On Friday after standing on my feet at the bakery for 10 hours, I rushed home, hopped in the shower, got dressed up, and headed off to the Wine Riot with Jeff, where we met up with some friends. What's 3 or 4 more hours of standing?
I love wine -- almost all kinds. I've never been big on Chardonnay -- too oaky -- or Merlot -- too smoky, but I'll take a glass of almost anything else. My favorites are Shiraz, Syrah, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, and Gavi. Jeff's a little newer to the wine-drinking scene and prefers Riesling. I'll convert him to reds one of these days.
On that note, we thought the Wine Riot would be a great opportunity to expand our wine horizons and try some new-to-us kinds. Billed as a non-stuffy wine tasting environment, it lived up to its name and description.
We walked into a massive room set up with tables, arranged by wine region. Since we knew we'd never make it through all 250 wines being offered, we picked a few regions we definitely wanted to hit: California, Down Under, and Germany/Austria. We also checked out some from the North East and North West tables, Italy, and the Goldsparkler Lounge, which featured a sparkling wine with 24 carat gold flakes, similar to those seen in Goldschlager. Don't worry -- the champagne tastes much better and doesn't come with any of the horror stories or bad memories most people associate with Goldschlager.
My favorite wine ended up being one from Corvidae Wine Company (Columbia Valley, Wash.) called Rook, which is a blend of Merlot, Syrah, and Cabernet. (I know... I don't even like Merlot! That's why I always advocate trying things -- even if you've tasted them before and haven't liked them.) I also tasted Corvidae's Wise Guy Sauvignon Blanc (Yakima Valley, Wash.) and was quite smitten.
Jeff favored Dr. ZenZen's Riesling Kabinett, a German wine that we found over at the Goldsparkler Lounge. But we made some progress because he ended up liking one red: a Pinot Noir, also Dr. ZenZen. It was really light-bodied and somewhat sweet for a red (listen to me, talking like I know something about wine). I liked it too, but it wouldn't be my top pick if I were in the mood for red wine.
And, of course, I can't forget to mention the food. Redbones was there with Georgia pulled pork sliders. I actually thought they were even better than some of the bbq I've had while dining at Redbones. I'm sure my local readers have heard of Redbones, but for those of you a little farther away, Redbones has some of the best bbq in the Boston area, not to mention some tasty garlic mashed potatoes.
Tremont 647 was also there, represented by none other than owner and Executive Chef Andy Husbands himself. Jeff and I went up for a meatloaf sammy early on in the night. Later, after a few more sips of wine and resulting courage, I went back and talked to Andy about what Gordon Ramsey is really like and what he thought of being on Hell's Kitchen. While Andy assured me that Ramsey's not nearly as intimidating and scary as he comes across, I still don't think I'd willingly try to be on any of his shows. Oh, and the meatloaf sammy, which came with caramelized onions and a ketchup aioli for dipping, was quite tasty, as was the vegetable panini I consumed later.
More dessert options would have been nice, but a few nibbles of Taza Chocolate were a good complement to all the wine.
Quick update (because pictures were just posted): We also got to take a bunch of silly pictures, like this one.
After a wonderful night of tasting and learning about different wines, I got up bright and early Saturday morning for a girls' day at the Chestnut Hill Atrium, which consisted of getting together with some good friends, helping our newly engaged friend shop for a wedding dress, and filling ourselves up with some champagne, apps, and cheesecake at The Cheesecake Factory (it's a guilty pleasure) after shopping wore us down.
I rushed home to give myself enough time for a 20-minute power nap, which turned into an hour-long power nap, and a refreshing shower. Then Jeff and I headed to Morton's Steakhouse in the Seaport District for a surprise birthday party for one of his friends. The food was delicious and the company was great, but I was happy to be home and in bed by 10.
Sunday starts a three-day stretch of 10-hour shifts at the bakery, so I like to get as much sleep as possible! After I finish up here today, I'll be running home, washing up, and rushing off to L'Espalier for Cheese Tuesday with the girls. This month's theme is cheese and chocolate! It's my first time going to L'Espalier, and I have very high expectations. I'll let you know if they were met. And I hope to take better pictures than these awful ones I've posted from the Wine Riot!
How was your weekend? What have you been up to?
What's your favorite wine (if you drink it)?