Membership 
Buy Tickets 
Wild About Wine
Raise a glass to connection, comfort, and the creatures we love—August 6, 2026.
Cheers to all wine lovers – join us for our annual wine-tasting event! Wild About Wine will feature a variety of red, white, and rose wines from the A Toast to the Wild Presenting sponsor – Cavalier Distributing, at nearly 20 different stations throughout the Zoo. Stroll the Zoo sampling wine in your complimentary souvenir glass while listening to great music and visiting the different animal habitats. Food will be available for purchase at our casual dining locations. For our non-wine drinkers, there will be a beer and cocktail station available as well! Food will be available for purchase.
Tickets
This event is Sold Out
This event is part of A Toast to the Wild, sponsored by Cavalier Distributing, which benefits the Lindner Center for Conservation and Research for Endangered Wildlife (CREW). Events increase exposure for CREW locally and all funds raised go directly to support ongoing research. These unique tasting events give guests the opportunity to enjoy an adult-only evening at the Zoo, try beverage samples, experience up-close animal encounters, and more!
Wild About Wine begins at 7:00 pm and is rain or shine. This event is for guests 21 and up, no exceptions.
- Drink tickets
- Access to the entire Zoo for an adult evening!
- Commemorative Glass
- Animal Encounters
- Free rides on carousel and train are included with ticket
- General admission inclusions plus:
- Early Entry
- Additional drink tickets
- Opportunity to sample all stations throughout the Zoo first
- Free rides on carousel and train are included with ticket
Entertainment
Five O’Clock Friday
Five O’Clock Friday began as a group of employees at Intelligrated in Mason, Ohio, who decided to work up some tunes to play at their company picnic. That was 2005. By 2011, they were voted one of Cincinnati’s top bands by Eastside Vibe Magazine. They bring an eclectic mix of up-tempo crowd favorites that spans decades. Quality musicianship paired with strong male and female lead vocals gives them the flexibility to pull off a wide variety of hits. High energy, fun performances have kept them entertaining crowds for two decades.
Thank you for supporting “A Toast To The Wild – Tasting Series”!
This event is part of A Toast to the Wild, sponsored by Paycor, which benefits the Lindner Center for Conservation and Research for Endangered Wildlife (CREW). Events increase exposure for CREW locally and all funds raised go directly to support ongoing research. These unique tasting events give guests the opportunity to enjoy an adult only evening at the Zoo, try beverage samples, experience up-close animal encounters, and more!
Learn MoreGeneral Info
- Credit cards are accepted at food stations.
- Smoking is not permitted in the Zoo
- Event held rain or shine
- You will receive your lanyard with drink-sampling tickets upon presenting the event ticket at entry.
- This is an adult event; all guests must be at least 21 years old and present a valid photo ID.
- No babies or children permitted.
- Bags will be subject to search.
- Guests without valid photo ID will not be permitted to enter the event.
- If you have any accommodation requests, please contact [email protected] 3 weeks prior to event.
What To Wear
FAQs and Policies
For questions about the event, you can send an email to: [email protected].
The Early Entry experience includes entrance to the Zoo starting at 6:30pm, 30 minutes before the rest of the event plus additional drink tickets.
Please park in the Zoo’s main parking lot at 3427 Vine Street. Just look for the solar panels!
For taxi and driver drop-off, please direct vehicles to meet you at the Front Zoo Entrance (3325 Vine Street, Cincinnati, OH 45220)
Your confirmation email will have an attached PDF that holds your ticket. Print out a copy of the attachment/ticket and bring it with you the evening of the event. If you did not receive an email, check your SPAM folder as well as your Trash folder.
If those turn up blank, please either arrive a little early with your confirmation number or email our Visitor Experience Team at [email protected].
Your A Toast to the Wild ticket is good for admission beginning at 7:00pm (6:30pm for Early Entry) on the scheduled event date. Please visit the ticketing page to learn more about planning your visit to the Zoo.
You will find a variety of food options, available for purchase, throughout the event at select concession stands.
We also have a variety of vegetarian and gluten-free options available for purchase.
Yes, there will be stations serving complimentary Pepsi products and water during the event.
Yes, the events are held rain or shine – please make sure you dress comfortably for the weather.
$35 of each ticket goes directly to support CREW’s research both here and abroad.
The Center for Conservation and Research of Endangered Wildlife (CREW) was the first of its kind, state-of-the-art research facility dedicated to saving endangered plants and animals from extinction. The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden is one of only three Zoos in the United States to have a facility dedicated to conservation and research. Read more about CREW.
A Toast to the Wild events are for adults only as they feature alcoholic beverages – you must be at least 21 years old to attend.
Once we have reached capacity via pre-purchased ticket sales, we are unable to sell any additional tickets at the door. We highly recommend you pre-purchase your tickets.
Please dress comfortably for a fun evening at the Zoo – remember the events are rain/shine and feature both indoor and outdoor habitats throughout the Zoo.
$35 of each event ticket is tax-deductible. You can find this information on your receipt.
This is a Zero Waste Event. Net Zero Waste Partner Sponsored By:
