One of my favorite things about my travels is sampling food and wine from different restaurants, I'm a #Foodie and a #Wine Lover and when Wine Tastings come to town it is one of my favorite things to do! But as we all know there are tastings and there are tastings right?
In February I had the opportunity to attend the NYC Winter Wine Festival at the Best Buy Theater in the heart of Times Square in Manhattan, New York City, and for Fall, the Festival returns to NYC this time at the beautiful Broad Street Ballroom in lower Manhattan, and Ascending Butterfly is stoked to partner with the NYC Autumn Wine Festival to be able to offer a lucky reader the chance to attend this amazing celebration of Wine Downtown!
The one in February was definitely a full house so getting good pictures was not as easy as I had hoped, but there are some amazing brands that really stood out (you know butterfly loves her 'bubbles', so pardon in me in advance for this being Cava heavy!) including:
Naveran Cava Brut 2011 - Olé Imports brought this Cava from Spain and this estate-bottled Vintage was a definite stand out! Three indigenous grapes are used to make this bright and youthful Sparkling Wine/Cava. Retail $15
Alfred Gratien Brut Classique Champagne - This Cuvee Brut Classique from France while pricier than the Naveran Cava Brut mentioned above, had a great balance of aromatic strength and fresh exotic fruit. It's a blend of Chardonnay melding with fruity Pinot Meunier and Pinor Noir with a long-lasting 'mousse' (or what we call 'bubbles').
Some always fun and budget friendly options were presented from:
Barefoot Wine & Bubbly (Event Sponsor) including:
Barefoot Malbec - A plush red with flavors of blackberry and currant with a gust of vanilla, caramel and toasted oak.
Barefoot Chardonnay - With honeyed peach and flavors of Fuji apple this medium weight with a hint of sweet vanilla aroma was a budget friendly winner!
Barefoot Bubbly Brut Cuvee - With Green Apple, Jasmine, hints of kiwi and peach with aromas of Chardonnay this one was fun and fruity!
Barefoot Bubbly Tropical Fusion - Fresh pineapple, island mango and papaya gave this one a burst of summer sweetness that you will definitely want to enjoy year round!
Barefoot Refresh Crisp White - A perfect pair of Chenin Blanc and Riesling results in a vibrant yet light-bodied wine with notes of melon and pear and a fresh lemon-lime finish that can be enjoyed over ice!
The Naked Grape Wine (also an event sponsor) offered us some great and budget friendly options also, including:
The Naked Grape Summer White Blend - They got it right when they describe this as sunshine in a bottle!
The Naked Grape Moscato - A touch of fizz and aromas of peach and orange with a very clean finish! I am a big Moscato fan, and I do enjoy this one.
The Naked Grape Pinot Grigio - A smooth red with black cherry and blueberry aromas that pairs with anything.
TMRW - The Most Romantic Wine (event sponsor) - I have already featured them from previous tastings, but I can't stress enough just how much I love TMRW. There is no bad one in the bunch, I love ALL of them! If they ever opt for a non-celeb Ambassador I call dibs on being the first one!
Jams by Kim (event sponsor) - These Artisanal Jams are all amazeballs and my standout favorite is the Savory Jam called 'Roasted Garlic and Sweet Onion Jam'. I incorporated this into so many recipes and honestly also enjoyed it straight on flatbread crackers as well! And the sweet Pepper Jam was a close second with sweet red peppers and Jalapenos. Buy more than one butterflies because I assure you it will be love at first bite!
Cabot Cheese (event sponsor) - I got to hang with Cabot quite a few times this year at different events. Nothing pairs better with Wine than great Cheese!
Cheeky Monkey Foods - Dipping Oil Nirvana is what I call these - they come in three flavors: Tomato Garlic Dipping Oil Regular: Sweet Garlicky Goodness, Politely Spicy and then Solidly Spicy which is Authentically Hot! I loved them all, but I am a total lightweight and have to admit, the regular was just right for me. I loved the rep I met and used this as more than a dip, I used mine to Marinate Meats as well and just like I advised you with Jams by Kim, buy more than one as you will run out way faster than you think you will!
The Well Dressed Nut tempted us with their Pecans and Almonds as well!
Sweet Silk Confections - Think handcrafted sweets with exotic ingredients! For me the hands down winner was pairing their Dark Cherry Cocoa Truffles with Red Wine!
Take Things Personally - With a variety of unique Jewelry and Wine Charms the options are endless and they do take customized orders, making this an amazing hostess gift for those holiday parties you will be attending this season!
There were a TON of amazing brands and wines, so we tried to feature some of the standouts above, but with over 200 wines it was hard to give everyone their own day in the sun here! With such a wide variety of brands and offerings I would call this is a Lifestyle Show! It's a wine tasting and so much more that's for sure!
Here is a video from the Winter Wine Fest (I can be spotted 40 seconds in wearing my red Wallis Coat! Visit VIMEO to view it HERE!
About the NYC Winter Wine Fest
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - SPECIAL GIFT: As a special gift to you, every attendee will receive a FREE Riedel crystal stem from which to taste and to take home. A $10 VALUE.
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - WINE CLASSES: Upgrade your tickets for access into the VIP Wine Classes area where you can indulge in an exclusive side-by-side tasting of special wines. (Please Note: There is an additional charge for VIP Classes.)
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - MUSIC: Special performance by Matt Marshak, Listen to his music.
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - WIN IT! - Ascending Butterfly and our friends at Marquee Concerts want you to win a pair of tickets to The NYC Winter Wine Festival! One winner will win two standard tickets to the November 22nd afternoon session (3-6 pm) (ARV $198, $99 per ticket)
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - If you can't wait to find out if you won and want to buy your ticket NOW: Standard tickets are $99 each ($109 if purchased in the final week), VIP tickets including admission to the VIP tasting area are $199 ($219 if purchased in the final week), and an additional fee of $25 applies for those adding a wine class to their festival experience!)
NOTE: You will not receive paper tickets, you and your guest will be placed on a guest list for full admission. Admission does not include the VIP Wine Class. This giveaway is for event admission only, no transportation will be provided, no airfare or hotel stay will be included. Please do not enter if you are not central enough to New York City to easily commute to this event, due to the fast turnaround it would be difficult to re-assign these tickets so we appreciate your cooperation!
Enter using the Rafflecopter Widget below:
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FTC Disclosure Info for this Giveaway: I was provided tickets to facilitate the review and giveaway. Sponsor is fulfilling directly to prize winner(s), this in no way influenced my opinion of the products. Once a winner is selected and their information has been forwarded to the sponsor, the responsibility of prize fulfillment, rests with the sponsor. All opinions are 100% my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 16 CFR, Part 255 - Guides Concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising, you may visit our full giveaway and disclosure page for complete policy information.
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