Grape Expectations: Top Boston Chefs’ Favorite New Wine Finds

Boston Wine Expo / Courtesy photo

Now in its 25th year, the Boston Wine Expo returns to the Seaport this February. And with its usual mix of tastings and demos, it’s shaping up to be a grand time for diehard oenophiles and wine novices alike. “Wine people just seem to be fun people,” Expo co-founder and president Jim Carmody tells us.

With a mission to educate the next generation of consumers and make wine more accessible to the masses (not to mention giving back to charity—they’ve raised $1.4 million to date), the Expo offers plenty of ways to enlighten your palate this year: For their silver anniversary, they’ll pour more than 1,800 wines from over 200 wineries, while an all-star cast of Boston chefs whip up sample-size gourmet feasts for you to try. What do these culinary luminaries pair with their masterpieces? We got a few of the Expo’s boldfacers to divulge their latest favorite wine discoveries.

Barbara Lynch / Photo via BL Gruppo/Facebook

Barbara Lynch
Barbara Lynch Gruppo (No.9 Park, B&G Oysters, The Butcher Shop, Drink)

Current Favorite: La Croix du Roy

“I continue to love the Lucien Crochet Sancerre Rouge ‘La Croix du Roy’ (a favorite for years). It’s a beautiful bottling of pinot noir planted on Kimmeridgian soils and is perfectly balanced with bright fruit, elegance, and complexity—perfect to pair with seafood, pork, and Thanksgiving turkey.”

Chris Coombs / Courtesy photo

Chris Coombs
Deuxave, Boston Chops, dbar

Current Favorite: 2005 Elu, St. Supery

“Burgundy wines are my favorite, and I am currently enjoying Elu, which is a 2005 vintage from Napa Valley’s St. Supery Estate Vineyards. I bought a case of it 10 years ago, and I just opened it, I’ve really started to enjoy it now.”

Ming Tsai / Courtesy photo by Anthony Tieuli

Ming Tsai
Blue Dragon, Blue Ginger

Current Favorite: 2009 Dolce, Far Niente Winery

“It’s the closest thing to an American-made Château d’Yquem. Great dessert wines are incredibly hard to make, and this has a great balance of acidity with a honey-suckle sweetness. It goes tremendously well with desserts like Pineapple-Miso Brown Butter Tart, which is currently on the dessert menu at Blue Ginger.”

Jim Carmody

Jim Carmody
Boston Wine Expo, Seaport Hotel

Current Favorites

“I like some of the pinot noirs from Oregon. There’s some of them that are not Burgundy, but they’re delightful—very bright, forward cherry. I happen to be a pinot noir fan in general. I also like some of the pinot noirs from California, particularly Calera. That’s a personal favorite of mine…But then I also occasionally like some exotic whites. I like Viognier and Marsanne; they’re not wines that jump off the shelf, but they add a layer of complexity and finesse that has you savoring the taste of the wines for quite some time. But more than anything else, I like when you get a fantastic combination—that synergy of having a perfect wine and food match. I think it elevates the dining experience to a totally new level.”

Boston Wine Expo 2016: February 13-14, 1-5 p.m., Seaport World Trade Center and Seaport Hotel, 200 Seaport Boulevard, Boston, 877-946-3976, wine-expos.com.