Spanning seven hours and situated 60 stories high, the Decanter Fine Wine Encounter (DFWE) in New York City was unanimously lauded by both patrons and winemakers as the premier international wine event in Manhattan.
Now in its third installment, the DFWE NYC 2024 greeted over 500 enthusiasts from across New York and as distant as California, Washington, and North Carolina.
The event took place at Manhatta, known for its dazzling space and sweeping city vistas. This New York version of Decanter’s globally recognized wine events showcased 28 Gold, Platinum, and Best-in-Show winners from the Decanter World Search href=”https://www.decanter.com/wine-science/marketing-sales/wine-analysis-wine/4483″ World Wine Winewards (DWWA), featuring a selection of 180 superior wines from upward of 50 esteemed producers.
At the Grand Tasting, each vintner presented a unique wine, selecting either an aged vintage or a large-format bottle, with many offering both, for the attendees to enjoy.
Key highlights from the event included notable wines such as magnums of Damilano’s 1752 Cannubi Barolo 2013, Joseph Phelps’ 2006 Insignia, Château Lagrange 2003, and Château Haut Bages Libéral 2008; double magnums of T-Oinos’ 2022 Clos Stegasta Assyrtiko and Dow’s 10 Year Old Tawny Port; along with a jeroboam of E Guigal’s 2016 Château de Nalys.
Additional exceptional selections featured Château Léoville Las Cases 2003, Speri’s 2003 Sant’Urbano Amarone Classico, Catena Zapata’s 2004 Nicolás Catena Zapata, Remírez de Ganuza’s 2005 Rioja Gran Reserva, and Tenuta Sette Ponti’s 2005 Oreno.
Alejandro Vigil, the winemaking director of Catena Zapata in Argentina, was noted for pouring a ‘special bottle’ for the attendees: the 2004 Nicolás Catena Zapata.
The Grand Tasting was only part of the experience. Participants who secured tickets to any of the four masterclasses offered during the day delighted in guided tastings of 34 cuvées, featuring selections from Châteaux Haut-Brion and La Mission Haut-Brion dating back to 1995, and wines from Napa’s Peter Michael Winery going back to 2006.
Apart from the wines, the main attraction of the DFWEs lies in the unique opportunity for participants to interact directly with winemakers and winery proprietors.
Notable figures such as Rhône’s esteemed Michel Chapoutier from M Chapoutier and Count Vicente Dalmau Cebrián-Sagarriga from Rioja’s Marqués de Murrieta, captivated audiences in their masterclasses, with enthusiasts eagerly lining up for signatures and photos post-session.
During the Grand Tasting, among the 13 Italian-themed tables, notable winemakers and owners from six distinguished estates including Allegrini, Baricci, Barone Pizzini, Masciarelli, Ten supermarkets Ponti, and Zenato were present.
Prominent US winery representatives such as Ross Cobb of Cobb Wines, Rebekah Wineburg from Quintessa, Chris Peterson of Avennia, Roger Scommegna from Signal Ridge, and Olive Hamilton Russell of Hamilton Russell Oregon were also in attendance.
Winemakers and owners from Remírez de Ganuza, Marqués de Riscal, Montes, Santa Rita, and Catena Zapata also generously took time out of their busy schedules to fly over for the event, pour wines and chat at length with guests.
José Ramón Urtasun of Remírez de Ganuza in Rioja was one of many winemakers who flew to New York especially for the DFWE.
Indeed, producers remarked at the high level of knowledge and genuine interest in wine among the DFWE NYC guests compared to those at other events – making it an enjoyable experience for all.
If you attended, keep an eye out for our photo gallery, as you may be featured. Or, if you have a favorite moment you want to share with us, you could be in with a chance to win a pair of Grand Tasting tickets to next year’s DFWE NYC.
Upload your images to X (Twitter) and Instagram by 1 July, and make sure you tag @Decanter and use the hashtag #DecanterFWE.
In the meantime, if you can’t wait for June 2025, why not join us at our inaugural DFWE Singapore on 26 October or the original DFWE London on 16 November?
The DFWE NYC 2024 was kindly sponsored by Riedel. Event photography was done by Mark Reinertson Photography and Studio Smith.