Vinho en Vogue

Wine: It’s how classy people get wasted. That’s what we’ve always believed anyway. So if you’re imbibing wine at a museum, that’s about as classy as you can get without inviting the Queen of England to join you. Throw in drinking for a good cause, and you have a win-win situation. On Tuesday, the Wines of Portugal Annual Grand Tasting lands at the Rubell Family Collection (95 NW 29th St., Miami). From 7 to 9 p.m., you’ll be able to taste wines from the small seaside country that has some of the best-kept secrets in wine. Take your palate on a journey from the whites of the Minho, Tejo, and Lisbon regions to the dry reds of Bairrada, as you sample the fruits of more than 40 Portuguese wineries. Wines will be paired with cheeses, charcuterie, and small bites, so you can keep your energy up to — what else? — drink more wine. General admission costs $55 per person. VIP admission costs $75 and includes a one-hour Portuguese wine primer with certified sommelier and wine educator Emilio F. Guerra at 6 p.m. That’ll come in handy when you meet your friends during the grand tasting and can entertain them by explaining the differences between wines from Alentjo and Duoro. See? You’re learning something new already. Best of all, you’re drinking for a cause, because net proceeds from the evening will benefit the Emeril Lagasse Foundation, which supports educational programs and culinary training for underprivileged youth. Now that’s classy!
Tue., June 12, 7-9 p.m., 2012