Wine Poetic: Alexander Pushkin

A Guided Cultural Salon

WINE POETIC is a collective experiment in verse and libation—an integrative symposium that artfully pairs the work of iconic poets with heritage wines, spirits, and other ancestral beverages from their shared countries of origin.

Poetics, Unfiltered

Designed for discerning audiences, each event offers a refined, immersive experience that blends literary exploration with curated tastings, evoking a deep sense of place, history, and artistry. ​Selected readings bleed into mini lectures, which segue into guided tastings and generative writing exercises, all of which spark rousing discussions and incredible poetry to be written and felt in equal measure. Every gathering is an opportunity to hone one's craft, uncover new histories, enliven the palate, and redefine the poetic experience - all within a supportive community.

For our next Wine Poetic installment, PSNY, GNOSES & the Metropolitan Opera present Eugene Onegin by Alexander Pushkin.

A reading of the text will be followed by generative poetry and letter-writing exercises, excerpts from the opera, and a vodka tasting led by Zakuska Vodka and GNOSES.

The program will include:

• A deep dive into Eugene Onegin and the life & work of Alexander Pushkin, Russia’s national poet
• A guided tasting of vodka, sponsored by Zakuska Vodka, paired with a mini-lecture on Russian and Eastern European drinking traditions as well as anecdotes behind Zakuska as a brand, led by Zakuska founder, Arthur Revechkis, and facilitated by writer and sommelier Darby Wagner (GNOSES).
• Discussion questions that weave together poetry, spirits, history, and the spontaneous poetics of the evening

Please bring a journal, a writing utensil, and an open spirit!

Based on Pushkin’s iconic verse novel, Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin returns to the Metropolitan Opera this spring, in an evocative production directed by Tony Award–winner Deborah Warner. April 20 –May 16. Learn more at metopera.org/Onegin.

The Urbane Arts Club is a thriving community of creatives in historic Ditmas Park. We are an events venue and coworking space, set in a Victorian home and former 1920s Speakeasy, as well as a home for musical performances, immersive theater, visual arts, literary readings, and more! Become a member of Brooklyn’s best kept secret, The Urbane Arts Club.

Wine Poetic was co-created by writer, experience designer, and sommelier Darby Wagner—founder of GNOSES—and poet, educator, and COO of The Poetry Society of New York, Jackie Braje.

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Host or Publisher The Poetry Society of New York