Wine on Wednesdays

Stopped by the Village at SouthPark last night to check out Charlotte's newest after-work party, Wine Day Wednesdays.

It's a joint effort by Kiss 95.1 and Elevate to help attract more people to the outdoor shopping center that M5, The Grape and The Counter call home. It's not just Crate & Barrel, people!

Wine Day Wednesdays is a little like the two after-work parties Thursday uptown, Alive After Five and EpiCentre at Five -- just more upscale ($10 gets you three wine tastings, and hor d'ouevres from M5 and The Grape were handed out by uniformed waiters) and with a slightly older, professional crowd. Less fratty, more classy.

The nearby shops and restaurants are also getting in on the act -- The Counter is offering half-price bottles of wine every Wednesday for the next two months, and The Grape is selling whatever wine is being tasted that night for only $5 inside the store.

The crowd was thin last night, but I expect it to catch on as Alive After Five winds down (today is the last day). The event will run for the next 11 weeks from 5:30-7:30 p.m. and portable heaters will be brought in as the weather gets chillier. So throw on a scarf this month and try the flight of reds.