I've attended the Boston Wine Expo for several years now, and it's always been my favorite local food and wine event. This year, however, has been the best year yet because I was able to experience the Vintner's Reserve Lounge for the first time! The Vintner's Reserve Lounge offers a range of boutique, limited edition and small batch wines in addition to tastes from some of Boston’s most popular restaurants.
I started out in the Grand Tasting, where I enjoyed several wines from the Southern Italian winery Sorrentino and chatted with their Master Sommelier Gabriele Massa.
Of course I had to stop by one of my regular expo favorites, Treana to their wines and take a selfie on their boat!
After about an hour in the main expo, I headed over to the Vintner's Reserve Lounge, which was in a small, private room in the seaport hotel. I spotted one of my favorite California chardonnay makers (Mer Soleil) and was excited to try some of the other Wagner Family wines. I loved the Caymus Special Selection Cabernet, which was one of the most popular bottles at the table.
Another favorite was the selection of champagne from Charles Heidsieck; I loved all of them but especially the Rose Reserve and Brut Reserve.
I also stopped by a table sampling 10, 20, 30, and 40 year old ports. It was really interesting to taste them each side by side and notice the differences and increasing complexity with age.
In addition to having the best wines at the Boston Wine Expo, the Vintner's Reserve had by far the best food. I enjoyed bites of steak from the Palm and Del Friscos, and plenty of fresh seafood that was perfect with the Champagne. The Vintner's Reserve Lounge definitely made this year's experience at the Boston Wine Expo my best yet! I enjoyed the more intimate, less crowded setting and the chance to try some of the best food and wine the expo has to offer!
