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Back to School Wine 101 Recap: A 'Crush' Course in Sips, Snacks & Shenanigans
- Katie I.
- Sep 7, 2025
- 2 min read
On Thursday, September 4th, the classroom bell rang at Ando’s Market — it was time for Back to School: Wine 101 🍷✏️.
We set the tone early with a few “class rules”:
Raise your glass, not your hand
No cheating (unless it’s on your diet)
Graduation requirements: drink responsibly & have fun
And of course, no school day starts without a pledge. Ours?...
“I pledge allegiance to the pour, to the flights and bottles we adore, one bar, under wine, with good vibes and refills for all.”
Here's how to throw your own adult Back to School Wine Night:
The Cafeteria Experience Menu Ideas 🍴
The Ando’s Market “lunch ladies” served up a throwback cafeteria menu with a gourmet twist:
A brown paper bag snack with homemade Cheez-Itz (recipe coming soon!), a classic chocolate chip cookie wrapped in wax paper, and a shiny apple for the teacher 🍏
Trayed-up hot lunch featuring:
French Onion Mac & Cheese (recipe here)
Sweet Potato Tots with spicy maple dip
Not Your Momma’s Salami Sammy
Garden Salad with house-made ranch
Double Chocolate Brownie 🍫
It was equal parts nostalgia and indulgence — the kind of cafeteria food you actually wish you grew up eating.
Have a (Wine) Lesson Plan🍷
Our guest professor for the evening was Brett Halsey from Trinchero Family Estates, who guided us through four delicious wines:
Avissi Prosecco – Light, bubbly, and approachable with crisp apple and pear notes. Perfect for toasts or starting the night on a sparkling note. 🥂
Mason Sauvignon Blanc – Bright and zesty, bursting with citrus and tropical fruit. A refreshing refresher for warm evenings. 🍋
Bieler Bandol Rosé – Dry, elegant, and classically French with delicate strawberry and floral notes. This one earned extra credit for pairing well with almost everything. For all you wine neards read more about Bandol and Charles Bieler here (link coming soon). 🌸
Falesco Vitiano Rosso – A bold Italian red blend with juicy blackberry, plum, and a hint of spice. Rich, food-friendly, and just what we needed to close out the “lesson.” 🍇
We learned a little, drank a lot, and laughed even more — with detention slips, passing notes, and plenty of schoolyard silliness along the way.
Pop the Bubbles Pop Quiz
Sorry friends... no class is complete without a test! We closed the night with a bubbly toast and a cheeky Pop Quiz (download it here) to see who had been “paying attention.”
The Final Grade🎓
Wine 101 was a total A+ — a night full of laughter, learning, and refills. Thank you to Brett Halsey, Trinchero Family Estates, and everyone who joined our little back-to-school experiment. Consider yourselves officially graduated… until the next class!
Want to plan your own Back to School Wine Night? Shop all the fun decor and ideas here.
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