2009 Food and Wine Expo

From time to time it’s nice to get out and hobnob with all the other hospitality people of Charleston . There are a million Food and Wine events every year and you might as well take full advantage every chance you get. For an average cost of $25 it’s all the food and all the wine one can consume. This past weekend however was one of the cheaper tickets of the Food and Wine season ($5) since it was put on my the local Technical College’s Hospitality program. What this breaks down to is all the good wines without having to put on a tux. Needless to say everyone was there.

I had a great time with some friends both old and new taking in all the flavors and all the food. I am not a wine snob by any stretch, but I do know what I like and know the difference between good and bad wines. For example, I have found myself drinking a lot more of the Malbec wines. What is Malbec? “Once known as a varietal of Bordeaux , Malbec has found a new home in South America . This grape has thin skin and needs lots of sun. The Malbec of Argentina (sometimes called Malbeck) and Chile is rich and supple. These words are often used to describe Malbec. It can be called Merlot's softer, lusher brother. While the wines are made from different grapes, they can be very similar in style. Malbec has often been used to blend with other wines.” (according to this website that I totally just ripped that from)

I do like my red wines a lot though. The Pinot Noirs are some of my favorites but you can’t in my opinion beat a big body Cabernet. There is not a better feeling (at a wine tasting anyway) than sticking your nose down in that glass of Cab. Mmmm…

Moving on… I did find a really tasty wine from the table of Spanish Vines. I’m generally against both Spanish and Italian wines just because they are too brash and overpowering at times. But, the Spanish Vines reds were great and both were reasonable on their retail prices. So, I suggest you look for either of these two labels and pick up a bottle next time you’re looking for a nice night at home with a good book (or better yet, good company).

Also represented were two of my favorites: J’s Russian River Pinot and Row Eleven. Yum! If you ever see J on the bottle, just take my word for it and pick yourself up one. Red or white, they do a good job. Same goes for Row Eleven. You may pay a few extra bucks for the Row Eleven on retail, but you’ll know where that money went once you put you nose down in there and let the flavors roll off the back of your tongue.

There were a few disappointments. For example, someone in the planning committee let Gnarly Head Wines have a table. When I see a wine on sale for $4 at Harris Teeter the week before, I can’t say that I had high expectations. After tasting two of their wines, I felt like the $4 was about $3.75 too much. A few of my female friends are into the Rose’. I am not. Same goes for the sparkle; unless it’s good Champaign , I’m not that into it. Now, I am notorious for my Sunday Brunch mimosas but I won’t get the best campaigns for that. I’m starting to ramble here.

Anyway, had fun at the Expo and I can’t wait for Spring in Charleston when all the art galleries start their exhibitions with free wine tastings. After that, all the vendors have Wine tastings all over town and you are sure to find some amazing wines all over town, and catch some amazing wine buzzes.

Peace!