Even the most seasoned wine connoisseur has to agree that opening that menu of whites and reds for the first time was an intimidating experience.
Wine activities conjure up thoughts of highbrow tastings and top-notch eateries, white collar events you imagine would leave you hard-pressed to enjoy on a budget. Fortunately, Dayton officials have the perfect idea to make the fair spirit less daunting.
Festival of the Vine, August 11 at the Fraze Pavilion, features "Fine wine and cool jazz,” and serves as a great introduction to the sometimes-unapproachable world of great wines, said Karen Durham, General Manager at Fraze Pavilion.
"It makes wine approachable,” Durham told me. "A lot of people might only be familiar with one brand or with one type of wine, this is a chance to try something a little different.”
Indeed, the festival will feature wines of all types from all over the world, and Durham told me the tastes and pours of wine available mean attendees will be able to sample a number of different types of wine from various wineries without spending a lot of money.
Experts will be on hand to explain differences in kinds of wine and offer advice and assistance in picking the wines that you might like. It’s hard not to find something to like about that, it removes the stigma of an upscale wine tasting event, and reduces the cost of blindly buying expensive bottles without trying them.
Even better, the event will feature free live music from Fo/Mo/Deep and the Matt Corey Band, as well as a ticketed concert headlined by George Benson (left) and featuring Christian Scott.
Durham told me it will also feature local food including Blackjack Grill, Mama DiSalvo’s Italian Restaurant and Crosscreek BBQ.
"It’s great to see people try different wines and mark off what the like, and it bounces back to the community,” Durham said, "It bounces back to the region, people might look for some of those wines at shops in the region or while they’re at the grocery.”
Whether you’re a longstanding lover of wine, or a newbie who hasn’t found a comfortable setting to give it a try, you won’t want to miss this fantastic fest.
For more information, go to http://www.fraze.com/festival-of-the-vine/.
