IT WASN’T THAT LONG AGO that the only people allowed to attend comparative tastings of wine and beer were trade insiders and journalists. These cloistered enclaves of professional tastemakers still exist, but nowadays opportunities abound for the engaged amateur or the merely curious to test their palates against as many merlots, malbecs, Pilseners, and pale ales as they can soberly manage. Festivals, fairs, and expos with wine or beer themes — some merely daylong, others stretching over a week — are now annual fixtures all over New England.
While these regional raves go on year-round, they really come into their own as the weather warms and tourism heats up. Events may revolve around special Wine- or beer-themed dinners at local restaurants, or they might focus on a single big tasting event. Either way, they offer one of the few opportunities for consumers to interact directly with the folks who make the beer, wine, and food they admire. Admission to specific venues is typically limited, so it’s a good idea to purchase tickets well in advance, especially if you come upon something that looks like your cup of chardonnay — or maybe cask-conditioned ale.
Nantucket Wine Festival
May 18-22 / Nantucket
New England’s premier wine event, and the only one with a solid international reputation, offers tastings, seminars, and dinners at a variety of island venues — including posh Private Residences — with top chefs and winemakers from around the world at the five-day event. Prices Range from around $50 per person for the Breakfast on the Harbor events to $225 for the Ruinart Champagne brunch to $2,975 to score a seat for the first-growth Bordeaux dinner. Men sporting faded-red trousers and Sperry Topsiders are admitted for half price (just kidding). nantucketwinefestival.com
Kennebunkport Festival
June 6-11 / Kennebunkport, Maine
Now in its 12th year, what started quietly as a food- and wine-themed party in this charm-to-burn coastal village has morphed into a six-day celebration of Maine’s food, drinks, and arts communities with 38 events centered on small-scale dinner parties hosted at local restaurants and private residences in Kennebunkport and neighboring Kennebunk. Guests enjoy a meal featuring local ingredients prepared by a regional chef amid an exhibition of work from an attending artist. Prices range from about $175 to about $250 per person. The festival closes on Saturday with Brews & Tunes on the Village Green (entry fee $15) and an evening gala wrap-up where an open bar, buffet, and live music are included in your $150 entry fee.kennebunkportfestival.com
Read the entire Boston Globe article here.
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