Upcoming Events at Geja's Cafe
Description
The city's first and oldest wine bar, Geja's Café, to Crown Tasting Champions at 44th Annual Pro/Am Contest on Sunday, November 5
Event Details
It’s the Olympics of wine tasting –an intense battle of the palates—and the oldest event of its kind in the country. Geja’s Café’s 44th Annual Professional/Amateur Wine Tasting Contest will take place on Sunday, November 5 at 1 p.m. at Geja’s Café, 340 West Armitage, where wine quaffers from around the region will gather to test their taste buds against experts and amateurs alike. Amateurs are defined as not having worked in the wine industry for the previous three years.
“The world of wine is as diverse as the countries on Earth,” says Jeff Lawler, Proprietor of Geja’s Café, “That’s why this contest is such a challenge. It takes a wise nose and an equally sensitive palate to identify these vintages.”
To begin the tasting, contestants will have eight unmarked carafes of wine placed before them. The experts and amateurs are then tasked with identifying the grape, place of origin, and vintage of each wine. The Grand Award for the highest scorer in each category will be an engraved crystal wine decanter. To enter, contestants pay an entrance fee of $30 and must be 21 years of age or older. To RSVP, call Geja’s Café at 773-281-9101.
“Wine is meant to be enjoyed, and while this is a fun event to test the palate, it is also a historic contest and there is a level of seriousness surrounding the competition,” said Lawler. “In order to maintain the integrity of the contest there is no talking or phone usage.”
In the last 43 years of this contest, Geja’s Café has seen over 1,500 participants, 2,400 bottles of wine tasted, two first place ties, 22 different Professional winners and 23 Amateur winners. Barbara Herman, a Professional, has won the competition eight times, and Jim Bube, who has won the Professional category for the last three years straight, will be vying for a fourth win this year.
Named one of the best restaurants in the country for exceptional fondue by the Wall Street Journal, and an ideal destination to celebrate an anniversary by The New York Times, Geja’s Café was recently voted as the nation’s Best Romantic Restaurant by USA TODAY readers and earned the Award of Excellence by the Wine Spectator. Known for romantic fondue dining – food one prepares and shares – and an extensive list
“The world of wine is as diverse as the countries on Earth,” says Jeff Lawler, Proprietor of Geja’s Café, “That’s why this contest is such a challenge. It takes a wise nose and an equally sensitive palate to identify these vintages.”
To begin the tasting, contestants will have eight unmarked carafes of wine placed before them. The experts and amateurs are then tasked with identifying the grape, place of origin, and vintage of each wine. The Grand Award for the highest scorer in each category will be an engraved crystal wine decanter. To enter, contestants pay an entrance fee of $30 and must be 21 years of age or older. To RSVP, call Geja’s Café at 773-281-9101.
“Wine is meant to be enjoyed, and while this is a fun event to test the palate, it is also a historic contest and there is a level of seriousness surrounding the competition,” said Lawler. “In order to maintain the integrity of the contest there is no talking or phone usage.”
In the last 43 years of this contest, Geja’s Café has seen over 1,500 participants, 2,400 bottles of wine tasted, two first place ties, 22 different Professional winners and 23 Amateur winners. Barbara Herman, a Professional, has won the competition eight times, and Jim Bube, who has won the Professional category for the last three years straight, will be vying for a fourth win this year.
Named one of the best restaurants in the country for exceptional fondue by the Wall Street Journal, and an ideal destination to celebrate an anniversary by The New York Times, Geja’s Café was recently voted as the nation’s Best Romantic Restaurant by USA TODAY readers and earned the Award of Excellence by the Wine Spectator. Known for romantic fondue dining – food one prepares and shares – and an extensive list
