- The Sonoran Epicurean Escape Culinary Series turns a resort stay into an immersive food journey, with hands-on classes, farm experiences, communal dinners, and curated tastings/pairings.
- Desert Vines elevates the wine program with winemaker-led events, combining educational masterclasses and wine-paired dinners that help guests learn while they indulge.
- Harvest is a central part of the Castle Hot Springs culinary experience, featuring seasonal farm-to-table dining shaped by what’s grown on-property.
Embark on a sensory journey at Castle Hot Springs, an epicurean oasis where the culinary experience takes center stage amidst the breathtaking beauty of the Sonoran Desert. Take a masterclass in wine, savor wine-paired dinners with top winemakers, and dive deeper into the art of farm-to-table dining. It’s a gourmand experience augmented by mineral-rich natural hot springs for relaxing soaks, outdoor adventures, and deep rest in luxurious surroundings.
The Sonoran Epicurean Escape
An ongoing series of culinary events at the resort and farm are designed for guests who crave a deeper immersion into the pleasures of good food and wine. One of these is the Sonoran Epicurean Escape, a four-night experience dedicated to the art of farm-to-table dining. Castle Hot Springs’ farm is literally next to the table. The three-acre farm begins just outside Harvest, the restaurant where menus are created around each day’s ripest, just-picked produce. More than 150 crops are grown each season, shaping the flavors of Harvest meals.
Each four-night escape includes a mix of hands-on workshops, culinary demonstrations, tastings, and exclusive dinners with free time to get in some hiking, a horseback ride, climb a via ferrata, or get a massage on your own. During the culinary sessions, guests learn from and work alongside a culinary triumvirate: the chef, the agronomist, and the sommelier. This symbiotic relationship between the farm and the restaurant creates a harmonious symphony of flavor, a terroir that is the distinctive taste of Castle Hot Springs, and that is what guests come for.
Executive chef Chris Knouse talks about flavor profiles and how to create them in your own cooking. He’ll also demonstrate creative plating, and how to use color and texture to appeal to the eye. Agronomist Ian Berger shares growing techniques that apply to gardens no matter where you live; the importance of soil; and why eating seasonally matters. You’ll learn how to grow and dry herbs for seasoning food, how to combine flavors, and create herbal teas.
Sommelier and Food & Beverage Director Sarah Foote will take you on an oenophile’s journey, opening your eyes and tastebuds to different varietals. She has a talent for unexpected but delicious food and wine pairings, and she’ll share sommelier secrets so you can do the same at home.
Communal dinners are festive celebrations of the day. From a margarita-making contest to a farm dinner under the stars, and a signature Arizona meal cooked over mesquite wood & paired with sipping mezcals, the five-course menus are where you understand how the flavor shines through.
Plan your Sonoran Epicurean Escape now. Upcoming dates are: May 17 – 21, 2026; November 29 – December 3, 2026; and January 10 – 14, 2027.
Desert Vines: Wine Dinners and Masterclasses
The culinary events series at Castle Hot Springs also feature day-long events that can be added on to a stay. Desert Vines combines two complementary pleasures: elegant wine-paired dinners and informative masterclasses with top winemakers and sommeliers. The series is an exploration across a wide range of varietals, from the unique and rare to the classics. It’s the perfect event for those who want to break out of a wine rut, or for the wine lover who wants access to lesser known wines and greater insights.
The upcoming event this March welcomes Dante Mondavi, grandson of Robert Mondavi, one of the US wine industry’s founding families. The grandchildren continue the family’s four-generation legacy, and their passion for winemaking is evident in the exceptional wines paired with the four-course dinner, including Raen, Continuum, and Sentium.
Raen is a boutique pinot noir domain on California’s Sonoma Coast producing elegant pinot noir and chardonnay using regenerative farming practices and native yeasts. Continuum is a red blend from a single first-growth vineyard in Napa Valley produced in one limited edition per year. Sentium is a mouthwatering sauvignon blanc from organically farmed old vines in Mendocino.
Plan your stay during the next Desert Vines upcoming date on March 31, 2026.
Plan Your Stay Around Harvest
A visit to Castle Hot Springs is always a culinary journey, even without a special event. Outside of the culinary series, meals are included as part of the experience, and they’re something to look forward to. Breakfast, lunch, and a five-course tasting dinner menu feature the resort’s daily harvest from the farm.
Guests can join complementary farm tours led by the flavor farmers. It’s one of the most popular activities, as guests love seeing what’s in season and knowing it will be on the tasting menu that night. Other classes include a wine tasting with the sommelier, an agave spirits tasting, and farm to bar mixology 101.
Whether you book a four-night Sonoran Epicurean Escape, or time your visit for a Desert Vines wine experience, consider a culinary experience a delicious reason to return to Castle Hot Springs.