Recently, Big Red and I were invited to a winemaker dinner. I had never been to one before, and I was extremely excited and a tad anxious since I wasn’t sure what was expected of me while eating and drinking in the presence of esteemed winemakers. So, I read up on the winemakers in order to ask compelling questions, prepped Big Red with anecdotes about the wineries and arranged for an Uber driver.
Regardless of any concerns, we knew the night would be big fun. The dinner was being held at a friend’s house, there were a limited number of guests invited, and two of Washington state’s leading winemakers and an amazing chef from Walla Walla would be joining us. For a small fee all of this goodness would be ours.
Wine, Food, Friends, Nirvana
As we walked in we were each handed a wine glass and asked to choose a sticker to put on it. The stickers helped us keep track of our glasses, but they were also a bit of an icebreaker. (I chose the sticker that said “Spicy” and Big Red chose “Brat.” Go figure.) The hosts and the winemakers said a few words to kick off the evening, and with that we started tasting a variety of rosés and viogniers.
At dinner, wines freely flowed in perfect harmony with remarkable food pairings. The wines were from two highly lauded wineries, Mark Ryan and Sleight of Hand. Both of the winemakers, Mark Ryan McNeilly and Trey Busch, have a laid back, rock-and-roll vibe. In fact, Sleight of Hand, whose motto is “punk rock wines for punk rock lovers,” is named for a Pearl Jam song. And more than a few of Mark Ryan’s wines are named after songs and bands (Afghan Whigs anyone?) So at this winemakers’ 
dinner, the atmosphere was as chilled out as you can imagine.
What you may not be able to imagine is the killer food, which appeared before us thanks to Chef Andrae Bopp, owner of a number of popular restaurants in Walla Walla. This night, Bopp used simple ingredients in remarkably creative ways. Luckily corn was at the farmers market that day so we had an impromptu corn salad with parmesan. Caesar salad was rolled up in thin slices of prosciutto. Pulled pork was combined with scallops and dressed in cream sauce. Unusual? Yes. Delicious? Incredibly so.
Good Thing We Took Uber
The wine pairings included the intriguingly named The Sorceress from Sleight of Hand and Numbskull GSM from Mark Ryan. Forgive me if I don’t quite remember every detail. There was lots of wine flowing.
Plus, I was distracted by the electrifying company. When we walked in, we knew only one person, but by the time we walked out, we had made tons of new friends. And whether I was chatting about the winemaking process with Mark, getting tips on buying Scottish fish (do it!) or listening to Big Red and the winemakers discuss the finer points of Motley Crüe, it was one hell of a night!
Happy Hour at the Happiest Place on Earth
And so, my concerns were unfounded—unless you count that loose agreement we made to accompany some of our new friends to Disneyland. Don’t spread this around, but it seems Disneyland has a top secret restaurant and wine bar that reportedly is amazing. I don’t see us going to Disneyland anytime soon, but who knows?
Next time, I want to try a winemakers’ dinner at a local restaurant. I imagine the vibe will be completely different since the other guests will be unknowns and the winemakers probably won’t be as chill as Mark and Trey. But perhaps the wine will create the same magic we felt at our first event.
Best way for you to find a local winemakers’ dinner? Get on the mailing list at a few of your favorite wineries and keep an eye out for their events. No matter your tribe, go to one of these gigs if you can, and please share your experiences in the comments section.
In the meantime, bravo to Andrae, Mark, Trey, James and Michelle!