The show was a bit of "mosh pit meets wine tasting" experience. Very crowded and difficult to get around to taste the wines. It was a good opportunity to quickly taste a lot of wines we otherwise wouldn't have tried. Above all, it was great hanging out just the two of us- totally unencumbered, totally undistracted. Check out this cheesy picture of us:
The highlight of the show, no doubt, came right at the beginning. We've discovered a little program on the Internet called "Wine Library TV"- a daily wine video blog. The host of the show, Gary Vaynerchuck is an incredibly energetic and entertaining guy. I've learned a ton about wine by watching the show, and I'd encourage you all to give his show a look. We got a chance to meet Gary and talk with him for a while. What a great guy. Down to earth, at ease, funny; he acted like we were old friends when we were talking to him. It was a little surreal talking to him because we've watched him so much on his show and his demeanor in person is very similar to how he is on the show. It was like we were talking to our imaginary TV friend yet he was talking back. I think the key to Gary's success is the inclusive way he talks to people- he makes everyone feel like they're welcome to the party. Here's the three of us below:
Food was unfortunately scarce at the show, mostly cheese and chocolate. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but we needed some food after guzzling wine for 2 hours! So we took the opportunity to visit a restaurant we'd been meaning to visit- Smith and Wollensky. Rather than take the plunge and drop $200 on dinner there, we wanted to sit at the bar and sample some smaller dishes. The food was so-so, but the service was phenomenal. From the moment we walked in until the moment we left we were treated exactly how I like to be treated at a restaurant. Unfortunately, I don't think we'll be back there any time soon- The Capital Grille remains my favorite steak house.
Update (1/27/2009): We also attended the 2009 Boston Wine Expo. Check out our impressions here.
