Tuesday, September 15 | 5–7 pm
In Sarasota, where a single evening can move from gallery walls to Gulf light to a table set with friends, wine has always belonged to the conversation.
By Edit Sarasota Staff
In Sarasota, where a single evening can move from gallery walls to Gulf light to a table set with friends, wine has always belonged to the conversation. At Uncorked, Sarasota Art Museum gives that conversation a distinctly cultural setting, inviting guests to taste, consider and linger in the company of art.
The museum’s monthly wine tasting series treats each glass as an opportunity for discovery. Six wines form the evening’s itinerary, each paired with gourmet cheeses chosen to reveal something new about flavor, texture and balance. The experience is convivial, but it is not casual in the careless sense: Uncorked offers the pleasures of a tasting while encouraging the kind of attention that museums ask of us—look closely, notice the details, remain open to surprise.
Leading the presentation is Mark Tuchman, owner of 99 Bottles, the Sarasota wine shop and neighborhood gathering place known for its thoughtful selection and approachable expertise. Tuchman brings the perspective of a seasoned retailer to the table, helping guests understand what is in their glass without turning the evening into a lecture. His guided presentation promises context alongside pleasure, whether the subject is a grape’s character, a region’s traditions or the reason a particular wine finds its ideal counterpart in a wedge of cheese.
That setting matters. Sarasota Art Museum, housed in the former Sarasota High School, has become one of the city’s most compelling places to encounter contemporary art and one another. Its programs extend beyond exhibitions, making room for conversation, education and the social rituals that help a cultural institution feel woven into civic life. Uncorked fits naturally within that mission: an evening where the senses meet, and where a shared table becomes another kind of gallery.
For Sarasota residents, the appeal is both simple and substantial. It is a chance to step into the museum after hours, sample six distinctive wines, enjoy carefully matched cheeses and leave with a richer understanding of what makes a bottle memorable. More than a tasting, it is an invitation to slow down and pay attention—to craft, place and the company gathered around you.
Uncorked takes place Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Sarasota Art Museum. With Mark Tuchman guiding the tasting, the evening offers a polished, welcoming way to begin the night—and perhaps to discover a new favorite wine along the way.