Tasting Recommendations For The Boston Wine Expo

The Boston Wine Expo will be here at the start of April, held once again at the Park Plaza Hotel. The large-scale tasting event will be held on Saturday, April 5 and Sunday, April 6 and Tickets are available. The 2-day event will feature over 100 participating wineries from all over the U.S. and select international ones as well. 

Last month, I provided Advice on Attending the Expo and now I'm here to provide some Tasting Recommendations, the exhibitors at the Expo where you should stop and sample their wines. At the Grand Tasting, there will be hundreds of wines which you can taste, which is an overwhelming amount of wine. As you can only practically sample a tiny fraction of those wines, which should you choose to taste?

When choosing which winery tables to visit, I recommend that you don't drink wines you already know and like. You can do that anytime and anywhere else. Instead, take this opportunity to expand your palate and try different wines, hoping to find new wines to enjoy. With all the diversity of wines available, it makes little sense to spend your time drinking the same wines you drink at home all the time. Be willing to experiment and taste something different. Make the Expo an opportunity to explore the wide world of wine. 

To assist in your choices, I'm going to provide you with my own recommendations for some wine tables you should check out. This list will include exhibitors which I visited at prior Expos and thoroughly enjoyed. Others on the list will include wines which I know well and believe worthy of your attention. Of these recommendations, they are also the wine tables which I will probably be visiting again this year, seeing what new wines they are presenting. 

There are obviously other wine tables which may interest you, and which I will check out too. Although the Expo website presents a list of all of the Exhibitors, it doesn't present a list of the wines which each exhibitor will offer at the Expo. So, consider my recommendations an excellent starting point, and after checking out those exhibitors, explore the rest of the Expo.  

Croatian Wines

I love Croatian wines, and have twice visited the country, visiting dozens of wineries and tasting hundreds of wines. Their wines are diverse, delicious and interesting, a significant number using indigenous grapes you won't find elsewhere. Croatian Premium Wines will be at the Expo, showcasing a number of excellent Croatian wines. They are the importer of these wines, and their wines are readily available locally, as well as through online sales. So, if you find Croatian wines you enjoy, you will be able to later purchase them. 

Portuguese Wines
As I've often said, Portugal produces some of the best value wines in the world and if you want inexpensive, but delicious, wines then you need to explore Portugal. Portugal also makes many fine, higher end wines as well, including delicious Ports, which are well worth the price. I've been to Portugal twice, visiting numerous wineries, and have enjoyed so many superb Portuguese wines. Portugal has lots of intriguing, indigenous grapes, making their wines unique in a number of ways. Brands of Portugal will be at the Expo once again, showcasing many intriguing Portuguese wines, and overall, I believe they are the best local distributor of Portuguese wines. A number of their wines have ended up on my annual Top Wine lists. I looked forward to tasting the new wines they will showcase this year. 

This year, there's also a new Portuguese company at the Expo, Granvinhos, which represents several different wineries, including Quinta de Ventozelo. On my last trip to Portugal, I stayed at their hotel for a few days, and got to enjoy some of their wines as well. Granvinhos also represents Dalva and their tasty Ports, such as their compelling 20 Year Old Dry White Port. I'm eager to check out which wines they will sample at the Expo.

In addition, MS Walker will be present showcasing the Ports of Van Zeller & Co., a well know and much lauded winery. You definitely should stop by to sample their Ports, although I recommend making them one of your last stops during your time at the Expo. 

Uruguay Wines

Bodega Garzón, located in the small South American country of Uruguay, produces plenty of excellent wines, at various price points. Their wines are made from grapes such as Tannat, Albarino, Cabernet Franc, Marselan, Pinot Noir, and more. Many consumers aren't familiar with wines from Uruguay, and this is a great chance to sample some, especially considering these are delicious and well-made wines. 

New York Wines

The Finger Lake Wine Alliance will be showcasing a number of wines from that region of New York. I've visited this region before and found many excellent wines, so there should be plenty of intriguing and delicious wines presented at the Expo. These wines are also more local than wines from the West Coast, and generally come from much small wineries. And if you enjoy Riesling, the Finger Lakes are well known for producing quality wines from this grape..

Georgian Wines
The country not the state. Once part of the Soviet Union, Georgia might be the historical birthplace of wine production. It now produces some intriguing and delicious wines, including some made in a very traditional manner in qvevri, earthenware vessels. I've enjoyed a number of Georgian wines and continue to seek out new ones too. There will be at least two Georgian exhibitors this year, including Homeland Kodasheni & Demurashvili and Marnaveli.

I hope you find my recommendations helpful in making your plans for the Boston Wine Expo. Expand your palate and seek out wines new to you!