3 Killer Venues Perfect for Spring Meetings and Summer Outings

Getting out of dodge is often a necessary, savvy way to keep the workplace love – and the business itself – alive. Kind of like taking a vacation.

Here in Boston and the surrounding communities there is no shortage of restaurants, hotels, conference centers – and beyond – for offsite meetings and events. But especially for those who already enjoy an optimal work environment, the million dollar question is:

Can you find a space that delivers all of the amenities you’re used to, while delivering a refreshing spin on the familiar?

From our perspective, you can.

Here we spotlight 3 venues around Boston we want to be sure are on your radar: Babson’s Executive Conference Center (Metrowest); Willowdale Estate (North Shore) and the Battery Wharf Hotel (Boston’s North End).

Let’s take a peek at each:
 

BABSON EXECUTIVE CONFERENCE CENTER.    It goes without saying Babson College is a known quantity, certainly a leader in the business community and particularly well-regarded for its MBA program, which is rooted in entrepreneurship and values innovation.

Just this year, when the College expanded their presence in downtown Boston, President Kerry Healey touted the new facility and it’s “innovative convening space for networking, co-working and much more.” Certainly such an approach was grounded in valued experience. According to Sales Manager Nancy Lorusso, the Executive Conference Center on the main campus in Wellesley offers “many untraditional spaces that create a more relaxed setting to foster creativity and collaboration”.

One of our personal favorites is one we share with Nancy – their Woodside Living Room, which really is a living room. Nancy says that “clients looking for a warm, inviting area for a social gathering are immediately drawn here, and the attached walk-out patio is a huge draw for the additional flexibility it lends.” We argue the natural beauty doesn’t hurt either!

Meanwhile because of the school’s reputation, the Center “attracts companies and groups because it’s a place where accomplishment happens – there are no distractions.”

In truth, there are a few “distractions”. All good ones. The inherent energy in the place is one. The food is another. Having worked with their culinary team on wine dinners for clients, we can attest that their team is not only wonderful to work with behind the scenes, but our experience is equal to the feedback Nancy receives: guests regularly report how surprised and excited they were to find the food on-site is delicious.

With over 200 guest rooms, too, Babson’s Executive Conference Center lends itself naturally to an overnight company retreat. Certainly, there is no scarcity of amenities or possibilities in their almost 20,000 sq. ft. of space.

If you can see your coworker tucking into a casual nook to catch up on some work after a morning rich with discussion, or you can see a couple of teammates high-fiving a great idea during an afternoon ‘wine down’ reception in the courtyard, Babson is worth checking out.

Oh, and an impromptu game of soccer? That can happen too.

WILLOWDALE ESTATE.   While Babson may be a known quantity, Willowdale Estate is not only a greater Boston “hidden gem” but also a surprise to many familiar with the North Shore. And according to Sarah Boucher, Marketing Director, that’s part of its allure.

Located about 30 miles north of Boston in Topsfield, MA, the property is surrounded by hundreds of acres of state forest along the Ipswich River. (Care to add canoeing or lawn games to your summer outing?) When you wind up the long drive, it’s a wonderful surprise to find the gorgeous, fully renovated and restored property atop the gentle slope at the end. The giant, bright red door with green trim is the happiest of greetings – and behind it lies the friendliest, most capable staff around.

These guys are the real deal.

Whether your team is a bunch of foodies (or just likes to eat!) or you’re focused on the basics, like AV for your PowerPoint presentation, all of the bells and whistles of possibility are at your beck and call. Their full-service operation makes planning a snap. (Case in point: don’t miss this video of Land Rover’s product launch event!)

Their secret? Sarah says that “when your staff has the opportunity to pursue their passions, think creatively, and contribute their own unique strengths to the team you can only continue to improve on your work.” Cheers to that!

With so many of us cooped up throughout the workday (regardless how cool the space), perhaps what makes company meetings and events even more ripe with possibilities at Willowdale is “Tent Season”. Rightfully boasting a custom, handcrafted, Sperry Tent (yes, it breathes!) upheld by spruce center poles, a Willowdale experience is possible outdoors rain or shine. They can even heat the tent if El Niño threatens – and, ladies, there is a covered walk to the restrooms inside.  

Prefer to be under the stars and bistro lights? The Butterfly Garden offers additional possibilities. You can “just” host an intimate reception here or opt to follow it with a 4-course wine dinner that’s not only farm to fork, but curated to your specifications by the inventive, award-winning Chef Ben Lightbody.

Trust us, you’re in exceptionally capable hands here.

BATTERY WHARF HOTEL.    If your crowd could use a little Boston-culture infusion on top of stunning harbor views and modern amenities, consider what the Battery Wharf Hotel offers.

Located right on the waterfront in Boston’s North End, it’s hard not to add a scavenger hunt component to your company retreat when planning meetings and events at this boutique property. When the U.S. of A. was just getting its legs in the 17th Century, this was where the action was. The nearby Freedom Trail celebrates this past as it gets folks exploring key moments of the American Revolution, by foot, from the North End all the way to Boston Common.

Indeed, today the hustle and bustle of the city is at an arm’s length – easy to access by land and by sea (there’s even a water taxi to/from Logan Airport). And yet, according to Director of Sales & Marketing, Efren Aponte Cortes, the Battery Wharf is the Hub’s own “Urban Oasis”.  We couldn’t agree more.

Maybe your colleagues are the sort to hang their legs from the Battery Wharf’s private dock after a day of meetings. Or perhaps they’d prefer to stretch their legs meandering through the parks and past cafés along the Boston HarborWalk. Maybe neither. The thing is, here there’s something for everyone.

Inside the fully renovated property the feeling of ease transcends their partnership with Exhale Spa. The abundance of natural light throughout and the clever development of spaces certainly caught our attention – imagine segwaying from a modern meeting room (surrounded by glass) to a wine reception under the atrium.

Want to step outside?

Try one of their intimate patio spaces. Better yet, enjoy s’mores on the Terrace sitting around the Fire Pit. For those who appreciate a little wow-factor on top of wow-factor, we admit we’re taken with the exclusive Maritime Museum space – perfect for casual exploring while taking part in a sunset wine reception before dinner at Aragosta Bistro.

If you’re looking for something even more custom, that’s possible, too. We’ve witnessed Catering Sales Manager Carolina Villela work with Chef Adamo to come up with a cocktail-hour menu followed by a multi-course dinner that couldn’t help but impress. Their attention to detail starts the moment you begin working with them.

Surely you agree, discovering venues that not only offer those lovable workplace health “creature comforts” but also do so in their own unique ways is hard not to get excited about.

After all, any fully-loaded, flexible space surrounded by natural beauty that excels at satisfying our every craving is hard not to work-ate to - right?

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What the Classic PB&J Reveals about Your Wine Preferences

Lately we’ve been on a Peanut Butter kick. We go through phases and admit this one has lasted longer than a single jar.

While enjoying the latest fix, we were also deep in prep for a few upcoming wine workshops. It was only a matter of time before our brains connected the two: Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches and wine have a few key things in common. As a result, how you take your PB&J can reveal a bunch about your wine preferences – and lead you to new discoveries!
 

Check it out:

Wine has three main components. We like to think of them as the “DNA” of wine (or TAF, if we're feeling cute): Tannin, Acidity + Fruit.
 

Tannin is the dry feeling a wine can leave on your tongue, sometimes lingering after you swallow. Some people call it the “furry” feeling. Others describe it as the bitter/dry element you can get from black tea – it kind of sticks to your tongue and leaves you a little thirsty or looking for a bite of food to cut the sensation. In your PB & J sandwich…yep, it’s the Peanut Butter.

Acidity is the mouthwatering element in a wine. It’s the brightening, mouth-puckering or thirst-quenching element, like a squeeze of lemon to your favorite salad, veggies or fish.

Fruit is, well, the fruit! Grapes, specifically, but flavor-wise can be a whole spectrum of diverse possibilities depending on the grapes that make up the wine itself. Some grapes may have more tropical fruit flavors, others more tree fruits, and still more can emulate stone fruits, or berries, or cherries…you get the drift.

With Peanut Butter the equivalent to Tannin… you are correct: Jelly does double-duty, delivering both Acidity and Fruit to balance the wine.
 

So how does this help you find new wines to try? Let’s look at a few examples:

1|   The Protein Fein: “Lather up the PB with just a hint of Jelly”

Your wine persona:  You tend to like drier, more structured wines. As a general rule, red and white wines from the Old World (aka Europe) are a good leaning, with Italy and Portugal great starting points for reds and French Muscadet and Portuguese Vinho Verde safe bets for whites.

2|   The Jam:  “An extra spoonful of jelly makes the peanut butter go down…”

Your wine persona: You tend to prefer wines that are either more mouthwatering (aka higher in acidity) and/or more fruit forward.

Note: “Fruit Forward” does not necessarily mean sweet. It means wines that high-five with their fruit foot forward, like biting into a ripe, juicy plum rather than into a bland, mealy one. Do you prefer wines that are plump with fruit (fruit forward) or wines with a subtler fruit element?

One approach to finding wines that dial up the mouthwatering effect is to seek out wines from cooler climates. This could be in the Alto Adige of Italy (think Alps) or high-altitude New World locales like Argentina (think Andes).  If it’s the toothsome fruit you’re after, grapes like Zinfandel, Syrah/Shiraz, and Spanish Monastrell are a good start for reds while Torrontes, Chenin Blanc and Rhone Valley white blends are delicious white wine diversions.
 

3|   The Purist: “I’ll take my PB&J sandwich evenly applied and distributed. Not too much PB and not too much J.”

Your wine persona: You tend towards wines that offer the best of both worlds – which means there’s even more room to play as you seek out wine styles that strike a middle ground. Two main approaches will get you there. You can ask for either of these:

• Old World wines with softer edges or bolder fruit. Red wine styles like Rioja, Cotes du Rhone rouge, and also lesser-known but equally delicious German Dornfelder, or Austrian Zweigelt will get you there.
   
•  New World wines with a bit more earthy nuance. Here ask for red wines like Cabernet Franc from the Finger Lakes or Chile, older/aged Australian Shiraz blends, South African Cabernet Sauvignon, or Willamette Valley Pinot Noir.
   

Hold up.   Do you prefer your PB&J separately like some other folks we know? The same principles apply. For PB soloists, see above for “The Protein Fein” recommendations. Digging the J on its own? See “The Jam”.
 

The PB&J analogy is a great go-to barometer that can get you started and put you in a safe position to broaden your horizons and welcome new grapes or places into your world. But bear in mind, a grape’s propensity to be more tannic (Cabernet Sauvignon, Nebbiolo), or higher in acidity (Riesling, Pinot Noir), or more fruit-forward (Zinfandel, Gewürztraminer) is due to its actual DNA, mother nature and the grower who further nurtures it along. Typically, winemakers take what nature delivers and use tools in the winery to dial things to their ultimate preference – just as you build your own PB&J to order. Ask the Sommelier on duty or the Wine Director at your favorite shop for help using the PB&J preference analogy.

 Insider Tip:  The common wine descriptor words bolded + italicized above will help you further describe what you’re after.
 

Want more ideas? Wine Folly has developed a great resource that helps gauge grapes by their “DNA”. But really, tasting is believing. Go for it!

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Break the Ice with 4 Key Nuggets of Wine Knowledge

Have you ever been out to eat with a client, a prospect, your boss or colleague (let alone on a date!) and felt totally lost when handed the wine list?
 

Here’s a little secret: you’re not alone. We’ve all been there – even us wine pros and Sommeliers. Sure, there’s a lot to geek out on if you want to. But that’s true about a lot of things.

Meetings and social occasions alike are (or should be) about getting the proverbial conversation started and building rapport. You don’t need a PhD or your Master Sommelier certification for wine to be one of the tools in your tool belt. Often just a few tidbits can help break the ice and get you where you want to go, just like knowing how to tie your shoes. (Think how many successful steps you’ve taken since you picked up those few essential pointers!)

Here are FOUR juicy nuggets of wine wisdom to help turn your discomfort into discourse.
 

1 ●  The Wine World is divided into just 2 categories: Old World + New World.   

Old World wines come from Europe. Historically, that sounds familiar, right? Christopher Columbus sailed from the Old World (aka Europe) to ‘discover’ a New World. In wine terms, it is the same: New World wines are made in places that Europeans colonized, including the Americas, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia.

Now that you’ve got that sorted, the wine world is at your fingertips! Here's how:
 

2 ●  Old World wines tend to be food-loving while New World wines can stand alone. 

This is a bold statement and it is not to suggest there isn’t a LOT of diversity within each category. But we promised to cut to the chase here. Stylistically New World wines tend to be friendlier, they read smoother when you taste them. In contrast, Old World wines tend to be more reserved. When everyone’s favorite wing-man, Food, shows up however, Old World wines come out of their shell; an easier-going, more friendly experience evolves.

In effect: If you’re just grabbing a glass at the bar, or you want a bottle that will segway with you into dinner, choose from the New World.
 

3 ●  “If it grows together it goes together.”   

There is a reason the local cuisine complements the local wines. They are birds of a feather, so flock together! Apply this idea to wine selection. Case in point: Argentina is perhaps best known for its beef, so their red wines are a great choice if you’re at a Steakhouse. Naturally, red-sauced Italian fare works well with many Italian red wines – start there.

Still too many options on the list? Use what you now know from the above to narrow down what you’re in the mood for stylistically (aka friendlier/smoother vs. reserved/food-loving*) and apply the next tip.
 

4 ●  Use your budget to your advantage when asking for help. 

It’s always a winning strategy when you can empower someone to help you, right? Meanwhile, you can rest assured having a budget when selecting a wine is also an asset. It helps the person you’ve asked narrow the playing field even further.

With an inquiry as simple as –

“You’ve got a great selection here – I’m excited. Can you help me make a choice? I’ll help you by narrowing the playing field. I’m looking for a (XX*) bottle around $YY.”

– you’ve just given their ego a little boost while being clear about what you want, for the price you want it.

Have burning questions? Use the comments field below, or give a shout! We’ll collect the most commonly asked questions and continue this series.

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The Secret to Holiday Entertaining – Celebrate Magnum Style

We shouldn’t need an excuse to pull out all of the stops when it comes to entertaining, but then what would the holidays really be for anyway?

Whether you’re a wine geek or not, our secret to dialing things up a notch is to Go Big – literally. A “magnum” of wine is what you call the super-sized bottle of wine you may have started to see more often since Thanksgiving. Said bottle contains the equivalent of two “normal” bottles of wine. It is a sight to behold, and certainly makes that statement we never mind to make.

No contest, magnums make for a fantastic gift for wine lovers. But how often do you have enough of a crowd to warrant actually opening a large-format bottle? Our staff relishes the chance.

Here are ten wines available in magnums we think are perfect for celebrating. Make an impression this holiday season!
 

Sparkling.

Adriano Adami Bosco di Gica Valdobiadene Superiore Prosecco| Veneto, Italy
The wonderful world of sparkling wine is global – you don’t always need to travel to Champagne, France for an enticing or satisfying selection! Here Adami over-delivers for the category, producing a lively, quaffable sparkler.
 

Billecart-Samon Brut Rosé  | Champagne, France
Behold, one of our absolute favorite producers of Champagne, let alone sparkling rosé. Seeing this wine packaged in a magnum – well, we caught our breath! Here the devil is in the details: tiny beads of joy oh-so-delicately deliver tangy red fruits first to your nose, and then to your palate. Notes of chalk-board erasers are a time machine back to less-harried, wonder-rich times.
 

Ployez-Jacquemart Extra Quality Brut | Champagne, France
Where Billecart-Samon scores high in the ‘delicious-subtlety’ category, Ployez-Jacquemart does so with equal enthusiasm in the ‘delicious-decadence’ category. Generous orchard fruits are lifted by citrus and quince – and that’s just the beginning! Toasty and lush with gratifying brioche elements, we just love how this wine wraps itself around your senses….
 

Rosé.

Bodegas Muga Rosado| Rioja, Spain
Nothing says party-perfect more effortlessly than a magnum bottle of sacred (read: somewhat scarce) rosé wine! Here the historic winery Bodegas Muga blends Grenache with white Viura grapes and a splash of Tempranillo. Aging the wine briefly in large oak vats adds body and nuance, while lees aging contributes subtle milk chocolate notes. The result is supreme – a dry but lifted, round-edged, winter-ready but refreshing style that can elevate holiday meals just as easily as it can coolly welcome friends. (Grab one if you see one – Rebecca did!)
 

White.

Chateau Montelena Winery Chardonnay | Napa Valley, California
This wine packs both a delicious and historic punch: established in 1882, Chateau Montelena is one of the oldest wineries in the United States –  and the 1973 vintage of this wine won the famous Judgement of Pairs in 1978! Is it still worth its muster? In a word, YES. The fruit for this wine was selected literally grape by grape. With only 10% new oak used and a cool growing season in play, this white is as dramatic as it is crisp!
 

Weingut Josef Leitz, Rüdesheimer Magdalenenkreuz Spätlese Riesling| Rheingau, Germany
There’s just something about colder days that beg for a glass of something decadent, something you can cozy up to, something that somehow also rouses your spirits and delivers a surprise. Here one of our absolute favorite German winemakers, Josef Leitz, delivers all of that in one uncorking. Minerality creates a snappy tension with the fruity, sappy, layered flavor profile of this wine – and it is delivered in an abundant(ly), delicious package.
 

Red.

Buena Vista Winery “The Count” | Sonoma, California
A blend of Zinfandel, Syrah, Merlot, Petite Sirah and Cabernet Sauvignon, “The Count” shows its innovative roots while showcasing the bold potential the Count himself saw in California wines. Medium bodied, this wine is as packed with purple and black fruits as it is with earth-driven nuance. Burnt caramel and cedar notes give it that touch of winter-time pizazz we all crave this time of year. Easy drinking and velvety smooth, this toothsome wine is a crowd-pleaser!
 

Burgess Cellars Library Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (2002) | Napa Valley, California
Properties like Burgess are what put the Napa Valley – and Cabernet grown here – on the map. Determined to make a style of wine expressive of terroir, Tom Burgess was wise to snap up this plot of land in the Howell Mountains. Here above the fog, vines 60+ years old have become one with the mineral-rich, volcanic soil. Opulent yet still ‘pretty’, this wine is a teenager, packed with dark berry fruit, dusty earth and just a hint of mocha.
 

Chateau de Saint Cosme Rouge | Cotes du Rhone, France
For (at least) two of us on staff, our love affair with European wine began with Syrah from the Rhone Valley, France. Wines like this iconic one are the reason why: fresh, purple-floral aromatics awaken your senses first, followed by a decadent palate rich with dark fruit, hints of spice and notes of saddle leather and bacon fat (yes.. bacon!). Welcome to the club!
 

Domaine Serene Vineyards Pinot Noir | Evenstad Reserve | Willamette Valley, Oregon
Oregon's Willamette Valley is thought “the Promised Land” for producing acclaimed, Burgundian-styled reds, aka exceptional Pinot Noir. And Domaine Serene is one of the darlings of this young yet heralded wine region. We were downright gleeful to discover their award-winning, flagship wine is available in magnums. Buyer beware: the Evenstad Reserve is a super-silky, complex wine that delivers a wallop of delight!

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Four Essential Tips for Last-Minute Party Planning

Forget what Andy Williams sang about this being the Most Magical Time of the Year – it’s the craziest, by far! Whether you always knew you were going to be the one planning this year’s holiday party and it just hasn’t happened yet, or the task just landed in your lap, you’re learning fast that all the venues on your top five, ten and now twenty list aren’t available. Or, just as bad, they aren’t able to budge on their minimums to keep you on budget.

You feel like the traffic light has gone from flashing yellow to red, right?

Not to worry – limitations can actually open the door to solutions. Here are four ways to help you stand out this holiday season, without compromising on the festive factor.

Stay put – it’s free, eliminates logistical hurdles + adds value
That’s right. You’re standing in your own venue! Going off-site to make an event special is a ruse. Businesses like those in the Innovation District in downtown Boston or over the water in Cambridge’s Kendall Square are in spaces that are built for a party; open square footage means freer think space – and greater gathering space! Take a page out of their book: optimize open spaces and take the logistics of finding and coordinating with a venue out of the mix.

Get people mixing + moving
Mix things up! Food and beverage stations are to a party what gravity is to earth: a natural rendezvous point. But we always find the people we know, right? It’s easy to get people moving by expanding on the familiar yet offering an interactive element (or two!) where people can converse over new things, make more meaningful connections and learn something along the way. Work with key vendors that have experience doing so, and let them take this planning element off your plate.

Pique curiosity – embrace the element of discovery or surprise
Everyone’s been asking what’s on tap for this year’s party, right? Embrace their need to know by stoking their curiosity. Make your invitation opaque, declaring only the party time and place (and maybe that its open bar). Better yet, consider designing a scavenger hunt element with clues to get people to the right place. (Need help with this? Bring key team leads into the planning process – have them design a hunt for their own team. This will foster additional interaction, personalization and fun without you having to do it all.)

Host during “regular” business hours
Make it easy for people to attend. Hosting an event at the end of a workday, say starting at 3:30pm or 4 o’clock, shows your staff that you value their attendance and their personal time (which is strained as it is during the busy holiday season).

With the holidays fast approaching creativity is your best friend. But you don’t have to have all the ideas! By keeping things on your home turf you have the flexibility to partner with a vendor(s) that can alleviate the planning process and add something different to your shindig.

Bottom Line: Planners should be able to enjoy the festivities, too, even if they happen to be late to the planning game. With a little help, they can!

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Screw it! Why You Can't Judge a Wine by Its Closure

When I (Rebecca) worked for a boutique wine shop I remember feeling self-conscious whenever I chose to work with an awesome wine packaged with a screwcap. I personally felt like a trader to the tradition of uncorking a bottle of wine even though the wine quality was in the bottle, as it were. And whether absurd or not, I wasn’t the only one; I knew it would be a tougher “sell”.

So I called it out, ahead of the inevitable question “won’t my friends think that’s a cheap wine?” and worked harder to convince people to take a leap of faith. I probably had a 60/40 success rate.

“...I no longer even think about the type of closure a bottle has when I curate a flight of wine for an event.”

In writing this piece, I realized I no longer even think about the type of closure a bottle has when I curate a flight of wine for an event. In fact, it’s not until we pull the wines out of their boxes during set-up that we (re)discover which are screwcaps, cork, synthetic, crown (yep! – the same as beer bottles) or glass stops.

Now when we spot at least one wine has a screwcap, we sigh in relief. We know the wine won’t be impacted with cork taint. And since we will only have to open that wine with a quick twist of the wrist, we’re better able to keep guests seamlessly engaged, not having to physically work a corkscrew while geeking out about the wine. Convenience and consistency are our best friends.

Instead of being a sign a wine is cheap, mainstream or basic, closures today are simply a sign of the times. Good ones!

New technologies, systems and processes are perpetually evolving to help us do things better. And we’re thankful the wine industry is no exception. Still, we hear you – the physicality of using a corkscrew definitely taps into our nostalgia for tradition. In the publishing world this could be related to hardcover, paperback or e-reader.
 

So let’s be fair and dig into WHEN the closure could impact your opinion and experience with a wine, rather than just an added bonus of convenience:
 

FIRST.  For the great wines out there that are intended to be or are better when consumed “young,” screwcaps simply aid and abet!

SECOND.  For those occasions when a wine will benefit from aging, screwcap closures could impact that success. But not necessarily…
 

Check it out:

• Not all screwcaps are created equal. Winemakers have control over which style of screwcap closure they wish to use. Some wines that simply benefit from a little time in the bottle (for flavors to integrate, tannins to mellow and the like – kind of like your soup being better on day 2) may also benefit from a little teeny tiny breath of fresh air via the carefully crafted foil “seal” that exists (or doesn’t) under the lid.

• There are high end winemakers in this category who have been bottling with screwcaps for a while now (aka at least a decade) with happy results.

• And their innovation is being rewarded with a recent study that proves (the operative word!) wines can age well with a screwcap closure. These wines not only exhibit terciary nuances that only time can impart, they also deliver greater freshness (i.e. acidity remains intact).

Bottom Line?   Screwcap wine closures are like driving home from work every day withOUT traffic. It’s hard to argue with convenience and consistency, right? Besides, there are still plenty of other closures out there, for the days you don’t want to do the twist and shout!

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How Much Wine to Buy For Your [Holiday] Party – The Formula for Success

Making a memorable impression with your event or party is no small task. But we think it's safe to say that not having enough for your guests to drink (our preference, wine!) and eat is a sure sign you won't be remembered for the right reasons. While the "rule" for ordering food is less scientific (so we'll spare you), we do have just the formula to guide your wine purchasing decisions. Here’s how it works:

While your guest are likely to drink less as your festivities progress, some people will become even more enthusiastic. The good news is: taperers always mitigate imbibers. So if you assume one drink per person per hour* you’ll have more than enough to go around.

Now, how does this translate to bottles of wine?

There are (conservatively) 5 glasses of wine in every bottle, 6 when it comes to a sparkling wine toast.

If you have 100 guests and a three hour event figure 300 total drinks.* Divide 300 by 5 to figure out how many bottles are needed (60). (To find out the total number of cases needed, divide that figure by 12 (bottles in a case) = 5cases of wine.)

Or:

Naturally you’ll want to select a few different wine options – e.g. a red, a white and a sparkling wine. You can decide how many bottles (or cases) of each of these styles of wine you’d like to have on hand based on the season in which you are celebrating and the venue set-up (e.g. hot summer day under a tent vs. cold and wintry indoors). For example, if you are celebrating the holidays around Boston, you’ll probably want more red than white, plus a splash of sparkling on hand to at least toast the occasion – or using the above example, something like 2.5 cases of red, 1.5 cases of white, and 1 case of sparkling wine.

Yep, that's it! Some parts of planning can be this simple - say, cheers!

 (*) NOTE:  This is the total number of drinks consumed, not just wine. If you are serving beer, wine and liquor, estimate the number of probable wine drinkers and go from there to gauge your actual wine purchase. Alternatively, you can adjust the number of hours people will be drinking wine based on the format or style of the event, e.g. cocktail hour (1.5 glasses) + dinner hour (1.5 glasses) + dancing (1 glass) = 4 wine drinks per person, or 400 total glasses = 80 bottles of wine = 7 cases (always round up).

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Serving Rosé, Red and White Wines at the Right Temperature

“What temperature should I drink rosé?” is the no. 1 question we’ve been fielding at wine events this summer. As a sort-of “cross-over” option between white and red and as perhaps the newest curiosity in wine, there’s no wonder there’s confusion.

The spectrum of rosé wine styles is as broad in variation as white and red wine styles can be. Rosé wines range from crisp and lively to bold and brooding – with a LOT of variation in between. That’s a fair bit to contend with and each has its own respective “ideal” serving temperature.

And wines (regardless of color) are INfrequently served at the appropriate temperature, even at restaurants. This can be due in part to infrastructure or practical reasons (e.g. cold glass-pour bottles are in/out of the cooler too frequently to maintain ideal serving temperature; and you may have noticed bottles sitting on the counter in staff-accessible locations, which are not temperature-friendly…). As a result even the so-called experts miss the mark, and you don’t get a proper taste-bud education or quality experience to reference.

Does it really matter anyway?

YES. A wine that’s served too cold is wearing a mask – none of its personality has a chance to show, let alone shine. It's frozen! You need to massage a given wine to do your taste buds a favor and otherwise honor the dogged work of the folks in the vineyards and winery who toil for your greater good.

Meanwhile, wines served too warm can burn you; the alcohol packs a punch and none of the fruit or earth nuances that make it unique (or delicious) come to bear.

At home you have the ‘luxury’ of being Goldilocks and getting it just right, even if you don’t have a temperature-controlled wine cellar. There’s a simpler way for optimal enjoyment whether you’re uncorking a white, rosé or red wine.

Here’s our rule of thumb:

Put said desired bottle of wine in the fridge – or the freezer – for 30 minutes. That’s your basic starting point for ALL styles (except Sparkling, which needs another hour) and about the time it takes to kick off your shoes after your day, flip through the mail and get dinner started. Simply grab the bottle off the rack and get it chill’n before you start your Unwinding Process.

Here’s where you go from there:

WHITES.   Especially in the summer and if you’re eating outdoors, put your white wines in the freezer for that half hour, not the fridge. Then use a wine bottle chiller to keep the bottle more/less at that temperature while serving it. Fuller bodied wines like Viognier and Chardonnay will be just about spot-on in that 30 minute window, depending how warm the bottle was before you got started. Crisper, leaner wines benefit from a little extra time. Shoot for more like 40 minutes. Unsure what style is in your glass? Err on the longer side of the spectrum. Wines can warm up pretty quickly, so you’re better off starting too cold than not cold enough!

ROSÉS. To start, apply the same thinking and preparation as you would a white wine as described above. If you know it is a more bold or brooding style, ease up on the freezer chill time. If it is leaner, or more crisp, give it that extra bit of time. And from there, enjoy what makes rosé perhaps the most fun category of all – the chance to taste it on its journey! I typically start with the wine chilled to its coldest potential point and then enjoy the experience tasting it overtime, as it warms on its own. The wine’s flavors shift and evolve in turn, which is a BIG part of experiencing rosé’s special magic!

REDS. “Room Temperature” is a concept of the past, when we didn’t have central air. Then room temperature was around 55 degrees Fahrenheit, or today what we think of as ideal “cellar temperature”. Most often reds are served way too warm, regardless how bold or lighter-bodied they are. Here you want to stick your wine in the fridge for said 30 minutes, with maybe 10 minutes less for bolder styles.

For wines that fall into the “Chillable Reds” category, if you offer up 40 minutes of fridge treatment, the wine will virtually frolick in your glass! French Beaujolais and Loire Valley Cabernet Franc, Italian Nebbiolo, Barbera, Sangiovese, Sciava and Frappato, and even youthful, un-oaked Spanish Tempranillo are all chill-loving.

In a pinch for time? Give any given wine an ice bath for 10+ minutes (you do the math given the above reference points) and you are good to go!

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Bro-sé: Why Men Drink Pink (Too)

It’s long been true men who wear pink stand out in a crowd – they get automatic props for being “man enough” to strut their stuff in this soft-toned, physique-pleasing color. Some say they even make more money and are better educated! And yet, let’s face it, in the jargon-rich, equality-striving universe in which we live, “man enough” today is a term we guffaw, said only tongue in cheek. What we’re really getting at is that a man wearing pink is chic enough to be so bold as to be so softly adorned.

“Rosé is finally getting the respect it’s due here in the U.S. of A. - with good reason. ”

But, if you’ve noticed, men have caught on; pink shirts and even pants are abundant, almost redundant. This former trend-setting maneuver is still wonderful to see, but unfortunately, officially, mainstream. Gasp!

And so it is time to ponder the next phase of manly chic-dom – something still operating largely under the radar, and arguably even more sexy than that first man to don pink because it is a signal he knows something more than the "average" guy….

Behold – it is the man across the room, drinking a glass of rosé!

Rosé is finally getting the respect it’s due here in the U.S. of A. - with good reason. Mouthwateringly refreshing, yet dry and incredibly food-friendly, rosé is as versatile as the many shades of pink you can conjure.

And, other than recognizing the possibility of Greatness therein, you know you can’t judge that bottle by its color, right? Some of the driest, most serious, in the bunch are so lightly hued as to be barely a shade of “salmon” pink.

“With their kiss of drying tannin, thirst-quenching acidity and fruit nuances, these wines can be paired with grilled Bison sliders, dill-infused zucchini and feta roast chicken, seared tuna, tangy soft cheese, charcuterie…”

Bros-in-the-know know that rosé is made from red grapes – extracted, essentially – it offers a touch of vinous muscle in a pleasing, quenching package. Are some more fruit-forward than others? Absolutely. But the fun is in tasting the rainbow, because rosé truly is the little black dress of wine – or dare we suggest, the pink shirt of it?

With their kiss of drying tannin, thirst-quenching acidity and fruit nuances, these wines can be paired with grilled Bison sliders, dill-infused zucchini and feta roast chicken, seared tuna, tangy soft cheese, charcuterie…. The list is endless! And the supply short. So the savvy gent, for his own part, knows rosé season is one to behold – for this vinous window is (too) brief, and one to capitalize on!

This summer before supplies run out (typically mid-September) saddle up to your favorite haunts or your local wine shop and get sipping!
 

Here are a few that pack a particularly muscular punch this year:
 

Heitz Cellars Grignolino Rosé.   Here the iconic California producer Heitz delivers a particularly robust style of rosé, with plenty of strawberry + black raspberry fruits. If you are an adventure-seeker by nature, Italian Grignolino is a grape to know!

Anne Amie Cuvee A Midnight Saignee Rosé.   Anne Amie takes great care with this wine… a virtual basket-full of red summer fruits, mitigated by a whisper of spice and everything nice. Grab the spicy Asian take-out – this wine is as fruit-forward as they come!

Ostatu Rosato.   Zesty Tempranillo and the fuller-figured Grenache are natural bedfellows – and after 250 years in the biz, the Saenz family knows how to deliver a measurably dry rosé buoyed by fruit and nuance. Have another bottle near!

Mulderbosch Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé.  Mulderbosch was ahead of the times when it conceived of this rosé and first released it in ‘99. Pleasing aromatics are followed by red and dark fruits, cleansing minerality and a dash of spice. Cheers to trend-setting!

Calcu Rosé.   Calcu makes the case that Chile – famous for its distinct, powerful reds – is perhaps a natural to produce rosé wines. Both elegant and restrained in its fruit presentation, this wine is equal parts refreshing and bold!

Chateau Ksara Sunset Rosé.  Ksara is no new kid on the block – and they are serious about producing seriously delicious wines. If you are up for a little sass in a glass, their tart and textural rosé is just the thing. Go on – it’s date night!

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Choosing Wine for Any Big Event - Made Easy!

Perhaps the biggest of them all, there's little more personal than planning your wedding - and, for many, when it comes to what you're serving you want to nail it. We get it! What's more, we know you're not the only one. Beginning around Memorial Day each year we get numerous inquiries from couples who care about what wines they will serve at their wedding asking for help. They are often stressed to the max about choosing wines for their big day. In another week the emails with the same burning questions will emerge, this time to ensure company outings and family reunions are well cared for.

While some events have specifications which call for a one-on-one consult (or Pros like us behind the tasting station ;) many others are more streamlined. For the latter case, let's start with the most common criteria hosts present:

1.  User-friendly.   We want wines that everyone will enjoy, whether they are “usually” an X-wine drinker or not.

2.  Food-friendly.   We want the wines to work with what we’re serving, whether someone opted for the fish, BBQ chicken or tenderloin.

3.  Cost-effect.   We don’t want to serve anything “cheap”, but if we could keep things under(?!) or around $15 per bottle, our budget will thank you!

Good news - you can address all of these concerns in just 4 deliberate steps!

Streamline your offerings. There are reasons (yes, plural) themed, or “His and Her Cocktails” are so popular… It’s festive, for sure, and fewer options for guests tightens up your liquor order (read: budget), focuses consumption, AND expedites service! So approach wine offerings similarly and CHOOSE YOUR OWN “HOUSE” WINES: offering a sparkler plus a crowd-pleasing white and red (with maybe a beautiful dry rosé thrown in for good measure) will satisfy the majority (if not all!) of your guests. Remember, these distinct options offer enough variety themselves. So have fun with it! You could even come up with creative, personal or company-culture-derived names for each choice.

Pick a Perky White.  Wines with higher acidity are food-friendly by nature; and their mouthwatering effect also comes in handy when your boss' boss is bending your ear about that big project you're working on, or your best friend just got stuck talking to crazy Aunt Edna. Sauvignon Blanc works, sure(!), but one of our other party tricks is to select grape varietals  guests may not have ever heard of, let alone tasted. Case in point: as popular as Austrian Gruner Veltliner and Spanish Albarino are becoming, these are not grapes that everyone knows (though they should!). Offering something people have no expectations about means they just simply sip and enjoy.

Select a Smooth Red.  When it comes to selecting your red offering, you want something that strikes a middle ground – something not too bold and dry, and something not too light. You also want something that goes down smooooth – something with nice fruit and soft edges. Here again, a way to work around the grape varietal fatigue (aka I only drink Cab, Syrah, Merlot…) is to choose wines that are named for their region, with no varietal labeling evident. Smart picks are red wines from the Cotes du Rhone or Languedoc (fabulous, food-friendly, people-happy, French red blends) or wallet-friendly Spanish Rioja (the more expensive options often mean the wine has spent more time in oak barrels, which puts the wine into the “too bold” camp). These regions have prolific, 100% delicious options that are exceptional values!

Save on Bubbles.   Some say you should splurge in this category; we don’t necessarily agree. While you certainly can go all out, remember that the nuances a higher-priced bubbly offer could be lost in the equation. More often sparkling wine is consumed to add an additional festive flare.  And there are many great (dry, aka Brut) options from beyond Champagne, France that lend exactly the helping hand you desire, with plenty of Delight on offer at oh-so reasonable prices. For some suggestions beyond the usual suspects Cava and Prosecco, check out alternatives here and see below.

Have faith! Less is more, especially when you trot off the beaten path. With this approach you’ll be setting yourself up for success!

Dying for some specific recs in each of these categories?? No problem! For the next several weeks you can find some widely available wines that check the above boxes via the Pour Favor Wine Events list available on the DRYNC wine app.Need more ideas? Get in touch directly!

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