Contributed by Rick Fisher from
Bodega: Adventures in Spanish Food & Wine

Everyone remembers their first time – your first kiss; the first car you owned; or the first time you travelled on an airplane. Maybe it was your first taste of a Château Lafite Rothschild or Vega Sicilia. I now have more to add to this list. I recently was fortunate enough to attend the 3rd Annual NY Wine Expo in New York City (many thanks to Rob at VinVillage, who was a sponsor of the Expo). The three-day event boasted over 170 producers pouring more than 600 wines. It was here that a series of firsts occurred for me – I tried wines from Greece, Hungary, Brazil, New Zealand, New York, and Connecticut. Yes, Connecticut! Quite a list of firsts if I do say so myself.

My anticipation built as I crossed the length of the humongous Jarvits Convention Center to the registration area where my tickets sat at will-call. My brisk walk almost turned into a run as I wondered if I would be able to get a good representation of the "World of Wine" in just four hours. After my previous three days of wine tastings I had already resorted to the fact that I would be relegated to only sample the overwhelming wares available in the convention center. A number of thoughts crossed my mind. Do I make this trip to New York City the Spanish wine end all trip or do I venture outside the Iberian Peninsula and treat my palate to an array of wines and varietals to which it is unfamiliar? Well, if it is not obvious by now I opted for the second; but I was treated to a number of new Spanish wines as well!

Passing through the entrance to the Expo I was absolutely taken aback by the sheer volume of producers and wines that lay before me. Yielding to familiarity I migrated to the Manchuela producers from Spain, many of whom I had met the day before. Next came a number of wines from La Mancha. This region has traditionally been known as one where bulk wine sales dominated the landscape but it is now producing some very nice wines that stand on their own. You would think I would have been tired of Spanish wines. Just an FYI – I will never tire of Spanish wines! It was then off to the rest of the world of wine. I must admit my biggest and most welcome surprise were the wines from Greece. I have never heard much of these wines but what I had heard was not favorable. I tasted a number of wines from the more than 25 Greek wine producers and found some absolutely wonderful wines. Light, crisp, and refreshing whites and bold and complex reds lined the tables. If you have never tried a Greek wine or it has been years, I would highly recommend seeking some out (I especially enjoyed the white wines).

The next couple of hours consisted of my weaving in an and out of the Iberian Peninsula, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, South America, North America, and New Zealand. All this travel and no jetlag – only a little buzz from all the great wine! Next to Greece I would have to say that my biggest surprises were the wines from New Zealand (up until 40 years ago they were legally prohibited from selling wine with food!) and New York. The climate of the Northeast U.S. makes from some wonderful white wines; and, like many, I would never (until now) go to the store seeking a wine from New York. Fortunately, the opportunity presented itself and I was, once again, pleasantly surprised. All in all, this was a tremendous experience. Should you ever have the opportunity to attend an event like the Wine Expo it is well worth the time and money. Not sure where to find the next event near you? Check out the VinVillage site – they are constantly updating new events around the country. 

Remember one thing: Life is short. Drink great wine!

Rick Fisher is an independent Spanish wine & food journalist for "CataVino", author and publisher of the blog "Bodega: Adventures in Spanish Food & Wine" and also a blog contributor on VinVillage.com.