Uncorking: The Fall Celebration

On Friday, September 4, 2026, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., we invite you to join us for our Annual Fall Uncorking. Raise a glass and welcome the season amid the spooky sights and sounds of Halloween as we introduce our newest Halloween and fall collectibles. This year, part of our Retail Gallery has been reimagined as a Gothic Halloween setting. Its seasonal décor and dramatic embellishments celebrate mystery, imagination, and the art of storytelling in anticipation of an Edgar Allan Poe performance later this fall.

Wines

For this year’s celebration, we have returned to Lodi, California, with two new wines. Our first offering is a distinctive blend of Cabernet, Merlot, and Petite Sirah, available with Judi’s iconic Santa portrait label. Aged for 18 months in charred Tennessee bourbon barrels, it has a bold, robust character with prominent notes of blackberry, cassis, and dark chocolate. Lodi’s warm days and cool nights allowed the Cabernet grapes to mature fully, creating excellent tannin structure and a beautifully balanced finish. The grapes came from a small harvest and were picked at 24° Brix, cold-soaked for three days, and fermented in small lots for 10 days. Inside and out, this wine embodies the spirit of Christmas.

Our second offering is a Sauvignon Blanc featuring a label designed by Luke as a tribute to the Christmas angel. Whole-cluster pressed and cold-settled, the wine underwent an extended 30-day fermentation in stainless steel to create its crisp, clean character. Non-oxidative handling was maintained following fermentation through bottling to preserve its freshness. This California Sauvignon Blanc has a light, pale gold color and fresh flavors of honeydew and lime, complemented by subtle mineral notes on the nose that are often associated with Chardonnay.

Fall Chalkware

Join us for the Premier Numbers of Scootering Skeleton Ghost, an enchanting addition to our 2026 chalkware collection. Not every Halloween spirit travels by broomstick. Ours prefers something with a little more speed. Dressed in a vivid green cloak and a striped, pointed cap, this bearded skeletal rider leans into the handlebars of a pumpkin-orange scooter. From the blue pack decorated with a witch crossing a glowing yellow moon to the intricate spiderwebs, bony hands, and silvery beard, every detail invites a closer look. Hand-painted in Massachusetts, this fine art chalkware piece combines the mischievous character of Halloween with traditional Vaillancourt craftsmanship, bringing youthful wonder, playful movement, and good-natured mischief to a collection meant to be admired and cherished for generations.

Alongside this new piece, guests can explore seasonal decorations and favorite chalkware and ornament collections from years past. This year’s darker gallery presentation gives our cherished Annual Fall Uncorking a more theatrical character as we prepare for our theatre’s first one-man performance. On Saturday, October 24, an Edgar Allan Poe interpreter will take the stage for this highly anticipated event, carrying the gallery’s atmosphere of mystery and imagination into live performance. Together, our new chalkware, returning favorites, specially selected wines, and Gothic setting offer a fitting prelude to an autumn shaped by art, storytelling, and tradition, with inviting ways to welcome Halloween into the home.