Last night, I attended the NYC Winter Wine Fest, at 8pm, at the Best Buy Theater in Times Square. This was a huge event, and minus the Times Square madness, the theater was really nice and wine were laid out all over so there were not huge crowds in each area. They utilized the bar space to create more social tasting areas, and the theater and accompanying areas for other tables.
There were about 50+ tables of wines, featuring 250 varieties, from several countries. I made my way through the US, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Argentina, South Africa, and more as we samples the various wines and enjoyed the nice spreads of food. This event was very well run, and provided everyone with a few nice perks such as: seating in the theater (this is rare at events like this), LOTS of food, constantly being replenished (pasta, cheese, crudites, etc.), and a nice jazz band.
My first stop was something I hadn't seen before, which was wine-inspired fragrances from Kelly and Jones (kellyandjones.com). We met Kelly who posed for a pic for us, and we wore "Notes of Chardonnay" throughout the evening. This is a very cool, fun gift idea for any wine lover; definitely one I will revisit soon.
Ok, now the wines.
Ones I liked especially were: (most are under $20 a bottle)
- Migration Pinot Noir from Napa - not an oaky pinot, bright and smooth, with that Pinot loveliness
- J Vineyards Cuvee from California - fruity and smooth, with a bright citrus note
- Raats Family Chenin Blanc and Red Jasper - Chenin was floral and light, Red Jasper was a great table wine
- Kaiken Malbec - best Malbec of the night - fruity with a hint of oak and spice
- Dry Creek Zinfandel - spicey and bold, but not oaky
- Raymond Field Blend - yummy and smooth, a great, easy drinking blend
- Copper Mountain Pinot - ok to start, better with food
- Felipe Rutini Cab Sauv - really nice and smooth, not like a bold Napa cab at all
- Schlios Reisling - sweet but with nice citrus notes to brighten it up
- ADUENTUS MEDITERRANEO - soft, lovely blend with a good amount of flavor
My not so hot list:
- JANKARA VERMENTINO - a bit on the bland side for me
- Salentien merlot - dry and sour, not my favorite combo
- FINCA EL ORIGEN MALBEC - just ok and I love most Malbec
- Joseph Drouin Pinot - soft and smooth, just a bit too light for me
- Domedchant Reisling - very, very sweet for me
- Middle Sister Tenacious Red - just ok, nothing majorly moving for me
I must have tried 50+ wines, so this is just a sampling, but hopefully can guide your next journey at the wine store. Again, great event by NY Wine Festivals, looking forward to the next one. Cheers!
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