A Former Student Throws a Party

Tahiirah Habibi was a force of nature when she took our sommelier program. I wasn't surprised when she founded The Hue Society, now one of the most recognized wine organizations in the country. On Saturday, July 25, she brings Wine & Culture Fest 2026 to the Bok Building — a full day of seminars, tastings, and evening programming built around wine, culture, and the Global Diaspora.

She has asked the Wine School to help with volunteers across three shifts:

• Shift 1 — 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Setup, signage, vendor help, guest check-in.
• Shift 2 — 1 to 6 p.m.: Daytime programming, guest assistance, glassware.
• Shift 3 — 7 p.m. to midnight: Evening programming, VIP lounge, breakdown.

Interested? Email Erin Darden at edarden1922@gmail.com with your name, phone number, and preferred shift.

Tahiirah is what our sommelier program looks like ten years out. The next cohort starts August 17. More on Summer Wine School.

Two Whites Worth the Trip to a PA Wine Shop

Forjas del Salnes Leirana Albariño, Rías Baixas 2024 — $19.99
This is one of the benchmark producers in Galicia, and this vintage shows why. Tight and mineral on the nose. Meyer lemon, honeysuckle, a thread of ginger,  then salty and persistent on the finish in the way only Atlantic-coast Albariño gets. A quoted retail of $45. You are paying $19.99. Buy more than one.

Clos Régain La Côte de Brumes, Jurançon Sec 2023 — $14.99
Petit Manseng from the Pyrenean foothills, dry, single-vineyard, and built to age, which makes the $14.99 price genuinely absurd. Rich and dense with exotic fruit and a long mineral finish, the tension between the richness and the acidity is what separates real Jurançon from everything else in that price range. If you have never had a serious Jurançon Sec, this is the bottle that will convert you.

Coming Up at the Wine School

America F*CK Yeah! The Wine Tasting Class
Friday, August 14 — 7:30 to 9 p.m.
$89.99 / $71.20 members

The 250th is over, and Philadelphia is ours again. Time to open some serious American wine. We are pouring one of Benjamin Franklin's favorite bottles, a wine from a vineyard that has been running since 1860, and our best selections from Napa and Willamette — all in the context of 250 years of American wine history that most people have never heard. It is a real class disguised as a very good time. Book your seat.