Boston Wine Expo: A Little Sip of Heaven and an Excuse to Dress Up
Here’s what I wore and how the day unfolded, from a wine class to tacos and mouthwatering chocolate.
Saturday was a day filled with wine, fashion, chocolate, and cheese. What was the culprit of such an indulgent day? The 2026 Boston Wine Expo.
The annual event took place at the Hilton Park Plaza Hotel on March 7 and 8 and was open to industry professionals, as well as self proclaimed wine drinking professionals, such as myself.
The premium experience consisted of wine classes and grand tasting sessions where eventgoers got to sip on hundreds of wines.
The event’s website sums it up best:
“A world of wine under one roof.”
As a red wine girl, it was a little sip of heaven.
Let’s break down the day:
The outfit
As soon as I secured tickets, I scooped up my red kitten heels and got to thinking about what outfit would rise to the occasion.
I decided to drench myself in a wine-inspired palette with varying shades of maroon and burgundy to create a dimensional monochromatic look.
The pencil skirt layered over a skin-tight mock turtleneck tank created clean lines, and the gold jewelry and brooch paired with my handbag’s hardware to add intentional details. All together, and layered with a blazer, it created a sophisticated look for an elevated event.
But the style planning didn’t stop there. I also got to dress my partner.
I knew I wanted to coordinate colors, and that a dress shirt would be most appropriate for the day. Luckily, as soon as I slid open the accordion doors to his closet, there was a burgundy buttondown staring right at me.
The shirt was left unbuttoned at the top and untucked with the sleeves cuffed once for an out-of-office aesthetic. To avoid darkening the deep red of the shirt and to connect to my gold accessories, we went with a pair of camel khakis and brown Sperry Topsiders.
My favorite detail — which we admittedly forgot to snag a clear photo of while we were having too much fun — was his matching brown watch that actually looked burgundy next to the shirt.
Wines of South Africa class
We attended the South African Chenin Blanc: “There’s Sunshine Inside” class, taught by Jim Clarke, author of the book “Wines of South Africa.”
The class was primarily for industry professionals, and I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. I’m a red wine drinker, only having white wine about once or twice a year. But as a proud nerd who believes in being a forever learner, I was excited — and I ended up with a whole page of notes to prove it.
The expert first welcomed us to try the wines on our own while he shared the history of Chenin Blanc and the region.
Here are some fun facts from said notes:
South Africa has the most Chenin Blanc plantings in the world
The region has a mediterranean climate with a wind that helps keeps bacteria and fungi off the vines
The grape was used for brandy and sweet jug wine, so it wasn’t taken as seriously; was known as the work horse grape
Bottles of Chenin Blanc tend to have more variation in flavor compared to other wines of white grapes
Many South African wines aren’t certified organic or biodynamic because the certifications are based in Europe and get expensive with exchange rates
Interestingly, a European winery owner at the Grand Tasting strongly disagreed later in the day, which unravels many layers to both sides of the discussion
After history class, he guided us through the six glasses, wine by wine. My partner and I had some varying thoughts, but we strongly aligned on our first and last place rankings.
My rankings:
2024 Lubanzi Chenin Blanc
2025 Ken Forrester Old Vine Reserve Chenin Blanc
2024 Lievland Old Vine Chenin Blanc
2024 Reyneke Chenin Blanc
2024 Dalkeith Kalmoesfontein Chenin Blanc
2021 Spier 21 Gables Chenin Blanc
His rankings:
2024 Lubanzi Chenin Blanc
2024 Lievland Old Vine Chenin Blanc
2024 Dalkeith Kalmoesfontein Chenin Blanc
2024 Reyneke Chenin Blanc
2025 Ken Forrester Old Vine Reserve Chenin Blanc
2021 Spier 21 Gables Chenin Blanc
Simply put:
I could picture enjoying the 2024 Lubanzi Chenin Blanc on the back deck in summer
The 2025 Ken Forrester Old Vine Reserve Chenin Blanc had a beautiful champagne taste
The 2021 Spier 21 Gables Chenin Blanc would be a bottle we both wouldn’t finish
Intermission
Our class was from 12:30-2 p.m., and most people chose to hop right into the 1:30 p.m. Grand Tasting Session across the hall.
However, I attended one of the grand tastings back in 2023, and my main takeaway was that even with two hours, there simply isn’t enough time to taste all the wine. Tables are crowded, hundreds of wine options are set out, and you spend time chatting with the people from the vineyards.
Losing that half hour from the tail end of our class would have significantly impacted our experience. Plus, we wanted to make a day of it, so we went with the 4:30 p.m. session.
With 2.5 hours to spare, we walked over to our reservation at Lolita in Back Bay and split the bricklayer chicken tacos (grilled pollo norteno, bacon miguelito, salsa morita, and queso fresca) and two orders of the grilled steak tacos (prime skirt, habanero butter, taqueria relish, and shoestrings).
Don’t worry, if your mouth is watering from reading that, it’s supposed to be. Lolita is one of my absolute favorite restaurants in Boston. And after some wine? It hit different. That reservation was possibly the best decision we made all day.
It was beautiful outside, so after we ate, we went for a walk on Newbury Street. We even popped into Covet so I could pick up the money I made from consigning a skirt.
By then, the chocolate monster in my brain began to creep up, and I knew it was only going to get stronger with the upcoming red wine. So, we headed back down Newbury to J.P. Licks for quick scoops of ice cream. I savored their featured flavor Mint Irish Lace (very similar to mint chocolate chip) while doing my happy dance all the way back to the hotel.
So maybe that was actually the best decision of the day?
The Grand Tasting Session
Grab a glass, this is where the party begins.
The tasting room alone was mesmerizing with its massive crystal chandeliers, theater balconies, and ornate detailing. It was extravagant for an extravagant event.
It’s hard to know where to start, especially when everyone has just filed in, eager to fill their glasses. So, the best move was to bop around to emptier tables and wait for openings at others.
I chose to strictly keep to red wine after a morning of white — plus, did I mention that there were hundreds of wines at this event? You have to pick and choose.
So I chose my forever favorite: vino tinto. And it was delicious.
I tasted so many wines that they honestly started to blend together and influence my palette. It caused me pain, but I did utilize the dump buckets so I could keep the day going. This was especially necessary since there were mixed drinks tasting as well.
Luckily, there were some nibbles. The bite of prosciutto, cheese, and honey was impeccable and earned three visits. Royce chocolate was also a mouthwatering crowd pleaser.
What surprised me though, was how much I loved the Northeast Vinegar stand as someone who doesn’t particularly like tasting balsamic straight. It had me craving Caprese salad, and my boyfriend has yet to stop raving about the truffle balsamic [insert note to self].
As if the wine and food weren’t enough, there was also an abundance of free stuff. My purse was overflowing with T-shirts, wine stoppers, pins, stickers, and wine polishing cloths.
The only down side of the expo was when the wine booths closed up shop. Now, I’m just dying to relive the day and rewear the outfit. At least we got to keep the glasses.
Cheers readers! 🍷
