A wild world of food and wine awaits guests at the 7th Annual Wild Wines of the World event at the Little Rock Zoo scheduled for this Saturday, May 11, at 7:00 p.m.

This year’s event, presented by Wright, Lindsey, and Jennings, will feature dozens of wines paired with food from nearly two dozen of central Arkansas’s best restaurants.  The unique wine and food stops are themed for particular wine countries and regions and also include other beverage stops for non-wine drinkers such as a margarita stop in Mexico and a beer stop in Germany.

The Reserve Wine Room experience in Café Africa will open an hour early at 6:00 p.m. and will feature eight high-quality wines hand-picked by wine sommelier and beverage sponsor of the event, Jonathan Looney, of O’Looney’s Wine and Liquor in Little Rock.  Those wines will be paired with delicious heavy hors d’oeuvres prepared by 1620 Savoy and Cache Restaurant.  This higher-end experience is available for only a $35 ticket upgrade but tickets are available in limited quantities.

As beverage sponsor of the event, Jonathan also selected each wine for the general event, as well, adding a touch of quality to this wine tasting event.

“Wild Wines of the World features quality wines at every stop.  O’Looney’s has taken great pride in donating quality wines to the Zoo and that means the Zoo now has one of the best wine events in central Arkansas.  These wines are high quality, interesting and unique wines that a wine expert has hand-picked to showcase a wide variety of regions,” said Susan Altrui, manager for the event.

Guests to the event will also receive a souvenir wine glass and plate and are greeted at the front entrance with strawberries and champagne.  Guests then make their way around the Zoo to 20 stops where they will sample food and beverages and will likely meet some interesting animal friends showcased by the Zoo’s docents.

Live musical entertainment this year will be provided by Big John Miller Band in the Civitan Pavilion and by Richie Johnson in the Reserve Room at Café Africa.  Radiant Spirals from Memphis, Tennessee will perform fire acts and juggling.

Tickets are $50 per person for general admission and $45 per person for Zoo members. Reserve Room tickets may be purchased for an additional $35. Tickets may be purchased online at www.LittleRockZoo.com/wildwines or by calling (501) 661-7208. No one under the age of 21 is admitted to the event and guests are reminded to wear comfortable shoes.  All proceeds benefit the Arkansas Zoological Foundation for the Little Rock Zoo.

The Little Rock Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).  Look for the AZA logo whenever you visit a zoo or aquarium as your assurance that you are supporting a facility dedicated to providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for you and a better future for all living things.  With its more than 200 accredited members, AZA is a leader in global wildlife conservation and your link to helping animals in their native habitats.  For more information, visit www.aza.org.