Now that the New Year is here, it’s a great time to plan a few fun things to get us through the cold winter months.  I recommend reveling in some of the area’s wonderful wine festivals. Many events sell out early so be sure to purchase your tickets early.  I will be attending many of these events and new venues to write about them regularly on TASTE TALK, the new Taste of the Seacoast Blog- coming soon. 

Wentworth by the Sea Hotel and Spa located in New Castle, New Hampshire will hold  the fifth annual Winter Wine Festival from January 16 through February 28.  Wentworth Wine Director Michele Duval is the creative force behind this grand celebration of wine, food and song, and she will be continuing many of the festival’s most popular events—Grand Vintner’s Dinners, Flight Nights, and the ever-popular Bubbles & Jazz Brunch—as well as adding a few new ones.  There will be a Composers and their Favorite Wines event, a Chocolate and Port tasting, and a Winter Wine Fair and Sale with New Hampshire State Wine Outlets.

The festival opens with the Grand Tasting Reception from 7:00-9:30 p.m. on Friday, January 16.  The opening reception alone will showcase over 300 wines, with numerous wine experts on hand to help guide you through the world of wine.  Enjoy signature dishes from Seacoast chefs, and dance to the live music of Ben Baldwin and the Big Notes.   www.winterwinefestival.com 603) 422-7322

The Boston Wine Festival—the nation’s longest running wine festival—celebrates its 20th anniversary this year from January 10 through April 3 at the Boston Harbor Hotel.  Legendary chef Daniel Bruce, festival founder and executive chef of the hotel’s award winning restaurant, Meritage, personally samples over 300 wines before choosing the festival’s featured wines. Bruce personally creates individual menus to tailor his cuisine to the unique flavors of each wine.  In twenty years he’s created three thousand recipes and has never repeated a dish, but in honor of the 20th anniversary he will be recreating some favorite dishes!  www.bostonwinefestival.net

The fourth annual Wine Week, hosted by the New Hampshire State Liquor Commission (NHSLC), will be held from January 26-30.  The 2009 Wine Week features a series of special events at New Hampshire State liquor stores throughout the state.  It’s a week filled with celebrity wine makers, in-store tastings, wine seminars, money saving promotions and more.  www.nh.gov/liquor/wineweek

As part of Wine Week, and in collaboration with Easter Seals, the New Hampshire State Liquor Commission presents its annual Winter Wine Spectacular on Thursday, January 29, from 6:00-9:00 p.m. at the Radisson Hotel – Center of New Hampshire, in Manchester.  In its sixth year and always a sellout, this one-night fundraiser is the largest wine tasting north of Boston, with over twelve hundred quality wines to sample and specialty foods from local restaurants and shops. Participate in the silent auction for your chance to win a tower of wine.  A range of ticket prices, offering various tasting opportunities, is available.  www.nh.easterseals.com 888-368-8880

The Boston Wine Expo takes place the weekend of January 23-25 at the Seaport World Trade Center and Seaport Hotel.  This expo is the largest trade and consumer event in the country, with over 450 wineries and 1,800 wines from around the world, ranging from traditional to trendy.  The event is touted as one of the biggest and best of its kind, attracting over 20,000 people from all over the world and resembling a huge cocktail party lasting many hours – you may want to spend the night in the city.  www.wine-expos.com/wine/boston 

For a very special treat, I recommend an overnight at the Ritz Carlton Boston Common Hotel – a modern urban luxury hotel in a magnificent location with dramatic skylines and a view overlooking the commons.  Boston Common is the oldest public park in the country, full of rich history and surrounded by the Massachusetts State House, Beacon Hill, Boston Public Garden, and the Theatre District.  The area also has a great selection of dining options, including the hotel’s JER-NE Restaurant & Bar, serving American classic cuisine and a large selection of delicious award winning martinis.  The hotel’s Club Level is an extra special treat, an oasis – known as a hotel within a hotel—where a concierge attends to your individual needs in a well-appointed, relaxed lounge environment, with continuous culinary offerings throughout the day (breakfast, light snacks, hors d' oeuvres, beverages and sweets).  AND as a guest of the hotel, you are encouraged to work-out at The Sports Club/LA – a 100,000 square foot state of the art fitness complex – a healthy way to maximize your stay.  www.ritzcarlton.com

Another Boston hotel I recommend is The InterContinental.  The hotel opened in November 2006 on the site where the famous Boston Tea Party took place in 1773.   The InterContinental is luxurious, contemporary and very comfortable.   Miel “Brasserie Provencal” the hotel’s signature restaurant, celebrates the flavors of France’s Côte d’Azur region and has an excellent wine list focusing on French wines.  Begin your meal with a glass (or bottle) of Perrier Jouet La Belle Epoque Rosé NV – Champagne.  Before dining, I suggest enjoying a raspberry martini at RumBa rum and champagne bar, located in the center of the lobby.  Made with fresh raspberries, these martinis are amazingly delicious!   Speaking of indulging in fresh ingredients, consider booking a treatment (or two) at the hotel’s Spa Intercontinental.  Enjoy! www.intercontinentalboston.com