City Winery: HarvestFest

     

Taste of Downtown Crossing

This Sunday, the very first Taste of Downtown Crossing will take place.

Please see an excerpt from the official Press Release:

The Downtown Boston Business Improvement District to Host The Inaugural Taste of Downtown Crossing 

A celebration of diverse food, culture and entertainment Boston, MA-

The Downtown Boston Business Improvement District (BID) is hosting the inaugural Taste of Downtown Crossing, a celebration of diverse food, culture and entertainment. On Sunday, September 25, 2016 between noon and 4:00 pm Avenue de Lafayette will be transformed into a lovely street side café. Event attendees will enjoy the sounds of violinist Lewis Flores, opera singer Marshall Richard and piano player Brian John. The event will also feature a wine and beer garden, culinary demonstrations and food tastings from over 20 restaurants offering their distinctive cuisines. The Taste of Downtown Crossing will showcase many of the restaurants that have made Downtown Crossing a foodie hotspot. Since the formation of the Downtown Boston BID in 2011, thousands of Boston residents, employees, students and visitors have flocked to Downtown Crossing to enjoy the best food and shopping Boston has to offer.

“Taste of Downtown Crossing is a new destination event that will allow the BID to continue promoting the Downtown Crossing area as an active and welcoming neighborhood, and we are excited to celebrate the many restaurants of Downtown,” said Rosemarie Sansone, President & CEO of the Downtown Boston BID. Downtown Crossing restaurants to be featured in the tasting portion of the festival include:

Artisan Bistro,
Avenue One at Hyatt Regency,
Back Deck,
Boston Chops,
Central Bistro,
David’s Tea,
Fajitas & ‘Ritas,
Gordon’s Fine Wine & Liquors,
 JM Curley,
Kingston Grille & Bar,
Legal Crossing,
Marliave,
Mast,
The Merchant,
Oceanaire,
Papagayo,
Roche Bros.,
Ruth’s Chris Steak House,
SA PA,
Serafina,
Sip Wine Bar and Kitchen, and
Yvonne’s

Happy Tasting!

Boston Wine Expo 2016

The Boston Wine Expo 2016 Grand Tasting took place on Sunday, February 14th and love was in the air. Love for the effervescent favorite: wine. There was no shortage of both food and drink at the affair. The Red Balloon was there at the 25th celebration of the Boston Wine Expo (BWE) at the Seaport World Trade Center. Scenes from the BWE can be seen below:

From Australia to Lebanon, Israel to France, Italy to the United States, the Red Balloon floated (everyone else needed to walk!) The wine was poured from pretty much every corner of the world and every country on the map. As an added bonus: no passport was needed.

From Portugal, there was Vinho Verde. A fun fact is that the wine itself is not actually green, it instead tends to be white. The word "verde" refers not to the color of the wine but to the fact that the grapes are picked typically within the first three months. Although the name translates literally to "green wine" it is actually called a "young wine." The Red Balloon thought it to be a perfect match!

If you have been searching for a dessert wine, you've come to the right place (see it in the BWE glass above.) The Red Balloon conducted extensive research while at the Boston Wine Expo, tasting numerous wines to find just the right dessert wine. Bartenura's Malvasia Di Casorzo, from Italy, is THE dessert wine. It is sweet and an absolute delight on the palate. Once you taste this wine, you won't even want dessert!

Speaking of dessert, there was no shortage of sweets at the BWE. That was thanks to Montilio's Baking Company which provided an assortment of cupcakes, tiramisu, cheesecake, fruit tarts, and a made to order cannoli station (a favorite of The Red Balloon.) (Okay so perhaps one can make room for dessert after all!)

Photos from the BWE 2016 can be seen below:

 

Happy Saturday!

The Boston Winery

If you have find yourself asking,  "Self, where can find a winery in the city of Boston?" well your answer is here.

The Boston Winery at 26 Ericcson Street offers wine tasting, tours, wine education, and even wine making! Not only that, but the view from The Boston Winery is incredible. Located conveniently on the water, directly across from the University of Massachusetts Boston. If that's not enough, there is also ample parking available. If you go be sure to taste the dessert wine which is one of the best dessert wines out there. Inside note: if traveling there in winter be sure and dress in layers! (you can thank The Red Balloon later for including this note.)