Before departing last Friday for the Nantucket Wine Festival, we shared our Unofficial Guide to the weekend. Did we practice what we preached? Did we make it through each of the items on our list? Not 100%, but we only had a weekend to do it, and we'd say we did a pretty good job. Read on to find out how we celebrated Nantucket Wine Fest!
Day one was definitely productive in the sense that the team squeezed in a few great restaurants, including Cru, which got a shoutout in last week's blog post! The team kicked off the weekend with last year's signature team drink, the Hugo. Plus some unpictured calamari and a delicious, perfectly cooked burger.
We also made a visit to a spot that came recommended by President & Founder Kevin's wife – The Proprietors Bar & Table. Thanks for the tip, Michelle! The restaurant was closed for a wine dinner but was kind enough to open its bar to those hapless folks wandering in off the street (like us) without reservations. Of course we ordered a round of Rose, to celebrate our upcoming Boston Rose Cruise on Saturday June 7th!
The team made it to another spot from our blog post, Ventuno, to have – you guessed it – more wine. The food at both restaurants (yes we eat food with our alcohol!) was shared by all. And of course more pink drinks were poured.
The team did NOT make it to The Chicken Box (but some did make it the next night) – however that probably enabled us to get some activity in during the morning hours. No one rented a bike as our blog post suggested, but we did take some exploratory jogs around town, despite some iffy Saturday morning rainy weather. And we made several trips over the weekend to The Bean, which served Nantucket Coffee Roasters coffee that by far met (even surpassed) the stellar reviews we'd heard!
The rain cleared up to reveal a gorgeous spring day – perfect Grand Tasting weather. We felt so fortunate that the weather didn't turn out as the forecast had predicted! The event was held under a tent, but the ease with which guests could walk to and from said tent, and take gorgeous beach photos right outside, certainly lifted spirits and put attendees in the most festive of moods.
While not working at the table, we had a chance to walk around and sample other wines (that is our business after all!) and also some delectable food offerings. Chobani was on sight serving up the same creations they serve in their NYC SoHo store.
And we paired red wine with some charcuterie (and unpictured cheese!)
This lovely lady was pouring some fantastic Ruinart champagne – definitely a staff favorite!
And this cocktail made with Sandeman's Port knocked our socks (or rather, our Sperrys) off.
We saw our friend Jay from Gerard Bertrand. We often run into him at Boston-based events, including Wine Riot!
Let's not forget the 90+ Cellars table though! Our table was a hit and the life of the party. We showed off this year's Weekender, and handed out fun sunglasses and stickers to old and new fans.
The 90+ Cellars wines poured were Lot 2 Sauvignon Blanc, Lot 33 Rose, Lot 74 Cabernet Sauvignon, Lot 100 Monster Red Blend, and Lot 106 Pinot Noir. The beautiful weather definitely had people in the mood for lighter wines, so the Sauv Blanc and Rose were especially popular.
The Nantucket Wine Festival also marked the first big event where we poured our new brand of Cabernet Sauvignon, Ironside Cellars. It was very exciting for us to be able to get the word out about the story behind this wine and what makes it different from 90+ Cellars offerings. Introducing people to wine is not just about giving them samples, but also about educating them on the wine's origin and why we think it's special. Tastings like the Nantucket Wine Festival provide a great opportunity to do just that!
After the Saturday Grand Tasting sessions, the team had an opportunity to attend a Champagne Hour hosted by Veuve Clicquot!
The team ended up with all things Veuve Clicquot, including some pretty awesome hats. Oh, and the all important bubbles that we love so much!
Sunday came with more sunshine, more jogging, and another Grand Tasting session. This one was a bit more subdued than Saturday's, so it was the perfect chance for Jeannie and Jason to educate visitors to our table about our upcoming Rose Cruise and Wine Club! Jeannie also made a trip over to Galley Beach, so that was yet another item (beaches!) to cross off our Unofficial Guide blog post list.
Thank you to the Nantucket Wine Festival and to all those who made the weekend special and successful for the 90+ Cellars team!
Which part of our weekend looks the most fun to you? Did you attend the Nantucket Wine Festival? Let us know in the comments, or on Twitter and Facebook!
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