09/14/2026
SEPTEMBER AT DRINK
Stories in a Bottle. People. W**e. Purpose.
September always feels like the unofficial beginning of fall. School is back, calendars are filling up, and suddenly there are a lot more reasons to gather around a table and open a bottle of w**e.
Around DRINK, we have a little bit of everything this month: California w**e, grower Ch*****ne, charcuterie, chef-curated bites, evenings with friends, and opportunities to support organizations doing important work in our community.
And because we apparently have no intention of slowing down, we’re already looking ahead to October and November.
A QUICK SHOP NOTE
CLOSED SEPTEMBER 17
DRINK will be closed on Thursday, September 17, as we step away from the shop for the evening to support our friends at the Foundation of Hope at their Night of Inspiration.
We believe being part of a community means showing up for it, and we are proud to support the Foundation of Hope and its work advancing research and understanding of mental illness.
We’ll be back at DRINK the next day, pouring w**e and solving the world’s problems one bottle at a time.
SEPTEMBER 22 | CALIFORNIA & CHARCUTERIE
A Bricoleur Vineyards Takeover Benefiting the Foundation of Hope
Join us at DRINK on Tuesday, September 22 from 5:30 to 7:00 PM for California & Charcuterie, a Bricoleur Vineyards takeover benefiting the Foundation of Hope.
Bricoleur owner Mark Hanson will be behind the bar pouring w**es from the Russian River Valley and Fountaingrove District, sharing the stories behind the bottles, the vineyard, and the family that built Bricoleur.
September gives us an important reason to gather. As conversations around mental health and su***de prevention take center stage this month, we are raising a glass in support of the Foundation of Hope and its work advancing research for mental illness.
Tickets are $20 and include a curated charcuterie spread.
Good w**e. Great stories.
A little California in Raleigh. And a reason bigger than what is in the glass.
Stories in a Bottle. People. W**e. Purpose.
SEPTEMBER 25 | CH*****NE JEAN JOSSELIN AT BOATMAN SPIRITS
Grower Ch*****ne + Chef-Curated Bites
On Friday, September 25, DRINK and Boatman Spirits Co. invite you to a special evening with Ch*****ne Jean Josselin, a family-owned grower-producer from Gyé-sur-Seine in the southern reaches of Ch*****ne.
As an independent w**egrower, the Josselin family makes Ch*****ne from fruit grown in its own vineyards, overseeing the process from vine to cellar to bottle.
It is a more personal expression of Ch*****ne, shaped by an intimate knowledge of the soil, exposure, vines, and traditions of the estate.
Each vineyard parcel is vinified separately before blending, preserving the character of the individual sites. The w**es undergo their second fermentation in bottle and rest for a minimum of 24 months before release.
The result is Ch*****ne with a distinct identity and a direct connection to the family and place behind the bottle.
The Josselin family describes it simply as “A Ch*****ne you can shake by the hand.”
Join us for an intimate tasting of Ch*****ne Jean Josselin, accompanied by chef-curated bites from Chef Ian McKenney, at Boatman Spirits. Buy your tickets here (https://resy.com/cities/raleigh-nc/venues/boatman-spirits-company/events/champagne-jean-josselin-tasting-2026-09-25-7?date=2026-09-11&seats=2)
LOOKING AHEAD
Our fall calendar is just getting started.
OCTOBER 22 | SAKE VS. B**R WITH CHEF JAKE WOLF
Two ancient brewing traditions. One table.
On Thursday, October 22, Chef Jake Wolf takes us beyond the usual w**e dinner with an evening devoted to sake and b**r, tasted, compared, and paired side by side.
Sake is often misunderstood as a single style, but its range can move from light, floral, and delicate to savory, earthy, rich, and deeply umami-driven. B**r brings an equally broad spectrum of malt, hops, fermentation, texture, and flavor.
Jake will use each course to explore where these two worlds intersect and where they take very different paths.
How does sake respond to spice compared with b**r? Which works better with richness? What happens when umami enters the equation? And which pairing ultimately wins the table?
Two fermentations. Two completely different traditions. One dinner designed to make you rethink both.
Whether you are already a sake fan, firmly on Team B**r, or simply curious, come prepared to taste, compare, and probably be surprised.
More details coming soon.
OCTOBER 28 | SOMM VS. SOMM: HALLOWEEN EDITION
The 2nd Annual All Hallows Eve W**e Battle is back.
Our friends at Maximillians are once again putting Sommelier Michael Tinsley and Sommelier Annabelle Butler to the test in Somm vs. Somm: Halloween Edition. Four courses. Eight w**es. Two somms battling over who found the better pairing.
Will Mike take the title again?
Expect spectacular fall food, plenty of friendly competition, and just enough Halloween mischief to make costumes highly encouraged.
6:30 PM | Maximillians
4 Courses | 8 W**es | $85++
Costumes encouraged
Reservations: 919-465-2455
NOVEMBER 10 | WILL'S BIRTHDAY W**E DINNER
W**e, Friendship + Men's Mental Health
Some dinners are about the w**e.
This one is about something bigger.
On Tuesday, November 10, we’ll once again join our friends at Maximillians, along with Tony Lombardi of Lombardi W**es and Mike Kobler of Kobler Estate W**ery, for Will Hennessee's Birthday W**e Dinner benefiting Hilinski's Hope Foundation.
Tony and Mike started as people we knew through w**e and became family. Bringing everyone together for a night that supports men's mental health makes this one of the evenings we look forward to most.
Hilinski's Hope works to raise mental health awareness, destigmatize mental illness, and provide quality mental health resources to student-athletes nationwide.
A portion of dinner sales will be donated to Hilinski's Hope, and all raffle proceeds will benefit the organization.
Take a chance on some incredible raffle prizes, including a four-night stay at Kobler Estate and large-format w**es from Lombardi W**es.
6:30 PM | Maximillians
6 Courses with W**e Pairings | $150++
Reservations: 919-465-2455
Limited seating.
COMMUNITY CORNER
SEPTEMBER GIVES US MORE THAN ONE REASON TO PAY ATTENTION
September is Su***de Prevention Month and Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Month, two causes that are very close to our world.
SU***DE PREVENTION MONTH
Mental health touches every family, every workplace, and every community.
This month, you’ll see that commitment reflected in where we spend our time and who we choose to support.
On September 17, DRINK will close for the evening so we can attend the Foundation of Hope's Night of Inspiration. A few days later, our California & Charcuterie event with Bricoleur Vineyards will also benefit the Foundation and its work advancing research into mental illness.
And in November, we’ll continue the conversation through Will's Birthday W**e Dinner benefiting Hilinski's Hope and its work supporting the mental health of student-athletes.
W**e brings people together, but community is about much more than what is in the glass.
It is checking on people.
Making room for difficult conversations.
Listening.
And reminding people that asking for help is a sign of strength.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Su***de & Crisis Lifeline.
SPINAL CORD INJURY AWARENESS MONTH
September is also Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Month, which gives us an opportunity to introduce some of you to another organization very close to home: NextStep Raleigh.
NextStep Raleigh is a community-based paralysis recovery center serving people living with Spinal Cord Injury, Stroke, Traumatic Brain Injury, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, and other neurological conditions.
Its specialized Activity-Based Training programs are built around repeated opportunities for movement, activation, strength, and neurological recovery. The goal is not simply to adapt to what has been lost, but to continue exploring what may still be possible.
For many of the people NextStep serves, recovery does not end when insurance does.
Programs like these are generally not covered by insurance, which means community support plays a direct role in keeping specialized recovery accessible to the people who need it.
Spinal cord injury can change a life in an instant.
Recovery, however, happens over months and years, through repetition, persistence, skilled training, family support, and a community willing to keep showing up.
That is why awareness matters. For more information, check out their website at www.nextstepraleigh.org
And it is another reminder of something we believe strongly at DRINK:
Community is not simply where you live. It is where you choose to show up.
AND THAT'S FALL AT DRINK...
A little California. A little Ch*****ne. Sake. B**r. W**e battles. A few nights out with some of our favorite people. And several opportunities to gather for something bigger than what we are pouring.
Because DRINK has never really been just about selling w**e.
It's about the stories behind the bottles.
The people sitting across the table.
And the community we get to be part of.
We'll see you at the shop, around town, or with a glass in hand somewhere in between.
Sandy & Cameron Bridger
The Mom & The Somm
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