In December 2019, I visited New York City’s first Interactive Wine Museum - the Rosé Mansion. Located on West 32nd Street, just a few blocks from Penn Station, Port Authority, and Times Square, the Rosé Mansion is in a central location for city dwellers or visitors alike.
The museum was founded in 2018 by Tyler Balliet and Morgan First, two experts in the wine industry. Both Tyler and Morgan had experience in throwing wine-centered pop-up events for over a decade, so they opened a more permanent location in New York City. Since opening its doors, the Rosé Mansion has been a huge hit for Northeast wine enthusiasts.
Described as “an interactive wine tasting adventure that combines a wine bar, an Insta-worthy amusement park, and a science museum into one epic dreampark” per their website, the Rosé Mansion is the perfect spot for zillenials. Combining the appeal of delicious wines from across the world, Instagram-worthy backdrops, and interactive art exhibits, I was surprised to learn that tickets were only $35 each. At an affordable price with convenient time slots to avoid crowding, the Rosé Mansion is a well-oiled machine for wine lovers.
I was lucky enough to be sent to the Rosé Mansion for free, as a brand partnership with College Fashionista, a company that I interned for throughout my college career. College Fashionista sent me to the mansion, and let me bring my best friend as a plus one, for a night full of tastings and photo ops. I was required to take some photos for CF in exchange for free admission, but I was more than happy to whip out my phone and take some social media content in this pink wonderland of rosé.
We started the tour by gathering in small groups to follow our tour guide through eight different rooms with a new wine at the end of each interactive space. We tried different types of wines that ranged from extremely sweet to more on the dry side. We learned facts about each type of wine and where it came from, sampling wines from France to Africa. Each room was decorated differently than the last, setting up the perfect Instagram backdrop as guests traveled from room to room.
My favorite room had a giant ball pit in the center, where customers could hop in after a tasting. It’s hard to believe that we were able to play in a ball pit with other adults now that we are in COVID times, but in 2019, we had no fears when it came to public activities. You could spend as much time in each room as you wanted to, you just had to make sure you made it through the entire museum in 90 minutes - which was a refreshing tour outline compared to other museums.
The wine tastings were incredible and I found myself wanting to bring home a bottle - which was actually possible! At the end of the wine tour, guests could enjoy full glasses of the rosé that they tasted or could purchase full-sized bottles to take home. The array of choices made it easy for every visitor to bring home a souvenir that they liked - no matter if they favored semi-sweet or just plain dry. They even had food and dessert trucks if all the sipping made you hungry. When I attended in December, a taco truck was being promoted, with delicious nachos and burritos on the menu from BK Taco Factory. It was great that Rosé Mansion featured small businesses in their interactive space. Not to mention, a pink Santa was waiting on the other side of the tour to take photos. The “food court” was like a playground for adults to sip some more wine, eat food, or just relax at one of their cozy tables and chairs.
After finishing our wine tour and time at the “food court”, my friend and I were directed to the gift shop, where different wine-inspired novelties could be purchased. It truly seemed like this interactive wine museum had everything. Tastings, art installations, food, gifts - the list went on and on. I was so excited to attend the Rosé Mansion because I am a huge fan of wine, especially rosé. It was a really fantastic experience to learn about wine in an unconventional way. I was used to stuffy wine tours that tell you the history of a single type of grape, but this museum had a completely different style. I was engaged the entire time.
Since COVID-19, the Rosé Mansion has had to close temporarily, which is a huge hit for this wonderful business. This museum is not the only one of its kind that has had to shut its doors due to social distancing measures, but I’m hoping that it will be back soon. Pertaining to the lack of space, it’s hard to tell when this museum will be up and running again, but I hope that they are able to come back with a bang.
If you are able to travel to New York City when the pandemic is over, I highly recommend the Rosé Wine Mansion. It’s an eclectic space for adults to let loose and enjoy wine in an upbeat setting. I have truly never experienced a museum that was more fun. Even if you’re not a huge wine history buff or drinker, you will surely have a good time. With boasting reviews from Forbes, Good Morning America, and Harper’s Bazaar, I’m confident that the Rosé Mansion will bounce back in no time.
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