I believe this is the first time that the Charleston Winter Wine Festival took place. Being that I enjoy my share of wine, I thought it would be a good event to check out. Plus it’s a new year, and I wanted to try something different by volunteering. My husband agreed to volunteer with me. Let me tell you, it was so much fun serving! There’s a saying that it’s better to serve than to be served. It became meaningful for me that day. I doubt my experience would be the same if I paid to enter.
There was a large crowd on Saturday, Feb. 9th. As 12:45 pm approached people were already lined up to get their wrist bands for entry into the event at the Memminger Auditorium, Downtown Charleston, SC.
Beverages included red and white wines, mimosas, champagne, beer, apple cider, and bottled water. The wines weren’t necessarily from local wineries or directly imported from Italy. None were available for purchase at the event. Nevertheless, if that was what you were looking for you’d probably be disappointed.
Music
You had to be there to grasp the vibe. The music was fantastic. Outside near our booth was a band duo that sang and played instruments. The crowd was loving it. Different people came together to sing and scream in a non-perfect harmony. Inside the auditorium was DJ Qtip from Atlanta. He played old hits, new hits, from the 80s to today including Macarena, T-Pain, LMAO, Nicki Minaj, and pop music that I know when I hear it. The bottom line is he covered all bases and the dance floor was packed.
I’m all for a good time. After wrapping up our shift, my husband and I came back into the auditorium. Picture it, the crowd’s going crazy, dancing everywhere. I’m feeling the song, moving to the beat. Then I see this lady dancing and making her way to my husband who’s standing beside me. Hold up! Wait a minute! I don’t play these games. So I intervened and stopped this chick right in her tracks with a stern look on my face. My husband thought that was so hilarious.
Bartending
Bartending was an awesome experience. Our booth was outside and we had the second shift. For 2 hours we had time to mingle, sample wines and mimosas, eat, etc. When we got to our booth, we realized we were taking over from another husband and wife duo. As you can see my husband and I weren’t thrown to the wolves. In the pictures below we have a real bartender with us. Every booth had a real bartender present. As volunteers we weren’t allowed to get tips, it went the real bartender. That’s the only bad thing.
Our booth consisted of beer and cider. I’m not a beer person, so I couldn’t vouch for its taste, but the cider on the other hand was good. Everything was a hit. We got rid of every bottle when I made the last call for alcohol. As a newbie bartender, I was concerned about not pouring enough, but it seems like the beverages just flowed freely in large amounts. No one objected. Me being courteous, I’d ask, “How much do you want?”, “Is that enough?”, “Do you want anymore?”. All of the guests were courteous, friendly, and kept coming back for more.
Memorable Moments
I met a loc sista who is doing her thing inside and outside of the bartending industry. There’s another sista that has her own business customizing tumblers, cups, and wine glasses. Then there’s this tall guy that I remember from salsa class a few years ago. I approached him as he was standing near our booth. Turns out he remembers me too. No, we didn’t dance together back then.
Being that it was Black History Month, I purposely adorned my sweetgrass earrings and bracelet for the predominantly White event. Maybe I could blame it on the alcohol, but I received many compliments and small talk. My accessories drew attention. One chick kept telling me how beautiful I was. I thanked her. And she kept complimenting me, then she said, “I’m not gay or anything.” I replied, “Okay well my husband is right there.” One guy said to me that I was supposed to come back and see him at his booth for a free candle. Now you know I like a free gift, but I didn’t see him prior to coming to our booth. In my mind, I was like he must have me confused with another Black chick. Who knows, maybe he thought he could get some of this chocolate. Hmm.
The level of sobriety ranged from sober to intoxication. One guy was stumbling as he was walking. He wasn’t getting any more beverages from me for sure. Then the next moment he and some chick were getting cozy and lovie dovie on the side. OMG! A new relationship was forming before my very own eyes. No fighting occurred at the event. However, the ambulance showed up and removed a guest via stretcher. My guess is too much alcohol.
Volunteer Perks
- Free Entrance
- Unlimited Access to Free Alcohol
- Free T-Shirt
- Interact With People
- Gain Experience
Based on the perks listed I will volunteer again. We had so much fun. There are other wine festivals that you can attend and/or volunteer in Charleston. The largest one is the Charleston Food and Wine Festival held at the beginning of March. Just yesterday the Charleston Mimosa Festival took place for the first time. It’s created by the group that made the Charleston Winter Wine Festival.
More Charleston Winter Wine Festival Photos– Click Here
