On June 12th, more than 50 ChIPsters gathered at Barbuzzo restaurant in Philadelphia for an evening to try different wines and great food from two of Philadelphia’s leading restauranteurs — Chefs Marcie Blaine and Valerie Safran, owners of Barbuzzo. Attendees sampled food and drink from their array of restaurants, which include not just Barbuzzo, but Lolita, Jamonera, Little Nonna, and Bud & Marilyn’s. ChIPsters enjoyed guest speaker Diane McMartin, author of “This Calls for a Drink! The Best Wines & Beers to Pair with Every Situation.”

Diane’s presentation described the background and history on why each wine was chosen for the evening, and provided answers to questions like — What is the best wine to drink at a work function? The best wine to give as a gift? The best wine after a stressful work function? Diane took our Philadelphia ChIPsters on a journey to answer these questions, and many more about matching wines to the significant — and not so significant — events in life.

Hosted by Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, attendees, most of whom have intellectual property backgrounds, included in-house counsel from major corporations located in the area, major universities, and numerous national and international law firms with offices in the area. Attendees enjoyed an evening not only to learn about wines, but to enjoy networking and a chance to meet local peers at the intersection of intellectual property and law.