The Devil’s Playground: The Big Baddies

In Philadelphia, October 30th isn’t just any night—it’s Mischief Night, that semi-feral tradition with roots tangled in both colonial history and teenage impulse. Around here, it’s a time for troublemakers to emerge from the shadows. But instead of egging houses or TP-ing trees, we’ve devised a far more delicious form of mischief. Join us for a wicked night of wine and wonder, as we unleash the darkest, heaviest, most full-throttle reds from our cellar. These are the wines that haunt wine lists and crush lighter fare with a single pour—the high-alcohol monsters, the mouth-drying tannic beasts, the dark-as-sin bottles that make grown sommeliers weep (with joy, of course). In this one-night-only class, we’ll taste through the heavyweight contenders of the red wine world—and back it all up with a dose of science. Which wine actually has the most tannin? Which one’s so full-bodied it’s basically a meal? We’ll explore the chemistry of wine structure and why some grapes carry the devil’s weight better than others. If you crave power in your glass, this is your kind of mischief.