Written by: Rian L. Moses
What if I told you HearRVA was transported to a small corner of the universe where a tap dancing tattoo sprung to life and poured us a glass of Aslina’s Chardonnay, while a floating secret rose garden sashayed around to the beat of soft Latin music? Would this seem unbelievable?
Well, prepare to believe the seemingly impossible and take a trip with us to Révéler’s newest Saturday experience, The Curious Cup.
The leadership of Révéler, Tina Pearlman and Josh Czarda, were behind the concept of this mystical wine tasting night, while the music was curated by Tom Illmensee of Orbital Music Park (OMP).
The night started off with our prompt arrival at 6:30 for the first show of the night at a venue that F. Scott Fitzgerald would have taken inspiration from while writing, The Great Gatsby. We were greeted by Meta Morphosi, the dandelion spirit, who gave us instructions to enjoy a glass of bubbly while receiving our wine tasting glass and wine list for the night.
The intoxicating music drawing us further into the space was provided by Serenata, who creates a mix of salsa, son, bolero, cumbia, bachata, and merengue. The voice of Anaís Alonso, a singer/songwriter from Puerto Rico and New York City native, Tony Corsano, who also added voice, percussion, guitar and tres cubano, filled the room. Guests lounged on plush couches or sat at intimate table tops and let their heads sway and feet tap to the beat.
Characters selected and developed by Révéler creative director, Carmel Clavin and company, roamed through the space inviting guests to be curious and discover the four wine pairing stations hidden in rooms.
Each area where a tasting was offered, we were able to play and create. Sand animations were sketched. Tattoos were given. Portraits were drawn and clay was sculpted. Cards were read. Morsels ingested. And we were dazzled by the delights of Secret Garden; a walking rose garden, Sailor JT; the tap dancing tattoo girl come to life, Wind-Up Girl; the acrobatic automata, and of course Meta Morphosi.
The evening’s wines came from Aslina, South Africa’s first African female winemaker named Ntsiki Biyela.
Cabernet Sauvignon - paired with a traditional meatball with a sweet and spicy glaze
Aslina’s Cabernet Sauvignon expresses a natural offering which was supported in the winemaking process, richness and bold structure offered by nature.
Sauvignon Blanc - onion confit stuffed olive topped with salmon roe
Sauvignon Blanc reveals the wild unique deep story of our winemaking process to produce a life changing taste on your palate.
Chardonnay - paired with prosciutto and green melon
Aslina’s Chardonnay expresses the diversity in the cultivar itself and how South Africa is. Their style of wine expresses the unity, strength and combining the components of passion, elegance and the vision with which it was crafted.
Umsasane - paired with lardon and a roasted mushroom
This is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Umsasane is the Zulu word for umbrella tree, which gives shelter, protection and comfort. It was Ntsiki’s grandmother’s nickname and the bold structure, smoothness and complexity of this wine honour the characteristics of Aslina, the matriarch of the family.
While this was the opening night of “The Curious Cup”, the space was filled with those who dare to be amazed. Révéler is shrouded in mystery, but the secret must be out about this awesomeness hiding in Richmond, VA’s Carytown.
Make sure you grab a ticket quickly and be enthralled every Saturday night!
Choose a date and time between a 6:30PM show or 8:30PM show. $30 a ticket.
“I am delighted to evolve the offerings of such a singular space as Révéler with the talents of our creative team. We always aim to beguile our patrons - come fill your cup and quench your curiosity.” - Carmel Clavin
Future musical performances will be provided by The Pinkerton Raid, Rahib Amin, Blasco, Elizabeth Knudson, and Rattlemouth.
References
Reveler
3108 West Cary Street
Richmond, VA 23221
Blog Author - Rian L. Moses: What's Up?! I'm one of the founders of HearRVA. Richmond, Virginia has been my home since 2006 and I'm still discovering new things. I'm a visual artist at heart and graduated from VCU in 2010 with a Bachelor's degree in Fine Art (major in video & animation/ minor in painting & printmaking). It feels great to use these skills on all the visuals you see coming out of HearRVA.