Cheap-wine tasting will bring out the inner college kid in you

Admit it – we’ve all had our fair share of bottom-shelf wine in college, or beyond for some of us.

And while there are plenty of wine tastings to be found in Wichita – at hotels, restaurants, country clubs and the like – those under-$10 options often are ignored.

Not anymore.

On Friday, the Museum of World Treasures is celebrating those boozes – paired, of course, with Dorito, gummy bear and Cheeto accoutrements.

The event is the first of a monthly series in 2017 tailored to young professionals, according to Lon Smith, the museum’s chief development officer.

“This is not a brainy event – this is a silly event,” Smith said. “The goal is to come out, have fun and bring more awareness about the museum.”

Bottom-shelf booze

The wines you can expect to find on Friday are the kind that often come in neon colors.

Boone’s Farm, MD 20/20, Thunderbird – these sort of high-ABV, low-price wines will be flowing Friday.

“The good news about that – it’s so inexpensive we probably overbought that a bit,” Smith said. “You can still get a bottle of Boone’s Farm for $4.95.”

Despite aiming the tongue-in-cheek tasting squarely at millennials, Smith said the museum also should attract baby boomers with the event.

“It was really personal for me – I remember I had a Ford Country Squire station wagon and we would go and get some MD 20/20 and go down to the drive-in movie, put the seat back and drink that and Boone’s Farm,” Smith said. “A lot of people remember doing those sort of things when they were in college.”

In addition to offering sips of the wines – which range from palatable to cough-syrup-esque – there will be games and other activities for event attendees.

There will also be a costume contest for worst costume – with no particular theme – so take that for what it’s worth.

The museum will put on an event night every month, with the proceeds going to its education programs.

“We’re just trying to mix it up, trying to get more people through the doors and produce more revenue,” Smith said. “ People should understand that when they come out to one of those events, not only are they going to have a great time, but they are also supporting the mission of the museum.”

Events in 2017 include Museum Escape Night, giant Jenga, trivia nights, cosplay contests and more.

The event series is the brainchild of Smith, who joined the museum staff in October after a brief stint with the Wichita Independent Business Association and about seven years with the Wichita Aviation Museum.

Smith said the event series is “part of our overall strategy” to improve fundraising and contributions to the Old Town museum.

For more information, visit the museum’s website at www.worldtreasures.org.

This story was originally published January 18, 2017 at 9:44 AM with the headline "Cheap-wine tasting will bring out the inner college kid in you."