This Week at Philly Wine Week: SEX TALK, ART THERAPY, AND BOOZY COMPETITIONS
This Week at Philly Wine Week: SEX TALK, ART THERAPY, AND BOOZY COMPETITIONS
With only a few weeks left until corks will pop city-wide, Philly Wine Week announces over 55 participants who are currently planning a wide variety of exciting events for the weeklong celebration of wine beginning on Sunday, March 31 at Opening Corks through Sunday, April 7. Many events are already confirmed and as the celebration nears, local restaurants, bar and wine boutiques will enter additional events on the Philly Wine Week website for guests to easily search and find what suits them. Tickets are still available for the kick-off event at XIX Nineteen at The Bellevue Hotel.
“Every year, our goal is to keep pushing wine to the forefront of Philly’s beverage scene and expand what is familiar to people,” says Sande Friedman, Philly Wine Week board member and Wine Buyer for Di Bruno Bros. “These events are the best way to try new things in a casual setting, whether you’re looking for a quick happy hour, a boozy brunch with friends, rare or lesser-known grapes or local wines, Philly Wine Week participants have put something together you’ll enjoy.”
Now, it’s easier than ever to find a great event any night of Philly Wine Week. Through the website, wine lovers may search for events by date, venue, and event type, including: Day Drinking; Rose; Blind Tasting; Fun/Crazy; Local Music; Happy Hour; and PA Wine. The full list of events continues to grow as Philly Wine Week approaches, so enthusiasts are encouraged to frequent the website for updates. A few exciting events confirmed so far include:
- Sunday, March 31
o Opening Corks at XIX Nineteen at The Bellevue, Philly Wine Week’s signature kick-off event where guests may mingle as they taste over 100 sought-after and intriguing wines alongside bites from the city’s best restaurants including Walnut Street Cafe, Barbuzzo, The Good King Tavern and Barcelona.
- Monday, April 1
o Philly’s best bartenders are challenged to build delicious wine-based cocktails in this boozy competition hosted every year at Panorama. You be the judge! Wine-Based Cocktail Competition
o At Jet Wine Bar, discover how sexy terms are used to classify wine, co-hosted by owner Jill Weber and the talented Drag Queens of Bob & Barbara’s. Sex and Wine: Powerful, Sultry, and Smooth
o Don’t miss the celebration of one of the greatest and most versatile grapes, Zinfandel, at Southwark’s Zin Fest
o Kensington Quarters will be spinning vinyl and a spit-roasted pig at its Pig Roast x Vinyl party
- Tuesday, April 2
o How does FREE sound? Di Bruno Bros in Rittenhouse invites you to try a delicious Spanish pairing of tinned fish and Canary Island natural wines all day! Natural Wine & Tinned Fish
o Arrive early for this insanely popular event: Wine Quizzo at Vintage Wine Bar. Winners take home prizes and gifts cards through various rounds of fun questions that will boost your wine IQ
o Newcomer (to Philly Wine Week) Serpico is serving “for Philly Wine Week only” food and natural wine pairings at its Natural Pairings
o Take home a bottle of very nice wine at Rittenhouse’s Mystery Wine Challenge. Take a sip, make a guess, and you could win!
- Wednesday, April 3
o La Dive Bouteille, one of most magical “salon des vins” in the Loire Valley, and The Good King Tavern’s resident wine-o Chloé Grigri was there with fellow Philly wine pro and friend Kaitlyn Caruke (formerly of Walnut Street Café) for the second time this past February. To reminisce and celebrate their experience, they have collaborated once again to bring the experience to Philly with Diving into La Dive, Late Night Fête. Starting at 9pm, they will pour wines from those great La Dive producers, plus a DJ will spin tracks and the kitchen is open until 1am.
o No passport required for a trip to Baja California, Mexico. South Philadelphia Tap Room is bringing the wines and bites of that region right to you for Baja Al Natural
o Get the gang together and bring them to Barclay Prime, because Magnums Show You Care. These featured large format bottles are perfect to share with a group of friends!
- Thursday, April 4
o A.kitchen makes a return to ancient wine-making, celebrating the resurging technique of aging wine in an amphora. Taste these historical wines at The Amphora
o Try 35 wines at this around-the-world tasting held by Bistro Romano. Enjoy bites, stamp your passport and speak with “tour guides” at Passport 35
o Let’s hear it for the LADIES! Royal Boucherie hosts Les Femmes du Vin with Philly’s best lady sommeliers. A portion of ticket sales goes to Project SAFE
o Enjoy jazz and pet-nat (short for petillant naturel) and explore wines made from the oldest method of sparkling wine-making: methode ancestral. Methode to Madness
- Friday, April 5
o You can’t drink all day if you don’t start in the morning. Hungry Pigeon understands, and hosts its annual Rose All Day for the ambitious amongst us
o Wind down your week with chocolate and wine at Cooperage’s California Flight and Chocolate Pairing
o Toast to the weekend at Terrain’s Bubbly Brunch, featuring half-priced bottles of sparkling wine
- Saturday, April 6
o Vernick Food + Drink showcases wines from South of the Border, many of which have just become available in the U.S.
o Another worldly tasting, Amis will feature wines not typically sold by the glass and regional dishes during its Tour of Italy – Campania
- Sunday, April 7
o Newcomer (to Philly Wine Week) Veda wants you to express your artistic side at its Wine Glass Painting Series. Book all four sessions to paint a champagne flute, red wine glass, white wine glass and burgundy wine glass
o Consider this the unofficial closing ceremony of Philly Wine Week: American Sardine Bar’s 5th Annual Wine Week BBQ. Sit by the fire and enjoy great wine and food with friends as we close out another year
As noted above, on Sunday, March 31 from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m., Philly Wine Week will kick off with its signature annual event, Opening Corks, where over 100 sought-after, interesting varieties will be flowing, delicious bites will be enjoyed from the city’s best chefs at XIX Nineteen at historic The Bellevue Hotel. Tickets to Opening Corks are now on sale now for $65 per person for general admission and $125 for VIP which includes early entry, deluxe raw bar by Walnut Street Café, semi-private lounge and an exclusive Moet champagne bar. Tickets may be purchased here.
