Forks & Corks Winemaker Dinner | Sage + RIISE

Join us at Sage for a rare and intimate dining experience featuring one of the most compelling figures in American wine: Juan Mercado.

Best known as the founder of Napa Valley’s legendary Realm Cellars, Juan spent two decades crafting some of the world’s most sought-after Cabernet Sauvignons. In 2019, he shocked the wine world by leaving it all behind to pursue a new “second act” in the limestone-rich hills of Paso Robles. The result is Riise Wine—a project dedicated to the “savage elegance” of Rhône varietals, crafted with the same obsessive standards that made Realm a global icon.

Juan will be joining us personally to share the stories behind his journey and pour his highly allocated new releases—Peace, Doyen, and Jovian—alongside an inspired, multi-course tasting menu curated by Executive Chef Chris Covelli and the Sage culinary team. This is more than a wine dinner; it is a conversation about risk, reinvention, and the pursuit of excellence. Seating is extremely limited for this exclusive engagement.