A good meal is more than just great food, it’s about an experience. That’s exactly the idea behind the ever popular winemaker and brewmaster dinner series. It’s an event designed to take the entire dining experience to a new level, where chefs and restaurant staff add multiple servings of food and drink with a dash of social spontaneity for an exquisite experience sure to satiate.

Executive Chef Alan Kubler of the Hyatt Regency, nestled on the north shore of Lake Tahoe in Incline Village, starts the process of planning his monthly winemaker series menu two months in advance.

“First, we sit down and try the wine; we have a number of people involved,” he says. “It’s a group effort. Wine is very subjective to different people, but there’s a common thread that is undeniable. It’s my job to get everybody’s input and create a dinner that accentuates the wine. It really comes down to the creative energy around the table.”

The result is a four-course ensemble of simple, yet flavorful dishes completely unique to each winemaker dinner. Kubler, who began his culinary studies in Austria 25 years ago, has taken his craft around the world and three and a half years ago that journey led him to his current position at the Hyatt.

With a keen sense for the seasons, he selects only the freshest ingredients for his menus. The mild-mannered, meticulous Chef’s eyes light up when he recalls the creative process behind the first course of the April menu.

“When we tasted the Miner Chardonnay – a wonderful chardonnay – the sun was shining and we thought, ‘What would be good to serve our guests in April?’ We came up with white asparagus, which is in season in April,” he says.

In Austria, Kubler explains, white asparagus is somewhat of a delicacy. “People drive 200 miles to get white asparagus when it’s in season,” he says. “It’s a very unique product with a very small window and few people really know how to cook it well.”

On April’s menu, the freshly harvested white asparagus is served with grilled cold-water lobster, parsley sauce and opal basil oil with red micro mustard.

While tantalizing the taste buds is the number one priority, creating an atmosphere to explore food, wine and all its possibilities with a group of people who love food and wine is the ultimate goal. Winemaker dinners have limited seating, hosting between 40 and 70 reservations, and patrons are seated together at large tables rather than separately in smaller groups. The entire kitchen staff is involved in the process as well and oftentimes will make an appearance in the dining room to discuss the menu.

“It’s a different kind of setting then just going out to dinner, which can be very predictable,” Kubler says. “When you go to a winemaker dinner where everyone is having a good time, it’s not predictable – it’s exciting.”

Combining two exciting factors, the “meet and greet” with the “surprise factor” of a uniquely designed dish is Kubler’s secret recipe for success. “And hopefully we’ll blow you away with the execution and the flavor,” he says with a smile.