Charitable Event Pick: FLI Wine Tasting

When it comes to perfect pairings, a wine tasting that benefits a worthy cause is the ideal ticket. You can get your drink on and support educational opportunities at The Future Leaders Institute (FLI) Junior Committee’s upcoming wine tasting on Tuesday, January 12th.

The benefit for the charter school will take place from 7-9pm at New York Vintners on Warren Street. Admission is $50, $25 of which is tax deductible. Click here for more info.

A quick editorial note -- Single Gal In The City will be on an every other day schedule this week while I enjoy a little vacation and respite from NYC. Stay tuned for an action-packed January, including visits to the sets of NBC's Today & The Martha Stewart Show!

Singles Event Pick: Vino-Versity At Divine Bar

One of my favorite activities for mingling is wine tasting -- and no place in NYC does it better than Divine Bar in Midtown.

Divine Bar’s Vino-Versity series offers thematic wine tasting sessions in a social, cocktail party setting. On November 24th, Vino-Versity will host “Tuscany and Parmesan” from 630-830pm.

The tasting will feature dozens of Tuscan and Central Italian wines paired with warm garlic-crostini bread topped with fresh parmesan shavings or a Reggianito Parmesan and olive tapenade puff pastry. Wine professionals explain each variety as they pour, and take-home help sheets are also provided.

Tickets are $40 per person. Vino-Versity events always sell out, so click here if you’d like to be part of the wine and cheese-enhanced fun.

A Treat For Wine Lovers

As someone who enjoys both drinking and learning about wine, I was excited to read The Sipping Point by Laurie Forster, a.k.a. The Wine Coach.

The Wine Coach: Laurie Forster

A crash course for aspiring oenophiles, The Sipping Point is a lighthearted guide that makes understanding wine fun and approachable. Laurie covers everything from food and wine pairings to wine care and handling. Laurie knows her stuff -- she studied with the American Sommelier Association, earning a certificate in Viticulture and Vinification.

Tomorrow, Laurie is bringing her unique brand of wine expertise to NYC, with The Art of Blind Tasting, a two-hour event at the Institute of Culinary Education. Laurie will introduce guests to a variety of wine of different varieties, price ranges and vintages, using the blind tasting technique popular among professionals.

Admission to the event costs $95. For more info, click here.