The Art of the Pour: Wine, History, and a Blind Tasting at the Kappa House

Published November 4, 2026 · 3 min read

There's a particular pleasure in drinking wine in a room that's older than most of the wine in it.

The Art of the Pour: A Wine Experience lands at the Historic Kappa House on Saturday, November 7, from 7:00 to 10:00 PM—three hours of curated flights, a blind tasting contest, and the kind of setting that makes a Saturday night feel like an occasion. Tickets start at $65.87.

This is not a wine bar with a tasting menu tacked on. It's a structured evening built by the DC Nupes of Washington (DC) Alumni, the Washington alumni chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi, and it's designed to reward both the seasoned collector and the person who just likes drinking wine in good company.

The Venue Is the Point

The Historic Kappa House at 1708 S Street NW is a Georgian-style mansion built in 1908, designed by architect Leon E. Dessez. It's been the home of the Washington DC Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi since June 4, 1949.

It's also known as the "Kappa Kastle," and during the era of racial segregation it was a center of Black social activity, activism, and philanthropy in Washington. The house received National Historic Landmark designation in 1985.

You are drinking wine in a building that mattered. That's not a marketing line. It's the actual history of the room.

What You're Drinking

The event is built around six wine flights, and you choose your own path through them:

• Bubbly Table — Cava, Prosecco, Champagne
• Worldly Whites — Sauvignon Blanc, Albariño, Chenin Blanc
• Rosé All Day — White Zinfandel, Rosé, Château d'Esclans
• Cali Flight — Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon
• Worldly Reds — Malbec, Tempranillo, Zinfandel
• Taste of Italy — Moscato d'Alba, Chianti Classico, Nero d'Avola

Then there's the Blind Tasting Contest: a mystery red and a mystery white, and you guess the varietals and price points. Bragging rights are the prize. The event description is explicit that this is for "seasoned collectors" and people "just here for a good time with good brothers" alike—which is the right framing for a wine event that doesn't want to be intimidating.

Logistics

When: Saturday, November 7, 2026 · 7:00–10:00 PM (three hours)
Where: Historic Kappa House, 1708 S St NW, Washington, DC 20009
Tickets: $65.87 general admission
Refunds: Available up to seven days before the event
Getting there: Dupont Circle (Red Line) is the closest Metro, roughly a ten-minute walk. The 1708 block of S Street is residential—street parking is limited and rideshare is the smarter play on a Saturday night.
Age: The listing does not specify an age restriction. Wine events in DC typically require 21+ but confirm when you book.

One practical note: the event runs exactly three hours, and the flights are self-guided. If you want to hit all six, pace yourself. The Blind Tasting Contest is the anchor, and it's worth being coherent for.

The Art of the Pour is a wine event with a venue that does half the work for it. Six flights, a blind tasting, and a room that's been a gathering place for Black Washington since the Truman administration.

Tickets are on Eventbrite. The refund window closes a week out, so if you're on the fence, the fence has a deadline.

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