Safety First

• Although you will have an opportunity to taste hundreds of wines, we do not recommend you swallow every drop of wine poured in your glass. We encourage you to master the art of swirling wine in your mouth and then spitting some or all of it out. Spitting is not considered bad manners at the VWE. In fact, we encourage it. If you can’t bring yourself to spit, then limit the amount of wine you sip and pour out the rest of your glass.
• Pace yourself. You are not in a race. Take your time as you make your way through the Grand Tasting. And feel free to partake in free water to cleanse your palate. 
• If you get hungry during the event, meal-size portions of food will be available for sale for your consumption.
• Please make plans if you are not able to drive. Reserve a hotel room at one of our partner hotels, take a taxi, or find a designated driver. We will have taxi information available for you at the event. 
• THERE IS NO RE-ENTRY. YOU MAY NOT BE PERMITTED TO COME BACK TO THE EVENT AFTER LEAVING.

Tickets

• Buy your tickets in advance. Each event will have a strict limit on the number of tickets available to ensure a high-quality experience.
• Tickets go on sale November 1, 2012.
• Tickets can only be purchased in advance at VirginiaWineExpo.com, except for tickets to Zest Fest. Zest Fest tickets are available at www.FeedMore.org/zest-fest/.
• If you buy tickets at VirginiaWineExpo.com, you may use MasterCard, Discover, Visa, and American Express.
• Tickets will be sold in advance until the day before the event unless the event sells out.
• If there is not a sell-out in advance, tickets will be sold at the Ticket Office on the ground floor, next to the main entrance to Exhibit Hall A in the Greater Richmond Convention Center during the following hours:

Friday, February 22, 4:00 P.M. – 8:30 P.M.
Saturday, February 23, 10:00 A.M. – 4:30 P.M.
Sunday, February 24, 10:00 A.M. - 3:00 P.M.

• If an event is sold out, notice will be given on the VirginiaWineExpo.com web site.
• If you buy your ticket in advance, please print your ticket and keep it in a secure place. This ticket must be brought to the event, where it will be scanned at the event entrance by our volunteers.
• If you lose your ticket, please contact Variant Events and let us know. We will work with Eventbrite, our ticket-provider, to get you a new ticket.
• Tickets are not refundable and may not be exchanged.

Sampling and Buying Glasses of Wine: Closing Time
At the Saturday and Sunday Walk-Around Grand Tastings, the privilege to sample or buy glasses of wine from the winery exhibitors will end thirty minutes before the closing time for the event.  However, you will still be able to purchase closed bottles of wine for off-site consumption until the event ends.

Food and Beverage
Ticket holders are not permitted to bring any food or beverages into the Greater Richmond Convention Center during the Grand Tastings or any other ticketed event. At the Grand Tastings, complimentary water will be available to cleanse your palate. There will be numerous specialty food vendors sampling food, but the samples will not be nearly enough for a meal. However, full meals will be available for sale in the convention center, which may be enjoyed, along with wine, in the Wine Garden.

Weather
The Virginia Wine Expo will be held inside the Greater Richmond Convention Center and nearby venues, so weather will not be an issue.

• The VWE is restricted to those 21 and older on Friday, February 22 and Saturday, February 23.  ONLY on Sunday, February 24, are individuals under the age of 21 permitted into the Walk-Around Grand Tasting.
• You must bring a valid ID to the event to be admitted.

ATM
An ATM is located in the Greater Richmond Convention Center just outside of the main entrance to the Walk-Around Grand Tasting in front of Exhibit Hall A.

Seating
You will have the option to sit down, relax, eat and sip wine in the Wine Garden or at various locations around the Exhibit Hall floor.

Dress Code
The dress code for all events is smart, chic, or comfortable casual. For ladies, this means dresses, nice blouses or tops, slacks, skirts, nice jeans, etc. For men, this means nice button-down shirts, polo shirts, khakis, slacks, nice jeans, jacket (optional), but no ties. Please wear comfortable shoes at the Walk-Around Grand Tastings, since you will be on your feet for much of the time. Also, we heartily recommend wearing black or dark-colored clothing. Red wine shows up much more prominently on white or light-colored clothes.

Coat Check and Wine Check
Coat check and wine check services will be offered.   Thus, you will be able to drop off your coat and the wine that you purchase during the Grand Tasting for pick-up when you depart.

Parking
Parking at the VWE is easy.  There is a parking deck that is directly connected to the Greater Richmond Convention Center (GRCC).   Also, there are surface parking lots and street parking within a few blocks of the GRCC.

Handicap Access
The Greater Richmond Convention Center is handicap accessible.

Pets
Pets are not permitted at the event.

Buying Wine
Wine can be purchased at the Walk Around Grand Tastings to go.   Also, bottles of wine can be opened on the Exhibition Hall floor.

Glass Sales
Wine will be available for sale by the glass.

Cologne, Hairspray, Aftershave, and Perfume
Please refrain from wearing strong perfume, lotion, hairspray, aftershave or colognes because their scent can interfere with the bouquet of the wine. This detracts from the tasting experience of our guests.

Busy and Mellow Walk-Around Grand Tasting Sessions
The busiest tasting session is the Walk-Around Grand Tasting held on Saturday. The Saturday tasting is perfect for you if you enjoy moderate crowds and have some patience when you walk up to a winery to taste wine. 

Sunday’s Walk-Around Grand Tasting has relatively light attendance. It is definitely mellower than the Saturday Walk-Around Grand Tasting. When you walk up to a winery to taste wine, the wait will brief in most cases.
 

In summary, the Saturday Walk-Around Grand Tasting is the busiest. Sunday is least busy.  

Re-entry Rights
Once an attendee leaves the Exhibition Hall, where the Walk-Around Grand Tastings are held, re-entry is prohibited. The only exception to this rule is the Smoking Area (please see below).

Smoking Area
Smokers will be permitted to use a special outdoor designated area, located adjacent to the Exhibition Hall, to smoke. This area will be highlighted on the Event Program and Map, which will be distributed to attendees when they enter the Exhibition Hall for the Walk-Around Grand Tastings.