Chicago Wine Riot 2014

Another great sister gathering! Last year we celebrated Katie's legal drinking status with Wine Riot by Second Glass, which is a four-hour tasting festival featuring bottles available at any liquor store. I enjoyed it because if I like anything, it's easy to find and not prohibitively expensive.

We had a blast last year tasting and trying and couldn't wait for the event to return to Union Station again this year. It's just so easy for my suburban existence - get on the train, have some drinks upon arrival and then take the train back. This year Second Glass gave me free tickets, but the opinions are all mine as always.


First up, lunch. It was a great day so Mandy and I enjoyed our wine buffer burritos outdoors.

I think this was vegetarian

Then we got checked in, picking up our glasses and wristbands. We headed right to the bubbly bar, because we wanted to start light and work our way through the more than 250 wines (spoiler alert: I can't drink that much).

There were so many wines to taste - champagnes and proseccos, reislings and sangria, pinot and chardonnay. I found a new sangria I really liked, and enjoyed the wines from a vineyard my sister visited in Michigan and had a great time catching up with my sister and her friends.

Of course, the afternoon would not be complete without Wine Riot temporary tattoos.

And made a brief pit stop for tamales.

Need these

They had a photo booth again this year, which of course, we hit up big time.

Do we ever.

As well as an Instagram printer. This year's worked a bit differently - it only printed one photo per account. I was going to pick up a print for my mom (even though we're missing the third Mahoney girl ... missed you, Katie), and someone had already printed it. And it wouldn't print another. So someone else walked off with a photo of me and my sister. Creepy, right?

Enjoy this photo print, creepy creeper McCreeperson

Thank you, Second Glass, for the tickets to this year's Chicago Wine Riot! Mandy and I had a great time and can't wait for next year. We're going for a three-peat!

Read my 2013 Chicago Wine Riot recap.