A few weekends ago I took part in Jacksonville’s Riverside Wine Festival. A few friends and I bought tickets online, which included a free cup and access to more than 250 wines. When we showed up, we didn’t realize just how many wines it would be until we saw it laid out before us. The festival blocked off an entire street for festival-goers to walk, sit, sip and eat.

We were given our wine cup and a brochure detailing the different providers and purveyors present at the festival. From Sauvignon Blanc (my favorite) to Riesling to Champagne to Cabernets and everything in between, each table showcased its favorite wines. All you had to do was look at the table number, find the corresponding table on your brochure and ask for which wine you’d like to taste.

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About 13 tastes in, we hit the food trucks, and we didn’t realize just how much we needed to eat until we could smell the different dishes. My friends opted for the Greek food truck, but I was craving Indian, so we ordered our food and then met back up to eat.

Then we continued on to the second half of the tastings, but even then, we could not get through all the tables. There were just too many wines to do them all, but I made sure to mark on the brochure my favorites from the night to review later when I got home.

We ended up staying out after the festival ended at 9 p.m., as the street features a few great outdoor bars like The Garage, and the weather and company was so nice, we didn’t want it to end. I would definitely do it again next year, as it was a great way to see friends and try some wines I would otherwise never have tasted.

— Aoife O’Riordan, associate editor