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Full Belly Files

Full Belly Files | New Year’s Resolution: Know, and Support, Thy Farmer

Put your money where your mouth is this year, starting with Pico’s lunch series; plus, stories you may have missed.

Full Belly Files | New Year’s Resolution: Know, and Support, Thy Farmer

Sign up to get Matt Kettmann’s Full Belly Files, which serves up multiple courses of food & drink coverage every Friday, going off-menu from our regularly published content to deliver tasty nuggets of restaurant, recipe, and refreshment wisdom to your inbox

Though its popularity is no longer peaking, the winemaker dinner developed a tried-and-true format for hosting a meal that is both indulgent and educational.

The basic formula — for those who haven’t managed to attend one over the past three decades or so — is that the winemaker introduces each course by explaining the chosen wine for that dish, often with the chef also chiming in on the cuisine. Diners leave full of both food and information, often leading to lasting relationships with the wineries and restaurants involved.