In the “better late than never” category, readers, here’s a quick recap of our annual afternoon of debauchery — otherwise known as Smith & Wollensky’s National Wine Week, which took place March 11-15 at their Atlantic Wharf location in Boston.

As Wine Gal pointed out in her September 2012 guest post here, S&W hosts this event twice a year and offers 10 glasses of wine for $10 with the purchase of a lunch entrée.  These events have definitely caught on with the public over the years.  I remember the good old days, back at S&W’s Castle location, when it seemed Wine Gal and I were the only imbibers (with the full attention of the sommelier).  No longer.  The restaurant was packed with enthusiastic wine fans, causing us to rethink our strategy for how we approach the event.  More on that later.

S&W offers four whites and six reds from a selection that changes daily.  We kicked off the weekend with a Friday lunch and tasting.  Wine Gal and I were joined by Wine Week regular Bella Brilla, and once food orders were placed, away we went with the whites.  (Note: all bottle prices below are approximate.)

The Whites.

First up was a respectable G.H. Mumm “Cordon Rouge” Brut.  It’s always fun to kick off any festivity with an easy-to-drink sparkler and this one fit the bill.  Our group enjoyed the Mumm (the term “breakfast wine” crossed Wine Gal’s lips) but we decided we wouldn’t recommend this for a fancy event.  $40.00

Next came the Ferrari-Carano Fume Blanc.  The wine was a pale yellow in the glass with great notes of melon, grapefruit and pineapple.  I’d recommend this for a warm evening on the patio and was one of the group favorites of the afternoon.  $15.00

After that was the Smith & Wollensky “Private Reserve” Sauvignon Blanc.  We found this to be a classic Sauvignon Blanc – crisp, acidic with a nice long finish.  $24.99

Finally, rounding out the white selection, was the Ferrari-Carano “Tre Terre” Chardonnay.  This was a classic California representation of the grape – big and buttery.  We had a difference of opinion between WG, who thought the wine was overly oaky, and BB, who said “sign me up!”  If I were the tie breaking vote, I’d recommend this for any friends who are fans of the big CA chard.  (I’m looking at you, Chardonnista and AWD#4!) $30.00

With the whites out of the way, we were ready to settle into the shank of the afternoon with our reds.

We started first with La Crema’s Pinot Noir (which incidentally is often carried by the Costco liquor store).  I’ll be the first to admit that Pinot Noirs often leave me flat.  I find many of them bland and tasteless, but I enjoyed this beauty.  It was a gorgeous garnet red in the glass with rich Pinot characteristics and a long finish.  $38.99 (maybe less at Costco?)

Following that was a Swanson Merlot.  Wine Gal and I have fond memories of a magical tasting at the Swanson winery in Napa years ago, so we’re always positively inclined towards their wines.  A great, full-bodied Merlot that we longed for as we moved on to some of the (IMHO) lesser reds.  $26.99

Next was another Ferrari-Carano wine (as you can tell, FC was well-represented at this event!), their “Tresor.”  Tresor is a Bordeaux-style wine with Cabernet Sauvignon as its principal grape, alongside Malbec, Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc.  BB, who knows her way around a Bordeaux, summed it up as “fine.”  But at a $58.00 price point, I’m looking for more than “fine.”

Heading into the home stretch was another Smith & Wollensky wine, this time their “Private Reserve” Meritage, produced by the Kunde family in California.  I love yummy Meritage blends and this one (a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec) was big and tannic.  Unsure of bottle price, available by the glass at S&W for $19.00.

The final two reds presented us with a mini “battle of the Cabs.”  First up was a Robert Craig “Affinity” Cabernet Sauvignon, a bold dark red in the glass ($50.00), followed by an Arrowood Cabernet Sauvignon, likewise bold but with milder tannins ($35.00).

Now, about our new approach to this bi-annual event.  Wine Gal, BB and I are thinking we may grab bar seats for the September tasting.  We found this year’s pours to be on the scanty side – so our new strategy is to sidle up to someone behind the bar who knows how to pour a drink!