Note: This post is written for those collegiettes ages 21+.
Waaaaaay back in 2010, Stephanie Annie and I were named to Inc. Magazine’s 30 Under 30 list. While winning the award was pretty freaking baller, one of the best parts was getting to know all of the other awesome startups that won as well. One of my favorite companies on the list is The Second Glass (side note: the day we found out that we won the award, we scooted over to their offices to celebrate). Tyler and Morgan, the founders of the awesome company, set out to create a company that could make wine fun and accessible to youngsters like us. They wanted to help liberate wine tastings from their reputation of being parties for snooty old people.
Four years ago, they launched Wine Riot and I am proud to say that I have gone every year that I was legally allowed entry (I’m now 24 – you do the math). Wine Riot is exactly what it sounds like – a super awesome party with lots and lots (and lots) of wine. In fact, if you go to Wine Riot, you may taste 250 different wines. I use may instead of can here because I’m pretty sure you would die of alcohol poisoning if you tried to taste all 250 wines in one night.
This year, Morgan, Tyler, and the people at Bordeaux wines were awesome enough to hook us up with press passes so that our entire team could go! We hit the floor hard on Saturday night, bouncing from booth to booth, tasting this and that, loving some, hating others. We had an amazing time.
To help you keep track of the wines you like and don’t like (because let’s be serious – I have a hard time remembering wine names when I’m sober), there’s an awesome app that allows you to rank each wine with 2 thumbs-up, 1 thumbs-up, or a polite “meh” if you’re not feelin’ it.
Some of my 2 thumbs-up picks of the night were:
- 2007 Chateau Petit Vedrines Sauternes
- Terra Andina Sparkling Moscato
- 2011 Smoking Loon Steelbird Chardonnay
The entire point that I’m trying to make here is that if you’re 21+ and lucky enough to live in a city being graced by Wine Riot’s glorious presence, you MUST make plans to go. It will make your life (or at least your weekend). Seriously.
This is Wine Riot from Second Glass on Vimeo.