Pinknic Festival: Everything You Need to Know

The Pinknic Festival is a large event on Governor’s Island that celebrates rosé wine and the end of summer.

History of Rosé Wine

It’s impossible to determine when rosé wine was invented and by whom. It is known that in the 6^th century BC Phocaeans brought grapevines to Massalia in Southern France and created a that pink rosé trend in the area.

Provence, a region in Southeastern France, is widely considered the home of rosé wine. In the 1970s, California’s white wines were in high demand, so wine producers began to make white wine with red grapes from the saignée method. This method reduced some red but left a light pink color, ultimately becoming “blush wine.”

Sutter Home was the first to create the blush wine, but received some negative feedback that it was too sweet. Some even said rosé was a wine for amateurs. But in the late 2000’s, Americans began noticing the difference when hotels and resorts began importing and serving French rosé.

Most recently, the Hampton’s rosé shortage proved that Americans love the beverage. One major event held in viticulture, called Pinknic Festival, honors this infatuation. It is a large festival that celebrates rosé wine and summer.

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About the Pinknic Festival

Did you know? All attendees dress in pink and white to enjoy wine, food, and live music throughout the two-day event.

The Festival first launched in New York in 2016. Approximately 9,000 people took a short ferry out to Governor’s Island for the trendy celebration. When they got there, they received a welcome basket filled with pink and white themed items such as a blanket, a reusable wine glass, and more. Most people brought their own baskets from home, which became an accessory itself.

Pierrick Bouquet and Derek van Bakergem created this event to focus more on the lifestyle rather than the variety of rosé wine. Pierrick Bouquet even had a similar festival on a yacht.

Bouquet said, “We wanted to create a picnic-type festival that would be great to enjoy rosé at, and we wanted to add a music component to it, so we created a music festival on this. It’s a nice, lovely background and entertainment for the guests.”

Also read: History of Wine and Fashion

He also said, “The goal was also to create a new and unique experience where music and wine blend.” People drank different selections during the festival, such as Chateau d’Esclans, Moët & Chandon, and Chandon, which were sold by the bottle, starting at thirty dollars each. Chefs, such as Chopped’s Chris Santos, were hired for the festival.

If drinking, live entertainment, and food weren’t enough, you could snag a spot at the massage tent if you signed up early. The event has been featured in Vogue, Woman’sDay, Bustle, and Forbes.

Additional Details on the Pinknic Festival

• Pinknic is a two-day event, with a different lineup of live music and food vendors each day.
• The festival is open to people of all ages, but it is primarily targeted at a younger, trendy crowd.
• In addition to live music and food vendors, Pinknic also features a variety of other activities, such as yoga classes, art installations, and games.
• Attendees are encouraged to dress in pink and white, and many people arrive at the festival wearing pink boas, tutus, and other pink-themed clothing.
• Tickets to Pinknic are typically sold in advance, and the festival often sells out well in advance. Tickets include access to the open bar, as well as all of the other activities and entertainment at the festival.
• Pinknic has gained a reputation as a fashionable, Instagram-worthy event, and many attendees take photos of themselves and their friends at the festival to share on social media.

This Day in Wine History

2016: The Pinknic Festival first launched on Governor’s Island in New York.

September 4 and 5, 2021: The event returned to New York for its fifth anniversary.

References:

1. About. (n.d.). Retrieved from Pinknic: https://pinknic.com/about/
2. Kimball, S. (n.d.). A BRIEF HISTORY OF ROSÉ. Retrieved from Crush Wine XP: https://crushwinexp.com/a-brief-history-of-rose/
3. Mai, J. (2016, Jul 14). We joined thousands of New Yorkers at a lavish picnic dedicated to summer’s most popular drink — here’s what happened. Retrieved from Insider: https://www.businessinsider.com/pinknic-party-dedicated-to-rose-wine-2016-7