New York Wine Experience

About The New York Wine Experience

Wine Spectator’s New York Wine Experience stands as the world’s premier wine event, bringing together wine lovers, acclaimed winemakers, master sommeliers, celebrated chefs, and industry leaders for three extraordinary days of wine celebration in the heart of New York City. Now in its 45th year, this legendary event combines world-class wine tasting with education, philanthropy, and the unique power of wine to unite people across cultures and backgrounds.

Over the course of one unforgettable weekend each October, more than 4,000 attendees taste hundreds of the world’s finest wines—all rated 90 points or higher by Wine Spectator editors, with over 90 wines scoring 95+ points. But the New York Wine Experience offers far more than exceptional wine: it’s a celebration of the artistry, passion, and dedication that goes into every bottle, and a chance to connect with the vintners, winemakers, and wine personalities behind the wines we love.

What Makes The New York Wine Experience Special

World-Class Wine Selection

The New York Wine Experience showcases only the finest wines from around the globe. Every wine poured has been rated 90 points or higher by Wine Spectator’s expert tasting panel, ensuring attendees experience truly exceptional quality. The 2025 event featured:

• 353 different wines poured from 21,588 bottles
• 265 wines at the Critics’ Choice Grand Tastings
• More than 90 wines rated 95 points or higher
• Rare older vintages and library selections
• Top-scoring wines from around the world
• Wine Spectator’s annual Wine of the Year
• 62,232 glasses poured over three days

Meet The Winemakers

Unlike typical wine tastings where staff pour wines, every winery at the New York Wine Experience is represented by the actual winemaker, owner, or family member. This creates extraordinary opportunities to learn directly from the passionate individuals behind the wines, understand their winemaking philosophy, and hear the stories that make each bottle special.

Recent years have featured wine legends including Angelo Gaja and his children from Barbaresco, Véronique Drouhin from Oregon and Burgundy, Michel Chapoutier from the Rhône Valley, and hundreds of other acclaimed vintners who generously donate their time and wines to support wine education.

Educational Seminars & Tastings

The weekend features 18 different tasting seminars and presentations led by renowned winemakers and Wine Spectator editors. These intimate educational sessions dive deep into specific regions, varietals, and wine styles, offering unprecedented learning opportunities. Recent seminars have explored:

• Burgundy terroir and single-vineyard expressions
• Brunello di Montalcino aging and quality
• Hermitage and Rhône Valley complexity
• Bordeaux classified growth comparisons
• Wine of the Year showcase and tasting
• Restaurant Grand Award winners’ selections
• Celebrity vintner presentations
• Chef & wine pairing challenges

Charitable Mission

What truly distinguishes the New York Wine Experience is its philanthropic foundation. All net proceeds from the event benefit the Wine Spectator Scholarship Foundation, which has raised over $40 million to support aspiring wine and hospitality professionals. This generosity is made possible by vintners who donate all wines poured during the weekend—a remarkable gift that demonstrates the wine community’s commitment to nurturing the next generation.

The 2025 New York Wine Experience Highlights

The annual New York Wine Experience, held in October, 2026, at the New York Marriott Marquis in Times Square, demonstrated wine’s extraordinary power to unite people in divided times. Over 4,000 guests gathered to celebrate wine, friendship, and the shared passion that brings wine lovers together from around the globe.

Critics’ Choice Grand Tastings

Two evening Grand Tastings opened the weekend, offering attendees the chance to explore more than 265 wines—all rated 90 points or higher, with over 90 wines scoring 95+ points. Wine enthusiasts approached the tastings with varied strategies: some arrived with detailed, color-coded floor plans marking scores next to each winery, others focused on specific regions for a “tour de Bordeaux” or “giro di Barolo,” while some simply wandered from row to row discovering new favorites.

The Grand Tastings created a family affair for many attendees. Jennifer Milheim of Newtown, Pennsylvania, brought her 21-year-old daughter Emily and her friend to their first Grand Tasting after hearing rave reviews from her sister, wanting “to enjoy all these amazing wines as a family.”

Memorable Wines & Moments

Among the weekend’s most remarkable moments came when Château Cheval Blanc general director Pierre-Olivier Clouet poured nearly 10 cases of the estate’s 2009 vintage (rated 98 points) for over 1,000 guests. Rather than accept their gratitude, Clouet thanked the audience: “You can produce the best wine in the world, but if there is nobody to open the bottle to enjoy the wine and to share it with passionate people, we would not exist anymore.”

This sentiment captured the essence of the New York Wine Experience—wine exists to be shared, to create connections, and to bring joy to those who appreciate it.

Learning From Wine Legends

The weekend’s educational seminars featured remarkable presentations from wine world luminaries:

Michel Chapoutier conducted a fascinating terroir experiment, presenting two whites and two reds—whites both made from Marsanne, reds from Syrah, grown on Hermitage hill in the same vintage, all made by Chapoutier. The only difference was which parcel on the hillside they came from. Despite identical grapes, vintage, and winemaking, each wine expressed gorgeously different characteristics, proving wine’s dependence on place.

Johann Rupert, South African chairman of luxury goods firm Richemont and head of Anthonij Rupert Wines, reminded attendees why people dedicate their lives to wine: “When you get into the wine business, you’re crazy. My father explained to me: Wine is a lifestyle, it’s not a business.”

Angelo Gaja and all three of his children—Gaia, Rossana, and Giovanni—poured their Barbaresco wines, with Giovanni eloquently expressing: “Wine educates us to beauty and, most importantly, wine unites… When you open a beautiful bottle of wine, you open it surrounded by the people that you love, that you care about—you create memories together.”

Celebrating Excellence

The 2025 Wine Experience honored exceptional achievements in wine:

• 2024 Wine of the Year: Viña Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon Puente Alto Vineyard 2021
• 2024 Wine Value of the Year: Seghesio Zinfandel Sonoma County 2022
• New Grand Award Winners: Le Bon Georges (Paris), Selby’s (Atherton, California), and Soby’s (Greenville, South Carolina)

Enrique Tirado, winemaker at Don Melchor, captured the spirit perfectly: “This is a great celebration of wine and the people who dedicate their lives to it.”

The Annual Chefs’ Challenge

One of the weekend’s liveliest events, the Chefs’ Challenge featured culinary legends José Andrés, Eric Ripert, Emeril Lagasse, and Danny Meyer matching wine-pairing skills with Wine Spectator’s Bruce Sanderson. Each chef presented a dish, and both Sanderson and a chef selected wines to pair with it. The audience voted on which pairing worked best after extensive—and raucously entertaining—debate on stage.

Beyond the humor and friendly competition, the seminar beautifully demonstrated that wine reveals its best qualities when paired with exceptional food and enjoyed in the company of friends.

Wine Spectator Scholarship Foundation

The New York Wine Experience exists to support the Wine Spectator Scholarship Foundation, which has raised over $40 million for scholarships and grants benefiting those aspiring to careers in the hospitality and wine industries.

Foundation Beneficiaries Include:

• Napa Valley College (Wine Spectator Wine Education Center opened September 2025)
• University of California at Davis School of Viticulture & Enology
• The Roots Foundation
• Sonoma State University’s Wine Business Institute
• Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration
• Florida International University’s Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management
• The Culinary Institute of America
• World Central Kitchen
• Numerous other wine and hospitality education programs

Creating Future Wine Leaders

The foundation’s impact extends beyond financial support—it creates opportunities for aspiring winemakers to achieve their dreams. Multiple scholarship winners have gone on to become acclaimed winemakers, including:

• Rebekah Wineburg (Quintessa)
• Michael Silacci (Opus One)
• Elizabeth Vianna (Chimney Rock)
• Jeff Mangahas (Williams Selyem)

Many of these scholarship recipients returned to present their wines at the Wine Experience, demonstrating the foundation’s profound impact on the wine industry.

What To Expect At The New York Wine Experience

Thursday & Friday Evenings: Critics’ Choice Grand Tastings

Two grand tasting sessions in expansive ballrooms featuring 265+ wines rated 90+ points by Wine Spectator. Each winery is staffed by winemakers or owners ready to share their stories and pour their finest wines. Expect incredible wine diversity, from Burgundy and Bordeaux to Napa Cabernet, Barolo, Champagne, and wines from emerging regions worldwide.

Friday & Saturday: Tasting Seminars

Eighteen educational seminars and presentations throughout the day, each featuring 1,000-person audiences tasting exceptional wines while learning from renowned winemakers and Wine Spectator editors. Sessions typically showcase 8-12 wines, often including rare library vintages and top-scoring releases.

Special Events

• Napa Valley Vintners Luncheon: Hosted by leading Napa Valley producers
• Chilean Wine Luncheon: Showcasing Chile’s finest estates
• Champagne & Whisky Reception: Sunday afternoon celebration featuring sparkling wines, premium whiskeys, and cuisine from New York’s top restaurants
• Chefs’ Challenge: Celebrity chefs compete in wine pairing showdown
• Restaurant Awards Ceremony: Honoring new Grand Award winners

Why Wine Brings Us Together

Anthropologists have long debated why humans evolved to metabolize alcohol and continue drinking it despite risks. One compelling theory suggests that, because humans are earth’s most social creatures—having grown from families to tribes to nations of millions in just 10,000 years—alcohol facilitated social interaction, allowing us to build connections across divides.

Wine has been the punch bowl at the party we call society, and the New York Wine Experience proves this theory every year. Even in our modern lives dominated by screens and digital interactions, wine retains its extraordinary power to bring us face-to-face, talking about shared joys and sorrows over something beautiful in a glass.

As veteran consulting winemaker Bob Betz observed: “As good as the wines are, it’s about the people and talking to them and learning so much from them. I love coming here.”

Planning Your Visit

Event Details

Dates: October 22-24, 2026 (annual October weekend)

Location: New York Marriott Marquis, 1535 Broadway, Times Square, New York, NY 10036

Tickets: Available through Wine Spectator (typically sell out months in advance)

What’s Included:

• Access to Critics’ Choice Grand Tastings (Thursday and/or Friday evening)
• Tasting seminars (Friday and/or Saturday)
• Special luncheons and receptions (varies by ticket package)
• All wines, tasting glasses, and event materials

What To Bring

• Comfortable shoes (you’ll be standing and walking extensively)
• Notebook or phone for taking notes on favorite wines
• Business cards for networking
• Layers (ballroom temperatures vary)
• Appetite for adventure and learning

Tips For First-Time Attendees

• Study the floor plan: Review winery locations in advance and prioritize must-visit booths
• Pace yourself: With 265+ wines available, you can’t taste everything—focus on quality over quantity
• Use dump buckets: Provided at every station—you’re not expected to finish every pour
• Ask questions: Winemakers love sharing their passion—this is your chance to learn from legends
• Take notes: You’ll taste dozens of wines—document favorites to remember later
• Network: You’re surrounded by wine professionals and enthusiasts—make connections
• Attend seminars: Educational sessions provide context and deeper understanding
• Stay hydrated: Drink water between tastings
• Eat: Food is available—don’t taste wine on an empty stomach

Getting There

The New York Marriott Marquis is located in the heart of Times Square, easily accessible by:

• Subway: Multiple lines serve Times Square (N, Q, R, W, S, 1, 2, 3, 7)
• Taxi/Rideshare: Drop-off at Broadway and 45th Street
• Walking: If staying nearby in Midtown Manhattan

Where To Stay

Book accommodations early—the event attracts 4,000+ attendees and coincides with peak New York tourism season. Consider:

• New York Marriott Marquis (event hotel, most convenient)
• Times Square area hotels (walking distance)
• Midtown Manhattan hotels (subway accessible)

The Power of Wine To Unite

The New York Wine Experience continues to demonstrate year after year that wine possesses a unique power to transcend differences and bring people together. In a world increasingly divided, this three-day celebration reminds us that shared appreciation for beauty, craftsmanship, and human connection can unite us across cultures, languages, and backgrounds.

Whether you’re a seasoned wine collector, an industry professional, or someone simply curious about wine, the New York Wine Experience welcomes you to join thousands of others in celebrating the extraordinary liquid that has brought humans together for millennia.

As Giovanni Gaja so eloquently expressed: “Wine educates us to beauty and, most importantly, wine unites… When you open a beautiful bottle of wine, you open it surrounded by the people that you love, that you care about—you create memories together.”

The annual New York Wine Experience awaits in October, 2026. Will you be there to create wine memories together?

Related Resources

Wine Tasting Guides – Explore wine regions worldwide

New York Food & Wine Festival – Another major NYC wine event

Napa Valley Wine Tasting – Visit America’s premier wine region

Wine Club Reviews – Bring world-class wines home year-round

Individual Wine Reviews – Tasting notes for specific wines