Legendary Swirl, the annual tasting party where a bunch of great Washington wineries set up shop in El Gaucho’s cavernous black basement, is a surprisingly social event. I remember last year I had only just bit into a wee slice of aged Angus—it had been draped, like some beefy beret, onto a tiny square toasty—when the first stranger approached.

She had no idea who I was or what I was doing there, she just came over to say hello.

If you’re the sort of wine drinker who likes to get to know the people behind your favorite bottles: this one’s for you. It’s almost like going to a cocktail party where half the guests make wine for a living.

This year’s Legendary Swirl takes place Tuesday, March 9 from 5 to 7pm. Tickets are $95 per person, call El Gaucho for details. Some of my favorite wineries attending this year: Andrew Will, Col Solare, Delille, Efeste, Gramercy Cellars, L’Ecole, Long Shadows, Pepper Bridge, and Woodward Canyon. Admission buys you a taste of any and all wines—you receive a ginormous sipping vessel upon your arrival—as well as access to an impressive buffet of succulent snackies like those aforementioned beef bites.