There are wine tastings….and then there are Wine Spectator three hour tastings…in South Beach. I’ve officially been spoiled. Last weekend we were invited to the South Beach Food and Wine Festival which features an unrivaled lineup of celebrity chefs and killer events. And after sampling 15+ wines alongside the industry’s finest winemakers and strolling through the white sands of Miami, it’s easy to see why foodies and industry leaders alike flocked to South Florida this weekend.
Wine Spectator hosted a number of seminars and tastings over the course of the weekend. We attend a seminar featuring sparkling Ferrari wines from Italy, treasures from Robert Mondavi and Belle Glos from Joe Wagner. I dare say there is no better breakfast than wine, and over the course of the morning we learned about the growing regions, characteristics of each wine and the generations behind the bottles.
We experienced a vertical tasting of Ferrari sparking wines all made with chardonnay. Not to be confused with prosecco, this wine comes from a vineyard surrounded by mountains in Trentino, Italy which helps to maintain the acidity in the grape and brings out a complexity to an otherwise simple wine. We sipped wines from 1995 through 2008 – each with a range of characteristics. My favorite? The 2008 Ferrari Perlé Trentodoc, rated 90+ over the years from Wine Spectator, it’s a wine that’s both aromatic and interesting.
Next, we were treated to a Robert Mondavi tasting featuring Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve. We started with the 1976 and worked through the years to 2013. While tasting five decades of wine, we walked through wine making techniques and discussed its variability through the years. An overall exceptional experience, the structured and smooth 1976 was a special treat to enjoy and we ended the tasting with the not-yet-released 2013. Following Mondavi, we tasted a range of Pinot Noirs and Zinfandels presented by Joe Wagner from Copper Cane Wines. Aaand 18 wines later, we had traveled the world glass by glass.
If world-class wine sampling wasn’t enough, we then headed to the Grand Tasting Village complete with celebrity chef demos and endless food. Never in my blogging “career” have I ever seen a tasting event this grand and expansive. Between corporate sponsors, appearances from the Today Show cast, duck tacos and ever-flowing beverages, we’d highly recommend attending this event next year.
If you need more convincing, here’s why you should make the short drive to South Beach and visit SOBEWFF’s Grand Tasting Event next year:
- Rosé….so much rosé. Yass.
- Tervis Tumbler wine glass. Yep scored one of those 9 oz. guzzlers.
- You might be filmed by Snapchat. We were, but sadly our little exchange about “bagel balls” didn’t make it on the live stream. (sad day)
- Duck tacos. Buffalo Mac ‘n’ cheese. Pork belly bao buns. Pineapple drinks from the New York Times. Grilled pimento cheese pork sandwiches. Whiskey slushies. Shall I continue? Just go with a very empty stomach.
- Appearances from some of Orlando’s favorite restaurants (like The Osprey Tavern)
- People watching, it’s even better than the airport.
- The chance to see some of your favorite Food Network starts and have them sign your cookbook!
Okay, that’s enough gushing for now. But seriously, you must go to SOBEWFF next year. See you there.
