Are you going to the Boston Wine Expo???
You should! It is a wonderful event, full of delicious wine, great food samples and education.
Read more about it here: http://brewwinefun.com/tag/boston-wine-expo/
Want to go for free? We are giving away one pair of tickets this Monday! http://gvwy.io/o2chj1d
Hope to see you there!
It’s that time of year again- time for the Boston Wine Expo!
We are very excited to have been invited back as bloggers this year, and can’t wait to see you there! This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Boston Wine Expo, so it is sure to be even bigger and better than ever. To go with the Silver Anniversary theme, they will be showcasing what has happened with wine over the past 25 years, and the
way food and wine are looking to be trending for the next 25.
Over 1,800 wines will be poured from over 200 wineries from around the world. Food samples will be available from Boston area restaurants.
Interested in taking part in a seminar? There are so many to chose from, featuring wine from all over the world; cheese; cider and chocolate. You can learn to taste like a pro, enjoy Buffalo Trace Bourbon, or learn more about food and wine pairing. Want to register for one? Do so here
Please join us on February 13th and 14th at the Seaport Hotel and World Trade Center: https://bostonwineexpo.eventbrite.com/?discount=BLOGJAN (For $10 off either day at #BWE2016)
Previous visits to the Boston Wine Expo:
Boston Wine Expo, 2014
Boston Wine Expo,2014, Seminar: Love Brews for Cheeses of the Veneto
Boston Wine Expo preview of 2015
Boston Wine Expo, 2015
If you follow Megan on instagram, you know we had a good time at this year’s Boston Wine Expo. Were you able to attend?
We went to the expo for the Saturday Grand Tasting, and were able to spend time with some of our contest winners as well!
Some photos from the day:
Each ticket includes a collectible glass
We tried so many amazing wines. One of the great things about this event is that you can try such a great variety. Wines from all over the world are present, as well as all varieties. We were able to talk to those representing the vineyards more this year, and learned quite a bit about each wine.
Chatom Vineyards, California. The owner of the vineyard was serving the wine, which was terrific. The knowledge she had was spectacular, and a good way to start our day.
Anne Amie table- this Cuvee wine was delicious! This was a fun, and enjoyable summer wine.
more from Anne Amie: Vin Doux & Vin Glace Dessert set. Comes as a pair. Vin Doux was like candy. It was pretty amazing. The Vin Glace was good as well, fortified with pinot noir brandy (almost made by them).
we spent a fair amount of time at this table: Marisco Vineyards. The winery is located in Marlborough, New Zealand. The two guys at the table were fun and knowledgeable and walked us through the wines. They also knew were their wine was available locally, which is a plus if you are local.
Thirsty Owl Wine Company, located in the Finger Lakes of New York. They offer a Pinot Noir Red, Diamond, Vidal Blanc, Dry Riesling and Snow Owl. Delicious!
Standing Stone Vineyards, Finger Lakes, New York
Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards, Finger Lakes, New York. Red Cat Wine is part of them, being “unpretentious and delicious.” We had a “cocktail” while at the table “Red Cat on the Beach.” This was Red Cat poured over ice, with a squeeze of fresh lime. We also enjoyed a piece of dark chocolate with the wine.
Hazlitt is also home to hard cider!
don’t you want one?
barefoot
meatballs!
Mark and I with Kristen and David, two of our contest winners!
chicken pot pie!
Cucina Aurora Risotto! From Salem, New Hampshire and delicious!
Yancey’s Fancy Cheese
Milly’s Organic Salad Dressing- very good! Will be looking for it!
MainleyHRT’s bottle tote. Great for traveling!
More wine!
Mill River Winery is located in Rowley on the North Shore of Massachusetts. We had been meaning to stop in here for a while as we had heard many good things. We stopped on the way down into Boston for the Boston Wine Expo preview event.
They renovated the Dodge’s Cider Mill from the 1890’s. The building has a rustic feel with a mix of original wood, reclaimed, and rustic wood that creates a cool environment for tasting wine.
They had 2 predesigned flights when we were there, so we both ordered a different one so we could try most of their wines.
Naked Chardonnay:
aged in stainless steel. Lemon zest and pear aromas. Dry, but not as dry as you expect a Chardonnay to be. Full bodied.
Plum Island White:
Balanced in sweetness. Semi-sweet with pear, citrus and honey aromas. Smooth and easy to drink.
Riesling:
Off dry, slight citrus flavor with a vanilla finish
Barrel Fermented Chardonnay:
Oak aged. Very smooth. Dry. Megan liked the Naked Chardonnay better, but could understand what the draw was for the oaked flavor.
Plum Island Red:
Berry and light. Tried this wine both chilled and room temperature. Chilled, it took on more white wine/fruit wine characteristics. This wine they tried to model after and Italian style Chianti, so you can drink it throughout the day. 30% white wine, 70% red.
Plum Island Red Dory:
Dry mouth feel. Nice fruit flavor, with the aromas of plums and blackberries, without being overly sweet. 5% white wine. More complex than Plum Island Red.
Plantation Red:
Light in oak flavor. Dry. Well balanced with the aroma of raspberry jam
Pinot Noir:
Light bodied, smooth at first with a bite at the end. Cherry flavor, but not sweet. Megan liked the flavor at the end
Select Cabernet Sauvignon:
Not as dry as we expected. Full bodied. Flavors of chocolate and deep, dark fruit
Bucket of Fun:
Rose. We both liked this one. At their blending bash, people create different wines and the winner receives a case of wine and their wine is created. This was the winner!
It was not busy when we were there, and we received plenty of attention. The server was friendly and knowledgeable about the wine and the winery.
Before the tasting…
fun chandelier made from wine barrels
They had a cool chandelier made from wine staves. You can see the post and beam construction in the background as well.
They have a gift shop with locally made jams and all kinds of wine accessories.
Wine serving tray
A table you can stand around if it is busy
Want to Visit?
Winter hours:
Tasting room open Fri 11 – 7pm, Sat & Sun 11 – 6pm
Tours Sat & Sun at 2 & 4pm.
We recently went to a “sneak peek” of the 2015 Boston Wine Expo.
Delicious and worth the trip to Boston.
***
With the upcoming event, we wanted to share some of the awesome vendors and wineries that will be at the Boston Wine Expo 2015 AND…
OFFER YOU a PAIR of TICKETS to this years event! More on that later…
***
The Boston Wine Expo will be held at the Seaport World Trade Center, on Valentine’s weekend (February 14 & 15, 2015). Last year’s event was fantastic- we tried wine we wouldn’t of otherwise, and learned about wine as well as cheese and Italian beer. This year, w expect nothing short of excellent.
view of the Seaport World Trade Center
what was available for our preview event
what was available for our preview event
delectable food- I wonder what there will be at this year’s event!
Some of the many featured wines
the lady bug is a natural predator that feeds on insects harmful to plants.
the wine has flavors of black cherries and raspberries, with aromas of spice and espresso
90+ Cellars, a favorite from last year
90+ cellars
We hardly ever say this, but we liked all three of these red wines. They all had a different place for enjoyment
Megan’s favorite of the three
Our tips from last year:
“IF you go…
Go with a goal… maybe to try a particular country. At previous wine events, I have focused on a particular type of wine, however trying by country is easier with the layout here.
Try a wine you’ve never heard of
Don’t say that you don’t like a particular type of wine- you might just not like the way that winery makes it. Try it somewhere else.
Stay hydrated”
Are you going? Have you gone before? What are you looking forward to? Comment to let us know!
But wait! We have two pairs of tickets to giveaway!! Enter here!
After we attended the Love Brews for Cheeses of the Veneto session on Saturday, we went to the main part of the Expo. We went both days, Saturday and Sunday. Saturday, we drove back to my parent’s house in a snowstorm (it might have been a blizzard), whereas Sunday was beautiful, but cold. Sunday we were joined by Bre and Deryl.
We had our passes, and were ready to try some wine!
Wines that Stood Out..
Fizz 56: a Terlato wine. A sparkling red wine. Fruity, fizzy with a really great sweet flavor
**Just about all of the wines from the Finger Lakes region!** including:
Dr. Frank Riesling, Semi Dry 2012: Nose of orange blossom and pear. Flavors of mandarin oranges, apples and peach.
Dr. Frank Grüner Veltliner, 2011: Floral and melon flavors
Wagner Vineyards: all of their Rieslings were fantastic, BUT, their ice wine was amazing!
Roscato: When I saw this wine, I knew I had to try it- my cousin Steve had told me about it Christmas Eve 2012. This was a sweet, red wine with a fizz. It is made from Croatina, Teroldego and Lagrein grapes. It was really good, and a great recommendation from him!
Caress: By Moonlight Meadery- the only New England winery there! Honey and raspberries- mmmm!
Pacific Rim: specializes only in Rieslings. Their Riesling and their Sweet Riesling were really good, and were also our friend Bre’s first wine that she liked there.
Mark, Megan, Bre and Deryl at the Troublemaker RV
Troublemaker: A Hope Family Wine. Red blend, created in a multi-vintage approach.
They keg their wine- find that it is better for longevity, especially in bars and restaurants. They covered a fairly large section of the expo floor, as they had a full RV!
All of these wines from 90+ Cellars. Chardonnay, Riesling, Moscato and Prosecco. Not only were the wines great but my Dad and Ocean Works created their amazing tables! 
this wine is not yet available in the US- but when it is, try it! Really great Moscato
A sweet red wine
sweet and summer like
Dylan’s Ghost– tried “Hell Hollow” and “The Beast,” both excellent reds. This was one of the wineries we had heard about from others on twitter!
Other thoughts:
Pasta chips are amazing! They are made with semolina flour and Italian herbs, and are almost a cross between a cracker and a chip.
Celebrity Cruise Lines: had an inventive way of getting people over to their table: make your own spice tins! 
We bounced around at times throughout the weekend, going to tables that were less crowded. On Sunday, we went with people that didn’t know too much about wine, and being at the less crowded tables helped so we could ask more questions. It is always interesting to try wine with people who are new to wine or expanding their pallets.
What truly stood out, were the wineries that tell you about their wine and what makes it special. The wineries from the Finger Lakes were the best about this. The amount of information varied, depending quite often on the role that person played to the winery. Some could answer questions that you had about the wine, while others couldn’t. Those that couldn’t often worked for the distributors. We appreciated those that were upfront with us; one told us that he was new to it, and was looking to learn all that he could. Those we didn’t appreciate were the ones that just picked up another bottle to pour when they were asked a question. This was at no fault to the organizers of the Wine Expo, but not a good face for the particular wineries. We also appreciated the tables that were area wine commissions- one person who represented 3-4 different wineries but understood each one.
One of the best things was looking at the twitter feed about the Boston Wine Expo after (#bwe2014). We tweeted with others, and asked what their highlights were on Saturday, so we could look for those the following day. It was great to learn about different wines and products through social media.
We’ve gone to other wine tastings that have you tag wines as you try them for immediate purchase… We would love to see states from places that do that to see how it impacts wine sales. Some of the wines we tried are harder to find, and it would be great to have them easily accessible! Luckily, most are available at our liquor and wine stores.
On day two, we visited more of the vendor tables (not wine). We saw wine accessories, wine racks… We felt that if those tables were giving out something, like the Hold A Plate table, who demonstrated their innovative cocktail plate by serving meatballs (that were delicious!) that people would be more apt to stop by and learn about your products.
IF you go next year…
Go with a goal… maybe to try a particular country. At previous wine events, I have focused on a particular type of wine, however trying by country is easier with the layout here.
Try a wine you’ve never heard of
Don’t say that you don’t like a particular type of wine- you might just not like the way that winery makes it. Try it somewhere else.
Stay hydrated
Eat! There are many food samples throughout- bread (as pictured above), Pasta Chips, Brownie Brittle, Chicken and Sausage Gumbo to name a few… but don’t wait until the end of the day- some food tables stopped serving around 4pm on Sunday (event ended at 5). 
Estelle’s Traditional Andoullie Sausage & Smoked Chicken Gumbo
It is VERY easy to stay for the whole time- so much to see, so much to do! Even after two days!
A few days before the Boston Wine Expo, we received an email that we could enter to win two tickets for one of the sessions at the Boston Wine Expo. The sessions that were part of this were:
LOVE BREWS FOR CHEESES OF THE VENETO
and
TUSCAN TABLE
We responded that we were interested, and were the bloggers chosen to attend LOVE BREWS FOR CHEESES OF THE VENETO, which we would actually attend before the wine expo.
LOVE BREWS FOR CHEESES OF THE VENETO was held on Saturday, February 15th at 12:00pm. Tickets were $25pp. The event’s description:
“Join epicurean and beloved Italian Cheese Guru Lou Di Palo for a whirlwind tour of the Veneto’s fabulous DOP cheeses and fall in Love Italian Style – this Valentine’s Day Weekend!
Sample Piave, Asiago and Grana Padano cheeses paired with a premium selection of Italian Artisanal Beers from Tenute Collesi. Taste along while Lou explains how to effortlessly pair Italian Cheese and Artisanal Cheese.
And to complete this simply divine experience, special guest chef Stefano Palermo of Risotteria Melotti will stir up a traditional Risotto dish from the region!
Leave with hands on cheese tasting, artisanal beer pairing experience, a go- to risotto recipe and a treasure trove of helpful hints that will make entertaining friends and family a breeze in both formal and informal settings.”
On the day of the event, we took the T in, which is one of the easiest ways to get into the Seaport World Trade Center, where the Boston Wine Expo was being held. The Trade Center is right on the Silver Line, and easy to get to.
Having never attended the Boston Wine Expo, or one of their sessions, we were not quite sure what to expect. We arrived early, checked in for our passes, and then went upstairs to where the sessions were being held. You could purchase tickets before entering the sessions, if there was room remaining, or have your tickets on hand. Our tickets were through EventBrite, so we were able to store them on my phone- which made things easier (less to lose on the way in!). We went to the Session area about 15-20 minutes before it began. 
Some sessions were letting people in as they arrived, ours wasn’t until it was time. When the session was about ready to begin, they let us enter the room. 
There were 5 rows of tables, split into 5 people on each side. Each seat had a setup of: 3 wine glasses, a plate of cheese, mustard and cherries, a booklet and pen as well as a fork, napkin and water glass. 
The session began with an introduction from Antonio Lucarelli, the Deputy Trade Commissioner of the Food and Wine section, from New York. He informed us that the session would be the on the study of the region of Veneto, which is most famous for Prosecco. He then introduced Lou Di Palo, who would be running the show for the remainder of the session. Lou is from an Italian family, and is the fourth generation of his family to run DiPalo Selects in Little Italy, New York.
Lou told us a bit of history of Italy, of Italy as we know it and Italy before it was Italy. Italy as we know it is very young, formed only in the 1860s. We heard about the Dolomite Mountains in Venice; how the mountains are beautiful and change colors throughout the course of a day. From brown, to white, like snowcaps, to the color of roses. The richness of the fertile grounds in that area, with the combination of the free grazing cows, resulted in great cheese.
We learned the stories of the individual cheeses. In the Poe River Area, the “bread basket of Italy,” land was wasted due to being controlled by Barbarians. About 1,000 years ago, monks reclaimed the land and used cows to revive the land from swamp to usable. This resulted in too much milk, so they made it into cheese. They cut cheese curds into rice grains, packed it down into a form, and added sea salt. Sea salt is the “secret ingredient” many Italian cheese makers use which helps it to stand the test of time.
The stories Lou told us weren’t told in a lecture way, but instead in a way that brought you in. Although Mark and I haven’t ever thought about traveling to Italy, it made us think about it.
Our tasting:
Artisanal Beers were from Tenute Collesi. The technique of the beer is the ancient way made by monks. The beers are unpasteurized, and naturally fermented.
Chiara: light, bubbily, honey
paired with
Bionda: smells similar to a pale ale, with a coriander type note. Fruity in flavor.
paired with
Rossa: nutty. Megan enjoyed this beer with the Black Cherry and Cheese combo best.
We also tried a fruit mustard, from Lazzaris. Mark enjoyed it, however, Megan was not a huge fan.
We loved the tasting! The cheese was amazing, and it was great to try Italian beers. The beers reminded us of sparkling wine in some ways. The only thing we would have changed about the tasting, is that sometimes we were uncertain about which cheese was next. We knew the name of it, but not which one it was on our plate. We did our best to guess, and think we did pretty well. We also weren’t sure if we could eat all of each cheese, or if we were going back to any later to try with a different beer. We loved how the session was presented as well.
The last part of the tasting was an absolute treat! Chef Stefano Palermo of Risotteria Melotti, in New York City, made us a delicious Risotto- which we were given the recipe for. “Amarone Risotto in Grana Padano Cups.” Ours was served with a Padano chip instead of in a cup.
This was delicious and I can’t wait to make it myself! Here is the recipe, courtesy of Agriform, if you are also intrigued…
Amarone Risotto in Grana Padano Cups, serves 4
1c Amarone della Valpolicella wine
1 ½ c Melott Vialone Nano Veronese Rice
5 c beef stock
2 tbsp butter
3oz Agriform Grana Padano DOP cheese, grated
salt and pepper to taste
Parsley for decoration
We will be attending the Boston Wine Expo 2014 as Blog Ambassadors this year. We are very excited for the expo. The expo features wine from around the world. We will have the opportunity to try wines from: Albania, Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, and the US.
The wine expo is a time for tasting and for learning. They are offering many seminars throughout the weekend. Some to highlight:
‘The One Hour Wine Expert’ with Kevin Zraly. 2/15 & 2/16. 11:30a-12:30p. $35.
Kevin approaches teaching wine in a fun and approachable manner, without the “wine-snob” mentality. Kevin explains what terms like tannin and oak mean, and how to pair wine with your food.
Oregon Cool Whites, 2/15, 2:30-3:30. $30
The cool climate, and what makes Oregon wines great will be discussed. Pinot gris, Chardonnanny, Riesling and other white wines will be tasted.
Scotch 101, 2/15, 4:00-5:00p. $35
A tasting and learning course. You will learn what makes Scotch be Scotch. Differences of each region will be explored.
Wine Spectator Presents… World-Wide Wine Adventure, 2/16, 3:30-4:30p, $30
“Stopping” at 5 continents, you will learn about world-famous classics and “local heros.”
Rum 101, 2/16, 4:00-5:00p, $25
Rum dates back to 300 B.C. Different traditions of making rum throughout the world will be broken down through tasting.
We are looking forward to trying some different wines, learning, and enjoying different foods. Any interest in going? Use code “SOCIAL” (without quotes) to get 10% off tickets for either the Saturday or Sunday Grand Tasting. Buy tickets here!
Prefer to try to win your way in? We will be giving away one pair of tickets to the Sunday tasting. We will announce the winner on February 1st! Your tickets will be available at “Will Call.” Good luck!
Breweries, Wineries and the fun in between! 
