City Wine Tours debut in Philly this weekend

Philly is a great city to walk around. You can soak in the sights, admire the history that surrounds us all and spend some time truly delving into this fascinating city. What would make a pleasant stroll around the City of Brotherly Love even better? Wine, of course.

Great news: City Wine Tours is finally coming to Philly and everyone (age 21-plus) is invited to sip, stroll and enjoy. This spirited walking tour has been a fan favorite in New York City and Boston, and now is making its debut in the grittiest city on the East Coast.

Tour guides will take guests on a two-hour journey through Old City, Midtown Village or Fishtown and participants can sample and learn more about delicious and intriguing wines. The tour guides are friendly and charismatic and make the experience truly special.

Guides will lead you to all of the hot spots and you’ll be welcomed to a reserved table, with waitstaff standing by, ready to serve the pre-selected wines. Guests will enjoy six wines over the course of six hours. The groups are intimate and always fun. Up to 12 participants are allowed on each tour, so you can round up some of your closest friends and truly make it a party.

“Philly has so many distinctive neighborhoods and a really unique wine culture, and we’re so excited to help locals and tourists explore new spots in the area,” says City Wine Tours CEO and co-founder Daniel Andrew Bodt, in a release. “After running successful tours for years in Boston and New York City, we thought Philly would be the next obvious wine destination and we’re eager to launch this new tour with the local community.”

First stop on the Old City tour is Amada (219 Chestnut St.). The authentic Andalusian tapas-style eatery will feature Spanish wines; all samples will be paired with an indulgent cheese plate. The second stop is at The Olde Bar (125 Walnut St.). This contemporary oyster bar and cocktail lounge will be serving up samples of different wines from France and New Zealand and will pair them with fresh oysters and beef-fat fries.

First stop for the Fishtown tour will be Kensington Quarters (1310 Frankford Ave.). This American-style restaurant and full-service bar will be serving up wines from smaller winegrowers who farm organically, sustainably and biodynamically. Kensington will be pairing the tasty spirits with sunchokes (made with lemon aioli, charred onion oil and pomelo) and Andouille sausage (made with collard greens, chow chow and KQ hot sauce). The next stop will be at Fishtown Social (1525 Frankford Ave.) This wine bar and wine shop features sustainable, organic, biodynamic and natural wines and will be pairing them with oysters, cheese and charcuterie.

The Midtown Village tour will start at Bud & Marilyn’s (1234 Locust St.) and will feature an impressive selection of wine and bites. El Vez (121 S 13th St.) is on the second leg of the tour. This Mex-eclectic hot spot eatery will be featuring delicious options from France, Portugal and Spain along with crispy mahi-mahi tacos and chips and salsa.

City Wine Tours will be available every Saturday starting April 6 from 3 to 5 p.m. To buy tickets, visit citywinetours.com/philly.