Boston Wine Expo–Wines not to miss

The Boston Wine Expo is this weekend! I was hoping to attend, but since it’s a long weekend and I haven’t seen my family since Christmas, I am heading out of town tomorrow morning. For some reason I thought booking a 6 am flight on a Saturday was a good idea. . .

Wine expos can be completely overwhelming, so I like to go in with a few must-try wines. Once I hit those goals, I can relax and start tasting new things, which is one of the great things about wine events like this.

Here are a just a few of the wineries I would be visiting if I was attending the Boston Wine Expo this weekend. I realize they are all domestic; I clearly need to expand my reach beyond the US, and I do work on that. I just can’t help it though; I love California!

Alexander Valley Vineyards – Visit to taste their Temptation and Sin Zin, stay for the Cab and Merlot. These wines are

Hope Family Wines – I first tried these wines at the Boston Wine Expo preview event, and want to stock my wine fridge with Troublemaker by Austin Hope, a blend of Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, and Petite Sirah.

Inman Family Wines – The Inmans have a very cool tasting room in a gorgeous setting in Santa Rosa, California. And we’ll be visiting in April. (Yay!) They also happen to make the perfect shellfish wine, a Russian River Valley Pinot Gris. I don’t think they will be pouring it this weekend, but stop by to meet the winemakers and to try their incredibly balanced Chardonnay and luscious Pinot Noirs.

Moonlight Meadery – I first tried Moonlight Meadery’s mead at the Newport Mansions Wine and Food Festival this past year. I didn’t think I liked mead, but these are delicious. Since it’s different than wine, this is a great opportunity to mix it up a little too!

White Oak Vineyards & Winery – Another favorite, and a gorgeous place we visited during the Wine and Food Affair, White Oak also makes some great Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Merlot. Yes, Merlot. Try it!

If you’re going to the Boston Wine Expo, what are you looking forward to tasting? If you attend big food and wine events, do you go in with a strategy?