The South Shore Food and Wine Expo is an extraordinary opportunity to sample a large variety of wines from all over the world along with food samples from local restaurants. This event is presented by Pioppi’s Package Store & craft. What a great way to spend a cold Saturday night in February in New England!
The low-price tag for admission is a bonus. A general admission ticket covers admission to the first floor for $38, and the Vintner’s Lounge VIP ticket (which we purchased) was $60 and this allows you to experience everything on the first floor and also admission to the second floor where the higher-end wine tables are located. I have been to other wine tastings that cost more than $100 and you get 5-8 wines to sample with some food.
This is our second year attending the South Shore Food and Wine Expo and can’t wait for next year. Our friends, Carol and John, attended with us. My husband, Jim, went to middle school with Carol, and we all went to high school together, though we were in different social circles. Fast forward 40 years and we reconnected after a chance meeting in a local restaurant. The rest is history! If there is fun to be had, Carol and John are more than willing to come along!
Upon entry everyone shows their ID, and you are given a wrist band, handed a program and given an etched commemorative wine glass. The program walks you through the wine varieties at each table and has an order form so if you really like a particular wine, you can order it on your way out for a 10%-15% discount to pick up at Pioppi’s which is right down the street.
First… the wine.
I tend to like white wines – mostly Pinot Grigio, and occasionally an unoaked or lightly oaked Chardonnay or a Sauvignon Blanc. I have been coerced into drinking a Pinot Noir on occasion. Carol also likes the whites. Jim and John are more into the reds. Cabernet for Jim, and red blends and Merlot for John. Prosecco is a given for everyone, I mean who doesn’t like a little bubbly once in a while?
Some of our favorite whites from the main floor:
On the first floor, there are at least 80 wines and over 7 tables of food samples. The event does get crowded, but not overly so. If one table was crowded, we would just move to one that wasn’t and go back when the line receded. Honestly, there was never more than 6-10 people in line and often the tastings are done in a group.
Fit Vine – $15-20. Made in California wine country. I liked the Pinot Grigio and the Sauvignon Blanc wasn’t too citrusy so I liked that one as well. This is only 8% alcohol compared to the typical 12% or even occasional 20%. These wines contain zero sugar and low sulfites. I will consider purchasing some of these as I am watching carbs.
Tavo Pinot Grigio– I Lauri Bajo Tavo Pinot Grigio -$15-20. This was one of my favorites. Not too citrusy with apples, peaches and pear notes.
Gavi – Tenuta Cel Melo Gavi DOCG – $15-$20. This is an Italian unoaked white wine made in Gavi, Italy which is located between Milan and Genoa. It has a very clean, mineral taste with notes of honey, almond and slight citron. This was the wine that Carol walked away still talking about.
Favorite whites from the Vintner’s Lounge:
Upstairs, in the Vintner Lounge section were another 40+ wines that are considered premium or small production wines, a couple of ports and by the time we got up there the rum table was out. Entertainment in the Vintner’s Lounge was provided on a stage by some singer songwriters and was great background music as we mingled. There were cocktail tables set up throughout this room. Upstairs was much more relaxing than the bustle of the main floor, but for $38, I would have been just as happy with the general entry experience on the main floor.
Duckhorn Chardonnay- $33-40 – Napa Valley. This chardonnay was oaked but not heavily as I don’t like that heavy oak taste.
Flowers Chardonnay- $50-$55 – A medium bodied but not too oaky Chardonnay with hints of honeysuckle and lemon and green apple.
Favorite reds from the main floor:
Josh Reserve bourbon Barrel Zinfandel – California and Oregon – $20-25. Full-bodied, peppery with notes of vanilla and blackberry.
Clos de Los Siete Red Blend – Argentina – $20-25 – Notes of red fruit and a slight spice. (94 points on James Suckling scale). John is a fan of red blends.
Goldschmidt Chelsea Alexander Valley Merlot – Sonoma Valley – $25-$30. Smooth with lots of dark fruits, blackberry, red plum, red currant and Mission fig with some spicey clove.
Favorite reds from the Vintner’s Lounge:
Calera Central Coast Pinot Noir – California’s central coast – $30-$35. This is a Pinot Noir that I can drink as a white wine believer. It was velvety with some deep fruit and spice notes.
Postmark – Paso Robles, CA – $30-35. Cabernet Sauvignon with intense notes of strawberry, cherry and cranberry with some orange and cinnamon spice.
Charles Krug Cabernet Sauvignon – Napa Valley – $40-45. Flavors of black current, blackberry and black currant with hints of cocoa and blueberry. This was Jim’s favorite.
Flowers Pinot Noir – Sonoma Coast – $55-$60. A soft wine with notes of cherry, plum and raspberry with a bit of spice. I found this to be very good.
Sandeman – 20 year port – $60-$65. A complex port wine with hints of apricots, honey, nuts, vanilla and spices.
Next up… the food…
The food was delicious. Plan on grazing. We went out for a late light lunch before so that we were not filling up on wine with an empty stomach. We went to the 5:30-8:30 session and knew we would not want dinner after the event even if we did not eat enough at the expo (which was not a problem). With the number of samples, you could get away without eating prior.
Food samplings from the main floor
For the most part, you get a sample in a small salad dressing to go cup from each table and many had more than one food to sample. Most are located in Plymouth unless otherwise noted. I may not have gotten to every food offering, so there were a few more than I have listed. Here I have provided a link to each place and what the samples were that they each provided.
- 71° West Atlantic Steakhouse – crabcakes
- Mama Mia’s, Mia’s catering – meatballs
- Plimoth General Store – Charcuterie cups (so cute). Anyone who knows me knows I love charcuterie.
- Anna’s Harborside Grille – hummus plate and spanakopita
- Tavern on the Wharf – lobster bisque and clam chowder
- Fireside Grille (Middleboro) – beef stew
- Pretentious Pickle (moved from Plymouth to Pembroke) – pickled yumminess. (no pic)
- Rye Tavern – short ribs and mashed potatoes (no pic)
Food samplings from the Vintner’s Lounge
Two excellent restaurants provided food upstairs. I hear that both of these samples were delicious, but I was too full by that point to have any.
Terrace Rooftop Dining, a new fine dining experience in Plymouth with spectacular views, offered cold potato and leek soup and salmon and cucumber crostinis.
The Artisan Pig, a restaurant that started as a sausage store now sells sandwiches, shareable plates, wood fired pizza, provided some mouthwatering pulled pork that came in a boat with kimchi, sesame seeds and sauce.
Finally… the vendors…
There were also a few vendor tables on the main floor. The Plimoth General Store brought some of their wares as well as charcuterie. The Pretentious Pickle brought jars of pickled everything for purchase.
The Pretentious Pickle was a staple for me and my sisters every time we were in Plymouth, we would go browse in their store. They did just move from their spot in Plymouth to a kitchen in Pembroke where you can order online, or they also do farmer’s markets. They hope to have a retail store again in the near future.
Dune Jewelry had a table and is always a favorite whenever I see them. Dune is a woman owned business that specializes in jewelry that incorporates beach sand into their designs. You can find some made from your favorite local beach or you can bring in sand from any beach, even vacation, and have it put into a piece of jewelry as a keepsake.
Highly recommend!!
The South Shore Food & Wine Expo is something that you should experience if you are a wine lover. Carol got the message that “You belong here”, and so should you!! Pioppi’s begins advertising the event on social media when it is time to purchase tickets, usually the end of November or beginning of December. Be on the lookout for this as it does tend to sell out quickly.
Some information:
South Shore Food and Wine Expo is held at Plymouth’s Memorial Hall 83 Court St. Plymouth, MA. There are two sessions so you can pick the afternoon (1-4pm) or evening session (5:30-8:30pm). Our day drinking days are gone, so we opted for the evening session.
Pioppi’s Package Store runs this event along with craft. and you can pick up any wines you ordered here. It is located down the road from the Memorial Hall at 183 Court St. Plymouth.
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