Decatur Wine Festival

Decatur Wine Festival is an outdoor grand tasting event held annually in Decatur, Georgia — the main fundraising event for the Decatur Arts Alliance, a 501(c)3 nonprofit. Presented in collaboration with Decatur Package Store, the festival gives each ticket holder access to more than 350 wines from around the world, poured across approximately 65 tasting tables. Every attendee receives a commemorative tasting glass, and the selection extends beyond wine to include ciders and non-alcoholic options.

Decatur Wine Festival is described in its own source material as metro Atlanta's largest outdoor wine festival, held rain or shine. The format is self-guided: attendees move freely between 65 tasting tables sampling wines from global producers, with no prescribed route or schedule. A live DJ provides music throughout the event, and spontaneous dancing is a noted feature of the atmosphere. The festival's proceeds support the Decatur Arts Alliance's year-round programming, which includes the Decatur Arts Festival and a range of free public art events, exhibitions, and community projects throughout Decatur.

Food is available for purchase from local vendors stationed within the festival footprint — no need to leave the grounds. The 2024 vendor lineup included Farm Burger, Iberian Pig, Siam Thai, Belen Bistro, Calle Latina, Takumi Cuisine, Taichi Bubble Tea, Teriyaki Madness, White Bull, Icing on the Cake, and Latin Street Food, offering a range from burgers and tapas to crepes, Thai dishes, and bubble tea. Snacks are sold separately and are not included in the ticket price. Printable tasting scorecards are available on the festival website, a useful tool for tracking wines across 65 tables.

Decatur sits just east of Atlanta in DeKalb County, and while Georgia does not have a prominent commercial wine AVA, the Decatur Wine Festival draws its appeal from breadth rather than regional focus — sourcing 350-plus wines internationally to give attendees broad exposure to global styles. The festival's nonprofit structure means ticket purchases directly fund arts access programming in the local community, adding a civic dimension that distinguishes it from purely commercial tasting events.