Capital Wine Festival

Sample a variety of wines from over twenty vineyards, try some food, enjoy a paint and sip, and more at the Capital Wine Festival!

Capital Wine Festival

The Capital Wine Festival is a one-day event in Albany, New York at the Albany Capital Center. The festival features an incredible lineup of wines, spirits, specialty foods, and other products for sampling and purchasing opportunities! There will be over 20 vendors, the majority of which are wineries from around the capital area, but others feature gourmet chocolates, specialty pesto, pickles, liquor, and more!

Of course, the festival would not be complete without ample opportunity to sample the incredible New York-made products! Attendees have the chance to sample wines, spirits, and quality foods. Anything you love when sampling can be purchased and held in the Wine and Spirits Holding Area so you can continue to peruse the rest of the festival’s offerings without lugging them around!

Despite the name, the festival has more than just wine sampling to offer. Attendees can enjoy a DJ and photo booth courtesy of Capital Region Entertainment. A variety of board games will be spread out across tables for those who enjoy a more laid-back and relaxed sampling experience. Enjoy a game of checkers while you sip on some of New York’s finest wines! Also included in a ticket is the Paint ‘N Sip, a self-guided opportunity in which you can grab a seat and find all the materials you’ll need to indulge in your creativity. For those who really want to relax, Capital District Massage will be present offering a massage for $1 per minute!

Photo courtesy of facebook.com/capitalwinefestivalalbany

Attending the Capital Wine Festival

The festival has two different sessions available and a VIP ticket option. 

Session 1 is $30.00 and will take place from 1:00 – 4:00 pm. Session 2 is $35.00 and will be from 6:00 – 9:00 pm. The VIP option is $40.00 and allows entrance to Session 2 an hour in advance, at 5:00 pm meaning a longer amount of time in the festival and shorter lines during this first hour.

Additionally, Designated Drivers can purchase tickets for $10.00 at the door. This ticket allows DDs to have all the fun of food samples, paint ‘n sip, games, the photo booth, and DJ, without the wine samples.

Purchase tickets here

Photo courtesy of facebook.com/capitalwinefestivalalbany

Participating in the Capital Wine Festival

The festival is meant for people who are over the age of 21, so make sure to bring your IDs! All guests, regardless of age will be proofed at the door. Visitors do not need to sign up in advance because there is the opportunity to pay at the door, but the top tier of tickets must be purchased ahead of time. 

Take Amtrak to the Capital Wine Festival

Attend the Capital Wine Festival via Amtrak to the Albany-Rensselaer Station—Don’t forget to use the Amtrak See New York and Save 15% discount! The station is 1.8 miles away from the event and the new Flex+ service makes stops at the Albany Capital Center costing only $3.00 each way, making it an easy and convenient option to get there.