in the Napa Valley
For Wendy Sherwood, consuming two-to-three chocolate bars daily is a job requirement. It’s part of her commitment to creating artisanal small-batch chocolates with just the right balance.
“Chocolate has all kinds of subtleties; it has acidity and fruitiness and rich, dark, earthy flavors,” says Sherwood. “And we use a proprietary house blend that helps set me apart from other chocolatiers.”
The idea to launch her own distinctive chocolate business came to Sherwood while she was working as part of the pastry team at The French Laundry, where everything was made fresh and often served the same day—opening up the possibilities for more interesting textures and less sugar.
Sherwood also adopted a distinctive business model, inspired by the allocation programs she observed at Napa Valley wineries, which sell limited-quantity wines to their most loyal clients.
Since launching La Forêt in 2010, Sherwood has created quarterly allocations that she describes as her version of a tasting menu in a chocolate box. “You’re taken through a journey inspired by whatever theme I choose, sometimes it’s a region or something esoteric like my favorite writers or filmmakers,” she explains.Sign up for the Daily Wander newsletter for expert travel inspiration and tips
Please enter a valid email address.
Read our privacy policy
more from afar