Wine Tastings in NYC
Bring people together over something worth talking about.
The Lush Life creates sommelier-led wine tastings for corporate groups, private events, and celebrations throughout New York City — thoughtful, interactive experiences designed to give guests something to taste, discover, and connect over.
Led by Certified Sommelier Sarah Tracey, each tasting combines expert wine guidance with warm, polished hospitality. We tailor the experience to the room, whether you’re welcoming a new team, entertaining clients, celebrating a milestone, or simply gathering people around great wine.
We bring the tasting directly to your NYC office, home, private dining room, or event venue.
More Than Just Drinks
A guided wine tasting gives people something to do besides stand around holding a glass.
Guests taste, compare, share opinions, ask questions, discover new favorites, and inevitably start talking to people they might not otherwise have met. That makes wine tasting especially useful when the goal of the event is not simply to serve drinks, but to create connection.
Sometimes that means welcoming new team members. Sometimes it means bringing together a women’s group or employee resource group that wants an activity built around conversation and community. Sometimes it means inviting clients into a beautiful new office and giving them something more memorable than another cocktail reception.
We’ve even been brought in to add an experiential layer to high-end real estate events and open houses.
The format changes, but the reason it works stays the same: wine gives people a natural reason to gather, participate, and connect.
Corporate Wine Tastings in NYC
For teams, clients, colleagues, and the moments that deserve more than another happy hour.
Corporate events work best when there is something holding the room together. A private wine tasting gives guests a shared experience from the start, which makes it especially effective for groups where connection, conversation, or hospitality is part of the goal.
The Lush Life hosts corporate wine tastings throughout New York City for:
Team building that feels social rather than forced
Welcoming new employees and bringing newer teams together
Employee resource groups and affinity groups looking to build community
Client entertaining that feels polished and memorable
New office openings and workplace celebrations
Executive and leadership gatherings
Employee appreciation events
Company milestones and anniversaries
Holiday gatherings
Retreats and off-sites
Networking events
Brand, media, and lifestyle events
High-end real estate events and open houses
The experience can be relaxed and conversational, competitive and playful, or more elevated and educational depending on your group.
If your event needs to feel impressive without feeling stiff, this is exactly the kind of experience we love to create.
A Better Kind of Team Building
No trust falls. No awkward icebreakers. No one has to build a tower out of office supplies.
Wine tasting works naturally as a team experience because everyone is participating at the same time, but there is still room for personality, conversation, and different levels of engagement.
A blind tasting can become a friendly competition. A regional tasting can spark debate over favorites. A wine-and-cheese pairing gives people something delicious to explore together. Even a more traditional guided tasting creates dozens of little conversation starters without forcing anyone to “network.”
For teams that are new, growing, hybrid, or simply overdue for some real face time, a shared tasting gives people an easy way to connect beyond the day-to-day.
Client Entertaining That Actually Feels Special
There’s a big difference between offering someone a glass of wine, and creating an experience around it.
A sommelier-led tasting works beautifully for client gatherings because it feels generous and considered without becoming overly formal. Guests have something interesting to focus on, the wine gives the event a natural rhythm, and there is plenty of room for actual conversation.
This can be especially effective for client appreciation events, leadership dinners, new office receptions, product launches, and smaller gatherings where you want the experience to feel personal.
We can keep the format sophisticated and streamlined, or make it more interactive depending on the audience.
Wine Tasting Fundraisers
A wine tasting can add real structure and energy to a fundraiser, whether it is the main event or one element within a larger reception.
We can create seated tastings, walk-around tasting stations, wine-and-food pairings, or themed experiences that give guests something to engage with while supporting the larger purpose of the evening.
For schools, nonprofits, cultural organizations, and community groups, we can work within a defined bottle budget and help shape the wine lineup accordingly. If you already have donated wine, a retail partner, or bottles secured through sponsors, we are also happy to build the tasting around what is already available and recommend any additions needed to round out the experience.
“I had the pleasure of working with Sarah Tracey and The Lush Life for a nonprofit gala, and it was an unforgettable experience. Her expertise in curating an exquisite wine selection elevated the evening, impressing both novice guests and the most discerning palates. Sarah and her team guided our guests through each pairing with charm and insight, creating a warm and engaging atmosphere. Their professionalism and deep knowledge of wine made the event seamless and enjoyable. I highly recommend The Lush Life for any event seeking a unique and sophisticated touch.”
-Cameron Forbes, Founder, Forbes Functions
Private Wine Tastings in NYC
Not every wine tasting needs a corporate agenda. Private tastings are a wonderful fit for birthdays, dinner parties, bachelorette weekends, anniversaries, celebrations, and groups of friends who want to do something a little more interesting than simply opening a few bottles.
We bring the experience to your apartment, home, residential lounge, private dining room, or event venue, and tailor the tasting around the people in the room.
It can be educational, celebratory, competitive, food-focused, or simply a beautiful excuse to spend an evening drinking great wine together. You do not need to know anything about wine to host one— that’s our job!
Choose the Kind of Experience You Want
Every tasting can be tailored to your group, and these are some of our most popular ways to shape the experience:
Something Social and Crowd-Pleasing
Choose Wine Around the World or Wine & Cheese Tasting for an easy, conversational tasting that works beautifully with mixed experience levels.
Something Competitive
Go with a Blind Tasting Challenge and let the room decide who actually knows what they are talking about. This is especially fun for team building, office events, and groups with a few confident wine drinkers.
Something Polished
A Bubbles tasting, Champagne-focused experience, or regionally focused tasting can feel especially elegant for client events, leadership gatherings, milestones, and celebrations.
Something More Educational
Explore Old World vs. New World, a favorite wine region, a particular grape, or a deeper topic for groups that want to really dig in… we host seated tastings and seminars as an alternative to a more casual walkaround tasting
Something Delicious
Add cheese, chocolate, charcuterie, or another food pairing and turn the tasting into a full sensory experience.
Something Completely Custom
Women winemakers. Italian wine. Natural wine. Wines from a particular country. A seasonal theme. A tasting connected to your company, menu, or event concept.
If you have an idea, tell us! We love a good theme.
Want to see the full lineup?
Explore our tasting themes, formats, and add-ons in the In-Person Events Menu.
Designed for Conversation, Not a Classroom
Our sommeliers lead guests through a thoughtfully selected lineup of wines, bringing each bottle to life through the stories, regions, grapes, and winemaking choices behind it. Along the way, guests build a clearer sense of what they enjoy, discover new favorites, and come away with useful context they can carry into future wine shops, restaurant lists, and dinner tables.
Our style is interactive, conversational, and hospitality-led. If you’re looking for a highly formal, lecture-style seminar, we may not be the best fit — but if you want guests tasting, talking, asking questions, and genuinely enjoying the experience, you’re in the right place.
Meet Your Lead Sommelier
Sarah Tracey, Certified Sommelier & Founder of The Lush Life
Sarah Tracey is a Certified Sommelier, wine educator, mixologist, and wine contributor for Martha Stewart, with more than 20 years of hospitality experience.
Before founding The Lush Life, she worked as Beverage Director in Michelin-starred New York City restaurants and in event operations at City Winery New York, where she managed everything from intimate wine dinners to large-scale corporate events.
Today, Sarah leads The Lush Life’s tasting program and personally hosts many events. Our events may also be led by one of The Lush Life’s trusted sommeliers or beverage educators — experienced hospitality professionals selected for their expertise, warmth, and ability to engage a room.
Since 2020, The Lush Life has hosted more than 400 tasting experiences, from intimate private gatherings to corporate programs for hundreds of guests.
“Sarah was a terrific host — upbeat and fun, and clearly an expert as well. The coordination prior to the event was seamless and very well organized. We even had a last-minute issue, and Sarah and her team jumped into action to make sure everyone had what they needed.”
-Kat L., Corporate Tasting Client
Trusted by Teams and Brands
The Lush Life has created tasting experiences for leading companies across technology, hospitality, healthcare, finance, communications, and beyond.
Easy to Plan, Thoughtful by Design
You do not need to arrive with a theme, wine list, or detailed event plan. Tell us your date, NYC location, approximate guest count, event type, budget, and what you want the gathering to feel like, and we’ll recommend the format, theme, and wine lineup that best fits your group.
Once the event is confirmed, we coordinate the details with you and, when needed, with your venue, caterer, planner, or other event partners. On event day, we arrive prepared to lead the experience and make the whole thing feel seamless for your guests.
Maybe your goal is to help a newly formed team connect, welcome clients into a beautiful new space, bring a women’s group together, or celebrate a milestone birthday. The experience should feel tailored to the reason everyone is there — without turning you into the wine expert, rental coordinator, or beverage director along the way.
“We hired Sarah for a team happy hour and Wine 101 course and were so happy with the results. Sarah made coordinating the logistics — planning, finding and coordinating the wine — a breeze. As the event coordinator, it was incredible to have someone step in and take care of the details. We all learned something new and had a lot of fun.”
-Morgan S., Corporate Tasting Client
Full-Service Event Support
Some events need a great sommelier and a thoughtful lineup of wines. Others need a little more behind the scenes.
The Lush Life can provide or coordinate the supporting pieces that make a tasting feel polished and complete, including wine sourcing, glassware rentals, food pairings, tasting materials, staffing, and collaboration with your caterer or event venue.
For larger or more complex events, we are happy to work directly with your planner, catering team, facilities contact, or production partner so the tasting fits smoothly into the larger event.
Whether you’re planning a conference-room tasting for twelve or a high-touch client event with catering, rentals, and multiple vendors, the goal is the same: make the experience feel effortless for the host.
Sommelier-Guided Wine Dinners
Already have the chef or restaurant? We can step in with the wine.
The Lush Life can curate a wine pairing for your menu, source the bottles, and join your group to present the wines throughout the meal. We’re happy to work with a private chef, caterer, or restaurant team, or to build around a menu you already have in place.
This format works especially well for client dinners, executive gatherings, fundraisers, milestone celebrations, and other occasions where the wine is meant to be part of the experience rather than simply served alongside it.
If the restaurant does not offer a dedicated sommelier presentation, we can often join the dinner and guide guests through the pairings, subject to the restaurant’s policies.
Wine Tastings Throughout New York City
The Lush Life hosts private and corporate wine tasting events throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island.
We regularly work in offices, private homes, residential lounges, event venues, private dining rooms, and other gathering spaces across the city.
Hosting outside NYC? Explore our Hudson Valley Wine Tastings or bring a distributed group together with a Virtual Wine Tasting.
Frequently Asked Questions About NYC Wine Tastings
Do you come to our office or venue?
Yes. The Lush Life is a mobile wine tasting experience, so we come to your NYC office, home, private event space, restaurant private room, residential lounge, or other approved venue.
Can you help us find a venue?
Yes. If you don’t already have a location, we can help identify NYC venues that fit your guest count, event style, neighborhood, and budget.
Venue scouting is available as an optional add-on service and can include researching appropriate spaces, narrowing the options, and helping you find a setting that works well for the tasting itself.
For clients who already have a venue, we’re also happy to coordinate directly with the space on logistics related to the tasting.
Can you provide a Certificate of Insurance (COI)?
Yes. We can provide event insurance documentation and a Certificate of Insurance when required by your office building, venue, or property management team.
If your venue has specific insurance requirements or needs to be listed as an additional insured, send us the details in advance and we’ll coordinate the necessary documentation.
Do you have a liquor license?
For private events, the venue’s alcohol policy and licensing requirements determine what is permitted. A liquor license is generally tied to the venue or entity selling alcohol, not to an individual sommelier.
The Lush Life can provide the wine for your tasting and will work within your venue’s requirements. If your office, event space, or building has specific alcohol policies, just send them to us in advance and we’ll help make sure everything is handled correctly.
Do you provide the wine?
Yes. In most cases, The Lush Life can source and provide the wines for your tasting, with selections chosen to fit your theme, group, and budget.
If you already have wine you’d like to use — whether from a personal or company collection, a retail partner, or donated bottles for a fundraiser — we’re happy to work with that too. We can help evaluate what you have, build the tasting around it, and recommend any additional bottles needed to round out the experience.
How long is a wine tasting?
Most guided or seminar-style wine tastings work beautifully within approximately 60 to 90 minutes. Larger corporate receptions, networking-style events, and customized programs can be structured differently. Many of our clients hosting a walk-around style tasting with lots of socialization prefer a longer timeline. Just let us know what you need!
How many wines do we taste?
That depends on the format and length of the experience. We’ll recommend a lineup that gives guests enough variety to explore without making the tasting feel rushed. Most of our clients prefer a lineup of 4-6 wines.
How much does a private wine tasting cost?
In-person wine tastings in New York City typically start at $1,500, with final pricing based on guest count, tasting format, wine selections, location, and any additional event support.
Most events are priced with a flat event fee plus per-person costs for wine and supplies. Optional upgrades can include food pairings, glassware rentals, additional staffing, venue scouting, and other event support.
Once we know your group size and what you have in mind, we’ll provide a clear proposal with the full event cost outlined upfront.
Can beginners participate?
Absolutely. Our tastings are designed to be welcoming to people at every level of wine knowledge.
No one needs to know the “right” answer, and no one will be asked to identify obscure French villages against their will.
What if some guests really know wine?
Even better.
Our hosts are experienced sommeliers with extensive restaurant, beverage, and wine education experience, so there is plenty of depth available for serious wine lovers— while keeping the conversation accessible to the rest of the group.
Can you host a wine tasting in our NYC office?
Yes. Office wine tastings are one of our most popular corporate formats.
We’ll talk through your space, timing, guest count, building requirements, and any logistics needed to make the event run smoothly.
Can the tasting include food?
Yes. Wine-and-cheese, wine-and-chocolate, charcuterie platters, and other food-pairing formats are available, and we can discuss the best fit for your group when preparing your proposal.
Can you accommodate large groups?
Yes. The Lush Life has experience producing intimate tastings as well as large interactive events for hundreds of guests.
The format is adjusted as the guest count grows so the experience remains engaging and easy to follow.
What’s included, and what do we need to provide?
The Lush Life can handle the wine, tasting materials, expert instruction, staffing, and optional details like glassware rentals and food pairings. If you already have a caterer, venue, wine collection, or other event partners in place, we’re happy to coordinate with them and build around what you already have.
Your proposal will outline everything clearly, so you’ll know exactly what we’re handling and what, if anything, is needed from your side.
Can you accommodate guests who don’t drink alcohol?
Absolutely. We can incorporate thoughtful non-alcoholic options so guests who are not drinking still feel included in the experience.
Depending on the format, that might mean non-alcoholic wine alternatives, zero-proof pairings, or a parallel tasting element designed to complement the wines being served. Let us know about your group when you inquire, and we can recommend the best approach.
Do you offer virtual wine tastings?
Yes. If your team is spread across multiple offices or working remotely, our Virtual Wine Tastings are designed for distributed groups and can include shipped tasting materials and live interactive instruction.
Let’s Plan Your NYC Wine Tasting
Whether you’re bringing a team together, entertaining clients, celebrating a milestone, or simply looking for a better reason to open a few bottles, we’ll create an experience that feels thoughtful, polished, and genuinely fun.
Tell us a little about your group, date, location, and what you have in mind. We’ll follow up with the best-fit tasting options and a custom proposal.
“I looked into nine different vendors for our corporate wine tasting, and after speaking with Sarah, I knew The Lush Life was the best choice. Sarah and her team were extremely responsive, transparent about pricing, accommodating, and willing to work within our budget. During the event, Sarah was incredibly knowledgeable and professional while still creating a fun, relaxed environment for everyone to hang out and connect. 10/10 would recommend.”
-Alyssa S., Corporate Wine Tasting Client
