Fresh air, exercise and excitement are all par for the course on a ranch vacation and this of course is a recipe for building up a good appetite! After all, we need our fuel for those epic trail rides! And isn’t it nice to wind down with a glass of wine or a cold beer at the end of a good day? Here's why ranch vacations are rapidly becoming the next big thing for food and wine lovers...
Rather than just slapping down any ol’ grub to fill their hungry guests, our Top50 Ranches are in-the-know when it comes to offering enticing eats, often locally-grown and cooked by chefs at the peak of their game. Delicious delights are paired with fine wines, and special events celebrating the art of fine ranch food and wine are nowadays a big part of the ranches’ rich cultures.
Enjoying good ranch food and wine brings people together and ranch vacations offer everything, from big al fresco BBQ cookouts, to special Chef’s Tasting Menus. Here are a few of our favourite Fall ranch food and wine events – you’ll soon see why ranch vacations are fast becoming the hottest tickets to some seriously awesome food and wine experiences!
Brush Creek Ranch, Wyoming USA
Labor Day Harvest Weekend
1-4 September, 2017
Gather your friends and join Brush Creek Ranch at the gorgeous Magee Homestead for this sun-kissed Labor Day weekend event, featuring an intimate concert with Brian Wilson – founding member of the Beach Boys. Chef AJ’s harvest creations and wine parings will be showcased with fresh, organic greenhouse yields and ranch-raised Akaushi beef. Immerse yourself in the spellbinding tranquility and classic rocky mountain adventure of the West, and enjoy revitalizing spa experiences, equestrian riding, mountain biking, hiking, fly-fishing and more, to embrace the last moments of summer.
What’s included:
• All-inclusive
• Private Brian Wilson performance
• Luxury lodging
• Daily adventures and wellness offerings
• Gourmet food and beverages, including wine, beers and premium spirits
Visit The Magee Homestead for more on rates and policies
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The Home Ranch, Colorado USA
Colorado High Mountain Harvest
3-10 September, 2017
Join The Home Ranch for their Colorado High Mountain Harvest event! Enjoy special sessions with Colorado’s finest chefs, wine makers and food artisans, and throughout the week, you will be engaged in a wide array of culinary activities and indulgences. Learn to make pizza, smoke the trout you just caught and preserve delicious Colorado peaches. Enjoy cooking demos and a wide variety of farm-to-table creations, all while sipping handcrafted Rocky Mountain cocktails and brews. Finally, indulge in a luxurious wine-pairing dinner, featuring local Colorado wines.
What’s included:
• All The Home Ranch summer activities
• Special cooking classes, dinners and events
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The Resort at Paws Up, Montana USA
Montana Master Chefs Rising All-Stars Event
21-24 September, 2017
Foodies unite this weekend, to celebrate all things food and wine at The Resort at Paws Up’s Montana Master Chefs event! Enjoy cooking demos, multi-course dinners, wine tastings and Western-style entertainment, and to work off (or build up an appetite for!) those gourmet delights, you can partake in myriad wilderness adventures, too. Have a go at horseback riding, river rafting or fly-fishing, then enjoy watching the chefs duel it out in a light-hearted (read: highly competitive!) Master Chef Cook-Off Challenge.
What’s included:
• Champagne welcome reception upon arrival
• Four days/three nights in a luxurious Montana vacation home or safari-style tent
• Breakfast, lunch and dinner every day; nightly five-course dinner prepared by Feature Chef, with complete wine pairing by Featured Vintner
• Wine by famous vintners with passes to all wine tastings and all scheduled events
• One wilderness activity per person, per day (horseback riding, ATV tours, sporting clays and more)
• Complimentary airport transfers and on-property transportation
All-inclusive package rates start from $979 per person per night before tax and resort fee
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The Ranch at Rock Creek, Montana USA
Autumn Harvest Weekend with Leann Rimes
12-15 October, 2017
Join The Ranch at Rock Creek for their Autumn Harvest Weekend with Leann Rimes and celebrate Montana’s Fall bounty – enjoy four days of special events, guided activities and bespoke luxury accommodations. With over a dozen included activities, you can fill your days with horseback riding, fly-fishing, photography workshops, Montana naturalist classes, shooting sports and more! Relax in the Granite Nature Spa, take a gastronomic tour including a Chef’s Tasting Menu paired with local craft cider and enjoy the sounds of special music guest, Leann Rimes. Then, work off your Western Rendezvous Lunch and Fall Harvest Feast at the Afterglow Barn Dance! It’s the perfect opportunity to gather with loved ones, friends or a partner for a long weekend of outdoor, culinary and musical delights.
What’s included:
• Accommodation
• Unlimited hot drinks, soft drinks, premium beer, wine and spirits
• All meals, snacks and hors d’oeuvres
• Two daily, on-property guided activities
• Access to fitness center, pool, hot tub and saloon entertainment facilities
• Complimentary airport transfers (selected airports) and on-property transportation
All-inclusive package rates start at $2,000 per accommodation per night, plus 20% ranch fee
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The Alisal Guest Ranch and Resort, California USA
BBQ Bootcamp
25-27 October, 2017
For over 60 years, The Alisal has treated grilling as a fine art and during this two-night, three-day BBQ Bootcamp event, guests are invited to hone their grilling skills, and learn the ins-and-outs of Santa Maria-style BBQ. Alisal’s Executive Chef, Pascal Godé and special guest Hitching Post II owner Frank Ostini will lead the event, and you’ll also have the chance to learn industry secrets from local guest chefs and winemakers.
What’s included:
• Two-night stay in studio accommodations
• Welcome amenities with Western-style weekend accessories
• All meals, including special dinners with local winemakers and brew masters
• Seminars on grilling methods and equipment, BBQ instruction, spice blending and more
• BBQ recipe booklet
• Activities, including horseback riding, golf green fees, tennis, and bait and tackle for fishing at Alisal Lake
• Taxes and service charges
Rates start at $1,576 for three days/two nights, double occupancy. Please note that this package has limited availability and has an adults-only policy
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Tierra Chamahua Eco-Adventures at Rancho Los Banos, Mexico
Thanksgiving with a Mexican twist!
19-26 November, 2017
This Thanksgiving, Rancho Los Banos is offering you Thanksgiving with a Mexican twist! Enjoy free nightly wine tasting from fantastic Latin American wineries, then tuck into a great traditional Thanksgiving Day meal. Best of all, kids aged 10 and under stay for free! November is a great time to visit too, with temperate, warm Fall days, fantastic lighting and colors, and incredible scenery to complement your riding and hiking. Choose any dates to suit your family over the holiday.
What’s included:
• All-inclusive
• Kids under 10 go free
• Nightly wine tasting
• Airport transfers
Rates start at $205 per guest, per night, double occupancy. Please note, there’s a single supplement of $15 per night
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Triple Creek Ranch, Montana USA
Thanksgiving Vintner Weekend
22-26 November, 2017
Join Triple Creek Ranch for their third annual Thanksgiving Vintner Weekend! As well as their customary array of outdoor activities, enjoy lively (optional) pastimes, such as cranking up the old-school apple press for fresh cider and a special pie-making cooking class. Triple Creek will also be welcoming acclaimed Napa Valley winery, Tamber Bey Vineyards to complement the holiday-themed cooking classes with world-class wine tasting sessions.
What’s included:
• All meals, house wines, spirits, beers
• All activities associated with the holiday event
• Most other on-ranch activities
Nightly rates start at $1,050 per couple, per night; please note that Triple Creek Ranch welcomes guests ages 16 and older
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White Stallion Ranch, Arizona USA
Late Fall Special
26 November-16 December, 2017
Escape to a stress-free safe haven for a few days; late Fall brings you exciting culinary offerings at White Stallion Ranch! Depending on your choice of dates, highlights will be a steak cookout, breakfast ride, or their signature Indian Oven dinner. You’ll also experience an all-day ride in the Saguaro National Monument, guided nature hikes, a rodeo exhibition and a variety of exciting evening programs. No need to worry about what to do, where to eat, or what to wear, it’s blue-jean country and the attire is casual. It’s the perfect fix to gear up for the hustle and bustle of your holiday season, and with these great rates, spaces will go quickly. So go on, treat yourself before the winter kicks in for real!
What’s included:
• Lodging
• All meals
• Horseback riding (except Sunday)
• Airport transfers Tucson
• Use of the ranch facilities
Rates start at $735 per person for four nights/five days based on double occupancy. Seven nights/eight days: $1,223 per person based on double occupancy
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Read more here on the different ways our ranches approach food and wine...
For more information on epic ranch vacations, including special offers, discounts and coupons visit us at Top50 Ranches