What's up at the Hi-Time Wine Bar?

by Tobin Sharp

In the center of Hi-Time, right at the entrance to our wine cellar, sits the wine bar.  Here we have featured tastings, wine classes, special events and a self-serve section with our automated wine machines...

1. The Main Event!

Our main featured tastings are on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.  In general, Thursday tastings tend to be a bit more erudite, showcasing wines perhaps more pensive in nature (think 'deep cuts' instead of 'greatest hits') but certainly most worthy to taste; Fridays are more crowd-friendly (in general), with new releases and easy sippers but also the occasional curveball to feature certain areas or producers and spread the spotlight. as it were; Saturdays are definitely the 'greatest hits' category of wines-- where we schedule the Cabernet Sauvignon or Champagne tastings... when we have winemakers visit, we tend to try and schedule them on Saturdays (schedule permitting, of course). At the tasting, you will be given a sheet listing what you will be tasting (and with space for notes or rating the wine) and you will be served each of the (usually 8-10) wines in order (1 oz. pour per wine).  We would recommend giving yourself at least 30 minutes to taste the wines (i.e. don't show up at 8:25 p.m. when the wine bar closes at 8:30 p.m.).

2. Eat too, Brute?

We will sometimes have food featured with the tastings-- for example, we are tasting Austria and German wines tonight (1/21) and will be serving bratwursts with them.  We always provide either bread or crackers-- something to help cleanse the palate while also providing a buffer against accidental inebriation (tasting wine on an empty stomach? Non!).  Upstairs in our gourmet food area we do have a nice selection of cheeses and charcuterie for sale so we see many of our wine bar clientele purchasing fromage and/or sausages to pair with what they're tasting (we'll give you plates/plasticware at the bar!).

3. Schedule & Other Events & Self Serve Selections

a. Our Wine Bar Schedule is always available on our website, www.hitimewine.net, but we also tend to send out reminders via social media: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter.

b. The other events that take place at the wine bar include (mostly) monthly Beer Tastings (last Sunday of the month, 12-5 p.m., around $20-25), Sake Tastings (Wednesdays or Sundays toward the latter half of the month), wine classes (usually on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays-- February through November), and other special events, such as bottle signings, winemaker visits, etc.  Ten Dollar Tuesdays take place each Tuesday from 6-8 p.m. and offer 4-6 tastes for only $10.  Some of these nights may be sponsored by various distributors showcasing their portfolio or new goods while many nights will see our Wine Bar Manager Todd or other wine staff members pick some of their recent favorites.  

c. Our automated wine machines are available generally during our business hours-- there are 16 selections and you have the option to choose between three portion sizes (taste, half-glass, glass) at a variety of prices.  We will have many 'everyday' wines (where tastes may cost around $1) but also feature some higher end Cabs, French and Italian wines (and others) that may cost $25 to $100 (or more) per glass.  You will need to get a 'wine card' in order to use the machines-- ask one of the wine staff at the bar or in the cellar to get a card (think gift card where you load how much $ you want on the card). 

4. To RSVP or not RSVP-- wait, is that required??

There are times when we will not have the automated wine machines available-- the vast majority of our tastings do not require reservations but we do have a select few tastings a year with mandatory reservations required.  During such events, we will not offer the automated wine machines.  Also, regarding RSVP tastings, we will have them listed on our site/social media when they occur.

5. Other Useful Info

When attending our tastings, please do not wear perfume and/or cologne as they can adversely affect the nosing of the wines (for example, we don't want to smell "Old Spice" when we're trying to get our nose around a First Growth Bordeaux!).  As most of our tastings are on a "first come, first served" basis, there may be times when the wine bar is full and you may have to wait to get a seat.  In general, there is usually plenty of room for folks to have a seat or stand and taste at our back bar.  The wines we taste that night will be featured on the shelf near the entrance to the wine cellar if you would like to purchase your favorites.

This week's schedule:

Thursday, January 21st: German & Austrian Wines (with bratwursts) $20, 4:30-8:30pm.

 Friday, January 22nd: Louis Jadot 2013 (Villages, 1er Cru, Grand Cru), $30, 4:30-8:30pm.

Saturday, January 23rd: Cabernet Sauvignon & Celebrating Dan Williams' Birthday! Dan has pulled some stunners so this will be a showstopper event-- $30, 2-8:30pm.