Wine Riot Tastefully Done!

If you're looking for a casual night of fun while still feeling fancy, make sure to mark your calendars for Chicago's Wine Riot!  It's a perfect wine-lovers paradise with samples of 250 different types of wines from all across the globe.  This event is held in the Great Hall of Union Station.  Although it's a big area, you're sure to feel among friends.

Upon entering, staff gives you a Wine Riot wristband and a wine glass so you can get started immediately.  I started my night by downloading the Second Glass app.  This was a wonderful way to keep up with the event as it was happening.  Each station had a different type of wine, and most stations had their red wines on one side of the table and their white wines on the other side.  For each station that was set up, there is a tab in the app which leads you to a list of every wine they had available.  Under each name, you can love, like, or “meh” how you enjoyed the taste.  A very easy way to remember what you loved (or didn't love)!  There is also a note section on this app which I used to remember how sweet, dry, or spicy something tasted.

The first table I walked up to was focused on Merlots.  Why did I walk up to that one?  I laughed at their sign, which said “Merlot doesn't f*cking suck” and no shocker there, every Merlot was astonishing.  Staff would pour everyone a sample, talk a little about the taste and then move onto the next bottle.  They would also ask what kind of taste you're looking for, but since I'm new to the world of wine, I'd ask them what their favorite is and why.  This was actually quite rewarding.  I'm usually more of a sweet wine drinker, but I decided to try more dry wines considering most of the staffs recommendations favored the dry.  I found it interesting that I actually enjoyed the change.



If the wine wasn't bubbly enough for you, the staff definitely made up for it. Every person I talked to about their wines were absolutely wonderful and seemed very interested in what they were presenting.  Each station had a sign with information about what type of wine you were tasting, the origin of the wine, main regions where it's produced, a fun fact, the top growers, food pairings, and recommendations of other drinks you might enjoy.  The staff would also inform us about local stores that sell the bottles and how much they cost.

Why attend a wine tasting?  Well, if you're ready to discover new favorites, Wine Riot is the perfect event to tantalize your taste buds.  It's easy to make friends when the ice is already broken with delicious wines.