Tag: wine events

The chill in the air and the crowded calendar of Orlando wine events can mean only one thing – it’s finally fall in Central Florida!

Highlights for next week include:

Dining to Heal, a four-course wine paired dinner at DoveCote to benefit sexual violence prevention and treatment;

The Many Faces of Pinot Noir with American Seafood at Cress in DeLand, where the seafood is always sustainable and the wine, I’m told, will include the highly allocated Sea Smoke Southing (as of 9:30 this morning, there were eight tickets left);

Billy vs The Volcano at Swirlery, a class & tasting of wines from grapes grown on volcanic soil in places like Mt. Etna and Santorini, led by guest somm Billy Hendricksen;

Wines for Thanksgiving, a free tasting at Tim’s Wine Market in Lake Mary-Sanford, because it’s never too early to start planning for the biggest food holiday of the year!

All the details are on the Events Page, and be sure to look ahead on the calendar – the next few weeks are chock full of events, some of which will most definitely sell out early.

Happy sipping and celebrating!

 

 

It’s a busy week on Orlando’s wine calendar, and as always, I’m excited to highlight a few upcoming events for you.

But first, I feel the need to acknowledge the sadness wine lovers everywhere are feeling about the devastation in Napa and Sonoma. Many former leading lights in Orlando’s wine scene now call that area home. Our thoughts are with them and with the winemakers and other industry professionals we’ve come to know and love.

If you’re inclined to support relief efforts, several friends in the area have recommended the Napa Valley Community Foundation as a good steward of donated funds.

Moving on … as you’ll see from the Events Page, several of this week’s events are already sold out. Orlando oenophiles are serious about planning! So remember to look ahead on the Events Page and make your reservations early.

That said, if you’re a procrastinator or a last minute kind of wine lover, never fear. There’s still plenty to do next week.

Swirlery is hosting a tasting of wines from the Spanish regions of Ribera del Duero and Rueda on Thursday. (It didn’t fit into my alliterative headline, but it should still be fun!)

The Tasty Trio’s hurricane-disrupted Wine, Cheese, & Chocolate class is rescheduled for next Friday at East End Market. There’s a happy hour beforehand to support efforts to relocate Puerto Rican families displaced by Hurricane Maria.

And next Saturday, it’s part two in WineStyles Baldwin Park’s four-part series of informal but educational tastings of Chilean wines.

Cheers!

I’ve been thinking a lot about money and wine lately. Do you have to be wealthy to be a “true” oenophile? I sure hope not!

Perhaps there will be a philosophical post about this in the future, but a quick look at this week’s Orlando-area wine events proves you don’t have to be a big spender to participate in Central Florida’s vibrant wine scene.

The Tim’s Wine Market family is offering two FREE tastings next week – Bordeaux and Rhone reds on Thursday in Lake Mary-Sanford and Davis Bynum Winery selections in Windermere on Friday.

At a slightly higher but still affordable $25 price point, Swirlery Wine Bar is hosting “A Night in Greece”on Thursday with local collector, blogger, and Greek wine enthusiast Keith Edwards.

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with splashing out on a pricey wine event once in awhile, and Norman’s gala 14th Anniversary event next Saturday wouldn’t be a bad way to do it. With food by five area chefs and wines chosen and poured by seven Master Sommeliers and one Master of Wine, it might be just the place to drop the $190 that’s been burning a hole in your pocket. (Last I heard, there were a few spots left, but best to grab them quick if you’re interested.)

Check the Events Page for details on these and more upcoming Orlando-area wine happenings. And whatever your budget, the most important thing is learning about wine and enjoying it with the people you love.

Cheers to that, Orlando!