The Boston Wine Expo will be toasting to its 25th birthday this President’s Day weekend (February 13 and 14,2016) at the Seaport Hotel & World Trade Center. This silver anniversary edition of the Boston Wine Expo will be one of the country’s biggest celebrations of wine, food and culture. This year’s lineup includes wines from around the world, culinary tastings, reserve lounges and VIP experiences, interactive seminars, celebrity chef demonstrations and features exclusive to the 25th anniversary fête like an educational W?NE Bar hosted by local sommeliers and limited Silver Anniversary ticket experiences.
After attending the past two years, I’ve come to learn that there really is something for everyone! To guide your way through this year’s line-up, we’ve highlighted each of the experience options:
The Grand Tasting gives guest
s a global adventure in a glass. Whether your palate prefers a full-bodied Pinot Noir, buttery Chardonnay, an elegant Cabernet Sauvignon or a dry Pinot Grigio, the 25th
anniversary Boston Wine Expo will bring the biggest, boldest and best flavors from the vine to Boston. Featuring over 200 producers and nearly 1,800 wines from around the world, oenophiles will travel through the expansive space – sans passport – swirling and sipping their way to “connoisseur” status. In honor of its milestone birthday, the Boston Wine Expo will debut a W?NE Barwhere you can stop and ask members of the Boston Sommelier Society your wine-related questions as well as get a retrospective of the industry’s past 25 years and what to expect in the next 25 years. Along the way, there will be culinary attractions including bites from popular area restaurants, as well as dueling Celebrity Chef Stages with appearances by Ming Tsai, Barbara Lynch, Chris Coombs and more. There also is the opportunity to purchase your favorite wines through the Drync app which will be delivered to your doorstop with the click of a button.
The Boston Wine Expo’s Vintners’ Reserve Lounge is the ideal setting for serious wine enthusiasts looking to sip their way through special vintages, as well as unique and small production wines. Located in the Seaport Hotel’s Plaza Ballroom, the Vintners’ Reserve Lounge gives guests a chance to spoil their taste-buds with these special gems that retail for $75 and up per bottle, while enjoying tastings from the city’s finest restaurants. New this year, you can indulge your sweet tooth at the 25th anniversary Dessert Bar featuring delectable treats designed to pair perfectly with the Vintners’ Reserve Lounge’s wines.
With crowds of thousands per day, the VIP Experience package allows guests to bypass the line forming along the Boulevard of Flags and whisks you inside to the main event thirty minutes early. After availing yourself of the VIP coat-check, toast with some bubbly and get to exploring all that the Boston Wine Expo has to offer. Hit up the VIP Experience Lounge on the Grand Tasting floor to refuel and stock up on essentials like coffee, snacks and (more) wine while lounging on plush sofas. When you’re good and ready, depart with an upscale gift-bag filled with exclusive products.
This exclusive anniversary package starts with your raising a glass with the Boston Guild of Oenophilists. After an intimate meet and greet with the group who founded the Boston Wine Expo in 1991, your ticket grants you access to the Grand Tasting on both Saturday and Sunday while sharpening your mind at three educational seminars.** “Silver Anniversary” ticket holders also can relax in the chic VIP Experience Lounge.
The Boston Wine Expo’s highly regarded educational programs for both consumers and those in the trade feature top winemakers and industry experts. In honor of the 25th anniversary, this year’s seminar program will be the biggest and best yet with over 40 topics ranging from food and wine pairings, “One Hour Wine Experts,” and vertical tasting flights of the world’s most sought-after wine producers. Over the years, the Expo has featured a blockbuster line-up of wine celebrities including Dominique Lafon, Dr. Harvey Finkel, Dr. Michael Apstein, Francois Perrin, Joel Butler, Daniel Bruce, Joe Heitz and many more.
And, as always, sipping at this event has a special cause. The major charitable benefactor of the 25th anniversary Boston Wine Expo is the Tufts Medical Center’s Summer Camp Program for Children with Disabilities. To date, the Boston Guild of Oenophilists has raised over $1.4 million for worthy causes. Yes, you read that right!
The Boston Wine Expo will take place at The Seaport Hotel & World Trade Center on February 13 and 14, 2016, from 1:00pm to 5:00pm. Tickets now are on sale and available by visiting: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/boston-wine-expo-2016-tickets-17546444889?aff=BWEWebsite.
How to do you plan to sip your way through the BWE this year? Mark your calendars and join in on the conversation with us and use the hashtag #BWE16.
–Carolyn Rasley, Account Executive
