North End Wine Tour

We were recently invited by City Wine Tours on their North End Wine Tour where we joined about ten fellow wine enthusiasts for a fun, informative, highly-recommended afternoon in this historic and iconic part of our city.  We began at Aragosta, with it's sweeping waterfront views.  The theme, of course, was Italian wines and our tour guide and wine ambassador, Roz Angoff, could not have been more helpful or enthusiastic.  We started off by being handed some great regional wine maps of Italy along with an aroma chart, food pairing suggestions and other tidbits for the novice and connoisseur.  After being shown the proper way to open a bottle of sparkling wine (twist the bottle, not the cork) we began our first sips.  Aroma, intensity, acidity and balance were all discussed.

We sipped the house Prosecco while tasting a tray of cheeses and fruits and getting to know others in the group.  There were couples, singles and, yes, even families.

The weather could not have been more cooperative as we strolled to different destinations, all within easy walking distance, enjoying the unique architecture and culture of the North End.

Our next stop was Gennaro's at 5 North Square, with it's quintessential Italian-American feel.  We sat on the second floor, overlooking the park.  We wondered why we don't stroll the North End more often, filled with such beautiful, little spots were residents and visitors actually take the time to just sit and enjoy life.  The cheeses, breads and cured meats were excellent, as were the wines, needless to say.

Our last stop was The Wine Bottega where host Ryan Millian gave us a plethora of wine insight.  We delved into the use of sulfites and the process of winemaking.  It was very enlightening.  Wine Bottega hosts weekly wine tastings that would well be worth a trip.

City Wine Tours also hosts South End, Back Bay and Harvard Square tours and if our tour was any indication of the quality then each is a wonderful way to spend a weekend afternoon.

Here's a special offer that City Wine Tours is making exclusively to TBF readers:  City Wine Tours hosts weekend wine tasting tours in several Boston neighborhoods, plans corporate and private events, and encourages learned debauchery. Visit us on: www.citywinetours.com, Facebook or Twitter. The Boston Foodie readers can take advantage of an exclusive offer to receive 15% off any City Wine Tour in Boston, using discount code, “BostonFoodieCWT”.