And I'm glad I did...because it seems this little annual event isn't that little at all.

"We are capping this year's event at 400 people and we are almost sold out," said Amy Mata, General Manager of the wine bar.

Let's just say my mouth dropped when she said this. For those of you who haven't been, The Corkscrew is this cute little wine bar located at 1919 Washington. It's been open for three years and is a casual hangout for locals in the neighborhood and some of us who work at the station. The walls are lined with bottles and bottles of wine, making it a wine-junkie's dream destination.

The one thing the Corkscrew isn't...is big. So how are they going to get 400 people in there?

HOW WINEAPALOOZA WORKS
"We set up tents outside. There will a DJ playing music from every decade, and this year, we'll also have food," said Mata.

In other words, on Sunday afternoon from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., the Corkscrew will bring their neighborhood wine bar out into the street of the neighborhood for a giant wine festival. How cool is that?

Plus, for a $50 entrance fee (you can buy these in tickets in advance), attendees will have the opportunity to sample 133 wines from around the world including some they may not have had before, such as Bordeaux and Spanish Tempranillos. They will also be serving thin crust pizza and fajitas.

"Normally a glass of wine ranges from $8 to $15, so $50 is a good deal for someone who wants to try different vintages," said Mata.

Mata said that this year's festival is even bigger than last year's event, which was capped at 300 people.

SO WHAT IF YOU CAN'T GO?
If you're like me and you can't go on Sunday, the good news is the wine bar is open every night of the week. Although, you might need to go more than once as they have over 300 wines to choose from and are constantly bringing in new vintages for their customers to try.

Just like they have a wine for every palate, they also have different themes during the week.

If you want a relaxing, mellow night, Monday's might be for you as that's their acoustic guitar night. But if you like a nice full-bodied Cabernet with your meal, Tuesday's $13 Steak night is calling your name. And of course, we can't forget Saturday's Happy Hour. Show up between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m., and your wine is only $5.

Oh...and if you're just not sure what to get, you might want to try one of their famous chocolate truffles. Laura, who works at the Corkscrew, makes them herself and they are the wine bar's best seller.

"We sell around 200 a week. The 'Frieda' with cayenne pepper and cinnamon is the more popular," said Mata.

COMING UP: HALLOWINE
Okay...so I can't go to Wineapalooza, but I might be able to go to Hallowine.

This is the Corkscrew's annual Halloween event and it's just as popular as their wine festival - except you get to dress up.

This year, Mata told me they are going to do a disco theme, so it will be all Austin Powers Shagadelic (I'm referring to the one where Beyonce was his co-star, not the one where they were in the 60s). Can you dig it?

Tickets go on sale September 29, but don't wait. This event they keep inside their wine bar instead of out on the streets so it's capped off at less than 200 guests.

I'm not sure how much tickets will be, but I was told that they are less than the Wineapalooza ones. However, it's not all you can drink - which might be a good thing when everyone is dressed like the cast of Mama Mia and wearing platform shoes.

Related sites:
Houston's corkscrew