New York Wine Expo 2013

I attended the sixth annual New York Wine Expo recently at the Javitz Center.  It was a fantastic event with over 500 wines from around the globe, including Europe, the Mediterranean, South American and South Africa.  It can be a little overwhelming with all the different regions and varieties.  However, the sections nicely labeled by region.  One of the wines from South Africa that I tried was produced by The House of Mandela, the family of Nelson Mandela.  It had a pleasant fruity flavor which was not overpowering, which I enjoyed.  See below for more wines that I tasted.  

Everyone knows cheese and wine go together.  The rich and creamy Cambozola Black Label cheeses were a perfect match with the wines that we drank.  My favorite was the truffle flavored cheese.

A pleasant, soft and sweet Riesling by Hosmer.

A regional New York favorite: Ice Wine

Fairway Market & Steak House Cheese and wine Tasting

Thanks to the FeistyFoodie, I had a 3 course meal with a tasting of 6 wines and 9 cheeses at Fairway Market Cafe and Steak house. The head cheesemonger, Steven Jenkins, and the head sommelier, Joshua Wesson, of Fairway Markets gave a great explanation of the different cheese and wines.  We sampled a selection of cow cheeses and sheep cheeses.  The sheep cheese had more complex and sharper flavors while the cow cheeses were more mild in flavor.  I learned that soft cheese have less fat than hard cheeses.  I also sampled a few red and white wines. Chateau La Gironie Monzabillac 2009, a sweet white wine that was very pleasant. My favorite was the sweet and bubbly Saracco 2011 Moscato.  It was so light and refreshing, that I could imagine myself sipping it during the hot summer.