Virtual Wine Tasting To Benefit Bay Street Theater

Bay Street Theater will host a pre-Valentine’s Day Benefit on Tuesday, February 13, at 7:30 p.m. The evening will be hosted live, online via Zoom by Wölffer Estate Vineyard’s master winemaker Roman Roth who will lead a wine tasting of two delicious Wölffer wines which will be delivered prior to the evening. The tasting will be punctuated with a romantic performance of Valentine’s Day-inspired songs sung by Broadway star Kyle Barisich.

Throughout the evening Wölffer’s gifted winemaker, Roman Roth, will walk participants through two Wölffer Estate wines: Grandioso Rosé and Caya Cab Franc which will all be delivered directly to each household upon reservation. Each order will include these two wines; enough for a tasting party of four. Reservations are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. The winemaker suggests pairings with baguette, smoked trout spread, and gruyere.

Roth gives “voice” to his wines, produced by experience that covers three continents and stems from the dream of a 16-year-old boy in Rottweil, in Germany’s Black Forest. He began a three-year apprenticeship at the Kaiserstuhl Wine Cooperative, Oberrotweil, while attending technical school as a teenager. Following that, he traveled to the United States, working at the Saintsbury Estate in California, then to New South Wales, Australia, at Rosemount Estate. Returning to Germany, he became a winemaker at Winzerkeller Wiesloch near Heidelberg and earned his Master Winemaker and Cellar Master Degree from the College for Oenology and Viticulture in Weinsberg. In 1992, Roth became the first winemaker at Wölffer Estate Vineyard and established the estate’s distinctive character: European elegance combined with the typicity of Long Island terroir. He has dedicated himself to promoting not only the wines of Wölffer Estate but of Long Island, where he has consulted with numerous vineyards and is currently the President of the Long Island Wine Council. His contribution to quality winemaking on Long Island was recognized at the 2003 East End Food & Wine Awards (judged by the American Sommelier Society), where he was named Winemaker of the Year.

A native of Los Gatos, California, Kyle Barisich is best known for playing the role of Raoul, Vicomte du Chagny as part of the 25th Anniversary Broadway cast of “The Phantom of the Opera.” Barisich is the first actor of Latino heritage to play this iconic role on Broadway. He also played Raoul for both the Los Angeles and San Francisco engagements of the long-running national tour. More recently, he joined the Broadway cast of “Dear Evan Hansen.” He has hosted Bay Street Theater’s “Sip & Sings” and performed in numerous Bay Street Productions such as “My Fair Lady,” “Evita” and “Camelot.”

Tickets are $150 (which includes $75 donation to Bay Street Theater) and the price includes wine, shipped to the participant’s door. A private link to join the tasting will then be sent on the day of the event. Space is limited. For more information or to reserve visit baystreet.org or contact Kim Fink at kim@baystreet.org or Mick Johnson at mjohnson@baystreet.org or call 631-718-0818.