Tastings and Events

Find out about all our events as well as other events in Winston-Salem and the Triad area through this great site:

Upcoming Events

How to Attend Our Events

Wine Tastings, Meet & Greets, and Wine Extravaganzas: Tastings do not require advance reservations and you may simply join us at any time during the tasting hours. Any charges for the tasting can be paid at the door.

Classes, Seminars, and Dinners: Seats for these events are only available by advance reservations. For more information on Advance Reservations, see our information box at the bottom of this page.

In addition to our regular Saturday tastings, please join us for these special events

Each Saturday throughout the Year 11 AM to 5 PM
Discover Great Wines at our Saturday Tasting
No Reservations Needed. Just Drop In for a Complimentary Tasting
Taste great wines favorites from all over the globe. We taste through hundreds of wines each month to find the wines with best QPR (quality price ratio, or "bang for the buck") to present to you each Saturday. Drop in and discover great new wines, everything from super values to special reserves. Our Vin205 Wine Bar will be serving the full menu all day. No reservations are needed. Just drop in.

This Tuesday, January 31st 5 PM to 7 PM
90+ Worldwide Wine Extravaganza
No Reservations Needed. Just $10
SuperStar Reserve Flight - Just $10 Extra (refunded off the order of 2 bottles of reserve flight wines)
Taste 20 or more wines (plus 8 incredible reserve wines) from all over the world rated 90 points or higher by Wine Spectator, Wine Advocate, Wine Enthusiast or Stephen Tanzer International Wine Cellars, the top four wine critics and publications in the world! Taste everything from big value wines to very special reserves (in our Superstar reserve flight), this event has something for every wine lover’s tastes. Order all the wines you like at great Extravaganza discounts.

Taste these incredible wines at the Extravaganza:

Rating Codes: WS= Wine Spectator, WE= Wine Enthusiast, WA= Wine Advocate, IWC= Stephen Tanzer International Wine Cellars

SuperStar Reserve Flight
Eyrie Pinot Noir Estate Willamette Valley, Oregon 2009 IWC 91, WS 92
Giraud Chateauneuf du Pape Tradition, France 2009 WA 94
Tensley Syrah Colson Canyon Vineyard Santa Barbara 2009 IWC 92, WS 90
Ciacci Piccolomini Brunello di Montalcino Vigna di Pianrosso, Italy 2006 WS 95 "Collectables"
Tua Rita Perlato del Bosco Vino da Tavola, Tuscany, Italy 2009 WA 93
Renacer Enamore Mendoza, Argentina 2009 WA 92
Ramey Claret Napa Valley 2008 WS 92
Stewart Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2007 WA 93
Station One
Kung Fu Girl Riesling Columbia Valley, Washington 2010 WS 90 "Best Value"
Eyrie Pinot Gris Dundee Hills, Oregon 2009 WA 90
Momo Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough, New Zealand 2010 IWC 91
MacRostie Chardonnay Sonoma Coast 2009 WE 90
Artazu Artazuri Garnacha Navarra, Spain 2009 WA 91
Chateau Saint-Roch Cotes du Roussillon Chimeres, France 2008 WA 92
Bodegas Jimenez Landi Sotorrondero Mentrida, Spain 2009 WA 92
Bodegas Ondarre Rioja Reserva, Spain 2004 WS 91 Top 100 Wines of 2010
Station Two
Hall Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley 2010 WE 91
Castellare Chianti Classico, Italy 2009 WA 90
Santa Rita Medalla Real Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon Maipo Valley, Chile 2008 WS 90
Mollydooker The Boxer Shiraz South Australia 2010 WA 91
Station Three
Freemark Abbey Chardonnay Napa Valley 2009 WE 92, WA 90
Pennywise Pinot Noir California 2009 WE 90
M. Chiarlo Barbera d'Asti, Italy 2009 WS 90
Northstar Stella Maris Columbia Valley, WA 2006 WE 91
Freemark Abbey Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2007 WE 93
Station Four
Domaine des Baumard Savenierres Loire Valley, France 2008 WA 92
Crios Torrontes Calchaquies Valley, Argentina 2010 WA 91
Umani Ronchi Jorio Montepulicano d'Abruzzo, Italy 2009 WA 90
Mapema Malbec Mendoza Argentina 2009 WA 90, WS 91 "Smart Buys"
Tikal Patriota Mendoza, Argentina 2009 WA 92

This Wednesday, February 1st 4 PM to 7 PM
Women and Wine Wednesday at the Wine Bar
Complimentary for Women, $5 for Men
It's the middle of the working week and time for a break! Grab your girl friends or guy friends as well, and join us for a celebration! Enjoy a truck show of beautiful jewelry from Silpada with Tamika Bowers, plus there will be 10+ great wines available for tasting. Our Vin205 Wine Bar will be open just of our attendees serving the entire menu! Escape, relax, and enjoy a girl's night out!

This Thursday, February 2nd Starting at 4 PM
Double Feature Tasting and Winery Dinner
The Best of 90+ Wines Tasting and Three Course "Comfort Food & Wine" Dinner
Tasting 4 PM to 6:30 PM Complimentary
Winery Dinner 5 PM to 9 PM - $30 (plus tax and gratuity) Reservations Recommended but Not Required
Dinner will also be available Friday and Saturday evenings as well.
Taste the top 8 wines from our 90+ Worldwide Wine Extravaganza as rated by customer purchases, plus our Vin205 Wine Bar will feature a three course wine dinner featuring classic "comfort foods" paired with 90+ points wines from the Extravaganza. The dessert will also feature Winston-Salem's incredible small batch chocolate producer, It's Chocolate, as part of the classic comfort dessert, S'mores!

Menu and Pairings

First Course
Creamy New England Clam Chowder
2010 Hall Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley (Wine Enthusiast 91 Points)
2009 Freemark Abbey Chardonnay Napa Valley (Wine Enthusiast 92 and Wine Advocate 90 Points)

Second Course
Meat Loaf with Macaroni and Cheese and Peas
2006 Northstar Stella Maris Red Columbia Valley (Wine Enthusiast 91 Points)
2009 Mapema Malbec Mendoza Argentina (Wine Advocate 90 and Wine Spectator 91 Points)

Third Course
"S'mores" with Winston-Salem's It's Chocolate Venezuelan Manthuano 62 % Cacao Dark Chocolate,
Graham Crackers, and Marshmallow Fluff
2010 Mollydooker "The Boxer" Shiraz S.E. Australia (Wine Advocate 91 Points)

Advance Class and Wine Dinner Reservation Information

Seats for all of our classes and wine dinners will only be available by the purchase of an advance reservation. Just calls us at 336-765-8175 to make your reservation. You will be asked for a credit card to bill the reservation to, which we invoice 2 days prior to the event. Reservation Tickets may also be purchased in person at the store.

If you must cancel within 2 days of the event, we can only refund your event fee if there is a waiting list for the event and we can will your reserved seats with someone off that list. Your reservation is transferable by you to others if you cannot make the event, but due to the limited number of seats for these events, we can only accept cancellations for refunds prior to 2 days before the event.

Don't Miss Our Monthly
Wine & Food Festival
Now on a Different Night!

A Wine Merchants tradition for the last 10 years, our Wine & Food Festival is moving from the 3rd Friday each month to new night each month now that our wine bar is now open each Thursday through Saturday night.

Watch the events page for the date each month.

The festival will still feature 15+ wines and enjoy heavy hors d'oeuvres and artisan cheeses to match with the wines. The cost is just $10 and no reservations are required. Great for gathering with friends before heading on to dinner or a movie. Great wines, good food, and good friends. Join us at our next Wine & Food Festival.

Learn a Little More About Wine and Food

You can't decide what you like if you don't taste, and our classes and seminars allow you to taste as you learn. From three week in depth classes to one night seminars, you can always find a class that suites your tastes and your desire to learn. We cover topics like wines styles and types, wine regions, winemaking, wine and food pairings, wine culture, and a host of other wine and food related subjects. Our staff instructors and guest experts lead you through tasting and learning. Classes and seminars are held throughout the year, so check our event list to see when the next one is scheduled and join us for a fun learning experience.