The Boston Harbor Hotel kicked off its 22nd annual Boston Wine Festival in the hotel’s Wharf Room on Friday night, pulling in 300 guests to sample some 50 wines from nearly two dozen wineries and food pairings by the hotel’s executive chef and festival founder, chef Daniel Bruce.
The festival, the nation’s longest-running food-and-wine pairing event, runs January through April and has this year added two new themed dinners to the lineup—dubbed "Rising Pinots" and "Che Syrah, Shiraz"—which will run in addition to the festival’s 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 hotel’s 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 hotel’s wine-focused restaurant, Meritage, followed by a wine tasting and buffet dinner for all ticket holders, has endured. Bruce attributes the event’s longevity to the fact that the festival has maintained its format and its integrity over time.
“It’s more about what’s stayed the same than what’s changed,” he said, noting that the essence of the festival has always been understanding the history and the origin of the wines represented. “Integrity is the most important piece, isn’t it?” Over time, the event has captured a wider scope of wineries, and this year’s focus is on boutique wineries around the world, including Germany, Australia, France, and the United States’ 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 event’s 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.
