The land always has remained the same. It has not been sold, subdivided, cemented over or built upon. Since David Fulton first bought the land in 1860, it has been planted in vines and its grapes have been sold for nearly 150 years. Today, the land on Fulton Lane in St. Helena is owned by Fulton’s great-grandson, Fulton Mather and his wife, Dink.

The dish was a seasonal creation by Auberge du Soleil’s Chef Robert Curry: Dungeness crab on a bed of fermented basil seeds, with heirloom baby tomatoes and a touch of lemon verbena, topped with a watermelon foam.

Tossing steaks on the coals is the ultimate goal of the summer day or weekend cookout. But choosing the wines, though it seems simple (dark red for the steak), entails a number of side issues.