Taste And See Your Favorite Wines And Animals In Central New York

Are you looking to mix wine and zoo animals together? There's one place and event in Central New York where this is possible.

The Utica Zoo is set to host its 25th Annual Wine in the Wilderness event on Saturday, June 7th from 6PM to 9PM. This 21-and-over gathering offers attendees the opportunity to sample wines from all over New York State, enjoy live music, and indulge in offerings from various food trucks and vendors. The event will proceed rain or shine.

A highlight of this year's event is the introduction of wine and seltzer samples provided by City Liquors, and musical entertainment will be provided by Last Left. For those interested in the culinary offerings, a variety of food trucks will be on-site. All ticket proceeds benefit the Utica Zoo.

Tickets are available for purchase at different price points:

Tickets:
Member Admission - Pre-Sale
$30
General Admission - Pre-Sale
$35
Member Admission - At the Door
$35
General Admission - At the Door
$40
Designated Driver
$20

Parking is available on a first-come, first-served basis at the Utica Zoo. For additional convenience, free overflow parking is provided at Mohawk Valley Community College's Payne Hall parking lot. Shuttle services will be available.

Wine in the Wilderness plays a crucial role in supporting the Utica Zoo's operations and initiatives. Please be aware that on the day of the event, the Utica Zoo will close to the public at 1PM to facilitate setup and will reopen at 6PM for event attendees. Enjoy hanging with the animals at the zoo, and sipping a nice cold beverage.

Try These 10 Upstate NY Wineries That Are NOT in the Finger Lakes!

The Finger Lakes Wine Region is now one of the most popular destinations in the United States. With dozens of large and small wineries in the lake region, the wine business has become a major economic engine of western New York. But award-winning wines can be found all around the state. Here is a list of 10 fantastic wineries that are located in ten different counties and are definitely not in the Finger lakes area. Give them a try. We think you will like these.

And if you know of a great winery in Upstate NY that is not in the Finger Lakes wine region, we hope you will visit our Facebook page and give it a shout out.

Gallery Credit: Chuck D'Imperio

By the Glass, You Cannot Go Wrong at These 13 Upstate New York Wine Bars

Wine bars are spreading across Upstate New York rapidly. Not necessarily bars in the traditionally sense, or corner saloons, or cocktail lounges, but wine bars which focus mainly on the many varieties of wines from around the world.

Of course Upstate is no slouch when it comes to wine, with the Finger Lakes wineries now grabbing many of the headlines at wine expos and competitions around the country. But local wine producers, even the very small ones, are starting to nudge into the pack of award-winning vinos from coast to coast

Here is a list of 13 great wine bars. They all serve food and many of them have the word "restaurant" in their name, but as you will see, the wine is the superstar at all of these fine Upstate New York places.

Gallery Credit: Chuck D'Imperio

Filed Under: booze, summer, Utica News, utica zoo, wine

Categories: News, NY News, This And That, TSM, Utica-Rome News