For the last six years, Palate Partners and Dreadnought Wines in Pittsburgh’s historic Strip District have been bringing together oenopheliacs and Pirate fans for an evening of fun, franks and fireworks, and this year, on Saturday, September 26th, they’ll make it seven!

Owners Debbie Mortillaro and Mike Gonze gather together a group of top-shelf wine lovers at their shop at 5:00 pm, top their heads with a free Pirates baseball cap, and start them off with a barbecue grill full of Zweigle’s white-hot wienies, which Deb special orders from Rochester, NY.

Zweigle’s started in a small Rochester, NY neighborhood back in 1880 when C. Whilehem Zweigle and his wife Josephine Zweigle started making homemade quality sausages in a small butcher shop. The sausages were so delicious that their reputation for great flavor and superior taste soon spread throughout the city.

In 1925, Zweigle’s introduced the first white hot dog, locally known as the “white hot.” It is the most unique product that people associate with the Zweigle’s name, and what the people in Rochester, NY now take pride in knowing the exclusivity of this product.  Palate Partner’s patrons have been enjoying them since Deb started bring them in for this special event.  Of course, red wienies will also be available for the traditionalists, as well as a plateful of other picnic goodies.

Mike Gonze and Dreadnought Wines compliment the picnic palates with carefully selected wines, and then the whole gang loads onto a Pittsburgh Water Limo at 6:30 for a ride to PNC Park. And yes…on the big boat, it has actually become tradition to burst into song with “Proud Mary”.

When the boat arrives at PNC Park, revelers will enjoy the Pirates versus Dodgers game, as well as the big bam boom of Skyblast, and the music of 70’s superband, Foreigner! Following the evening of festivities, the happy party will return to the Pittsburgh Water Limo, and be floated back to Palate Partners in the Strip.

Reservations are required, and space is limited. Tickets for this entire evening of fun are only $48 per person, and can be purchased at the store at 2013 Penn Avenue, or by calling Palate Partners at (412) 391-8502