Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens is pleased to announce the Wines Under Glass: Passage to India event, to be held on Friday, October 21 at 6:30 PM in the Conservatory. Guests at this special occasion will join Event Co-Chairs Sunil & Nita Wadhwani and Anuj Dhanda & Anne Nemer to revel in the garden as exciting plans are unveiled for next year’s Tropical Forest India exhibit and sustainability stars are chosen for the annual Green Heart of Pittsburgh award. So, mark your calendar.

Gala inside the Phipps Conservatory

This event represents the first-ever celebration of the upcoming February 2012 opening of Phipps’ Tropical Forest India, which promises to be the finest exhibit on the flora, cultures and people of India.

Attendees will enjoy superb Indian performers, a bounty of choice Indian delicacies, buzzing friends and entertainers, fine wines, signature cocktails, and tantalizing auction treasures.

The unforgettable evening begins with a VIP Reception at 6:30 pm in the Tropical Forest Conservatory and its Special Events Center, featuring a special selection of food and wine; a 7:30 pm Green Heart Reception follows with a live auction, the Green Heart Awards and more. Tickets are available for purchase now at

http://phipps.conservatory.org/exhibits-and-events/featured-event.aspx?eventid=557 or by contacting Joe Reed by phone at 412-441-4442, ext. 3966. For other questions contact Greg DuFour, Director, Development Campaign at ext. 3701, or by e-mailing to gdufour@phipps.conservatory.org

Phipps was founded in 1893 as the nation’s first teaching conservatory and the largest and finest glasshouse exhibitory of its time. Esteemed today as an eco-champion among North America’s 500 public gardens and arboreta, it is a leading horticultural showcase and educator. For its efforts, Phipps has been the subject of national and international attention:

•  In September 2009, Phipps had the honor of hosting the G-20 world leaders for their summit’s three opening events;
• in May 2010, USA Today recognized Phipps as one of America’s top 10 public gardens;
• in June, PBS stations nationwide aired Growing a Greener World, a program which recognized Phipps as “America’s greenest public garden;” and
• in November, Phipps Executive Director Richard Piacentini received the prized 2010 U.S. Green Building Council’s Individual Leadership Award, recognizing green building leaders and visionaries, in its first-ever award to an individual in the NGO category.