Wine all the time: Sommeliers aren’t just for restaurants anymore

How do you take a catered party, special dinner at home or festive aprés event to the next level? Bring in personalized sommelier service, of course. Jason Hunter, a certified sommelier with a career in fine dining, has filled a niche in the Vail Valley with his new venture Lemon Rock.

“I like to think of myself as a sommelier in slippers,” he said, laughing.

His services are wide ranging, but they all center around wine and other beverages, from helping curate bottles for a private collection to pairing wines from clients’ own cellars that will accompany a special meal. Parties might be large-scale events, educational tasting seminars or something more intimate such as a romantic dinner for two.

“People come to Vail from all over the world to vacation here,” Hunter said. “And they want to engage with all of those wonderful things we offer.”

And he’s part of that good life.

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Après Soirées: Champagne powder day

Whether you’re pushing powder around or crushing groomers during the season, bubbles await your return from the slopes with signature caviar service of black caviar, crème fraîche and Ruffles.

“A sommelier will arrive before the guests, to prepare caviar service ahead of their arrival,” Hunter says. “Everyone is greeted with a glass of choice Champagne, which can segue into any of our bespoke offerings.”

Those offerings include experiences such as rosé and steak tartare, or Willamette Valley pinot noir with cheese and charcuterie.

Chef-to-Table Experiences

Lemon Rock partners with restaurants and private chefs, bringing fine dining experiences to the dinner table at home. Using a bevy of private chefs — and of course having exclusive access to some of the Vail Valley’s restaurants — Lemon Rock sommeliers will pick up and prepare dinner for service, pair and procure the wines, and provide what Hunter describes as “our seamless sommelier service” throughout the dining experience.

“We are very excited to present our newest offering, The Matsuhisa-Lemon Rock Experience,” Hunter says.

Sommelier service for private events

“Imagine hosting a dinner party and not having to think about what wine to serve, if it’s good enough, where to get it, if it’s at the right temperature, whether to decant it or not and for how long, if a wine is flawed, what stemware to use — are there enough stems? — when to serve what wine, how to pour it, why you paired it with your food, where your guests can find more of it, and any number of questions your guests might have about the wine itself,” he says.

Of course, Lemon Rock sommeliers answer all of these questions.

For more information visit lemonrockwines.com.