Wine on 9 in the Historic 9th Square - New Haven CT

This month, on Friday, November 1st, I participated in a Wine on 9, (#WineOn9) event consisting of a "wine crawl" to various merchants, restaurants, and organizations in the 9th Square New Haven.

Poster by Thomas Drew
Source: On9NewHaven

At just $15.00 a ticket, this was indeed a bargain and all who participated received a keepsake wine glass for sampling, a map of the participating merchants in the neighborhood, and some delicious wine tastings from the Wine Thief.

New Haven’s Historic 9th Square district is quickly becoming the downtown destination for New Haven, featuring great art, food, music, and cultural activities.

Best of all, this eclectic neighborhood provides the backdrop for First Fridays On9 in New Haven.


First Fridays On9 are open-house evenings that are running through December 2013 and feature creative events showcase the wide array of shops, restaurants, marketplaces, homes, and cultural centers in the historic 9th Square neighborhood. The On9 activities typically happen between 6:00PM and 8:00PM. If you'll remember, in September we attended the #BreatheOn9 event that featured the amazing designer Neville Wisdom's Fall Fashion Show. (Read about it HERE)

Wine On Nine

I met up with friends Wendy and Greg, publishers of the online magazine Connecticut Lifestyles (http://connecticutlifestyles.com/) and together we visited a few of the participating merchants in the Orange Street / Crown Street area.

We started at one of my favorite restaurants, Bentara, where we sampled some Carmenet Pinot Noir,

Bentara - Carmenet Pinot Noir

We then moved on to our next stop at Palmieri Brasil where we sampled some Eyzaguirre Merlot.

Palmieri Brasil - Eyzaguirre Merlot

We then headed over to Neville Wisdom's Boutique where we sampled Ananto Macabeo.

Neville Wisdom's Boutique - Ananto Macabeo

Our next stop was Graffio Jewelers were we sampled my favorite of the evening, a Pfeffingen Riesling.

Graffio Jewelers - Pfeffingen Riesling

Although there were many more places to visit, as well as an informative final wine talk at the sponsoring Wine Thief, I ended my WineOn9 Tour at Thali, where Stellina di Notte Pinot Grigio was served.

Thali - Stellina di Notte Pinot Grigio

All in all it was a wonderful evening walking through the 9th Square with friends and visiting with the local merchants.

Greg and Wendy carried on and visited several other establishments, and I so regretted that I wasn't feeling well and able to keep up with them.

I'm certainly hoping that this event will be a repeat every year! I was pleasantly surprised that retail organizations, in addition to restaurants and wine purveyors, were participating. Many of the venues were also offering some light snacks to nibble on and pair with the wine, which was a great addition, and always encouraged when indulging with any alcoholic beverages.

Photo Source: Cookies On 9 New Haven

Next up for the final 2013 First Friday On9 Events will be Cookies On 9 (#CookiesOn9) being held on Friday, December 6, 2013.

Cookies will be baked by students in the culinary arts program at Gateway Community College.




Tickets are limited and are $25.00, click HERE to purchase yours!

Proceeds from tickets will benefit the “Neighbors in Need” dinner hosted by Gateway Community College Foundation.

Also happening that night will be an art exhibition sponsored by Reynolds Fine Art | 96 Orange Street | New Haven, titled Small Works, an exhibition of eclectic and diverse mediums, from metals to encaustics. And fun Christmas pictures with a zombie Santa (apparently zombies are hot this year - thank you walking dead) at Lipgloss Crisis Photography and Art. (Cost of pictures $10.00)

I hope to see you there!