What Is Wine Fortune Reading?
A Hi-Fi Divination
Back in the 1980’s, my father Orhan proposed to my mother during a Turkish coffee fortune reading.
It’s a story I’m asked about often — and I always deliver the punchlines with gusto. Heck, any entertainer must oblige when the crowd demands. But did you know, that tasseography isn’t limited to coffee grounds or tea leaves?
It also works with wine.
So, let’s crack open a bottle and break our sobriety — if only for a little fortune telling.
Photograph by Amy Shamblen (amyshamblen.com)
THE ORIGINS
The origins of wine fortune reading are hazy — not unlike the morning after. The Greeks and Romans certainly dabbled. Dionysus (god of wine) was said to offer prophecy, only when deprived of his drink. (Do not, under any circumstances, deprive me of mine).
Early readers swirled wine in bowls, letting it streak and cling, or dripped it onto cloth and ashes to see what images emerged. The stains and bubbles became miniature oracles, awaiting an imaginative eye. Though never as popular as coffee or tea readings, wine divination endured at feasts and rituals — half entertainment, half astrology.
Now, it finds new life at Couple’s Only in New York City.
Photograph by Amy Shamblen (amyshamblen.com)
HOW DOES IT WORK?
When you arrive at Couple’s Only with your BYOB wine, you’ll be offered 24 poems, each tied to a mystery vinyl you won’t find on Spotify. Your chosen record spins on our soul-stirring hi-fi system while you sip until the final drop.
Those last sips are gathered into a ceremonial goblet, kissed with smoke, and read by Dr. Honeybrew (yes, moi) for glimpses into your shared future.
In just one hour, you’ll drink without tipping, hear music like you’ve never heard before, and have your fortune told.
What more could you possibly want? Plus, you get to take a record home.
Photograph by Amy Shamblen (amyshamblen.com)
THE RITUAL
Wine readings are not just about staring at streaks in a glass — they’re about creating a moment. At our acoustically treated room, ritual means dim lights, needle dropping on vinyl, and that slow pause as the last sip gathers in the goblet.
It’s the most intimate form of theater possible. Just you and your +1. The swirl of wine, the curl of smoke, the record humming — all of it conspires to make the symbols feel alive, even if they’re just stains in a cup.
Watch the way your partner laughs at an unusual symbol, and the way you both leave glowing afterwards. That is the success of our wine fortune readings ritual.
Mission accomplished. And you get a record based on your fortune.
Photograph by Amy Shamblen (amyshamblen.com)
THE LAST DROP
Here’s the truth: no encyclopedia exists for decoding wine stains or droplets. None. The “science” is entirely interpretive — left to the intuition and artistry of the reader. I encourage you both to make your own interpretations.
What matters most is the conversation those symbols will spark between you later that same evening. Your goblet will be read with sincerity, humor, and just enough mystery to keep you leaning closer.
Because wine is meant for pleasure. Paired with transcendent music and someone you adore, the future becomes a game worth playing. Save the doom and gloom for the coffee grounds!
— Dr. Honeybrew
Wine. Fortune. Vinyl.
