WINE + BEETHOVEN: Beethoven as Bacchus

Discover Beethoven’s passion for wine with historian Ron Merlino, five European wines, and live selections from five string quartets. Discover Beethoven’s lifelong passion for wine through five European wines paired with live selections from five of his string quartets. Did you know that Beethoven had a lifelong passion for wine? His letters and conversation notebooks reveal his interest in the wines he encountered, enjoyed, and wrote about throughout his life. Beethoven + Wine: Beethoven as Bacchus brings this lesser-known side of the composer to life through history, wine, and live performance. Wine and Music Historian Ron Merlino will illuminate Beethoven’s relationship with wine, while David Schildknecht of the Cincinnati Wine Academy selects and presents five wines from Austria, France, Germany, and Hungary. Each wine will be paired with a selection from one of Beethoven’s string quartets, performed live by the concertnova String Quartet. Together, the five pairings offer a new way to experience Beethoven, connecting the wines that captured his interest with music spanning his early, middle, and late creative periods. THE PROGRAM Ludwig van Beethoven: String Quartet No. 2 in G major, Op. 18, No. 2 I. Allegro String Quartet No. 7 in F major, Op. 59, No. 1 I. Allegro String Quartet No. 9 in C major, Op. 59, No. 3 II. Andante con moto quasi allegretto String Quartet No. 11 in F minor, Op. 95, “Serioso” I. Allegro con brio String Quartet No. 15 in A minor, Op. 132 IV. Alla marcia, assai vivace V. Allegro appassionato PERFORMERS the concertnova String Quartet Anna Reider, violin Lizzie Furuta, violin Wang Dan, viola Ania Lewis, cello Each selection will be paired with one of five European wines connected to the varieties and wine traditions Beethoven loved and wrote about. *Guests must be 21 or older to participate in the wine tasting. Program and wine selections are subject to change. EVENT DETAILS Friday, September 11, 2026 7:30 PM Somerhaus Cincinnati, Ohio Tickets: $125 per person Each ticket includes five guided wine pours and the complete live musical experience. Seating is limited.