Event Spotlight: Saturday's Uncorked! Wine Fest Adds Retail Pop-Up With Local Makers

Event Spotlight: Saturday's Uncorked! Wine Fest Adds Retail Pop-Up With Local MakersPhoto: Onyx & Ash
Geri Koeppel
Published on May 03, 2016

For the first time ever, the 11th annual Uncorked! wine festival at Ghirardelli Square will feature not only local wineries popping corks, but 20 or so local makers selling their wares, via a retail pop-up.

Saturday's festival will take place rain or shine, at Ghirardelli Square and on Beach Street between Larkin and Polk from 1-5pm. (The last pour is at 4:30pm.) More than 7,500 visitors are expected to stroll the historic square, enjoying unlimited sips from roughly 40 California wineries and a Lagunitas beer garden.

In addition to the new retail element, the festival will also feature live entertainment and food vendors. A portion of proceeds from ticket sales will benefit Bay Area Green Tours, a local nonprofit.


The Uncorked maker showcase is being hosted by PopUpsters, an online marketplace that links makers to opportunities for selling their products at events and retail spaces. The company actually started a partnership with Ghirardelli Square in March, said Jim Burke, who cofounded PopUpsters with Aaron Lander.

"We are at Ghirardelli Square the third weekend of every month," Burke said. "We decided to integrate our popup takeover with Uncorked in May. We’ll also be back at Ghirardelli Square the third weekend of May as well."

As we've reported, Ghirardelli Square has been focusing on ways to bring locals back to the Wharf, starting with attracting local businesses. "It’s a nice way for the Square to give back to the community and get locals more involved in the Square—as well as the tourist traffic that is prevalent over there," Burke said. "It’s such a fantastic historic location, so we’re excited to be over there."


Photo: Courtesy of PopUpsters

For Uncorked specifically, PopUpsters is "bringing in more food vendors that are complimentary with wine," Burke said. That includes food trucks, hot food, prepared food and packaged food, with items like popsicles, jerky, baked goods and teas. We the Minis will feature cupcakes in wine-inspired flavors like chocolate Zinfandel and lemon Sauvignon Blanc, and food trucks will include Kokio fried chicken, Manna Japanese food, 3 Geeks cheesesteaks and Fish Taco Wabo. 

Not all the items will be edible: they'll also have vendors selling handmade soaps, apparel, letterpress stationery, jewelry, honey and bee products and more. Look for Kahoy Kollection bamboo temple sunglasses, Tarabud Design handmade leather jewelry and handbags, and glass art by Kui, which includes wearable glass jewelry, hair clips and cufflinks.


Verdo Vivo Tea will be at Uncorked. (Photo: Courtesy of PopUpsters)

General admission tickets for Uncorked are $60. VIP admission tickets are $90, and include access to upscale catering from the recently opened Waxman’s restaurant and some top-tier wineries not serving to the general public. A list of wineries is included on the Eventbrite ticket page.

Photo: Onyx & Ash