Hotel Viking’s second annual Viking Wine Festival kicks off Jan. 28 with a look back at the featured wines from the inaugural event in 2016 and more. Last year, the five-dinner series showcased vintages from Donelan Family Wines, Page Wine Cellars, JUSTIN Wines, Opus One Winery and Frog’s Leap Winery.
Building on the success of the inaugural series, the 2017 Viking Wine Festival comprises seven winemaker-hosted dinners in addition to the grand opening reception. This year, winemakers from vineyards in Sonoma, Calif., Napa, Calif., Washington, South Africa, Italy and Germany’s Mosel Valley will collaborate with Hotel Viking Chef Barry Correia to create four-course prix-fixe menus. In keeping with the festival’s longtime protocol, Chef Correia will taste each wine before creating a menu to complement its flavor profiles while showcasing the products of local purveyors.
The Viking Wine Festival is modeled after the long-running Boston Wine Festival. Established by Boston Harbor Hotel’s Chef Daniel Bruce in 1989, the Boston Wine Festival has grown to include dozens of events including dinners, seminars, brunches and receptions, and holds the honor of being the nation’s longest running food and wine festival. Many of the winemakers participating in the Boston event will also host dinners at the Viking Wine Festival.
The 2017 Viking Wine Festival schedule is:
Jan. 28
Grand Opening Reception
A celebration of wines from the 2016 Viking Wine Festival with tastings of what’s to come in 2017, including up-and-coming wines from each distributor
Feb. 14
Host: Matt Hobbs
Winery: Paul Hobbs Winery
Location: Sonoma, Calif.
Feb. 11
Host: Giovanni Pasquero
Winery: Paitin Estate
Location: Piedmont, Italy
Feb. 18
Host: Christophe Hedges
Winery: Hedges Family Estate
Location: Red Mountain, Washington
March 4
Host: Sean Larkin
Winery: Larkin Wines
Location: Napa, Calif.
March 11
Host: Raimund Prüm
Winery: S.A. Prüm
Location: Mosel Valley, Germany
March 18
Host: Joe Anderson
Winery: Benovia
Location: Sonoma, Calif.
March 25
Host: Gary and Kathy Jordan
Winery: Jardin/Jordan Wine Estate
Location: Stellenbosch, South Africa
The 2017 Viking Wine Festival runs through March 25. Priced at $119 per person, including tax and gratuity, each dinner starts at 7 p.m. To pre-purchase tickets, visit www.vikingwinefestival.com. For information or to make a reservation, call 401-848-4813 or email dine@hotelviking.com.