Foodie Field Trip: Chef Christian Padilla brings 5-course dinner to Sonoita’s Meading Room

The Tucson Foodie team takes its next field trip to The Meading Room in Sonoita for a 5-course dinner with chef Christian Padilla on Saturday, July 11. The event runs from 6-8 p.m. Tickets start at $100 per person and cover food, tax, and gratuity. An optional wine and mead pairing add-on runs an additional $30.

The Meading Room sits along Highway 82 in the heart of Arizona wine country. Mother-daughter duo Barbara Christianson and Kylie Daniels founded the meadery in 2019, producing small-batch mead, cider, fruit wines, and experimental co-ferments on a working farm with rolling hills and mountain views.

Chef Padilla brings the same layered approach to this dinner that Tucson Foodie readers first tasted at a previous R&D dinner event. His cooking blends Sonoran and Japanese technique, playing with texture and acidity across each course. The five-course menu he designed for this evening reflects that sensibility from first bite to last.

A menu built around pairings

The dinner opens with a welcome drink, a Picpoul Blanc and orange blossom honey co-ferment, before moving into the first course.

• Pepino de Padilla: Queso De Cabra, Yuzu, Japanese Peanuts, Tucson Chamoy, Lime Zest, Guajillo Oil. Paired with Lucky Lou (Watermelon limequat mint bubbly mead).
• Elote Brûlée: Chorizo, Cotija, Scallion, Mesquite Sea Salt. Paired with August (Strawberry lemon basil bubbly mead).
• Mexican Candy: Pork Belly, Watermelon, Cantaloupe, Tamarind Vinaigrette, Mint, Chicharrón, Chiltepín. Paired with 2025 Grenache Rosé (dry, salty, with notes of stone fruit and citrus).
• Tartine Ahogada: Wagyu Milanesa, Lacto-Fermented Maíz Salsa, Chile Colorado, Cotija. Paired with Monteiro 2024 Tempranillo (notes of leather, mulberry, cherry, pomegranate, desert brush, spices, and a hint of meatiness; aged 18 months in French oak).
• Raspado de Nopal y Kiwi: Mesquite Honey Condensed Milk, Smoked Jalapeño Salt. Paired with Space Cowboy (Raspberry bubbly mead).

A meadery worth the drive

The Meading Room uses raw honey from small, organic apiaries alongside fresh fruit, herbs, spices, and foraged ingredients. Each batch reflects the Sonoita farm and its surrounding landscape. The pairings for the July 11 dinner include meads and wines not yet released to the public, making this one of the few chances to try them before their debut.

Sonoita sits about an hour south of Tucson and has earned national attention as a wine region. For those looking to explore the area beyond the dinner, check out Tucson Foodie’s guide to Sonoita-Elgin wine country covers the full breadth of what the AVA offers. The Tucson Foodie Sonoita-Elgin Wine Passport also unlocks perks at The Meading Room and more than a dozen other tasting rooms across the region.

Tickets and details

General admission costs $100 per person and includes all five courses, tax, and gratuity. The optional wine and mead pairing add-on costs an additional $30. Seating is limited. Purchase tickets at the ticket page. Promo codes for Tucson Foodie members are in the Tucson Foodie app.

The Meading Room is located at 3470 Highway 82, Sonoita, 85637.