I volunteered with New Vista, as part of 2 Yelp teams, to pour at a wine station during this event. So my review is based solely off of my volunteer experience and the feedback we received from guests during the event.
First of all: Town Square is a great venue to host an event like this. And, as smart as they are, I am sure it got people shopping as well! The event was from 7pm-10pm and I really shouldn't be surprised at how wasted people managed to get during that time (although nobody who came to our station was really out of control drunk).
Side note: I love volunteering and will most likely do so with New Vista (and Yelp) again, however I think that the set-up/orientation process could be more streamlined. The event starts at 7 and all volunteers are required to be there by 6pm, and after 2 events, I think this is too early. We ended up getting to our station by 6:30pm and stood around waiting for the event to start.
With the purchase of a ticket, you are given a wine glass, a wristband to verify your age, and a punch card with the 20 stations listed on it. The punch card no longer lists the names of each wine, but instead provides a mobile website that guests can go to for more information.
For anyone interested in attending one of these events: Please remember - it's for CHARITY. All of the wine is donated by Southern Wines and Spirits and Lee's Liqour (as is the Town Square location) and the people pouring wine are volunteers, some with little to no experience with wine. So, take it easy.
The wine bottles are fitted with automatic pourers, which will measure a 1 ounce taster. Please do not get upset over the amount of wine given to you - this is a tasting event, not a frat party! Please do not ask the pourer to give you extra or ask for another taste because you don't like the wine at another station. Also, only a limited amount of wine has been donated, and some of the more popular stations will run out of wine. You do not get a refund or extra tasters of other wine when this happens. Once again, it's for charity, so stop complaining.
Please designate a driver. The police were out in full force and had the DUI Enforcement Paddy Wagon patroling the area, just waiting for some schmuck to drive away. If you get wasted, the wine pourers have been designated to cut you off.
Get there early or on time. There were much fewer people coming around when the event started than there were at around 8:30pm - which is when some stations end up running out of wine. There is not an endless supply, so don't complain if you show up late.
I agree with Kayla - the wines should be mixed up, interchanging between whites/reds. At every station there is a pitcher of water and a vase so that you may clean out your glass or dump any tasters you don't like. Take advantage of it.
This location was perfect to even bring your family to - I saw quite a few people with their dogs, or kids. Since it's situated around the entire "mall," it would be a fun night out with friends or for a walk with your pooch.
As the summer goes on, I think volunteering will be pretty miserable. Although nobody told us we couldn't take breaks, we were pretty busy the entire time, and none of the 5 people we had working our table ever stepped away to use the restroom or anything.
It would be really nice to be able to enjoy some of the event. We had a map of the event, but none of the buildings were labeled, so it was hard to give directions, other than knowing that table 4 was to our right and table 6 to our left! LOL. I wish I could've walked around and had a couple of tastes (and at least tasted our wine), to compare to what we were giving out.
Anyhow, if you've never been to Wine Walk, it is a super fun time! My advice is to grab some friends (or your dog), get a DD, and prepare for a nice evening supporting a wonderful local charity. Get there early, and don't get upset when the wine is gone! read more