Spring Asado on the Mesa

Wednesday, May 21, 2025

5:30 – Sunset

Join us as we share a selection of our white and rosé wines, including new releases from our 2023 and 2024 vintages, at the first Asado on the Mesa of the year, as we welcome back the Forage Sisters at our vineyard this May and kick off the start to the season, featuring an eclectic, Southeast Asian-inspired menu.

We have annually partnered with Chefs Mirasol Gomez and Nicole Sacchitella, along with their seasoned, professional culinary team, since the summer of 2019, when we shared our first vintage of wines. These unique, wine-paired, multi-course, fire-cooked dinners always sell out and leave our guests with memories to savor and share.

At this spring asado, we will greet you with a glass of our 2022 Cloudburst Estate Sparkling Riesling, alongside passed appetizers of Pearl Meatballs, Grilled Vegetable Satay, and Crispy Sesame Tofu. We will seat you and your guests at a large, communal table, overlooking the North Fork Valley, just outside our Pinot Noir vines.

Mirasol and Nicole look forward to these asado dinners because they take them as an opportunity to share what's been inspiring them through their travels, dining experiences, and personal cooking journeys. They will guide you through a multi-course, creative menu, featuring fresh seafood and locally sourced beef, accompanied by organic vegetables, fruits, herbs, and edible flowers.

If you've attended an asado with the Forage Sisters before, you know that the experience is one to remember. Mirasol and Nicole will get the coals hot early in the day and cook within sight at their outdoor kitchen, and we will serve up some newly released wines that celebrate the freshness of spring and pair perfectly with their menu.

We hope you'll join us this May, as we kick off the start to our winery season and celebrate the release of our recently bottled wines from the 2023 and 2024 vintages!

WELCOME BITES

Pearl Meatballs

Grilled Vegetable Satay

Crispy Sesame Tofu 

Cloudburst, Estate Sparkling Riesling, West Elks, CO, 2022

ON THE TABLE

Chili Oil Focaccia, Smoked Miso and Scallion Compound Butter

Seasonal Wine Cocktail Amuse Bouche

FIRST

Last Year's Sweet Corn Soup, Shrimp and Corn Wonton

Albariño, Caspari Family Vineyard, Grand Valley, CO, 2024

SALAD

Kale and Arugula, Miso and Honey Balsamic, Sesame Seeds, Garlic Crispy Rice, Charred Spring Snaps, Scallions, Early Cucumbers, Mint, Lotsa Parmesan

Grenache Blanc, ONX Vineyard, Templeton Gap District, CA, 2021

MIDDLE

Grilled Shrimp with Kimchi Pancakes à la Plancha

Curly Scallion and Sweet Chile Salad 

Double Switchback, Dry Rosé, Grand Valley and West Elks, CO, 2024

MAIN

Miso Braised Beef

Spring Crunch Slaw, Crispy Shallot

Charred Root Veg Purée 

Rosé of Chambourcin, Grand Valley, CO, 2024

SWEET

Something Peachy TBD

Pre-Released Estate Reserve Riesling, West Elks, CO, 2024

NOTES:

• We are dining outside, so we strongly suggest dressing in layers, donning a hat, and wearing sunscreen. The sun is intense, and the spring weather can be finicky here on Sunshine Mesa.
• Please let us know of any food allergies, as we can easily accommodate them.
• Please be aware that Runzel Gulch Road has two dramatic switchbacks, and that parking at the winery is limited. Please carpool, if possible, in order to save space.
• Be respectful of our neighbors and yield to uphill traffic. Drive slowly and carefully, since there are blind spots along this graveled road.
• This is a working farm, so unfortunately, we are unable to accommodate children or pets at this event.
• Regarding attire, wear what you'd like and dress for an outdoor "springtime in Colorado" dinner. You'll be walking on a graveled road and dining atop a grassy hillside, so plan your shoe-choice wisely.
• We do not offer discounted tickets if you do not drink; however, we offer a limited count of paired, seasonal spirit-free drinks to accompany the menu. Because this is a wine dinner, where we feature our wines, the limited-count, non-alcoholic pairings are offered only those who do not drink. This option cannot be chosen on the day of the event.

If you have any further questions or concerns, call or text Jayme and Steve directly at 970.589.3142.

We are looking forward to hosting this incredible food-and-wine lineup with you in our beautiful North Fork Valley!

MEET THE FORAGE SISTERS:

We are proud to host the Forage Sisters and their culinary and hospitality teams, here at the vineyard again. From outdoor pop-ups and epic asados, to extravagant weddings and vineyard dinners, the Forage Sisters throw a party like no other. They are well-known for their intentional, seasonal cuisine; professional staff; imaginative courses; and cuisine that pairs perfectly with our white and rosé wines.

"We are Mirasol and Nicole. Though we are technically business partners, we are truly like sisters. Our shared love for curating events focused on food from local, Western Slope farms led us to create Forage Sisters. We are inspired by our backgrounds of Italian and Argentinian earthen and simplistic styles of food, the spirit of Colorado, our love for sustainable living, and above all, our love for people, community and gathering."

MEET THE WINEMAKERS:

Jayme Henderson and Steve Steese spent many years in the Denver restaurant scene, as managers, sommeliers, bartenders, event planners, and wine directors. They have led wine dinners with acclaimed producers, interned and studied throughout the broader wine world, written wine articles for numerous publications, and led workshops and tasting seminars throughout their careers.

In the summer of 2019, they released their first vintage of high-elevation white and rosé wines, under their label, The Storm Cellar, to high acclaim. Their award-winning, crisp, aromatic wines have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, Better Homes & Gardens, and the Colorado Governor's Cup Collection. Together, they tend 23 acres of farmland here in the West Elks AVA, in Hotchkiss, Colorado, with an emphasis on quality, both in farming and winemaking.

The Storm Cellar was awarded 2022 "Winery of the Year" by the Colorado Association for Viticulture and Enology.

Most importantly, Jayme and Steve love connecting people with wine through food and hospitality.

These photos were beautifully captured by Sky Taylor-Lahood at the Summer Asado on the Mesa with the Forage Sisters in August of 2024.