March 28, 2024
Annapolis, US 47 F

In Vino Veritas Returns For Third year

wine-glass-pourThe Friends of St. John’s College, in conjunction with Bay Ridge Wine and Spirits, welcome the community to the third annual wine event and fundraiser, “In Vino Veritas.” This year’s two-day event is full of activities that will appeal to the both the connoisseur and the curious. The Grand Tasting will feature nearly 100 wines from around the world as well as craft-brewed beers, food, workshops, a silent auction, and raffle. A panel of St. John’s College alumni winemakers, representing The Scholium Project, Kongsgaard, Turley, and Goldeneye, among others, will discuss practices in California winemaking. Events will be held in the Francis Scott Key Auditorium on Saturday, April 6 from 2 to 6 p.m. Tickets are $45 for general admission; $35 to $50 for each workshop; $50 for raffle tickets. To purchase tickets, and for a complete schedule of events: www.stjohnscollege.edu/events. Proceeds from the fundraiser go toward scholarships for undergraduates at the college.

The premiere event, the Judgment of Annapolis, offers participants the opportunity to compare French and California wines in celebration of the notorious 1976 tasting in Paris in which a California wine – Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, produced by St. John’s College alumnus Warren Winiarski – toppled France from its spot at the top of the wine industry. Participants will have the opportunity to compare French and California wines and sample wines by St. John’s College alumni winemakers. Local wine columnists Tom Marquardt and Patrick Darr will moderate the tastings, which will compare six French wines against their California counterparts. A wine-paired dinner featuring a menu designed by Jerry Pellegrino, chef and sommelier at Waterfront Kitchen in Baltimore, will follow. The event will be held in McDowell Hall on Friday, April 5 from 5 to 9 p.m. Tickets are $225 per person. To purchase tickets: www.stjohnscollege.edu/events.

“In Vino Veritas” is sponsored by Advance, Alt Breeding Schwarz, Anna E. Greenberg, Anne Harrington, Annapolis Lifestyle, Annapolis Painting Services, Bay Ridge Wine and Spirits, Chef’s Expressions, Hansen Architects, Liljenquist & Beckstead, Mac-In-Town Graphic Design Services, PNC, Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, and Towne Transport.

Schedule of Events

Friday, April 5

  • 5 to 9 p.m.  The Judgment of Annapolis. Join local wine columnists Tom Marquardt and Patrick Darr for a blind tasting that will compare six French wines against their California counterparts. A wine-paired dinner featuring a menu designed by Jerry Pellegrino, chef and sommelier at Waterfront Kitchen in Baltimore, will follow.

Saturday, April 6

  • 2 to 6 p.m. Grand Tasting. Sample wines and craft-brewed beers grouped by the regions around the world in which they are produced.
  • 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. The Johnnie Winemakers. This panel discussion will feature the second generation of St. John’s alumni winemakers discussing their craft. Scheduled to participate are Evan Frazier of Kongsgaard, Abe Schoener of The Scholium Project, Tegan Passalacqua of Turley, and Zach Rasmussen of Goldeneye.
  • 2 to 4 p.m. Stag’s Leap Horizontal Tasting. A tasting and discussion of the history of Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, its wines and its current releases. Featured wine is the Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars “Stag’s Leap Vineyard” Cabernet Sauvignon.
  • 3 to 4 p.m. “Vini e Fromaggi” – An Italian Wine and Cheese Tour. Join cheese expert Stacey Adams of Annapolis’ Tastings Gourmet Market, and Katie Harper of Bay Ridge Wine and Spirits, as they discuss wine and cheese pairing possibilities.
  • 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. The Chemistry of Pairing Wine and Food. Jerry Pellegrino, chef and sommelier of Waterfront Kitchen in Baltimore, will lead a discussion on the chemistry of taste by comparing different wines with foods.
  • 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Palate Revolution. Abe Schoener of The Scholium Project, and Hugh Sisson of Clipper City/High Seas Brewery will talk about inventive methods of production and achieving the big tastes that make them masters of their art.
  • 2 to 5:30 p.m. Silent Auction. Bid on luxury items, trips to California, and more.
  • 2 to 6 p.m. The Barrel Room. The lobby outside of the Mitchell Gallery in Mellon Hall will become a bookstore on all things wine, with part of the proceeds benefitting St. John’s student scholarships.
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