Celebration Details
March 2024, Dates TBD
In the traditions of sold-out Whiskey and Water and Autumn Harvest Weekend events, we’re combining two of our favorite pursuits into one expertly paired weekend of adventure. The Ranch will welcome experts in viticulture and zoology to our wild expanse to learn the hidden secrets of the ecosystem that allow flora and fauna to thrive.
Executive Chef Josh Drage and Sommelier Craig O. will work in concert with Jack and Dawn Galante of Carmel, California’s Galante Family Winery and Dawn’s Dream Winery on a Winemaker’s Dinner, Art-in-Nature class and social hour pairings throughout the weekend, while Joshua Lisbon of MPG Ranch will lead wildlife tracking and primitive skills activities that enhance The Ranch’s own Master Naturalist program, including a showing of his film “Tracking Notes: The Secret World of Mountain Lions.” Guests will spend the weekend drinking deep from the natural bounty of the landscape and leaving with a better understanding of the world around them.
- Standard RC Inclusions: luxury accommodations; all meals; premium wine, beer, spirits and other beverages; a selection of gear and on-ranch activities; round-trip transportation facilitated to and from Missoula and Butte airports upon request.
- Rates start at $2,000 per accommodation, per night, based on standard occupancy, plus 23% Ranch Fee.
- Minimum four-night stay, based on availability.
- Please note that all events are subject to change due to safety, weather and social distancing.
About Our Experts
Galante Family Winery & Dawn's Dream Winery
Jack & Dawn Galante
Owners
Jack Galante’s great grandfather, James Devendorf, founded Carmel-by-the-Sea in 1900. In 1969, Jack’s parents purchased a 700-acre cattle ranch in Carmel Valley, where Jack developed his love for agriculture, ranching and the cowboy way of life. The Galante’s began growing premium wine grapes specializing in Cabernet Sauvignon. In 1994, Jack decided to build a winery to produce ultra-premium estate bottled wines. In 2011 his wife, Dawn, founded Dawn’s Dream Winery specializing in Pinot Noir while supporting non-profit organizations locally and globally.
A geographer and environmental planner, Jack is the creative mind behind Galante Vineyard’s unique brand while managing the growing practices and winemaking process. Dawn is the CFO and overseas all aspects of the wineries’ business operations. Jack and Dawn are as dedicated to their wineries as they are to their five children and four grandchildren.
MPG Ranch
Joshua Lisbon
Wildlife Researcher, Documentarian & Educator
Joshua Lisbon is an avid outdoorsman, an educator, and a graduate of the University of Montana. He is the Education Director for MPG Ranch, a private conservation organization that stewards over 15,000 acres in the Bitterroot Valley of Western Montana.
Since 2012, Joshua has led a winter mountain lion population study on MPG and the surrounding public lands. This project is non-invasive, meaning cats are never collared or handled. The project tracks the resident population and the relatedness of those individuals over time through rigorous field study and DNA sampling. Recently, this research has led to documentary film work with MPG and PBS.
The Ranch at Rock Creek
Craig O. (Osborne)
Sommelier
Craig O. is a Certified Sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers. He started his culinary journey at his parent’s popcorn shop in upstate New York. He later pursued an Associate’s Degree from the Culinary Institute of America in New York. Interest in Relais & Chateaux properties brought Craig first to Blackberry Farm and later to The Ranch at Rock Creek as a line cook. The transition to the Front of the House led Craig to Quince in San Francisco.
In 2021 Craig returned to Montana as the Sommelier at The Ranch at Rock Creek. Craig works directly with Executive Chef Josh Drage to curate a wine list that is as unique as it is extensive. The Wine & Wildlife Weekend will showcase Craig’s passion of wine, food and Montana, in a weekend of one-of-a-kind events.
Exclusive Documentary Film Showing
Tracking Notes
The Secret World of Mountain Lions
This film is a glimpse into the secret world of the North American mountain lion. The film follows the cycles of the natural world over 9 years, tracking the life of a most remarkable female and her offspring. But it is also the story of the land, the many other animals who inhabit the cougar’s world, and how those connections all weave together with both beautiful and tragic consequences.
