I don’t pretend to know a lot about wine.

I steer clear of boxed (although I’m told it’s come a long way since the early days of Franzia), don’t care for the emasculating, sweeter whites like Riesling, and Paul Giamatti’s lunatic rants in Sideways insured that I’ll never order Merlot.
That’s what’s great about Urban Wine Walk, which gets uncorked this Saturday from 1 to 6 p.m. along the Central Corridor and in Downtown Phoenix. It’s so easy to participate that even a grape greenhorn like me can enjoy the weather, sip on a wide range of wines, and have a heck of a good time with my friends, many of whom know just as little about wine as I do.
If you’re new to Urban Wine Walk, here are a few tips to help maximize your experience.
Have a Plan
There are 16 restaurants participating in this fall’s Urban Wine Walk, each offering three wine samples priced between $2-$3. For legal reasons we can’t advise you to drink all of them, which is why you should print off this handy map with location details so you can devise a proper strategy.
Ride the Rail
Wine Walk was created nearly three years ago as a way for urban adventurists to become more familiar with Metro light rail, which at the time was in its infancy. Park-and-riding is still the best way to bounce along the Urban Wine Walk route and at $3.50, an all-day light rail pass is almost as good a value as the wine flights you’ll be drinking.
Get a Glass
The first 300 Wine Walkers to purchase a wine sample at event sponsor Blue Hound Kitchen & Cocktails will receive a FREE commemorative Urban Wine Walk wine glass. These stemless beauties will go fast so plan to get to Blue Hound early. Co-sponsor 98.7 The Peak FM will be broadcasting from Hotel Palomar, playing tunes and mixing it up with the Walkers.
Dress Appropriately
The five-day forecast tells us that Saturday will bring partly cloudy skies and a high in the low 60s. Sounds like wine drinkin’ weather, right? Even if you’re light railing it on Saturday, you’ll do quite a bit of walking so wear comfortable shoes and dress in layers.
Adopt a Pack Mentality
Urban Wine Walk is best enjoyed in a group. There’s just something so Sex and the City about wine walking with your girlfriends. And guys, don’t you want to be in the general vicinity of large groups of women who are drinking wine?
Get a Room
Downtown’s hotels–Province (Westin), District (Sheraton), Networks (Hyatt), Icon (Renaissance) and Blue Hound (Kimpton)–all bring their A-Games for Urban Wine Walk and if you want to make a night of it, both the Westin and the Sheraton are offering special weekend room rates exclusively for Wine Walkers. Follow the links and enter promo code WINEWALK at checkout.
See you Saturday!