The Boston Harbor Hotel kicked off its 22nd annual Boston Wine Festival in the hotelโs Wharf Room on Friday night, pulling in 300 guests to sample some 50 wines from nearly two dozen wineries and food pairings by the hotelโs executive chef and festival founder, chef Daniel Bruce.
The festival, the nationโs longest-running food-and-wine pairing event, runs January through April and has this year added two new themed dinners to the lineupโdubbed "Rising Pinots" and "Che Syrah, Shiraz"โwhich will run in addition to the festivalโs mainstay dinners such as "Battle of the Cabernets" and "Meritage Madness." The kickoff served as a precursor to the 40 dinners, seminars, brunches, and receptions that will be hosted by experts from around the world, all selected by Bruce. The hotelโs spa will also feature wine-themed treatments during the festival, adding another branding element.
The model for the kickoff event, a V.I.P. champagne reception at the hotelโs wine-focused restaurant, Meritage, followed by a wine tasting and buffet dinner for all ticket holders, has endured. Bruce attributes the eventโs longevity to the fact that the festival has maintained its format and its integrity over time.
โItโs more about whatโs stayed the same than whatโs changed,โ he said, noting that the essence of the festival has always been understanding the history and the origin of the wines represented. โIntegrity is the most important piece, isnโt it?โ Over time, the event has captured a wider scope of wineries, and this yearโs focus is on boutique wineries around the world, including Germany, Australia, France, and the United Statesโ Pacific Northwest, among others.
At the kickoff, guests entered the Wharf Room foyer to servers passing trays of Piper-Heidsieck Champagne (an event sponsor), and continued into the ballroom space overlooking Boston Harbor, which was set up with tables for wine tastings along the perimeter of the room, with a buffet in the center featuring hot and cold dishes to pair with wines. Decor was minimal at the event, with posters from each of the 22 Boston Wine Festivals accenting the space.
Outside the hotel hung a Boston Wine Festival logo banner highlighting the eventโs sponsors: Volvo, Piper-Heidsieck Champagne, San Pellegrino, Acqua Panna, and Meritage restaurant. The latest Volvo models sat under the banner, allowing the only non-food-or-beverage sponsor to have a physical presence at the event.