The Art of Wine & Food in Perfect Harmony
A great wine dinner is a conversation between the glass and the plate—each course and pairing revealing something new about the other. At Ultra Lux Events LA, we curate wine pairing dinners that go far beyond simply matching red with meat and white with fish. Our sommeliers and chefs collaborate to create multi-sensory journeys where every sip and bite tells a connected story.
Whether you're a seasoned collector looking to share prized bottles with friends or a curious enthusiast eager to explore the world of wine, we design experiences that educate, delight, and create unforgettable evenings.
Wine Dinner Formats
The Classic Pairing Dinner
The quintessential wine dinner experience:
- 5-7 course menu with a wine selected for each course
- Sommelier introduces each pairing with tasting notes and background
- Chef explains the culinary approach and how the dish was designed to complement the wine
- Printed menu and tasting note cards at each place setting
- Progressive structure from lighter to bolder, finishing with dessert wine or port
The Regional Deep-Dive
An evening exploring a single wine region in depth:
- Burgundy — Grand Cru Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs with classic French cuisine
- Napa Valley — Iconic Cabernets and boutique producers with California-forward cooking
- Tuscany — Brunello, Super Tuscans, and Chianti Classico with Italian dishes
- Champagne — Vintage and prestige cuvées paired across a full multi-course dinner
- Rioja & Spain — Tempranillo, Albariño, and Sherry with Spanish tapas and beyond
- Willamette Valley — Oregon Pinot Noir and Chardonnay with Pacific Northwest cuisine
The Vertical Tasting Dinner
A rare opportunity to taste a single wine across multiple vintages:
- 5-8 vintages of the same wine from a celebrated producer
- Experience how the same vineyard expresses itself across different years
- Learn about vintage variation, aging potential, and winemaking evolution
- Each vintage paired with a course designed to highlight its characteristics
- Ideal for collectors and serious enthusiasts
The Blind Tasting Competition
Interactive and entertaining—perfect for social gatherings:
- Wines served blind with guests guessing grape, region, and vintage
- Scoring cards and friendly competition
- Sommelier reveals and educates after each round
- Paired with complementary bites and palate cleansers
- Prizes for the most accurate tasters
The Celebration Dinner
Wine as the centerpiece of a milestone evening:
- Trophy wines and rare bottles befitting the occasion
- Champagne and sparkling welcome service
- Toasting moments built into the pairing sequence
- Dessert course paired with late-harvest or fortified wines
- Keepsake menus and tasting notes for guests
The Sommelier Experience
Expert Guidance
Our sommeliers bring knowledge, passion, and personality to every dinner:
- Wine Selection — Curating wines that tell a cohesive story across the evening
- Pairing Philosophy — Explaining why each wine and dish combination works
- Tasting Direction — Guiding guests on what to look for in aroma, palate, and finish
- Storytelling — Sharing the history, terroir, and winemaker stories behind each bottle
- Accessibility — Making wine knowledge approachable and enjoyable for every guest level
Service Excellence
Proper wine service is essential to the experience:
- Temperature-controlled storage and service for every bottle
- Professional decanting with appropriate lead times for aged wines
- Proper glassware selected for each varietal—Burgundy stems, Bordeaux glasses, flutes
- Correct pour sizes that allow tasting across multiple wines without excess
- Attentive refills and pacing aligned with the course progression
Wine Sourcing & Access
Rare & Allocated Wines
Our network provides access to wines that are nearly impossible to find:
- Allocated Producers — Screaming Eagle, Harlan Estate, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Petrus
- Library Vintages — Properly cellared older vintages from private collections
- Small Production — Boutique producers making limited quantities for insiders
- Pre-Release Access — New vintages before they hit the market
- Auction Sourcing — Rare bottles sourced from reputable auction houses with verified provenance
Winemaker Connections
Adding a personal dimension to your dinner:
- Guest appearances by winemakers from California, Oregon, and international estates
- Virtual winemaker sessions for producers who can't attend in person
- Personalized bottles signed by the winemaker
- Insider stories and cellar perspectives that only producers can share
The Culinary Partnership
Chef & Sommelier Collaboration
The best wine dinners are built through true partnership between kitchen and cellar:
- Pairing Development — Chef and sommelier taste together, refining each combination
- Ingredient Selection — Dishes designed with specific wine characteristics in mind
- Sauce & Seasoning Calibration — Acidity, salt, fat, and sweetness balanced to complement each pour
- Texture Matching — Food textures paired with wine body and tannin structure
- Progression Design — The full menu builds in intensity alongside the wine journey
Menu Considerations
Elements that make wine pairings sing:
- Umami-rich preparations that enhance the fruit in the wine
- Proper acidity in dishes to match high-acid whites
- Fat and richness to soften tannic reds
- Strategic use of herbs and spices that bridge food and wine flavors
- Palate cleansers between courses to reset and prepare for the next pairing
Wine Dinner Settings
In-Home Wine Cellars
For collectors with private cellars, the ultimate intimate setting:
- Dining surrounded by your own collection
- Temperature and humidity perfect for wine service
- Intimate guest counts of 4-12 in a truly unique atmosphere
- Chef prepares courses in your home kitchen
Private Dining Rooms
Elegant restaurant PDRs with built-in wine programs:
- Access to the restaurant's cellar to supplement your selections
- Professional kitchen producing courses to the highest standard
- Dedicated service staff familiar with fine wine protocols
- Ideal for groups of 8-20 seeking a polished environment
Estate & Villa Settings
Grand settings for larger wine dinners:
- Long-table dining in estate gardens, courtyards, or formal dining rooms
- Mobile wine service with temperature-controlled storage
- Full event production including lighting, décor, and live music
- Guest counts of 20-50+ with full catering and service teams
Our Wine Dinner Process
Phase 1: Discovery (3-4 Weeks Out)
- Wine Consultation — Understanding your wine preferences, collection, knowledge level, and dinner goals
- Format Selection — Choosing the right wine dinner format for your group and occasion
- Guest Profiling — Learning about your guests' wine familiarity and dietary needs
- Budget & Scope — Wine investment, culinary budget, and experience elements
Phase 2: Curation (2-3 Weeks Out)
- Wine Selection — Sommelier curates the wine lineup with tasting notes and pairing rationale
- Chef Collaboration — Menu developed in partnership between sommelier and chef
- Sourcing — Rare bottles ordered, allocated wines secured, and cellar wines assessed
- Design Planning — Table design, glassware, tasting cards, and ambient elements
Phase 3: Preparation (1 Week Out)
- Wine Preparation — Bottles stored at proper temperature; decanting schedule planned
- Menu Finalization — Final tastings and adjustments between chef and sommelier
- Service Briefing — Staff trained on wine service protocol, course timing, and guest preferences
- Materials Produced — Printed menus, tasting note cards, and any keepsake elements
Phase 4: The Wine Dinner
- Setting the Stage — Table design, glassware placement, and temperature check on all wines
- Welcome Pour — Guests arrive to a sparkling or aperitif wine with canapés
- The Journey — Each course presented with its paired wine, sommelier narration, and chef notes
- Guest Interaction — Open discussion, questions, and palate sharing throughout
- Grand Finale — Dessert pairing, digestifs, and a farewell wine moment
- Take-Home — Tasting notes, wine list, and optional bottles for guests to continue the exploration
What's Included
Every wine pairing dinner includes:
- Expert Sommelier — A certified sommelier curating, sourcing, and guiding the wine experience
- Wine Sourcing — Access to rare, allocated, and premium wines through our cellar network
- Chef Collaboration — Custom menu developed in partnership between sommelier and chef
- Premium Glassware — Varietal-appropriate stemware for every pour
- Tasting Materials — Printed menus, tasting note cards, and wine descriptions at each place setting
- Temperature-Controlled Service — Proper storage and serving temperatures for every bottle
- Table Design — Custom tableware, florals, and ambient styling
- Full Service Team — Servers, sommelier, and kitchen staff for seamless hospitality
Contact us for a personalized wine dinner proposal.
Raise Your Glass
A great wine dinner is one of life's finest pleasures—exceptional wines, inspired cuisine, and meaningful conversation. Let us create a pairing experience that elevates your evening from dinner to destination.
Request a quote or call us at (310) 435-6541 to start planning your wine dinner.