More than 60 of the world’s most renowned winemakers are set to make New Hampshire their winter home next week. The New Hampshire Liquor Commission will host its 14th annual New Hampshire Wine Week, taking place Jan. 20 to 26, drawing Gina Gallo, Jean-Charles Boisset and Cristina Mariani-May to meet directly with New Hampshire consumers in a series of exclusive tastings, wine dinners, bottle signings and seminars.
The week-long celebration of wine also features one of the largest wine expos in the country, N.H. Liquor & Wine Outlet’s 16th annual Winter Wine Spectacular on Jan. 24, presented by People’s United Bank, which draws more than 1,500 guests to sample from more than 1,800 fine wines. For a full list of winemakers, celebrity appearances, event details and tickets, go to NHWineWeek.com (or turn to pages 14 through 16).
“New Hampshire Wine Week is the embodiment of one of our core philosophies: to offer our 11 million annual customers exclusive opportunities to sample the world’s best products, while meeting and learning first-hand from producers,” said NHLC Chairman Joseph Mollica. “During New Hampshire Wine Week, consumers can try amazing wines and meet and interact with winemakers themselves. With guests ranging from Marilisa Allegrini of Allegrini Estates in Valpolicella, Italy, Wendy Lange of the Lange Estate Winery in the Dundee Hills of Oregon, to NBA Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas and his partner Thomas Cheurlin, who own Cheurlin Champagne from the Abue region of France, this is a must-attend event for both wine enthusiasts and those just starting to learn about wine.”
Featuring two of the world’s marquee wine families, NHLC will host “Cellar Notes: Wine Dynasties of the Boisset and Gallo Families” on Jan. 23 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the Puritan Conference Center, 245 Hooksett Road in Manchester. The highly interactive, seminar-style event will feature a guided wine tasting by Gina Gallo, senior director of winemaking at E. & J. Gallo Winery, and Jean-Charles Boisset, proprietor for the Boisset Collection and DeLoach Vineyards. The husband and wife team, Gallo and Boisset, will offer their favorite wines, discuss their diverse winemaking styles and share personal anecdotes.
Boisset, routinely named one of the 50 most important people in the wine world by Decanter magazine, was born into the world of wine in Burgundy, France. He implemented organic and biodynamic farming techniques throughout his family’s estate vineyards, which includes DeLoach Vineyards in California’s Russian River Valley. Gallo is a third-generation winegrower from one of America’s most historic winemaking families. Like Boisset, she is regularly recognized as one of the most important people in wine by Decanter magazine and has been named one of the Most Innovative Women in Food and Drink by Fortune magazine.
Along with Cellar Notes, Gina Gallo and Jean-Charles Boisset will host an exclusive “Meet the Makers” meet and greet opportunity during the Winter Wine Spectacular. The couple will meet privately with guests in a luxury suite in a series of 30-minute sessions, during which Boisset and Gallo will offer specialty wine tastings and photo opportunities. The opportunity is open to all Winter Wine Spectacular guests. Sessions will be limited to 50 people. Reservations are first-come, first-served.
There will be various events all over the state all week long, and it all culminates with the Winter Wine Spectacular at the DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Downtown on Jan. 24 from 6 to 9 p.m. The event will feature more than 1,800 wines for sampling plus dozens of well-known personalities in the wine world.
The following are the Concord events for N.H. Wine Week. For full statewide listings, see pages 14 through 16.
Merriam Vineyards Tasting
Storrs Street liquor store
Jan. 22, 4-5:30 p.m.
Join the Perfecta Wine Company for a Merriam Vineyards Tasting at the Concord liquor and wine outlet on Storrs Street. Wines to be tasted are: Merriam Vineyards Merlot “Windacre Estate,” Merriam Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon “Windacre Estate,” Merriam Vineyards Pinot Noir “Cuvee” and Merriam Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc, “Danielle.”
Michael David Winery Dinner
O Steaks & Seafood
Jan. 23, 6 p.m. $85.
Join the Martignetti company and David Phillips, co-owner and president of Michael David Winery, for dinner and a wine tasting at O Steaks & Seafood. The reception will start at 6 p.m. followed by dinner at 6:45. Entry to the ice bar event (part of Winterfest) on Wednesday is included. The $85 ticket includes the tip and gratuity.
This wine dinner will feature five courses in total, with each course being paired with a particular wine. The dinner will start with lobster tail and finish with a play on fried dough, said chef Chris Roscoe. The dinner will be held in O’s catering space upstairs, providing a nice view of downtown Concord.
Cambria Wine Dinner
Revival Kitchen & Bar
Jan. 23, 6:30-9 p.m. $60.
Enjoy dinner at Revival Kitchen & Bar accompanied with a Cambria Wine tasting. Cambria winemaker Jill Russell will be hosting the tasting and four courses will be provided. The cost will be $60 per person plus tax and gratuity. Wines to be tasted are: Cambria Julias Vineyard Rosé of Pinot Noir, Cambria Katherine’s Vineyard Chardonnay, Cambria Julia’s Vineyard Pinot Noir, Cambria Clone 4 Chardonnay and Cambria Clone 4 Pinot Noir.
Grounded Wine Co. and Vintage Wine Estates Dinner
The Common Man
Jan. 23, 6 p.m. $65.
Enjoy dinner and a wine tasting with Grounded Wine Company and Vintage Wine Estates at the Common Man in Concord. Josh Phelps, owner and winemaker of Grounded Wine Company, and Marco DiGiulio, executive vice president of Vintage Wine Estates, will be hosting the event. Dinner includes five courses and the cost is $65 per person, which does not include the gratuity or tax. Wines to be served are: Cosentino The Blanc, Clos Pegase Chardonnay, Cherry Pie Pinot Noir, BR Cohn Gold Label Cabernet, Steady State Meritage.
Insider staff
January 18, 2019
I am so P…sed.Michael David is one of my favorite wineries. I discovered their wines … Rapture and Lust in 2010 in (of all the places) St John USVI. Ive been a huge fan of most of their wines ever since. I just found out that they were at O on the 23rd at 6PM …. Im having a root canal at 3:30. UGH!!! So disappointed to miss this opportunity .