If you are looking for an excuse to taste lots of outstanding wines, network at a venue in the wine world, or just visit New York, here is your opportunity!
The Wine Spectator Magazine holds their annual “Wine Experience” in a different location every year, inviting a select group of 200 wineries they consider to be the best (selected for excellence by the Wine Spectator board of senior editors). Every other year, they focus on wines exclusively from the west coast, which include wineries from California, Oregon and Washington state only. The California Wine Experience is returning to New York in 2008, after being held in Las Vegas, Chicago and San Francisco.
The three day celebration will take place at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square. The events begin with a Grand Tasting the evening of Thursday, October 16th and the evening of Friday, October 17th. Winery owners and winemakers will be on hand to showcase one of their wines, which must be a top scoring wine by the Wine Spectator. On Friday and Saturday, the days are packed with seminars, tastings and a luncheon featuring star chefs Mario Batali, Emeril Lagasse, and Wolfgang Puck. The Wine Experience culminates on Saturday evening with the Grand Award Banquet, a black-tie dinner with a performance by the Pointer Sisters.
The all-inclusive cost to attend all of the events is $1,875 per person. The individual cost per ticket to attend a Grand Tasting (either Thursday or Friday) is $250 and the cost for the Grand Award Banquet Dinner on Saturday is $400. These events are extremely popular and sell out quickly.
Michael and I will be there, along with our East Coast Manager, Jenny Petschek, both pouring and tasting. Let us know if you can join the fun!
Photograph: photos1.meetupstatic.com/.../highres_306194.jpeg