As a self-proclaimed wine lover—yet by no means a connoisseur—I can unabashedly say that I was delighted to take my husband's name… if for no other reason than because it includes “wine” in it. Suffice it to say, I thoroughly enjoy what the many varieties of grapes can do. If you're even the slightest bit like me, you welcome the opportunity to sample our area’s food and wine, and do so with a healthy mix of hometown pride and an adventurous palette. This is what we felt on Thursday night at the “Whine in the City” event at Shea’s Performing Arts Center.
Not knowing quite what to expect, we took the chance of not eating dinner even though we were getting pretty hungry. Luckily, we were very pleasantly surprised to find not only various hors d'oeuvres, but also a good amount of generously portioned dinner samples. The dispersion of local restaurant and winery tables enabled equal access to all kinds of scrumptious samples, and ensured a relatively easy flow of traffic. I would have said there should have been more advertising prior to this event since I had hardly heard anything about it since getting our tickets (and am still baffled by the meaning behind the unexplained “whine” wordplay), but I think the lack of overexposure benefited all who attended. Similar events I've been to have been unfortunately disappointing, despite large turnouts; not enough vendors and/or too many people resulted in either too little food, too little wine or lines long enough to discourage even the most patient of patrons. What we found on Thursday, though, was a surprisingly well-organized, intelligently laid out and very well orchestrated event that allowed for movement without too much crowdedness, and plenty of yummy treats available without too much of a wait—in some instances, no wait at all. In short, it was a fantastic experience that not only appealed to our tastes in food and wine, but also contributed to our sense of community and, amid the splendor of Shea’s grand lobby, our appreciation of aesthetics and architecture.
Participating restaurants included Creekview, Grille 620, Lafayette Tap Room, Mr. Food No Fuss Meals, Risa’s Deli & Catering Co., Wegmans and Yancy’s Fancy, all of which offered impressively tasty treats. But our personal favorites were the seared sea scallops pasta with vodka leek cream sauce served up by Harry’s Harbour Place, the mammoth platter of assorted sushi provided by So’s Integrity Catering, and an incredibly fresh and flavorful seafood ceviche created by head chef Scott Donhauser at Verbena Restaurant (www.verbenadining.com) (to open soon on Maple Road in Williamsville). This dish was so delicious that it took a great amount of self-restraint not to pick up the cocktail glass it was served in and drink every last drop of the remaining juice. I’d recommend keeping an eye out for when they open…if this was any indication of the quality of their food I would bet it will be a surefire hit.
Not to be overshadowed by the great food, the mouthwatering wine samples were impressive in their own right. Being provided by local wineries as well as area liquor stores and distributors, there were wines available from all over the world as well as from our own backyard. Suppliers included Global Wine & Spirits, Merritt Estate Winery, Premier Group, Vetter Vineyards Winery, Willow Creek Winery, and the Winery at Marjim Manor, and among our favorites were Bridlewood’s Viognier from Empire Merchants North, Jackson-Triggs Niagara Estate’s (www.jacksontriggswinery.com) Reserve Late Harvest Vidal, Johnson Estate Winery’s (www.johnsonwinery.com) Concord Cream Sherry, and a uniquely delectable dry Niagara called Manning Manor Reserve from Freedom Run Winery (www.freedomrunwinery.com) of Lockport. We were delighted to discover this local gem that we were previously unaware of, and impressed with its list of award-winning wines. Ever-growing in scope and popularity, we were told that people frequently make the drive from Rochester and the surrounding areas for wine tours at Freedom Run, as an attractive alternative to the Finger Lakes region. We’re looking forward to being among the visitors of this family owned and operated winery.
With several new places added to our list of future destinations, we not only had a great time but walked away with the promise of many more to come. We will definitely be getting tickets for next year’s “Whine in the City”, and highly recommend you do the same. Cheers.