Carter Creek Winery Resort & Spa invites guests from near and far to spend a jolly December at the resort enjoying delicious, festive dining adventures. The inaugural Tree Lighting Festival on Friday, December 3, will entertain families with fun-packed activities, along with a holiday buffet dinner and a visit from Santa. On Sunday, December 5, the resort hosts a four-course Winemaker Dinner for food and wine lovers to start their holidays off merry and bright. For Christmas dinner, Carter Creek has created a special Christmas To-Go Package with all the trimmings for those who want to enjoy the feast at home or elsewhere with none of the planning, shopping, prep, or clean up.
Inaugural Tree Lighting Festival
Friday, December 3, from 5 to 8:30 p.m.
The inaugural Tree Lighting Festival evening at Carter Creek Winery Resort & Spa kicks off with a tree lighting ceremony at 6 p.m. followed by fun-packed festivities such as face painting, cookie decorating, a Christmas movie screening, and the excitement of having photos taken with Santa. There’s a bountiful Buffet Dinner featuring seasonal holiday favorites as well as melt-in-your-mouth desserts, hot cocoa, s’mores, and wonderful wines and beer. During the season of giving, there is an unwrapped Toy Drop-Off Station for donations for less privileged children.
Buffet Dinner is $55 for adults, $15 for children 10 and under; exclusive of tax and gratuity. Tickets are required for this event and are available by emailing mmoreno@cartercreek.com.
Elegant Four-Course Winemaker Dinner Paired with Award-Winning Reds
Sunday, December 5; reception at 6 p.m.; dinner starts at 6:45 p.m.
On Sunday, December 5, to launch the holiday season, there is a special chef-driven gourmet four-course dinner expertly paired with a selection of Carter Creek Winery’s award-winning red wines chosen by Master Winemaker Jon McPherson. Four featured wines – 2014 and 2016 Tempranillo and the winery’s 2016 and 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon – will be served for guests to compare and contrast different vintages. The dinner begins with Smoked Duck Fig Sausage Salad with prosciutto, manchego cheese, frisée, baby romaine, poached pear, micro arugula, and raspberry vinaigrette. The Second Course is Bacon Wrapped Pork Loin with grilled polenta cake, asparagus espuma, charred shallot, and port fig demi. For the Third Course, Peppered Flat Iron Steak accompanied by mushroom and English pea salsify ragu, pepper jack au gratin potato, herb butter and brandy reduction will be served. Dessert is Triple Chocolate Cheesecake with chocolate-dipped candied bacon, blackberry compote and plum mascarpone quenelle.
$100 per person, exclusive of tax and gratuity. Reservations are required by emailing mmoreno@cartercreek.com.
Christmas Dinner To-Go Packages from JC Smokehouse
Must be ordered by Friday, December 17. Pick-up dates are Friday, December 24, (cold pick up only) or Saturday, December 25, (hot or cold pick up) from 12 to 6 p.m.
JC Smokehouse at Carter Creek Winery Resort & Spa offers a celebratory Christmas to-go package to please everyone’s holiday dinner cravings. The dinner includes two smoked whole chickens (3.5 pounds each), green bean casserole (1 pint), cream corn (1 pint), roasted potatoes with rosemary and garlic (1 pint), chicken jus (1 pint), white bean cassoulet (1 pint), yams (1 pint), six Hawaiian dinner rolls, 10-inch pecan pie, and 10-inch apple pie. Chef prepared heating instructions included. Food comes in reheatable containers.
In addition to the to-go package dinner, a la carte selections may be added to Christmas dinner packages. Included are smoked proteins of either two smoked chickens (3.5 pounds each) for $50 or classic 12-pound smoked brisket for $128. To purchase sides, one smoked protein must be ordered, and there is a three-side minimum. Sides choices are green bean casserole, yams with marshmallows and maple brown sugar glaze, cream corn, chicken jus and roasted fingerling potatoes with rosemary and garlic – each one pint for $10, and white bean cassoulet (1 pint) for $14 and six Hawaiian dinner rolls for $10. Additional desserts are available (one smoked protein must be ordered). Desserts are a 10-inch pecan pie for $24 and a 10-inch apple pie for $25.
To-go Christmas dinner is $130 for a family of four exclusive of a la carte inclusions. Orders should be submitted via email to mgranados@cartercreek.com with full name, address, and contact information.