Merobebe Salon Presents: Wine About Cabernet & Confidence
Doors open at 6 PM | Programming begins promptly at 6:30 PM
Let’s talk about the wine that has dominated steakhouse lists, boardrooms, and collectors’ cellars for decades: Cabernet Sauvignon.
But this isn’t your typical wine tasting.
Hosted by sommelier + strategist Megumi Calver, this intimate Merobebe Salon brings together ambitious women for an evening that’s part guided wine tasting, part community gathering, and 100% celebrating women.
We’ll explore one of the world’s most iconic grapes alongside proprietor, Dr. Katja Newman, while building confidence in how we taste, talk about, and enjoy wine.
This event is part of Community Week NYC (May 9-17, 2026) - a citywide celebration of social connection.
Explore all events so you can find your people at www.communityweek.nyc.
🍷 This Month’s Theme: Cabernet, Three Ways
Cabernet Sauvignon is often associated with big, bold red wines.
But the grape is far more versatile than most people realize!
During this guided tasting, we’ll explore Cabernet Sauvignon in three different expressions — from rosé to red blend to classic Cabernet — while learning what makes this grape so special.
Along the way we’ll talk about:
How to explore and expand your palate
How to order wine with more confidence
How to pair Cabernet with food beyond the classic steakhouse dinner
🥂 What You’ll Get:
Real Wine: Curated tasting of woman-owned, award-winning California wines, with tasting led by proprietor Katja Newman
Real Pairings: Thoughtfully designed bites by returning chef & food writer Sophia Wronsky, founder of Cantinery, to complement each pour
Real Connection: You’ll leave with new insights and new connections, because you deserve deeper conversations than just “so, what do you do?”
🍇 Wine Tasting Led By:
Katja Newman, Ph.D. — Owner & CEO, La Cienega Vineyard
Katja is the proprietor of La Cienega Vineyard, a boutique, certified sustainable, woman-led estate in Sonoma’s renowned Alexander Valley. A former political scientist and international consultant, she joined the family vineyard in 2015 and now directs production and sales of roughly 800 cases of award-winning estate wines.
🍽️ Light Bites Curated By:
Sophia Wronsky —Co-Founder of Cantinery and writer of Sophia is Voracious
Sophia has worked at and invested in technology and healthcare companies for nearly a decade. She recently launched Cantinery — your new neighborhood catering solution — and will be pairing wines with bites from their first menu.
👯♀️ Who This Is For:
Women who want to explore wine without feeling intimidated.
This salon is designed to be interactive and conversational:
A space where you can ask any wine question you’ve ever wondered about, share what you taste, and learn together.
There will be no wine snobbery allowed, and no “stupid questions”!
Just curiosity, good wine, and great company.
💬 Previous Guests Have Raved:
“What stood out most was how genuine the energy in the room felt - people showed up open, vulnerable, and ready for truly authentic conversations. It was definitely the opposite of ‘stuffy LinkedIn vibes.’ Instead, it felt welcoming, supportive, and inspiring - like connecting with real women who actually want to uplift each other.”
"A beautifully curated event that struck the perfect balance between sophistication and warmth… The evening brought together an impressive group of women, and I was genuinely surprised by the depth of connections made in just a few hours. Quality wine, thoughtful curation, and excellent company - exactly what you hope for but rarely find.”
“Wine was great, it was a good mix of activity, and connection. I didn’t even want to take out my phone, I was having such a good time. The women I met were so diverse and so interesting. I can’t wait to see who I’ll meet next time.”
Space is limited.
Intimate by design. Come for the wine, stay for the connection & wisdom!
Hosts & Speakers
Megumi Calver: Certified sommelier; founder of Merobebe, an events & media platform elevating and connecting women through wine. Featured in Forbes and Wine Enthusiast. Phillips Exeter + NYU alum; LA/NYC/Tokyo lived; hospitality + strategy obsessed.
Merobebe: Creating inclusive spaces where women explore wine, learn, and connect, using wine as a catalyst for education, equity, and empowerment.
Sugary: A cultural curator and artist developer. Over 20 years, his analog approach to connection has generated 30,000 face-to-face contacts and 500+ curated events.