National Zoo to host ‘Grapes with the Apes’

WASHINGTON — Want to meet a baby gorilla over a glass of merlot? You can do just that April 16 at the National Zoo’s annual “Grapes with the Apes” event.

The yearly wine-tasting is wildly popular — more than 3,000 people attended last year — but this time around, there’s an added attraction.

On Jan. 10, the zoo welcomed a new baby born to Mandara and dad Baraka, two western lowland gorillas who live in the Great Ape House. The 2 ½-month-old infant just this week got a name — Kibibi, which means “little lady” in Swahili.

The ape house is home to seven western lowland gorillas and six orangutans, who split their time between the house and the zoo’s Think Tank.

If you want to spend an evening getting to know the large primates, it’s best to grab a ticket soon. The event, put on by Friends of the National Zoo, sells out quickly, said zoo spokeswoman Karin Korpowski-Gallo.

Tickets are $30 for FONZ members and $40 for everyone else. The funds go to zoo conservation programs and exhibits.

“The money definitely goes toward the animals,” Korpowski-Gallo said.

For the ticket price, you’ll get to sample the work of 15 wineries and vineyards, six of them in Virginia, including Potomac Point Winery in Stafford, Tarara Winery in Leesburg and Barrel Oak Winery in Delaplane.

Guitarist and vocalist Kenny Holmes will provide music and a zoo nutritionist will give a talk on the health benefits of tannins found in red wines.

Zoo experts will be around to discuss great apes, and projects that support endangered gorillas and orangutans.

When it’s all over, you’ll get to take home a commemorative glass.

Pay an extra $30 and attend a pre-party happy hour in the Zoo’s Think Tank, where you’ll see an interactive demonstration on orangutan memory. Afterward, hang out in the “VIP” area from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., where you’ll get to try food from downtown restaurants while tasting the wines.

You’ll also go home with a free “Grapes with the Apes” T-shirt.

For more information about the event and to buy tickets, visit: http://www.nationalzoo.si.edu.