Friends and family dining together around a communal table and enjoying a leisurely meal together is a longtime tradition in Europe. Desert Wind Winery celebrates this same tradition with their Friday Night Supper Club, this year marking the 5th Anniversary of these convivial family-style meals at the Prosser-based winery.
Held in the winery’s on-site restaurant, MOJAVE at Desert Wind, this unique once-a-month dining experience attracts adventurous “foodies,” whose love of fine wines, local food, and celebratory dining with others brings them together. Typically held the final Friday of each month, diners begin their evening with a half-hour pre-dinner social that includes wine tasting and light hors d’oeuvres. Sometimes, the staff offers cellar tours or barrel samples of Desert Wind wines. In addition, each monthly dinner also features another local winery. Occasionally there’s live music. But there’s always a focus on good food, good wine and good company.
Amber Fries, Director of Communications says “To other restaurant patrons, it might look like the people dining at the big center table are longtime friends celebrating a special occasion. They pass large platters of food down the table, family-style. They smile and laugh, discussing the cuisine and the wine with their neighboring diners. Occasionally, someone tells a joke or shares a story. It may surprise onlookers to find out that many of these people have only been introduced this very evening.”
MOJAVE Chef Kristin Martilla Johnson crafts the menus for these multi-course meals. With a focus on the region’s abundant local ingredients, each month features a seasonally appropriate theme, a local food purveyor and wines from a neighboring winery. Most Supper Clubs cost $55; which includes the pre-dinner social, a multi-course dinner (served family-style) and complementing wine pairings. Advance reservations are required by contacting the winery at (509) 786-7277. More information is available at www.desertwindwinery.com/mojave.
Dates and themes for the 2013 Friday Night Supper Club series include:
Friday, March 29 – Blooms and Blossoms, featuring wines by Thurston Wolfe
Friday, April 26 – Spring is in the Fare, featuring wines by Pontin del Roza
Friday, May 31 – Summer’s Comin’, featuring wines by Cowan Vineyards
Friday, June 28 – Hot Summer Nights, featuring wines by Willow Crest
Friday, July 19 – BBQ Daze, featuring wines by DavenLore
Friday, August 30 – Sizzling Summer, featuring wines by Airfield Estates
Friday, September 27 – Falling for Fondue, featuring wines by Heaven’s Cave
Friday, October 25 – Harvest Dinner, featuring wines by Martinez & Martinez Winery
Friday, November 29 – Bounty of the Valley, featuring wines by Mercer Estates
A partial list of participating local food purveyors for the 2013 series: Chukar Cherries; Knutzen’s Meats; Cheese Louise; Drake’s Spices; House of Chocolate; Pasta Guys; Father Michael’s Roastery; Bill’s Berry Farm; Blue Barn Farms Goat Cheese