Sips & Sounds Success and Why We have Wine On The Mind

We tried something new this year. And like many ideas, it grew from there and ended in a beautiful new spot to enjoy weekend wine tastings, a glass, bottle or flight with friends.

We’re calling it The Wine Garden by Bedner’s. But let me back up. We hosted our first Sips & Sounds event Oct. 5, and in preparing, we stumbled on a brilliant plan.

In preparation for Sips & Sounds, our team disassembled displays and moved product to transform the space. We added evergreen shrubs and prepped new beds for arborvitae, ornamental grasses, fall mums and other annuals. The area took shape and we had a vibrant wine garden on our hands—a place not only to sit, but to linger and relax.

The idea for Sips & Sounds started with Russ’ Passiflora Springs wines, but quickly grew to include a musical performance from Acoustic Daze, a local band known for eclectic sounds from every era. They were so much fun and set the tone for a day filled with food and beverages from Fire Bus Pizza, Don’s Bake Shop and Pour Johnny’s Coffee.

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We don’t want the fun to end! So we’re considering it an official kick-off for our new winery space, what we’re calling The Wine Garden by Bedner’s (for now, at least). We plan on changing the look for the seasons, especially since we’ve got the plants and people for it. And we anticipate hosting seasonal Sips & Sounds events with live music, local food and beverage fare and more in spring, summer and fall next year and beyond.

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Russ just received his grapes from California last week, and October is grape-crushing time! Each summer, he orders new grapes and considers new combinations, and here’s what you have to look forward to:

Spring/Summer 2025

• Chardonnay
• Gamay Beaujolais
• Riesling
• Sauvignon Blanc

Fall 2026

• Barbera
• Italian Tuscan Blend
• Sangiovese
• Tempranillo

 

The garden center closes for the season in just 11 more days. We’ll be busy working on improvements for spring, planning, planting in the greenhouses and so much more. We’ll keep you posted in the off-season, but please let us know if you have any questions or would like to see Russ try something special for next year or 2026.

For now, here’s how and when to get locally made, small-batch wine for the holidays:

The Wine Garden at Bedner’s

• Tastings, glass or bottle sales
• Oct 19/20 and Oct 26/27, 11am-2pm

Visit us at these Local Events

• Sun/Oct 27 Fall Artisan Market at The Pittsburgh Botanic Garden
• Sat/Nov 2 Holiday Craft Market at Heritage Library
• Sat/Nov 16 I Made It! for the Holidays at The Block Northway
• Sun/Nov 24 Craft Show at the Bridgeville Volunteer Fire Department

Save the Date!

• Fri/Feb 28 Wine Dinner at Bella Sera. Tickets available soon.

Watch for More Dates for Online Order + Pick-Up

Hope you’re feeling the fall vibe and taking time to enjoy everything it has to offer. Please consider stopping by over the next couple weeks to say hi, pick up some end-of-year deals on plants and enjoy some wine here or to go.