100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 41: Boston Food & Wine Pairing

Blog 41 Boston Food & Wine Pairing

The Lenox in Boston, MA has received the award for being one of the top 500 hotels in the world for service, and they deserve it. Free Internet, hot chocolate, bottled water and any service that you want is given to you with a smile. I am hosting a conference and there was some noise outside of our room for a short time. Before I could even complain, they came in to the room with extra beverages and food. They are on top of things here.

I ate dinner at the City Table restaurant in The Lenox hotel during my stay. What else are you supposed to do when there is a rain storm in the city that you are visiting? Not worth going out when you have a great restaurant in your hotel.

I took a small break from having all fish for dinner; however, I did have oysters for the appetizer. I then ordered Blue Cheese Crusted Filet with whipped Yukon potatos, and broccoli rabe and needed a good bottle of wine to go along with it. You know how I love my big Cabernet Sauvignons. I ordered a Cab from the Stag’s Leap District in California. It was estate made and bottled by Steltzner Vineyards and the menu price was $65. Wow, it was awesome!

Tasting Notes:
The wine was a nice rich deep red/garnet color with aromas of smoky French oak, blackberries and dark cherry along with a hint of toffee, vanilla and spice. Smooth mouthfeel, well balanced, soft tannins that open up the cherry and blackberry flavor with the pairing of the steak. Smooth finish with smoky notes of soft spice, vanilla and French oak. It melted in my mouth! No diet today, Crème Brulee for dessert!

Tell me what you would pair your steak with! I want to hear from you! Give me your thoughts!
Bon Vin!
Veronica

100 Wine Blogs, 100 Days Blog 39: When in Boston…

Blog 39 When in Boston…

This week, I am in Boston, Massachusetts in the United States. Yes, it is cold compared to my home state of Florida. The Boston Wine Festival is taking place at the Boston Harbor Hotel. It started in January and ends in April of 2010. The nation’s longest running food and wine pairing series. Some of the wine owners that are showcasing their wines this week in the festival are Alex Gambal, Truchard Vineyards, and Arrowood Vineyards & Winery. Tickets are in the $100 and $200 dollar range and consist of the wine and food pairing as well as the winery owners themselves in attendance.

Little did I know that they have about 30 wineries in the surrounding area of Boston? Some specialize in blueberry wines and they have some hard core cider makers. There is even one winery called the Boston Winery where you can go to make your own wine. You can start by helping out with the crush and end up with the bottling of the wine.

Boston is known for their sports and beer. The Boston Celtics for basketball, the Boston Bruins for hockey, the Boston Red Sox for baseball, and the New England Patriots for football.

When you talk about beer, you are talking about Boston. Harpoon Brewery is a Boston original which has been opened since 1986. It is New England’s largest craft brewery. They brew Harpoon, IPA, UFO Hefeweizen and their variety of brewery-fresh beers.

When you order a beer in Boston, it is best to order on draught where your choices will be plentiful. If you order by the bottle, you may end up with typical Anheuser-Busch and Miller products; however, they do have a nice Sam Adams Light in the bottle. Samuel Adams originated in Boston in 1985 by first selling beer door-to-door to about 25 restaurants. They finally purchased a building and built a brewery in 1988. Their microbrew or craft beer consists of Boston Ale, Cream Stout, Double Bock, as well as a line of seasonal beers.

So, when in Boston, you may want to put your wine aside to try fresh microbrew ale.

Tell me if you love beer! I want to hear from you! Give me your thoughts!
Bon Vin!
Veronica