A Preview of the 2013 Boston Wine Expo

           With fall approaching quickly, it’s hard to believe the 2013 Boston Wine Expo is right around the corner! The upcoming event will take place February 16 – 17 at the Seaport World Trade Center and Seaport Hotel. I’m extremely excited to attend the expo this year, and even more excited to announce that between now and February I’ll be giving away tickets to the wine expo on my blog as well as offering discount codes for my readers. Subscribe, or follow me on twitter or facebook to make sure you don’t miss out!

          As a blogger for the expo, I recently attended a preview event where I was able to sample some of the wines being featured this year. As hard as I tried, I wasn't able to sample every wine or even chat with every wine maker. However, the ones I did visit did I spoke with at length and tried to learn as much as possible about the wines. Here are recaps of those tastings and conversations.

Joseph Mellot Winery – Loire Valley, France

I tasted an amazing Malbec and Cab Franc, and learned that Malbec actually originated in France!

Alexander Valley Vineyards – Sonoma County, CA

They featured three kinds of red Zinfandel called Temptation, Sin, and Redemption. All three were very different; I’d tried the Sin before and after comparing it with the others its subtle flavors of cherry and spice made it my favorite of the three.

Trinchero Family Estates – Napa Valley, California

I sampled a Grenache and Grenache blend, although this was not my first experience with their wines. I had the pleasure of tasting the cabernet while dining at Mustard’s Grill, a restaurant right next to the Napa vineyard. It was a perfect pairing with my lamb, and I remembered it quite well several years later.

Bressan Mastri Vinai – Friuli, Italy

I sampled both a red (Schipettino IGT) and a white (Verduzzo IGT), which are extremely limited production and unlike any wines I’d ever had. They were both delicious, but I most impressed by the white. With the skins on for two years and served at room temperature, it had an unusual rich flavor and full body, and drank much more like a red.

Happy Bitch Wines:

The fun name was perfect for this sparkling rose, which was light and refreshing!


Rutherford Wine Company – Napa Valley, CA

I loved the Predator Old Vine Zinfandel, which was smokey and peppery with hints of berries, oak, and vanilla.

 

Hope Family Wines – Paso Robles, CA

The Trouble Maker red blend (Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, Petite Sirah) was one of my favorite reds that I tried. It had flavors of bright red fruit with just a hint of spiciness

          In addition to all of the great wines, we were also able to try food from some of the vendors participating in the expo. Dishes included several seafood offerings from the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, fresh bread and dips from Chabaso Bakery, and a steak with chimichurri sauce prepared by the Seaport Hotel’s Executive Chef Richard Rayment.

          Like previous years, the festival will include the Grand Cru Wine Lounge to showcase higher end wines, a mobile app to keep track of and rate wines, celebrity chef demonstrations, nightly winemaker dinners, and local restaurants sampling their signature dishes, and of course the main exhibit hall with tons of fabulous wines!

          New features for 2013 include a social media lounge with a screens displaying popular wines from the mobile app and a live twitter feed, a private buyer’s tasting room, upgraded VIP tickets, and wine available for sale on site (for wines distributed in MA).

          Each year proceeds from the Wine Expo are donated to charitable organizations. This year’s beneficiary is Tufts Medical Center’s Floating Hospital for Children and their summer camp scholarship program. Guests attending the Wine Expo not only get to taste and learn about some fabulous wines, but will also be supporting a great cause! Check back for regular updates, visit the Wine Expo website, or follow @BostonWineExpo on twitter.