Food at its finest is an art form.

Making wine can also be an artistic endeavor.

Pairing the two together, and getting to meet the “artists” is what the Winemaker’s Dinners at The Mill Casino-Hotel is all about.

On Nov. 9, The Mill’s Executive Chef, Dan Catanio, and HV Cellars’ Terry Luce will present their latest collaboration. This is the second of six scheduled dinners, the first one in September featured Giradet Wine Cellars of Roseburg.

Luce said the dinners feature family-owned wineries from the region that also have a family member as the lead winemaker.

“There are a lot of good wineries in the area,” Luce said. “We had to have a way to limit it the first time around.”

The dinner, which features five courses and seven types of wine, has been in the making for several months.

It starts with the winemaker delivering the wines to be featured at the dinner to the chef. After a tasting session, Luce said he let Catanio do his magic.

“I don’t like to limit Dan’s creative abilities,” Luce said. “I told him, ‘If you have something that will add to the flavor of this wine, go for it.’  He just wowed us with Giradet.”

The menu starts with Salmon & Lobster Roulade and finishes with a dessert of profiteroles with white chocolate ice cream and a dark chocolate sauce (pictured above).

Chef Catanio drew on his experiences from around the country to come up with the menu.

“One of the courses is something I created for the menu at the Waldorf Astoria, and another is one I created for The Sardine Factory in Monterey,” Catanio said.

“I’ve done several of these wine dinners,” he said. “They’re such a joy to have.”

Catanio has even taught a course at Shasta College called Food & Wines and used the textbook, “Wine with Food,” which he said gives a basic breakdown of what types of food go with what types of wines.

In many places, winemaker dinners can be black-tie affairs, but Catanio said he likes the relaxed atmosphere of these dinners. The people who attend get to meet and ask questions of both the chef and the winemaker.

Both Catanio and Luce said it’s a chance for people in the area to learn about local wineries and get a five-star gourmet meal at the same time.

The dinner begins at 4 p.m. and costs $55. Tickets are still available at the KoKwel Gift Store at the casino.