Milwaukee Wine Weekend Returns
'Immersive celebration' will center on wine, culture and community.
Milwaukee Wine Weekend attendees. Photo courtesy of Milwaukee Wine Academy.
Milwaukee Wine Weekend is set to return next month, gathering wine experts and enthusiasts for five days of learning, tasting and community building.
Not to be confused with other traveling wine festivals, Milwaukee Wine Weekend is locally rooted, with a unique lineup of events hosted at businesses across the city. The festival, led by Milwaukee Wine Academy (MWA), will take place April 10-14.
Now in its second year, Milwaukee Wine Weekend has aged like its namesake beverage, featuring a 414 Day wine dinner hosted by local chef Dane Baldwin, a book talk with author Charles Springfield and tastings centered on Black-owned wine brands.
MWA co-founders Jeffrey Coleman and Tim Cole aim to provide a unique experience for wine-lovers, offering not just delicious pours but also a holistic look at the history and culture surrounding winemaking and important figures in the industry.
“With this year’s Milwaukee Wine Weekend, we are creating new experiences that Milwaukee has never seen,” Coleman said in a statement. “Not only are we elevating the city’s wine culture, but we do so all while embracing the diversity that makes our city and the world of wine so enchanting.”
Milwaukee Wine Weekend will kick off April 10 with a happy hour at Thelma Carol Wine Merchants, 605 W. Virginia St. The free event will offer guests a chance to explore the store’s selection of wines, spirits and small-batch products, with glasses and bottles of wine available for purchase in-store. Opened in 2022, Thelma Carol specializes in wine, spirits, beer and tobacco, with a focus on independent, small producers. It also carries Milwaukee’s largest selection of wines by Black producers, according to MWA.
On April 11, Charles Allis Art Museum will transform into Vino Royale, hosting an evening of casino-style games, including blackjack, roulette, and wine bingo — all for entertainment purposes only. Attendees can also tour the historic building at 1801 N. Prospect Ave., which houses more than 800 works of art. Entry is free, but attendees will need to purchase game tokens to play and win prizes. A cash bar will be available, serving a curated selection of wines. Proceeds from the event will support scholarships for wine students.
Lupi & Iris, 777 N. Van Buren St., will host a Black Wine Expo on April 12, offering attendees the chance to taste more than 40 wines from Black producers and winemakers. In addition to tastings, the event will feature a grazing table curated by Lupi & Iris’ chefs and a panel discussion with Black wine professionals.
The penultimate day of Milwaukee Wine Weekend will be hosted at Niche Book Bar, 1937 N. Martin Luther King Jr Dr. The business, a new addition to Bronzeville, has a passion for both books and wine. Its April 13 event will feature a rosé tasting and a book talk led by Springfield, a New York-based sommelier, wine educator and author. Springfield, who is originally from Milwaukee, will discuss his book, Maneuvering Rosé Wine with Style. Attendees can expect to leave with a signed copy.
The festival wraps up April 14 with a 414 Day Wine Dinner at The Diplomat, 815 E. Brady St., hosted by Baldwin, the restaurant’s James Beard Award-winning chef and co-owner. Billed as a “celebration of the city, global wine and culinary excellence,” the five-course meal will feature wine pairings from Kumusha Wines, led by South African winemaker Tinashe Nyamudoka.
Tickets for all Milwaukee Wine Weekend events are available for purchase online.
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