Winery to host Harry Potter wine dinner

A winery in Chicago is tapping into the ceaseless demand for all things Harry Potter by hosting a four-course Harry Potter wine pairing dinner.

The City Winery has told Harry Potter imbibers to “Expecto” a four-course themed dinner at its in-house restaurant paired with a selection of wines.

Each course will be based on one of the four houses at The Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry; Hufflepuff, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, & Gryffindor.

Introducing the event, City Winery, which clearly knows its Potter-verse, wrote: “Attention Muggle Wine-Lover’s. Hop aboard the Hogwarts Express as it takes you to City Winery Chicago for…”Expecto! A Harry Potter Wine Dinner”, adding: “With a dash of mystery and a dollop of creativity, we will conjure up a prixe-fixe meal that not even “Obliviate” will make you forget.”

The announcement sent Potter fans into a spin, with the first event selling out with a second now added to the bill. Tickets for the second event on 25 October go on sale from 27 for the winery’s members, and 29 September to the general public.

Restaurants and bars have long been adept at tapping into the power of nostalgia to attract diners, hosting pop-up events on past TV shows or films. However it has not been as common within the world of wine.

Earlier this year a pop-up diner themed on 90s teen comedy Saved by the Bell opened in Chicago. Elsewhere a Star Wars-themed pop-up diner called The Fork Awakens opened in London for 10 nights this summer, while there is also a permanent bar dedicated to the comedy stylings of Will Ferrell in New York.