Summer Food and Wine Pairing Experiences in the High Country
Wineries within the High Country American Viticultural Area provide various food and wine pairing experiences by appointment only, from small bites to filling multi-course meals.
Lynmar Estate hosts rotating food trucks at its Collectors Lunch Pairing ($200 per person, Thursday-Sunday). In addition, Lynmar also offers an unforgettable Vineyard Experience featuring an impressive menu.
1. Better Off Red Dinner at Peaks Chophouse & Wine Lounge
Wine pairs well with food, and chefs are taking this combination seriously at many vineyards in the area. At Three Sticks Restaurant in Napa Valley, Le Cordon Blue-trained culinary expert Oscar Bendeck pairs estate chardonnay and pinot noir wines with dishes like lemon cucumber salad, grilled baby beets with black truffle, and wood-fired rack of lamb. Hamel Family Wines offers private tastings in their Vallejo-Castanada adobe ($110), available Sunday-Friday. They pair this tasting experience with dishes like Wild Mushroom Toast with Poached Egg Yolks and Black Truffle; other wineries provide sip and snack pairings including Grilled Fig and Portobello Mushroom Tart (8 Chains North Winery), Wood Fire Pizza from Medlock Ames Winery or Sonoma Mountains wines at 8 Chains North Winery or 8 Chains North Winery for example.
8 Chains North offers an easy, on-the-go wine experience with their Single Vineyard Tasting with Wood Fired Pizza ($60). Additionally, Hamel Family Winery also provides seasonal chocolate and wine experiences as well as their Reserve Experience ($150, daily), which features four wines plus dishes like Grilled Golden Beets with Parmesan Foam!
Notable wine-and-food pairing experiences in Aspen include winery-sponsored Grilled Cheese & Wine Pairing at Old Town Grille ($30), and Wine Country Restaurant’s Grilled Cheese & Cabernet Sauvignon Pairing ($35). Furthermore, many local restaurants and festivals also pair wines with their menu items, like Old Town Aspen’s annual Food & Wine Classic in June which brings celebrity chefs such as Rick Bayless for cooking demonstrations and delectable meals under Aspen’s radiant alpine skies; in Colorado the Denver International Wine Festival showcases hundreds of regional dishes alongside winemakers while offering cooking classes, music performances, and even ice carving!
Savor Big Sky will return June 27-30th as an all-encompassing summer event featuring food, wine, beer and other beverages from near and far. This year’s focus will be to showcase Montana’s Appalachian High Country American Viticultural Area by hosting over 30 wineries from throughout Montana and beyond for their Grand Tasting event.
2. Food & Wine Pairings in Big Sky
Big Sky, Montana provides plenty of open spaces and rugged mountain adventures, along with an exceptional food + wine scene that pays homage to local ingredients and landscape. As an ideal basecamp for Yellowstone National Park explorations and summer adventures with lift-serviced mountain biking trails, unmatched hiking paths, and world-class golf facilities; Big Sky provides endless outdoor excitement!
Lone Mountain Ranch Executive Chef Eric Gruber brings a strict farm-and-ranch-to-table ethos to his cooking. His dishes reflect Montana ingredients and American West cuisine such as trout, elk, lamb and beef; plus pickles, charcuterie and butters/oils made by himself!
Lone Mountain Ranch’s dining room features massive vaulted lodgepole ceilings surrounded by lodgepole-wrapped walls, all lit by an enormous hearth for an unforgettable dining experience. On our recent visit, we enjoyed trout, grilled elk tenderloin, and fried chicken served alongside warm cheddar biscuits, creme fraiche mashed potatoes and country gravy – paired with an old-world French Aligote which resembled crisp Chardonnay from Burgundy; pairing perfectly!
Savor Big Sky offers guests seeking to gain more knowledge of wines of Montana and beyond a four-day event that provides educational seminars and dinners featuring regional dishes. Seminars such as Tasting the Master’s Way and Riedel Comparative Wine Glass Workshop led by Master Sommeliers Fred Dame and Jay Fletcher can be attended.
At Savor Big Sky, other events include a tasting dinner at Peaks Chophouse & Wine Lounge featuring dishes prepared by the resort’s culinary team and wine from Brooks Family Vineyard; another dinner featuring wines from Provence France with Chef Wilson Wieggel as host; and finally, a Vintner Dinner hosted at Rainbow Ranch Lodge featuring wines from Willamette Valley.
Savor Big Sky begins with a welcoming party and continues with hike and lunch adventures paired with wine, as well as the Grand Tasting on Saturday with local chefs and purveyors. Brunch enthusiasts can choose between two pairing brunches that include riding up Ramcharger 8 chairlift followed by tasting menus created exclusively for Gruet Winery wines paired with brunch tasting menus – perfect for enjoying this Big Sky experience!
3. Wine & Food Pairings in Bozeman
Bozeman offers many opportunities for pairing wine with dinner. Most local vintners employ full-time chefs that create imaginative wine-friendly dishes. At Laurel Gray Vineyards, for instance, you can enjoy their Single Vineyard Tasting ($60), served alongside wood-fired pizza. Medaloni Cellars hosts food truck pairings every Sunday during summer (check their website for times) or try one of their Cabernet Sauvignon Chocolate Sauce or Chardonnay Caramel Sauce options for an unforgettable dining experience.
Bozeman offers many fine restaurants and bars offering wine and food pairing experiences, such as Blend. Here, guests can relax with a drink while taking in breathtaking mountain views from their patio lounge – an ideal spot before or after an action-packed day on mountain bikes or skis.
Bozeman Wine Gallery boasts an intimate brick room filled with wines from around the globe at every price point, all carefully curated by owner Jeremiah Dawson who takes his job seriously by selecting what he believes are the finest wines instead of what may be popular among publications or consumers. Combine this expertise with culinary arts training and restaurant business experience and you have yourself a sommelier who can assist in finding something to meet your specific tastes.
At 406 Brewing, their mantra “Beer. Food. Community” speaks volumes about this cozy brewery in Bozeman’s Cannery District. From Hop Punch IPA and HeliHOPter Pale Ale brews to seasonal events such as live music events – this hot spot will not fail to draw a crowd year-round!
Reserve the Plonk cellar for an elegant wine tasting and dinner experience. This private dining space can seat 16 at one table or 24 at two. Your five-course meal can include items like Ahi Poke, House-Made Ravioli with Tarragon Pesto Sauce or Quesa Birria!
4. Wine & Food Pairings in Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park offers more than wide open spaces, blue-ribbon trout rivers and breathtaking mountain vistas – it also has an exceptional food + wine scene! Villages such as West Yellowstone and Madison in Yellowstone National Park are famous for their restaurants and wine tasting experiences sure to satisfy even the pickiest eaters.
Peaks Chophouse & Wine Lounge provides an unforgettable fine-dining experience that showcases the best of regional flavors and terroir, featuring locally sourced ingredients as well as complex wines from DAOU Vineyards. Plus, there’s more than 250 wines on hand selected by their chef!
At Sonoma you’ll also find an abundance of culinary classes and events, like the Mariposa Member Private Lunch ($110) served Monday-Friday in Vallejo-Castanada Adobe, one of Sonoma’s oldest buildings dating from its Mexican period. Join Le Cordon Bleu-trained culinary expert Oscar Bendeck for a three-hour tasting of Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays or attend Oysters & Chardonnay tasting experience for something extra special!
Yellowstone Pizza Company, just outside the Roosevelt Arch at the northern entrance to Yellowstone National Park, offers relaxed yet delicious pizza dining experience. Offering picnic tables and photos of wildlife that frequents this part of Montana, their Hayden Valley Bison and Roasted Yellow Tomato pizzas are some of the best available.
Madison Crossing Lounge, a fine-dining establishment located within Madison River Brewing Co’s historic hotel, serves up unique appetizers, signature salads, tantalizing entrees and delightful desserts that pair perfectly with Montana wines or local craft beers like Salmon Fly Honey Rye from Madison River Brewing Co.
Be sure to enjoy your wine and food while supporting a good cause: Proceeds from this event go toward Yellowstone Park Foundation, an organization dedicated to conserving and enriching Yellowstone National Park’s natural and cultural resources through programs, initiatives, grants and outreach efforts.