There’s a lot of fun in trying all the different varieties, and it made for a popular fundraiser as the annual Wine in the Valley returned Saturday evening.
It marked the village’s first Wine Walk since 2019, aiming to raise money for a musical playground.
“It’s going wonderfully — a great turnout,” said President Lindsey Rissinger of the Warsaw Kiwanis Club, which sponsored and organized the event. “The weather finally stopped sprinkling on us and it’s going really well.”
About 15 businesses participated in the event, serving wine or related foods at their locations downtown. Crowds moved from location to location, sampling the wines available.
This year is the Warsaw Kiwanis Club’s 100th anniversary, and Wine in the Valley hadn’t been conducted since the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We fund 25 different organizations throughout the year but our primary focus for this fundraiser is musical equipment at the playground,” Rissinger said.
The equipment would be located at the village park and similar to the musical playground at GO Art!, she said. Saturday was the first fundraiser for the effort which will cost an estimated $20,000 to $30,000.
The Warsaw Kiwanis Club has a history of funding projects benefitting children. Kiwanis member Hugh Tenhagen said the 2019 Wine Walk raised money for the Autism Nature Trail at Letchworth State Park.
Warsaw Wine & Spirits was among the participating businesses. It saw a steady flow of visitors making their way through the building.
The businesses was offering a mix of wines, including a sweet red, a sweet white, a California cabernet, and wine-flavored soda.
“We do tastings every week anyway,” said Manager Tom Cooke. “This is just a great chance for people to try different things. I carry all the ones we have. For me it’s business, but it gets people into the store to look for other things and see what we have on-hand — just being able to bring people into the store to see things they might not normally see.
“It all depends on what you like,” he said of wine’s appeal. “A good wine could be great to me, and you could think it’s horrible. It all depends where your palate is, which is why I try to offer sweet and dry wines. Some people might like one and not the other.”
About a block away, Laurie’s Restaurant was serving homemade pretzels with a port wine cheese sauce, along with boneless wings and mini cheese boards.
Kelly Eastman and Laura DeBatts were among those sampling the food and participating in the walk.
“It’s very much fun and I like to support the Kiwanis, and I really like the wine,” Eastman said.
“There were some we really liked and some not so much,” said DeBatts, who was attending for the first time.
Among their top choices was Arcade Winery’s blackberry wine, they said.
The evening also include a basket raffle and charity grape stomp competition to raise money for area organizations. The Hope Foundation for Wyoming County took first place in the latter, followed by Jacked Fitness Club, which raised $1,000 for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
