The 2010 NYC Wine Expo

In Vino Varitas: The Truths and Joys of Wine Sampling

by Karen Denis

ToDoNY was fortunate enough to attend the 3rd Annual Wine Expo which took place at the Jacob Javits Center on Feb 26th-28th. A total of 8 hours of a wonderful wine buzz that was heightened by educational seminars and being surrounded by like minded, equally semi-intoxicated, people.

We attended the part of the event that was only open to consumers, on Friday and Saturday, and the trade show was held on Sunday the 28th, where establishments that are in the business of selling wine were the only ones in attendance. We were a little nervous because we weren't sure about the level of professionalism this was going to entail, this was after all our very first wine sampling. This anxiety was a result of a combination of things, like what the dress code is, our knowledge of wine tasting (or lack thereof), if we should engage in deep conversations with the wine producers, how much we should drink, etc. Considering that the tickets for each day were almost 100 dollars, we really expected a high level of formality. So we wore the tie, the dress pants, and the collared shirts; and did some research on how to properly "taste" wine (apparently there are four stages). Fortunately for us, as non-experts in the field, we showed up to a big room of people simply drinking and enjoying the wine.

With your admission comes a free wine glass and access to different seminars and meet & greets, oh and of course all of the 600 wines from over 150 winemakers from around the world. The Expo was held in a very large warehouse-sized room,  and there were 4 aisles of different wine producers categorized by country of origin. Within each country were a variety of producers who were kind enough to give information and guide you through all the different wines they had to offer, though some were more talkative than others. Some countries in attendance were Spain, Portugal, New Zealand, Greece, Italy, and of course the USA. I would say that we tasted over 50 wines of all sorts, white and red, from merlot to chardonany, melbac, cabernet blanc, sauvignon, reisling, rose, ice wine, and the list goes on! Of course there were pitchers of water and small buckets available all over the place, so you can rinse out your glass and deposit the extra liquids. Needless to say, it was very difficult not to get a little drunk. I barely spit out the wine I sampled, the natural reaction to having alcohol in your mouth is to swallow. It would have been a lot easier to stay sober longer if there were also different foods available to sample with your drink, but alas this was not the case, which surprised me a little. Cabot, a cheese brand, was there to sample some of their products, and there were crackers and pasta samplings in little cups, but I was expecting much more variety in this area. I know this was a wine sampling event, and the focus should solely be on the wine. But a big part of consuming wine is also the consumption of food. I wouldn't be surprised if the volunteers going around during the event, surveying people about their thoughts, received a number one vote on having more food. Let's hope the Fourth Annual Wine Expo will pull through and give the people what they want!

We attended both days of the Expo, but even if it was available for five more days it still would not have been enough to really taste and enjoy all 600 wines. It would be impossible to do this. it was a bit daunting to go into this simply as appreciators and not as experts. Listening to the producers explain what went into the making of their products, (i.e. the grapes that were used, the climate of the location) while being semi-drunk, was not an easy task. But I tried very hard to pay attention. Good thing there were brochures and pamphlets available for me to take notes on and keep track of for future reference. There were also crowds of people lining up behind you, trying to listen to the same slew of information, and all I could really do while drinking down say, a delicious and crisp zinfandel from Spain, was smile and nod my head. If you drink wine on a regular basis and really enjoy having it with dinner or on its own a few days a week, the New York City Wine Expo is not something to be overlooked. This is the kind of event that is really ideal to go to with friends, family, and even a date. This is a great way to learn about wine, meet people who love it, and enjoy it in all its essence.

Comments

[Danny]

Hay Karen, I enjoyed this article and like you at times when I'm attending a "Classy" reception or trying to make an impression with a "Stylish Babe" it's definitely good to know the difference between Red and White, so I try to log into the Catering Hall or Restourent in advance and study my picks. The Olive Garden is a good place to start. They always try to start you off with a glass of wine. I'll try your tagged locations.

[Ricky Alvarez]

Thanks, Danny. I am by no means a pro, but I did learn one thing: white wine should be refrigerated, red wine not so much. There you go!