Upon learning about Bordeaux Matchmaking, I was a bit confused. So, how does it work again?
1. I go to bar.
2. You give me free Bordeaux.
3. I drink free Bordeaux.
4. I proceed to mingle, converse, and generally party with other interesting people.
That sounded like a plan to me. As my friends and I rolled up to Y bar (is it just “Y” or “Y bar”? Let’s call it Y bar) in a cab, I knew that no matter what this would be a unique night. For starters, this would be my first experience at Y bar. The event would be held in the private party room – a place self described as a state of the art, ultra-modern environment for Chicago’s elite. This was the type of place you usually only get into if you are a gorgeous girl, pay off the bouncer, or wait in line for an hour. I’m typically not willing to do either of the latter, and being an extremely handsome gentlemen doesn’t seem to score me points (Yes, I am very modest). So, it was nice to essentially just hop right in to a place like this.
As we waited in a short line to register inside, an older Frenchman behind us voiced his light-hearted complaints about how every single bar in the USA has a huge line, and this would never happen in France! A couple minutes later we were in, and were directed to one of ten tables with four tickets to be used to redeem our wine. As part of the registration process to Bordeaux Matchmaking, you are asked to complete a short survey on their website which includes questions about the wine tastes and styles you prefer. This information is used to assign you to a pouring station with Bordeaux wines that match your palate – hence the name, “Bordeaux Matchmaking”.
Now seems like a good time to point out that this is not any sort of dating event. That seemed to be a question that some other people had at the party as well, since the name can be a bit misleading. However, the fact that you need to get your wine from a specific pouring station, and that your friends are likely at a different station, gives you an opportunity to meet some new people around you – and wine makes everyone a little more outgoing! Do not fear though, the whole party is in the same area, and you can grab your wine and re-connect with your friends whenever you want.
One of the things I like best about wine tasting events is that the crowd always contains an eclectic group of people. This group was no different, and the bar was completely full with party-goers young and old alike. The majority of the attendees seemed to be in their 20’s and 30’s, which was great by me. The website specified that events were limited at 150 guests, and I doubt there was a single person less than that. With a unique touch, a violinist free styled along with the club music as she meandered her way through the crowd.
After my four free wines were duly appreciated (which happened quite quickly!), I made my way to the bar, where five Bordeaux’s were being sold by-the-glass, along with the usual beer and liquor offerings if you wanted to change it up. Only shortly thereafter I discovered that most of the girls at this event managed to maintain their tickets even after consuming their sample wines. Sneaky, and a feat that my diligent pourer ensured I was unable to accomplish. I was still happy though. A glass of some great Bordeaux at the bar was $10, and featured a very generous pour.
A couple hours later, the tasting turned into a party, the lights got dimmer and the music got louder. Bottle service was setup in roped-off sections of the lounge, and those that had reserved a table made their way into the private party area. Even the bathroom got fancier. Where I once had to dry my own hands with paper towels, a bathroom attendant now handed me a fresh new cloth, which was tossed away once I used it. I followed my standard plan of leaving a dollar and walking away with a handful of mints. Fair trade, Mr. Bathroom Attendant. Back to the party I went.
As the night wound down we were lucky enough to hang out with the event organizers, and learn a little about France, Spain, reading blogs, and a variety of other topics that were so easily inspired after drinking a lot of great wine. It ended up being a very fun night and I will surely attend the event next year. To learn more about some of the great Bordeaux wines that were available at the event, please check out my wine tasting profile, where I reviewed all of the wines I tried that night.
WineMcGee is all about connecting you to the wine world around you. Since we launched in Chicago, we’ve built a large list of free recurring local Chicago wine tasting events. Please check these great tastings out, and let them know we sent you! We’ll follow this post up with free events in our other major launch cities, including LA, San Francisco, San Diego, and many others.
