Luckily, Wild Wines didn't appear to suffer from the Paul McCartney concert going on across the river.
The Little Rock Zoo's April 30 wine and food-tasting smorgasbord suffered only from an 11th-hour venue change: from the zoo itself to War Memorial Stadium, due to a chance of inclement weather. Dark clouds threatened, but no precipitation fell. And guests were out in full force to help the zoo celebrate its "90th (birthday) at Night."
The sold-out Reserve Wine Room experience began an hour earlier in the second-floor suites of the stadium. VIPs were afforded the chance to sample champagne and better wines in a more intimate setting, nibble on light hors d'oeuvres by YaYa's Euro Bistro and visit with an African black-footed penguin.
Souvenir wine glasses and made-to-fit plastic plates in hand, they later joined other guests on the stadium's main concourse. There, they partook of about 200 wines from O'Looney's Wine & Liquor and morsels from some 50 food booths (and a couple of food trucks) from area restaurants. Among gustatory delights were Scottish boiled egg halves encased in succulent sausage, burger samples, Louisiana gumbo, mini-salads, strawberry and blueberry crepes and what looked to be an abundance of Mexican dishes.
For those with a desire for a more comfortable dining experience, tables were set up in the north and south end-zone areas. Music was provided in the reserve room and concourse.
Proceeds from Wild Wines will go to the Arkansas Zoological Foundation, whose projects have included the building of the new Laura P. Nichols Penguin Pointe exhibit and the new Cheetah Outpost; a new train for the zoo; and a new Arkansas Heritage Farm exhibit.
-- Story and photos by Helaine R. Williams
High Profile on 05/08/2016