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Boston Wine Expo

2012 Boston Wine Expo Wrap

by glenn on February 2, 2012

My thought after last year’s Wine Expo was that the event had run its course; frankly, the expo lacked the excitement and glamour of past years. A change was needed and, fortunately, that change did occur. This year the event was revitalized and engaging. Kudos to the organizers for realizing their vision of a better expo. Herein I offer a few of our thoughts about this year’s event.

  • In years past, the Chateauneuf du Pape pavilion had always been a highlight for us. Last year, it went missing. As soon as I walked through the doors, I spied the distinctive banner and insisted we begin our tasting there. Honestly, what better breakfast could there be? Long time expo exhibitor Olivier Hillaire was again present offering tastes of his wines. As usual, his luxury cuvée, “Les Petit Pieds d’Armand”, was outstanding.
  • The Massachusetts Farm Winery and Growers Association was well represented. We decided to try the Turtle Creek Cabernet Franc and were taken aback. It’s rare to find a Cab Franc that, in spite of the beautiful nose, is not thin and reedy. Winery owner Kip Kumler’s wine was full, almost lush. For those who think that Cab Franc is only for blending, this wine belies that assertion. Check out the video of the winery by French Oak TV here.
  • As I’m continually attempting to overcome my trepidation vis-a-vis Italian wines, we headed to the Italian section. At the “Food and Wine Culture” tables, an importer and distributor of Italian food and wines, we sampled several wineries. The pay off was tasting through the wines of the young Piedmontese winemaker Enzo Boglietti - all superb. We also sampled two outstanding cheeses – a pecorino infused with saffron (beautiful color) and one incorporating truffles.
  • Should they grow Pinot Noir in California? That’s a question I occasionally ponder – and often answer  no. However, I found a California Pinot I can get excited about -  the 2007 Inman Family Pinot Noir from the Russian River. Not overripe, over-extracted, nor over-manipulated – an outstanding example of a natural wine.
  • As we roamed through the exhibition space, I has a flashback. No – not to the 60’s but to the 90’s and the Spinazzola Gala, that unsurpassed event of food and wine, that occurred in this very space. The reason – the increased participation of Boston restaurants and upscale purveyors. The expo benefited greatly from the enhanced food offerings. Notable for me – the torchon of foie gras from the Hudson Valley Foie Gras Company and the pulled pork sliders from Kings – an Upstairs/Downstairs assessment.
  • For us, education is an important part of wine culture; after all, we did meet at wine school.  This year the seminar program was greatly expanded and there  was something for everyone – from the novice wine lover to the wine professional. The enhanced offerings added to the stature of the expo.
  • What was missing was a more diverse line-up of wine regions. There was only one winery (Archer Summit) from Oregon that we could find, two from Washington, none from Long Island. And to balance the proponderance of Italian and Spanish wines, more French wines could be represented. (We miss the charming winemaker from the Jura we met years ago on our first visit to the Expo.)

Anyway, we’re already looking forward to the 2013 Boston Wine Expo. As Katrin has stated that for wine lovers it is  “the must-attend event of the year…… the post-holiday, dead-of-winter joy”.

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“Argentina: Celebrating Diversity” with Nora Favelukes at the Boston Wine Expo 2012

by katrin on January 22, 2012

Saving the best for last, the final seminar of Saturday’s Boston Wine Expo featured Nora Favelukes of Wines of Argentina presenting on “Argentina: Celebrating Diversity.” The full house was entertained, while also being educated on Argentina’s wine, food, culture, and geography.

A lot has changed in the Argentina wine industry in the past 20 to 30 years. In the 1980s and early 1990s, Nora said that she knew exactly where to look for the Argentine wines: way in the back of the store, on the bottom shelf, covered in dust. Nicolas Catena and the arrival of two international wine consultants, Paul Hobbs and Michel Rolland, changed all that.  Their work in modernizing grape growing and winemaking set the groundwork for making wines from Argentina an international sensation.

One of Argentina’s great strengths, which wine enthusiasts around the world are starting to recognize, is diversity; from Salta in the north to Patagonia in the south; altitudes ranging from 1,000 feet to 10,000 feet; incredible microclimates; and a wide range of varietals.  Clearly Argentines enjoy their wine; with one of the highest per capita wine consumption rates in the world, Argentina only exports 10-12% of its total production.  The rest is enjoyed at home!

We tasted five wines that gave a flavor of the geographic and varietal diversity of Argentina.  Nora had selected them based on their availability in the local market and their price to quality ratio.

2011 Michel Torino Estate – Don David Torrontés (Cafayate Valley, Salta)
Beautiful nose of peach pit and white flowers. Very mouthfilling with high acidity, spice, and a long, clean finish.
$16.99

2011 Graffigna Pinot Grigio (Tulúm Valley, San Juan)
Very pale to nearly clear in the glass, the Pinot Grigio was so subtle in comparison to the Torrontés. Ripe with medium acidity.
$13.99

2010 Dante Robino Bonarda (Santa Rosa, Mendoza)
Great smoky nose with a meaty palate.  Bonarda like this is a perfect accompaniment to burgers and pizza. I agree with Nora that this is a rustic, but rich example of this varietal.
$12.99

2009 Del Desierto 25/5 Cabernet Franc  (La Pampa, Patagonia)
Incredibly unusual nose.  Lots of dust and cocoa powder. The palate is intense showing more chocolate notes, spice, and minerality. Medium plus acidity and tannins give this Cabernet Franc great structure.
$14.99

2007 Rutini Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon (Tupungato, Mendoza)
Cassis and dark fruits on nose and palate. This is one intense and very tannic wine. Tight. Bring on the steak!
$16.99

Hopefully, Nora will do a presentation at next year’s Boston Wine Expo. With her passion for Argentine wines, fun presentation style, and infectious laugh, you won’t want to miss it.

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Boston Wine Expo 2012: A Celebration of Wine

by katrin on January 17, 2012

If you are a wine lover living in Greater Boston – and if you are reading this, I can only assume that you are at least a wine enthusiast – the Boston Wine Expo is the must-attend event of the year. I personally consider it the post-holiday, dead-of-winter joy. The 2012 Expo is a week-long celebration that culminates over the weekend of January 21 – 22 with the Grand Tasting and seminars.

The seminar offerings are more robust and diverse this year than they have been in several years. Ranging from knife skills to the wines of the Finger Lakes to wine and food pairings to getting to know Amarone, the seminars are a great way to learn something new and take a break from the floor of the Grand Tasting. I am particularly looking forward to the Catena Zapata seminar and tasting with Fernando Buscema on Sunday. Catena is largely credited with leading the quality revolution in Argentina and helping to make the country’s wines the international sensation they are today. And, because I enjoyed it so much the first time, I will be going to “Argentina Beyond Malbec – Celebrating the Diversity of Argentina” with Nora Favelukes again.

The Boston Wine Expo developed an app for the 2012 show. I just downloaded it and it looks like it will be really useful in planning for the Expo and creating a schedule of seminars and speakers. It will allow the user to track the wines that they tasted and where find where they are available locally, which is a pretty neat feature. Trying to remember the better wines after having tasted dozens is more than a challenge; it’s nearly impossible. Speaker bios are also listed and you can mark your favorites.

There’s also the Grand Cru Wine Lounge, which I will one day attend, and cooking demonstrations by some of Boston’s well-known chefs, including Patricia Yeo of Om, Andy Husbands of 647 Tremont and Sister Sorel, and Chris Douglass of The Ashmont Grill. New this year are the Vintner Dinners that feature food and wine pairings from different wine regions.

So much to taste, learn, and experience! If you enjoy wine, don’t miss this year’s Boston Wine Expo. See you there!

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A Quick Dispatch on Saturday’s Boston Wine Expo

by katrin on January 23, 2011

It was a great first day at the Boston Wine Expo. As promised, my first stop was the Wine of Argentina section, where I had the pleasure of meeting Nora Favelukes, one of the presenters from last year’s Argentina seminar. Even better, she was my personal guide to several of the wineries on display and introduced me to Bodega Dante Robino’s Rodrigo Alonso. Though the wines have been a hit in other states, particularly New York, they are still working on getting a distributor in Massachusetts. Hopefully, that will happen soon since the Malbec and Bonarda are both delicious and crowd-pleasing and priced well at about $13 each.

Another outstanding set of wines – also without a Massachusetts distributor – were being presented by the Monteviejo winery. Be sure to try these delicious, New World style wines if you are at the Expo today. I was lucky enough to have picked up a bottle of Monteviejo’s Lindaflor Malbec at the Wine Library and look forward to enjoying it soon.

Moving on from Argentina, I stopped at the lovely Loire tables. Ah, Muscadet and rosé make me dream of summer, as do Sauvignon Blancs from Quincy and Sancerre. More on these later!

I quickly realized that Chateauneuf du Papes was not represented at this year’s Expo. The banners, bustling tables, and friendly French winemakers were missing sadly.

Well, I’m off to get ready for Sunday’s Expo. See you there!

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Making a List: What not to miss at the Boston Wine Expo

by katrin on January 21, 2011

It’s the eve of the 20th Annual Boston Wine Expo, also known as the highlight of my winter for the past several years. Yes, there are many reasons not to like the Wine Expo and to avoid it altogether, not the least of which are the crowds, the lines, and the drunks calling out to the representatives to pour them “the most expensive wine on the table.” But for me, the generally positive experience has always outweighed all the negatives. After all, where else can you taste wines from around the world, meet some winemakers, revel with friends and strangers, indulge in a wonderfully random assortment of food samples, and check out the latest wine gadgets that you probably don’t need.

These regions are at the top of my list:

Wines of Argentina – My obsession and fascination, and always my first stop at the Expo! This year I am looking forward to tasting wines from some of my favorite wineries like Zuccardi, Luigi Bosca, and Alta Vista, as well as ones that are new to me, including Carelli, DiamAndes, Novus Ordo, and Huarpe.

Loire Valley Wines – We at Wine Dine With US love wines from the Loire and enjoyed our opportunities to write about the Jon-David Headrick Selection tasting at Brix, as well as the event sponsored by the Loire Valley Wine Bureau in 2010.

Châteauneuf-du-Pape – Always a favorite… for all judging by the lines!

The Greek Section – Despite having tasted many of the Greek wines offered each year at the Expo and having listened to the reps explain the wines, I still struggle to remember all of the different grape names, styles, and producers.  Sorry, Eleni!  My goal is to finally commit some of this information to memory. My confusion helps me to understand why German wines, with their Gothic labels and complex classifications and place names, are difficult to grasp.

The Germans – One of my developing interests is red wines from Germany. I’m hoping to try some this weekend, or at least some great Rieslings.

Local Wines – Of course, I will have to stop by the local wineries, which in past years has included West port Rivers, Travessia, and Running Brook. New York wineries, especially those on Long Island, are sort of local, too, right?

Hope to see you there!

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Wine Spectator Presents: Top Wines of Argentina at the Boston Wine Expo 2010

by katrin on January 19, 2011

Part of the Beyond Malbec series.

Yes, you read that correctly! A review of a seminar held about year ago. As I count down the days to the 20th Annual Boston Wine Expo, I recently went back to my notes from last year to remind myself of some of the highlights. To my surprise, I found something that I thought I had lost long ago: my tasting notes from the seminar on Argentine wines. It is a bit embarrassing to be writing this up a year later, but for me this seminar was my favorite part of the Expo. In a way, it also was the inspiration for my Beyond Malbec series, so I hope you will forgive my lateness!

The seminar was presented by Argentine Nora Favelukes, whose company QW Wine Experts handles public relations for the Wines of Argentina trade group, and Gloria Maroti Frazee, Director of Wine Spectator School and Video. It was immediately clear that both presenters had a deep knowledge of Argentine wines and that they enjoy sharing their enthusiasm and understanding with others. In other words, they were excellent presenters.

Nora and Gloria started their presentation by talking about the history of wine and food in Argentina. Argentina’s culture, food, and wine are heavily influenced by Italians who migrated to Argentina. In their words, Argentina was “conquered by Italy” in the 1850s. These immigrants brought with them their grapes, winemaking knowledge, and passion for food. Still today, more Argentines can trace their roots back to Italy than to Spain.

Fast forward to the 1990s and new influence had arrived in Argentina, known as the flying winemakers and wine consultants. Well-known winemakers such as Michel Rolland, Paul Hobbes, and Alberto Antonini were helping to revolutionize Argentine winemaking, changing the focus from quantity to quality, a shift that had already been instigated by Nicolas Catena.

While 75% of Argentina’s wines come from Mendoza, quality wine can be found in several other provinces, from Salta to in the far North to Neuquén and Rio Negro in Patagonia. Each region produces wines of a distinct character, which is strongly influenced by individual terroirs.

Malbec, of course, is Argentina’s signature grape, which originated in the Cahors region of Bordeaux.  Argentina’s Malbec is quite different from the one found in its homeland. In Cahors, the vines give big clusters and big grapes. The skin is often tough and the tannins harsh. By contrast, Argentina’s dry, continental climate produces grapes that are smaller, with softer skins and sweeter tannins, resulting in a wine that is easy to drink and enjoyed by many wine drinkers.

The tasting started with two white wines.

2008 Bodega Monteviejo Chardonnay (Mendoza) is made in a full-bodied, oaky style by Michel Rolland. Good acidity balanced out the high alcohol (14.6%). Lots of vanilla and butterscotch.

2008 Bodega Colomé Torrontés (Salta) was floral, pretty, and fresh. An excellent example of Torrontés, it had a long finish with a touch of bitterness at the end.

We then moved on to four Malbecs.

2008 Bodega Noemia A Lisa (Rio Negro), according to my notes, did not impress me. This is surprising to me now, since I recently reviewed the 2009 and thought it was outstanding.

2007 Urban (Mendoza) had a concentrated nose that was prune-like and chocolaty. The palate was spicy and more tannic than the Noemia.

2007 Valentin Bianchi Particular (Mendoza) had a plum and raspberry nose.  I found the palate to be on the tart side, reminding me of sour cherry juice.

2007 Catena Zapata (Mendoza) was relatively restrained, but had smooth tannins.

Then two big Malbec-dominated blends.

2007 Alta Vista Atemporal (Mendoza) is a blend of 43% Malbec, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 11% Syrah. Dark and saturated, the nose had lots of fruit – boysenberry and raspberry – balanced by a judicious use of oak. The palate had a nice spiciness.

2007 ReNacer Enamore (Mendoza) is 60% Malbec, 23% Cabernet Franc, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Syrah, and 3% Bonarda. I was quite excited to see this on the tasting list since it is one of my favorite wines. The Italian influence can be seen here, as the grapes are dried to concentrate their flavors before fermentation. This is a beautiful wine and I’ll save my tasting notes for a future blog.

This seminar was just one of the many reasons I enjoy going to the Boston Wine Expo. With thousands of wines and foods to taste and excellent seminars to take part in, be sure to buy your tickets to the 20th Annual Boston Wine Expo today!

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Chateauneuf-du-Pape: The Heinz 57 of Wine

by rodney on February 16, 2010

57 Varieties, or Heinz 57 for short, is commonly used to describe an object consisting of an unquantifiable list of ingredients.  Naturally, the “57 Varieties” label on a bottle of ketchup could be misconstrued to imply that the contents comprise 57 varieties of tomatoes.  Well, at least that’s what I thought when I was a kid.

As of 2009, 18 varieties of vinifera are allowed to comprise both red and white Chateauneuf-du-Pape blends.  However, red wines are dominated by Grenache and are typically blended with Syrah and Mourvedre (GSM).

Not particularly a fan of Grenache, I have hit and miss experiences with Chateauneuf-du-Pape mostly due to my cursory knowledge of the appellation.  Having read glowing reports of the 2007 vintage, I attended the “2007 Chateauneuf-du-Pape Super Cuvees” seminar at the Boston Wine Expo to expand my mind a bit. [click to continue…]

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A Vertical Tasting of Maison Louis Latour’s Grand Cru’s

13 February 2010

The vast majority of wine consumers buy wine to consume that day, that week, or if we are particularly disciplined, that month.  As we transition from casual consumers to learned connoisseurs, we tend to remain victims of habit and submit to instant gratification.  Patience might be a virtue and good things may come to those [...]

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Bordeaux Off The Rails (Not in a Good Way)

3 February 2010

“Hello.  My name is Rodney and I like French Wine.”
When given the choice, more often than not, I will choose a Sancerre from the Loire Valley over a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, a Burgundian over an Oregonian Pinot Noir and a Bordeaux Cabernet Sauvignon over, well, from just about anywhere else in the world.  [...]

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After the Ball…….Franklin Cafe Southie

26 January 2010

We Wineaux have a certain fondness for the South End Franklin Cafe, the result of an evening during which we drank our way through the entire cocktail menu. When we learned that an outpost of the cafe had opened in Southie, we put it it on our Bucket List. Now Southie isn’t our usual territory, so there [...]

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