Wine over Water has to be one of Chattanooga's 'Most Looked Forward To' events of the year. I'm blaming on the fact I've never been on living two states away for the past 10 years, but that really is a poor excuse. Held on the world's longest pedestrian bridge, there is plenty of room for wine from all over the world. This year there were 49 tents and 4 mini stages. Each tent featured 4-8 labels or a local restaurant. Even with the huge selection, you need to get there early to plan your route - the best wines disappear quickly.
Wine over Water is an event that really is right up my alley. Live music, wine, lots of interesting people, but not too crowded. My group was medium size made up of new and good friends. We were able to cut up and wander from table to table without getting split up. I kept notes for everyone in the program guide we were given with our wine glasses. I can't wait to go back and pick my top 3 to add to my collection at home! I personally loved how inviting the event was. There was no dress code, and you had people in everything from 3 piece suites, to jeans and jackets. The common denominator was that everyone wore a smile, and that wasn't just the wine talking. Everyone really was having a great time.
The Walnut Street Bridge really is the perfect setting for Wine Over Water. A former 'normal traffic' bridge, there is plenty of room for tents, musicians, and all of the people milling about from table to table. The timing is great too. In early October the weather is just starting to turn cool, but not cold, and the views are fantastic. From the bridge you can see downtown, the North Shore & Coolidge Park, Moccasin Bend & Signal Mountain to the west. To the East you have the Hunter Art Museum, and a large section of the Tennessee River. This year was even more special because the One Bridge Art Festival, 3 Sisters Bluegrass Festival & River Rocks were going on as well. As the sun went down, hot air balloons were inflated on the North Shore. Whoever thought of glowing hot air balloons at night was brilliant, and I wish I could have stayed around longer*.
The price tag for this event is a little higher than most things I've reviewed so far at $70 for day of tickets, but the wine was great and the proceeds go to historic preservation in Chattanooga, and 1/2 of the ticket price is tax deductible. Regardless, I'll be back next year.
Event Details
Date: Early October
Weather Policy: Rain or Shine
Selection: Over 100 world wineries
Cost: $60 way in advance, $65 one month in advance, $70 day of event.
* The reason we didn't stay longer was the Clemson VaTech game. Even though it was on DVR, saying I was anxious to watch is an understatement.
I dont think that price is too bad at least this event sounds really cool so probably worth it! I'd go :)
ReplyDeleteI probably should make a note that I went this year via a gifted ticket, that was re-gifted to me, which made it even more fun! I do think it's worth $70. Some of the vineyards had representatives at their tables, so you really could learn a lot about the different wines. There were a lot of reasonably priced wines as well. Everybody needs a go to cheaper bottle to keep in the house, and this was a great way to weed out the ones you don't like!
ReplyDelete