Summer-into-Fall Spritz Fest

What happens when you take an aromatized wine – think vermouth, amaros, Americanos – or even Madeira or elderberry syrup and give it a twist of citrus and a big lift from a dollop of something fizzy? Spritz deliciousness ensues! And while a good spritz can definitely cool you off in summer’s heat, it can also deliver a joyful lift when cooler weather arrives in fall.

You can taste what we mean when you join us from 1-4pm on Sunday, August 24, for our Summer-Into-Fall Spritz Fest! Our good friends at Williams Corner Wine will be on hand presenting delicious aromatized wines and more at two tables. You’ll try up to 10 distinctive “base” wines and flavors and then enjoy each with a creative spritz from Prosecco, tonic, soda – even Coke! You’ll leave with a new appreciation of these unique wines and a guide to building fun new flavors on your own.

Spritz Fest 2025 will feature a wild line up, including:

Salvatore Marino Vermouth Turi – Sicilian vermouth with wormwood plus local botanicals with plenty of bite and not too sweet.

Cappelletti Vino Amaro Pasubio – A taste of the Dolomites in this aged white wine loaded with bitter Alpine herbs and a deep, rich flavor

Mattei Cap Corse Blanc Quinquina – A true Quinquina Blanc with cinchona bark, the evergreen tree gives the aperitif its spice and depth on the palate

Bonal Gentiane-Quina – From Savoie, France, this is mellow in feel and wildly complex from Chartreuse Mountain herbs

Nikolaihof Wachau Hollerblutensirup [Elderflower Syrup] – Pretty much what it says! Super-intense solo, it blossoms with a spritz

Les Lunes Sweet Vermouth – Say you’re a Lodi Zin grower who misses their pick-window and now has a few acres of over-ripe Zinfandel – what do you do? Apparently make a one-time only wonderful red vermouth!

Cappelletti Aperitivo Americano Rosso Il Specialino – Our best-selling non-vermouth aromatized wine ever, this is the secret to a delicious, slightly more dry, “Aperol Spritz”

Cappelletti Aperitivo Mazzura – Just as Cappelletti Il Specialino is a wine-based alternative to Aperol, think of this as wine-based replacement for Campari at a slightly lower abv and with a nicer bite

Mattei Cap Corse Rouge Quinquina – Like it’s Blanc sibling, this sweetish red is packed with the bite of cinchona bark and layers of wild Corsican herbs.

Henriques & Henriques Madeira "Rainwater" 3 Years Old – Ever had a “Port Tonic” with white Port? Wait until you try a spicy Madeira tonic, the perfect autumnal refresher!

There’s no charge for this walk-around spritz tasting extravaganza and no need to reserve a spot or time in advance. We’ll be starting folks off at the first of the three tables in groups of 10 and then allowing you to move from one to the next over a half-hour or so. If we get a bit of a crowd going, we hope you’ll be willing to wait a few minutes as necessary before starting your tasting adventure. Join us and get ready to spritz out of summer and into fall!

More information: https://www.cbcwine.com

Also check out other Festivals in McLean, Trips & Adventurous Activities in McLean.