End of the Year, Host Appreciation Dinner (MUST HOST IN 2026 AND INVITED)

Hello Boulder Wine Meetupers (Meetupians?),

We are once again hosting our End-of-Year Host Appreciation Dinner.

This dinner is meant to recognize and thank the wonderful hosts who make this group what it is throughout the year.

It’s also meant to encourage others to jump in and host events and be part of this great hosting community.

The 2023, 2024, and 2025 dinners were fantastic. I personally had a blast, and I think everyone else did too. So get out there and host—I hope to see many of you there.

This year will be slightly different. Last year we reached the limit of what we can comfortably do for a plated dinner, so this event will be capped at 20 guests.

Because of that, there will be two requirements to attend:

1. You must have hosted an event in 2026 for Boulder Wine Meetup.
2. If there are more than 10 hosts, the event will become invite-only.

Everyone is welcome to join the waitlist throughout the year. As the event approaches, we will pull 10 hosts from the waitlist, and each host may bring one guest. If we have space for more, we will add additional hosts and do our best to make the event as inclusive as possible.

If we end up over capacity, I will try to make selections as fairly as possible and prioritize those who helped make the 2026 events especially great.

For events with co-hosts: the host may choose one guest, and that guest can certainly be the co-host, but it will count as the single guest spot.

If you have not hosted an event in 2026, you will be removed from the waitlist. That said, if you want to sign up before hosting, please reach out to me or another organizer and let’s get your event on the calendar.

This will be a multi-course plated wine dinner.

A few things to keep in mind:

1. This is a suggested date and may move as we get closer, though it will likely stay around this timeframe.
2. We are starting earlier in the day and scheduling it earlier in December to avoid conflicts with other holiday events.
3. Guests are encouraged to bring a wine we can pair with food. If you have a special bottle you’d like to share, please let me know ahead of time so I can plan food pairings accordingly. We’ve had some incredible wines brought in past years.
4. Each host is welcome to bring a plus-one.
5. The menu will evolve over time, depending on the wines that are brought and the tastes of the final guest list.

Again, the 2023, 2024, and 2025 dinners were wonderful. I had a blast, and I hope many of you will be part of this year’s event.
To give you an idea of what we’ve done in the past, here are the previous menus.

(These are past menus, just to give a sense of the evening. This year’s menu will be different.)

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2025
Welcome – GH Mumm Grand Cordon and Crémant de Bourgogne

1. Cheese and charcuterie – with Moët & Chandon and Vermut Lustau
2. Sliced cucumbers with parmesan, balsamic, chopped nuts, and pesto – with J. Schram 2014 Noir
3. Risotto / curry rice, grilled squash, sliced bacon – with Dry Creek Chenin Blanc and Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2024
4. Homemade fettuccini, red wine cream sauce, smoked salmon – with Montserate Monte Luna and Lavau Châteauneuf-du-Pape
5. Italian sausage and shrimp on air-fried Brussels sprouts – with 2019 Silver Oak Cabernet (Napa)
6. Potato cake topped with grilled pork tenderloin, tomato-onion chutney, asparagus – with 2010 Cinq Cépages, Chateau St. Jean
7. Air-fried sweet potato and squash poblano casserole topped with lamb and honey mustard cream sauce – with Amarone
8. Crushed Oreos, pumpkin pie scoop, ice cream, chocolate whipped cream – with Doña Antonia Tawny Port and Croft Tawny Port

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2024

1. Romaine boat with gorgonzola, tomatoes, and toasted corn – with Reserve Schramsberg Champagne
2. Cheese and charcuterie – with ZD Chardonnay
3. Lemon pepper wing on fresh cabbage – with Alsatian Grand Cru Riesling
4. Grilled shrimp on corn cake with green chili beans – with 2016 Clos des Brusquières Châteauneuf-du-Pape
5. Baked pasta in red-wine coconut cream sauce topped with smoked salmon – with 2007 Silver Oak Cabernet
6. Brussels sprouts with bacon – with 1999 Silver Oak Cabernet
7. Picanha, green beans, grilled squash – with 1995 Silver Oak Cabernet
8. Cookie topped with pumpkin pie and homemade whipped cream – with Quarles Harris Porto
9. Bonus wines and snacks: Campo dei Ciliegi Red, 2022 Chateau St. Jean Rosé (Petaluma Gap), Prosecco, toasted Marconi almonds, homemade bread, cheddar biscuits

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2023

1. Smoked salmon on roasted potato with cheese sauce – with Torremilanos Cava
2. Chicken jalapeño meatball – with Duckhorn Chardonnay
3. Salad with goat cheese, fruit, and nuts with red wine reduction dressing – with Sommerberg Riesling
4. Cheese and meat tray – with Torremilanos Montecastrillo
5. Chorizo enchilada with pork green chili – with 2008 Witch Creek Syrah
6. Fresh pasta in coconut cream sauce with pork tenderloin – with Duckhorn Decoy Cabernet
7. Picanha with red-wine pepper cream sauce over sweet potatoes – with 1999 Silver Oak Cabernet
8. Deconstructed pumpkin pie – with Taylor Fladgate 10-Year Tawny Port
9. Bonus wines: Poggio Antico Brunello and Miliasso Albarossa

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Let me know if you have any questions.