Spring is in full bloom at Sweet Cheeks Winery, and we’re excited to partner with Branch Road Farm for a farm-to-glass dining experience. Known for its commitment to sustainable, seasonal, and locally grown produce, Branch Road Farm provides the freshest ingredients that inspire each dish in our curated tasting menu.

Our April winemaker dinner is Saturday, April 11, 2026.

This will be the only Winemaker Dinner we plan to host in 2026, so don’t miss your chance to be part of it. Our founder, Dan, built Sweet Cheeks Winery on connection and community. The Winemaker Dinner was always his favorite event. He loved sharing a meal with guests and witnessing the creativity that blossoms when culinary artistry meets handcrafted wine.

Paired with our celebrated wines from Sweet Cheeks Winery, each course promises to transport your palate to new horizons. Here’s a sneak peek at what’s on the menu for this unforgettable evening:

Birch Road Farm’s Andhi Reyna with Sweet Cheeks Winery winemaker, Leo Gabica

2026 Winemaker Dinner Menu

Passed Appetizers in the Barrel Hall

Caramelized Leek Arancini – Spring herb aioli, chive blossoms, pecorino dust

Ahi Crudo – Yuzu Champagne vinaigrette, spring pickled radish, edible flowers

Cucumber Canape – Lemon dill crème fraîche, pickled red onion, dill fronds
Wine Pairing: 2023 Luminary Sparkling

First Course

Grilled Baby Romaine, Watermelon Radish, Shaved Snap Peas, Fried Capers & Green Garlic Caesar Dressing

Wine Pairing: 2024 Estate Dry Riesling

Second Course

Roasted Asparagus, Nasturtium Vinaigrette, Cultured Lemon Cream, Hazelnut & Herb Crumb, Nasturtium Flowers

Wine Pairing: 2024 Gamay Noir

Third Course

Braised Bison Short Ribs, Red Wine Reduction with Sweet Cheeks 2022 Pebblestone Vineyard Syrah, Creamy Polenta, Oregon Smokey Blue, Tender Herb Gremolata, Spring Amaranth
*Vegetarian: Oregon Mushroom, Leek & Ricotta Ravioli w/ a Creamy Leek Parmesan Sauce & Fresh Herbs (request in advance)

Wine Pairing: 2021 Quail Run Vineyard Petite Sirah

Fourth Course

Chocolate Ganache w/ Garden Sorrel Ice Cream, Black Cocoa Cake Crumble, Candied Cacao Nibs, Red Sorrel Shoots

Wine Pairing: 2022 Pebblestone Vineyard Syrah

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Rooted in Education & Experience

At Sweet Cheeks Winery, community has always been at the heart of what we do. Which is why partnering with Branch Road Farms feels like such a natural extension of our values.

Branch Road Farms offers multidisciplinary, project-based workshops and classes for children, teens, and adults, creating hands-on opportunities to learn through outdoor and farm-based experiences. From soil health and ecological diversity to food systems and culinary skill-building, their programs cultivate not just knowledge, but confidence and connection.

Their Farm Camps are especially inspiring. Campers step into the rhythm of daily farm life; milking goats, collecting eggs, harvesting vegetables, planting seeds, and even learning botany and agroecology. In the kitchen, they explore sustainable food systems through cooking, baking, cheese-making, menu planning, and taste testing. Every meal is a true farm-to-table experience, often featuring ingredients harvested just hours before.

It’s all about farming, food, and fun, and creating meaningful experiences that stay with participants long after the week ends.

Farm to Fork, In Every Sense

The Branch Road Farm Kitchen Collective extends its mission beyond the farm through catering services that bring local, organic, and seasonally fresh ingredients directly from their fields to your table. Their approach is simple and intentional: thoughtfully prepared food that reflects the land it came from.

They also offer a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, essentially a subscription to the farm’s seasonal harvest. Members invest early in the season, helping support seed purchases, equipment repairs, and operational costs during the slower months. In return, families receive weekly shares of vibrant, organic produce throughout the growing season, a delicious and meaningful way to support local agriculture.

Heritage, Sustainability & Incredible Flavor

Branch Road Farms also raises rare Mangalitsa pigs, a heritage breed native to Hungary known for their woolly coats and exceptionally rich, marbled meat. These pasture-, meadow-, and woodland-raised pigs are grown slowly and intentionally, without antibiotics, de-wormers, GMOs, corn, or soy. The result is deeply flavorful pork with beautifully creamy fat, prized for both cooking and charcuterie.

Their whole, half, and quarter hog shares reflect their commitment to transparency, accessibility, and high-quality food, and they even offer payment plans and volunteer trade options to ensure nourishing food remains within reach for the community.

At its core, Branch Road Farms embodies something we deeply believe in at Sweet Cheeks Winery: food and wine are connectors. They bring people together around a table, around a shared experience, and around a shared commitment to stewarding the land well.

We’re honored to collaborate with a farm so deeply rooted in education, sustainability, and community.