Last weekend, I attended the
Wine Riot NYC, where I was able to get my drink on AND get my learn on. Wine Riots are wine tasting events put on by
Second Glass, a relatively new company that brings "
wineries and wine drinkers together through technology and in-person events." The in-person part of the event was great, but unfortunately the technology part was a big fail for me. I downloaded the app, but it refused to let me log in.
☹ So, I was unable to record all of the wines that I tasted, but I did manage to jot down my two favorites of the night:
The Wine Riots also include a bunch of "crash courses" to help everyone and anyone start to learn about wine. I participated in two courses:
- Learn to Order Italian Wine Like a Boss
- Learn to Love Garnacha
The first class was taught by Second Glass founder, Travis Balliet. He made the class fun and approachable. He discussed the DOC rules for the labels and led us through a tasting of Chianti, Montepulciano, Nebbiola, and Lambrusco. Lately, I've been on a bit of a Montepulciano kick myself, so I was happy to see it included, and I'd never had the Lambrusco before, which was a dry, slightly sparkling red.
Next was "Learn to Love Garnacha", which was taught by a sommelier from
Wines of Garnacha. First thing I learned was that September 19th (the day of the event) was Garnacha day - woohoo! Garnacha (also known as Grenache) originates from the Ebro River in Northeastern Spain. It is a very old grape and has long been used in blends, but Wines of Garnacha are working to popularize Garnacha as a varietal (a wine made from all one grape). We tasted four different wines made with the Garnacha grape, but at that point in the evening, I had kind of lost track of which wine was which - oops!
☺
Anyway... plenty of good wine and an overall good time at Wine Riot NYC!
Pairing: Chicken Riggies! This is a pasta specialty from my hometown, Utica, NY. It's a creamy pink sauce with chicken and hot peppers, and this Montepulciano D'Abruzzo was a perfect pairing.
