As we have said before, date night is important. Especially with the potential for yet another round of online learning on the horizon, making time to reconnect with your partner away from the house and kids is vital. But it’s so easy to fall into a dating rut, doing the same thing over and over until it just stops feeling special and starts to feel like a chore.
But Beijing is full of easily accessible fun things to do. So this week I thought I would share my experience at WTF – aka Wine Tasting With Friends. The events are organized and hosted by the lovely local wine entrepreneur Jacqueline Sun 孙媛媛, along with partners from local restaurants, culminating in themed tastings paired with appetizers. This past weekend I was lucky enough to attend the South African tasting at LaPizza.
We were treated to nine different South African vintages ranging from sparkling to red and were given a short explanation of the history of each as we sipped and nibbled. In between each tasting, we had plenty of time to laugh and socialize and our hosts were not shy about refilling our glasses if we particularly enjoyed the previous sip.
In addition to the expected wine and food, there were lucky draw prizes, free shipping on featured bottles, and every attendee left with one of the award-winning wines to enjoy at home. Overall it was a wonderful break from the usual routine and a much-needed spirit lifter.
As I was leaving, Sun let me in on a little secret: Her next tasting is going to be really special. Emma Gao, the owner and winemaker of Silver Heights Winery, will be sponsoring (and possibly attending) the next event. Silver Heights is China’s most renowned winery, has won numerous awards, and former German Prime Minister Angela Merkel was such a fan that she requested it was served at the state dinner she attended when she was in Beijing.
The exact place and time have yet to be announced, but you can make sure you are the first to know when tickets are available by scanning Sun’s QR code and joining the wine group below. It’s a perfect excuse to break out and have a unique Beijing date night.
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Images: Jacqueline Sun
