Wine Country Bistro and Bottle Shop‘s annual whole hog barbecue and wine tasting party, Wine & Swine, will host what organizers are calling its “79th Edition,” 3-6 p.m., Sunday, April 12. While we’re pretty sure the party isn’t nearly 80 years old, we’ve also gotta respect Wine Country owner Jason Brady’s right to call his party whatever the heck he wants to call it. However old it actually is, from a food and drink lover’s perspective, the event seems to be getting better with age.
In addition to outstanding food provided by Wine Country Bistro’s Chef Anthony Felan and team, this year’s event will feature acclaimed guest chefs, an exclusive beer created for the event by Great Raft Brewing, live music by Easy Money and more than 60 wines.
Guest Chefs Molly McCook and Jeremy Wolgamott
Chef Molly McCook, a Shreveport native who has made considerable waves at Fort Worth’s Ellerbe Fine Foods (named a “Best New Restaurant” by Bon Appétit in 2010), will be preparing something for Wine & Swine. McCook was invited to cook at the James Beard House in New York in 2014, which is considered a huge honor in the cooking community. Jeremy Wolgamott, of New Orleans’ acclaimed High Hat Café, will also be taking part. According to Brady, these collaborations are part of a larger effort. “We’re trying to reach out and do more things with outstanding chefs around the country,” Brady told me.
Beer (and Wine)
Though the name of the event begins with “Wine,” one of the more exciting elements of this year’s Wine & Swine is a smoked amber from Great Raft Brewing made special for this event on the brewery’s pilot system. The beer, brewed with mesquite smoked malt, was created as a collaboration between Great Raft Brewing and Jason Brady, with the idea of designing a beer that would complement the taste of barbecue. This year’s Wine & Swine will be the only place that this Smoked Bohemian brew will be served. If beer’s not your thing, there will be eight different wine wholesalers at the event, who’ll be pouring more than 60 wines.
Pork
The star of the show at Wine & Swine, without fail, is the whole hog barbecue. This year, Brady says, the event will make use of “three different whole hogs, three different breeds of hog.” While he and Chef Anthony Felan are still finalizing the menu for the event, you can bet that it’ll be pork-centric.
Tickets to Wine & Swine are $85 each and are available now at the Wine Country retail shops located at 4801 Line Avenue and 608 Absinthe Court in Shreveport. Must be 21 years of age or older to attend.
If you go, please celebrate responsibly.
