Boston Wine Tasting Events

Wine festivals, wine bars, even a Boston wine school!

Love wine? 

Each January, two internationally-renowned Boston wine tasting events - the Boston Wine Festival at the Boston Harbor Hotel and the Boston Wine Expo - get the New Year off to a great start and put Boston on the map as one of the best American city for wine lovers.

But as wine enthusiasts know, these Boston wine tasting festivals are just the beginning of our city's love affair with wine - especially wine tastings, sampling food pairings, and exploring new vintages.  

Thanks to our large number of wine bars, restaurants specializing in wine-food pairings, and even our own Boston Wine School, we have access to top vintages from around the world - and plenty of opportunities to enjoy them.

If you're visiting Boston, here's an overview of what you'll find, and why you'll enjoy these special wine-tasting events - truly on any "Best of Boston" list!

Boston Wine Festival

Early each January, Chef Daniel Bruce kicks off his 3-month long, 45-dinner Boston Wine Festival at Meritage Restaurant in the Boston Harbor Hotel.   Chef Bruce pairs reds and whites from all over the world with complementary cuisine in multi-course tasting dinners during the festival, the longest-running food and wine pairing series in the U.S.

This video of the opening reception for the Boston Wine Festival 2011 features an interview with Chef Bruce explaining how his Boston Harbor Hotel wine tasting festival started, how he approaches pairing wines with foods, how each dinner and dish is unique to the wine - plus in the background, you get to see people enjoying the wonderful food, the wines, the musicians, and even a big mound of Boston snow!

Part of what makes the Boston Wine Festival so exciting (aside from the excellence of the beverages, the food, and how they taste together) is that each evening has a unique focus. Some evenings explore the "best of the best," such as the Battle of the Cabernets, Super Tuscans, and Rising Pinots.  

Other evenings feature the best vintages of a particular winery, ranging from the internationally famous to new discoveries, often with the winemakers present as part of the event. Look for Baron Philippe de Rothschild, Silver Oak Cellars, and Minor Family Vineyards.

Included in the mix are special event pairings - the romantic Valentine's Dinner Dance, a Jazz Brunch, and the perennial favorite, Meritage Madness.

Most dinners are limited to only 78 lucky guests - and they book up fast!

Boston Wine Expo

The Boston Wine Expo also takes place in January, usually toward the end of the month, at the Seaport Hotel Boston for a wine-tasting event that brings together representatives from over 300 wineries from all over the world. 

The 2-day Expo, founded in 1991 by the Boston Guild of Oenophilsts, is the largest trade and consumer wine event in the country, with over 1,800 wines to sample.

Featuring seminars, tastings, and food pairings from local chefs (Chef Bruce even takes time away from his own Boston Wine Festival to come), this Boston wine tasting event is partly about learning, partly about networking, and partly about celebrating and enjoy wine and food.

In addition to Chef Bruce, you'll find many of Boston's other top chefs at the Boston Wine Expo - it's a "who's who" of Boston's fine dining scene, with Jasper White (Summer Shack), Ming Tsai (Blue Ginger, in Wellesley), Marc Orfally (Pigalle), Todd English (Olive's), Michael Schlow (Radius), Paul O'Connell (Chez Henri), Mark Porcaro (Top of the Hub), and many more.

The Boston Wine Expo offers 2 conference tracks.  For those in the trade, the Expo provides a chance to sample some of the world's best vintages, attend seminars by experts, and, no doubt, start planning their orders and making deals.

Consumers also get to sample the wines, watch cooking demos by top Boston chefs (and snag a few recipes), attend some of the 26 continuous seminars, and meet the winemakers.

As a side benefit, the Boston Wine Expo donates part of its proceeds to local charities - over $1 million since the Expo began in 1991.

Other Boston wine tasting opportunities

If you miss both of these Boston wine tasting festivals, you'll still find plenty of other places to enjoy this beverage.  Try these suggestions:

Boston wine bars and restaurants

Meritage (Boston Harbor Hotel, Downtown Boston Waterfront; 1-800-660-9463) - Make dinner reservations and enjoy Chef Bruce's superb wine and food pairings at any time throughout the year.

Troquet (140 Boylston, Theatre District; 617-695-9463) - Fabulous French bistro.  Owner Chris Campbell directs the wine pairings, and Chef Scott Hebert prepares the delicious food.  Many consider this Boston's best best wine-pairings.  Come here to enjoy some of the top vintages in the city, with many available by the glass. 

Les Zygomates Wine Bar and Bistro (129 South Street, Downtown; 617-542-5108) - Fine wine and exquisite food, plus live jazz or blues every evening.  Wine tastings paired with food on Tuesday nights at 7 pm.  Call to find out what's on offer, and make reservations.

Navy Yard Bistro & Wine Bar (Charlestown Navy Yard, 6th Street, Charlestown; 617-242-0036) - Nice wine selections, small menu but delicious food - definitely in the "Boston Insider's Secret" category!

Beacon Hill Bistro (25 Charles Street, Beacon Hill, Boston; 617-723-7575) - The talented chef pairs the perfect vintages with his multi-course French and American dinners.  Or just stop by the Fireplace Bar to enjoy a glass of your favorite.

Pairings (50 Park Plaza, Park Plaza area of Downtown Boston; 617-262-3473) - Contemporary American menu choices with suggested wine pairings - make a couple of choices from the small plates menu to try different combos.  Wine tastings each Wednesday.

The Wine Cellar (30 Massachusetts Ave, Back Bay, Boston; 617-236-0080) - One of Boston's best-kept secrets - come here for the fabulous fondue (many choices), and let the restaurant owner suggest the perfect wine.  

Boston Wine School

Renowned wine writer/critic Jonathon Alsop founded the Boston Wine School, where he's been teaching about wine and food classes since 2000.  Choose from a wide variety of wine tasting classes, with or without dinner. 

Most tasting classes and dinners let you sample 6+ different wines with the perfect food accompaniments.  If you're visiting Boston, this could be your most memorable experience!  Check the Boston Wine School website for a calendar of tastings and dinners.

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