He came to the US to earn his bachelor's--then master's--degree. But it was the year spent in Napa Valley that made Swiss-born Rene Schlatter put down roots in Northern California. AndrewZimmern.com talks to the President of Merryvale Vineyards about the winery's historical background, going green, and the best palces to eat in the Valley.

AndrewZimmern.com: You became the President of Merryvale Vineyards in early 2008; however, the Schlatter family has been involved with the winery for quite some time. When did your family get started in the business? Did you always consider following that career path?

René Schlatter: My father became an investor with Merryvale in the early 90’s, and I started to consider the option of going to work with him around the time I was in graduate school earning my MBA. While in school I visited the Napa Valley and knew at that time that at the very least I was going to give it a try. It’s such an amazing place! A year later Jack and I seized the opportunity to buy the partners out. The rest is history as they say.

AZ.com: The winery was the first built in Napa Valley after prohibition. What do you think is the most historically interesting feature of the vineyard? What’s your favorite spot?

RS: Definitely our Cask Room, which showcases the history of the winery as well as evoking a medieval banquet type of atmosphere. Guests that dine with us in the Cask Room are left with wonderful memories.

AZ.com: In 2006, Merryvale opened Starmont, a winery dedicated to creating “green,” sustainable wine. Does the wine lose anything when you’re trying to keep it eco-friendly?

RS: No, not at all. Starmont is really about energy and water conservation and efficiency through technology, including solar, water re-use and the building itself. The computer system at Starmont lowers our electrical costs and carbon footprint by efficiently managing fermentations and temperatures. For example, it does the latter through venting in cooler night time air, when conditions permit, instead of turning on our compressors. In terms of sustainable farming, we like the fruit we’re getting much better since we went to a sustainable model almost four years ago.

AZ.com: The holidays are coming up. What are your tips for picking out wine for a big get-together? How about a small dinner party?

RS: Large parties are a perfect occasion to pour some older vintages in large format bottles. Remember it’s better to err on the early side rather than waiting to long and find out your bottle is over the hill. For smaller gatherings, I would say open that very special bottle you have saved in your cellar.

AZ.com: Describe your perfect meal.

RS: Good company and a fresh, seasonal and simple meal. As far as wines are concerned it’s always fun to taste wines “blind” as it takes all preconceived notions out of it and is sometimes quite a revealing and humbling experience. Alternatively, discover something new and different.

AZ.com: There’s a lot of great, well-known restaurants in the Napa/Sonoma Valley. What are your five favorite lesser-known places that cater more to the local crowd?

RS: Indeed there are many great restaurants in Napa & Sonoma. Some of the places I enjoy going to not only because of the great food but the service and the atmosphere are Market, La Toque, Ubuntu, Celadon and JoLé.

AZ.com: What’s in your fridge?

RS: Plenty of great wines from around the world with emphasis on Napa of course. Occasionally, Krug Champagne and caviar, especially during the year-end festivities.

René Schlatter proudly upholds his family’s integrity and commitment to excellence in his broad role as President of Merryvale Vineyards, a family-owned Napa Valley winery. A native of Switzerland, René has lived in the U.S. since 1987, completing his Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, and earning a Master’s Degree from Arizona’s Thunderbird Graduate School of International Management.

As a winery principal, René has held progressively more responsible positions at Merryvale since 1995. He has made significant contributions in Merryvale’s sales management, marketing, finance and grape grower relations. In 2005, René and his family acquired a second estate vineyard with 50 acres planted to Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Syrah followed in 2006 by the construction of a second winery in the Napa Valley’s Carneros region. This state-of-the-art facility, called Starmont after the Merryvale wines of the same label, is extremely energy efficient using solar power almost exclusively and recycling 100% of winery process water.

René and his family are very committed to protecting and preserving the Napa Valley for future generations using sustainable practices. Both of Merryvale’s estate vineyards have been Napa Green Farm certified. René and his wife Laurence are actively involved in the community of St. Helena, where they live with their two young daughters, Jenna and Jade.