Last week I attended my first Wine Spectator Experience, which took place at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square, New York City. I can say without a second thought that I’ve never tasted so many of the world’s best wines in such a short period of time. 

Speaking with many industry professionals in attendance, there seemed to be a general agreement that no other tasting around the world offers such a diverse and high quality selection ranging from First Growth Bordeaux to Napa Cult cabernets. The event spanned three days, with the Grand Tastings take place on the first two evenings. Two hundred sixty wineries from around the world were invited to pour a single 90+ point bottle at the tasting, which took place across two floors of the hotel. It costs

$250 to attend a single Grand Tasting event where the proceeds go to the Wine Spectator Scholarship Foundation, which has raised over $14 million over the 30 years the event has run.

For tastings this big, with so many out-of-this-world wines, you must have a game plan, especially if you are only attending one evening. Do some research beforehand and think about which wines you really want to try. Your strategy will be highly subjective depending on what types of wines you personally like, but a few key factors to consider are:

1. There are a limited number of sparkling and white wines, so from a palate perspective pick a few that you really want to try and quickly taste them.


2. All the First Growths are pouring, and when you’re pouring $500-$1,000 bottles, you only pour so much. On both nights, I noticed that they had run out of wine approximately halfway into the tasting period. 


3. Many of the cult CA cabernets are being poured from Harlan to Dalla Valle and they too run out before the tasting period concludes.


4. Expand your horizons. Identify some wines from regions that you don’t normally drink.


5. Ask other attendees which wines have been surprises and favorites. You’re inevitably going to be waiting to be served, so use that time to get recommendations from others. It’s safe to say that you won’t taste through all 260 wines; leverage the tasting footprint of the other tasters to narrow down unexpected treats.


6. Don’t forget the sweet wines. Save some time in the end to taste some incredible wines from the top Sauternes, Port and Riesling producers from around the world.

Now if only someone had told me this before I started!

I was truly blown away by so many of the wines, most of which I had never previously had an opportunity to taste. I tasted $100+ bottle after bottle. While it was a treat to sample wines like Chateau Margaux and Harlan, the reality is that I won’t be buying a bottle in that price range in the near future. For me a lot of the excitement was around discovering wines that drank like the $100-$300 wines, but only cost a fraction of the price. Some of the standout wines in this category included:

• Mission Hill Oculus 2007 ($60) Okanagan Valley Bordeaux blend


• Betz Family Cabernet Sauvignon Pere de Famille 2007 Columbia Valley ($66)


• DeLille Cellars D2 2008 Columbia Valley ($38) Bordeaux blend


• Terradora di Paolo Greco di Tufo, Loggia della Serra 2010 ($20)

All these wines belonged on the same stage and delivered at a relative value.

Next year the Wine Experience will go to Los Angeles for the first time now that there is a hotel large enough to host the event. At $250 for a 2.5 hour tasting, it’s tough to call that a bargain, but considering wines that you get the opportunity to taste as well as the charitable cause, it’s well worth it. You’ll find me in LA next October.