The beauty of Demetria Estate, a 45-acre winery tucked off Foxen Canyon Wine Trail in Los Olivos, has always been about family. Built by Greece-born John Zahoudanis and South Carolina–born Sandra Zahoudanis, the breathtaking vineyard’s hospitality blends southern charm with European luxury.
So, it’s fitting that a winery dedicated to biodynamic farming would host its first ever shrimp boil on Saturday, July 12. In partnership with Clean Slate Wine Bar’s Melissa Scrymgeour, a Louisiana native, there will be plenty of wine, good food, and friends. “In Louisiana, food isn’t just something you eat — it’s woven into the culture. It’s an excuse for friends and family to get together,” she told me via email.
While the crawfish boil is a more traditional Louisiana event, the Clean Slate Wine Bar team knew it might be tough getting freshwater crustaceans to our coastal community. Shrimp is as familiar to Californians as avocados, so it was a natural, and reasonable, shift to make, says Scrymgeour.
The boil and dump method will bring plenty of fantastic flavors — expect Gulf shrimp, sausage, corn, potatoes, and lots of Cajun seasoning — but it’ll also bring people together. “It’s as much about community as it is about food,” Scrymgeour adds. “If you’ve never been to one, you’ll soon see that a shrimp boil is more than a meal, it’s a social event. It’s communal, loud, and fun. You’re going to get your hands dirty, laugh and smile and fill your stomach, and leave smelling a bit like Cajun spices.”
And of course, it wouldn’t be a winemaker’s event without some really good wine. “We’re going to be focusing on two wines,” says Nick Marchi, Demetria’s wine club manager, “our Pantheon, which typically pairs well with saucier, spicier food, and our Grenache Rosé, the wine that brings a lot of people back to Demetria.”
The collaboration between the two valley brands — Clean Slate Wine Bar is located in Solvang — has been a long time coming. The two are friends, often swapping tables during their down time — enjoying cajun or curry nights, or just sitting outside relaxing by the lawn on the 213-acre estate. “The team at Demetria understands wine is ultimately about bringing people together,” says Scrymgeour.
The entire property will be closed for guests of the affair, who can expect great Louisiana-inspired spins from resident DJ Ray Fortune. Tickets for the first annual Shrimp Boil on Sunday, July 12 are $80 and can be purchased online: demetriaestate.orderport.net/product-details/0138/shrimp-boil-ticket-july-12.
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