**Disclosure: My husband and I were recently invited by City Wine Tours to join them on a complimentary North End Wine Tour. All opinions expressed here are strictly my own and were not influenced in any way*
One of my favorite places in the world to be is the North End of Boston. Coming from a large Italian family myself, I have so many fond memories of taking the train into the city with my Grandparents to get fresh ingredients to cook with. As I got older, I truly enjoy the amazing tastes that I find in the North End. Aside from my mother’s cooking, the North End has the best Italian food around. And seriously, what is a great meal without a nice glass of wine (or three) to accompany it?
Other than knowing I like it, admittedly, I am not much of a wine connoisseur. That’s why I was really excited when I recently had a chance to go on a North End Wine Tour through City Wine Tours.
Wine tour you ask? Now that I have piqued your curiosity, let me tell you more.
During each wine tour, you will be met by an extremely knowledgeable wine ambassador, who will take you around to three hot spots (in my case it was the North End). At each stop, you will get a chance to sample two wines (six in total) and try several food pairings at a reserved table – with wait staff standing by, ready to serve! What’s even better is that each tour is limited to 12 guests, so it’s like your own private wine tasting!
Each North End Wine Tour begins at Aragosta at the Fairmont Battery Wharf, which is right along the waterfront. The views there were absolutely gorgeous.
We met up with our tour guide, Joanne, who talked to us about things like the difference between Prosecco and classic Champagne and even the proper way to hold the wine glass as we snacked from the cheese platter that we were served.
Fun fact: the smaller the bubbles, the higher the quality.
Our second stop of the day was Artu Rosticeria & Trattoria. We got the chance to try two more delicious Italian varietals that were paired with some wonderful Northern Italian foods. While we were there, we talked about the different wine regions in Italy.
Our third and final stop of the day was Boston Bottles. One of the employees there talked a bit about the different wines they sell there – and how they decide which ones they choose to see. The owner personally tries every wine they sell and it’s all the wines that he likes and wants to drink!
The North End Wine Tours always start at Aragosta, but alternate second and third stops may vary. Instead of Artu’s, you may find yourself at Gennaro’s 5 North Square and for the last stop on the tour you may end up at Wine Bottega instead of Boston Bottles.
City Wine Tours also hosts South End, Back Bay and Harvard Square wine tours. The North End Wine Tour was fantastic, so I am sure that the other tours are equally as wonderful. I can’t wait to go on the other tours myself.
In case you’re wondering, each tour is $66 (per person). The tour lasts about two hours and don’t worry, there is no more than about a half mile of walking on the tour. We were blessed with some lovely spring weather the day we went, but the tours are held rain or shine, so if the forecast calls for some sprinkles, bring your umbrella.
City Wine Tours believes that learning about wine should be as much fun as drinking it! On their walking tours in Boston and NYC, you’ll go to the heart of a neighborhood, sample delicious wines, taste contemporary cuisine and discover great restaurants and wine shops. Get $10 off your next City Wine Tours purchase by using coupon code “MassholeMommy” through 4/30/15. For more information, visit: www.citywinetours.com
I bet you guys had fun touring the winery and taste all the wine. I would love to do that one day.
Might have to check out the NYC soon 😉
Me too!! This look like an amazing tour!
This is fabulous fun – I’ve done this and so enjoyed – Are you ready to make it a semi-annual event checking out different tours? 🙂
Oh that looks like so much fun! My husband and I have to do something like this sometime. We need adult time and wine tasting is such a fun way to spend that time.
I would love to do this with my husband too. It is a great learning experience
I am preparing my summer travels and including a stop here! Glad you guys were able to enjoy it
I haven’t been on a wine tour in so long, but I’d love to take another one. They’re such a good time.
I’ve always wanted to go to a wine tasting because wine is the only alcohol that I enjoy. It looks like a wonderful time.
We love going on wine tours. Well, we did when I could drink it. Now my Hubs and Daughter enjoy it.
I’ve never been on a wine tour. It looks like fun!
I haven’t been on one in years! It’s such a neat experience seeing where your wine is made.
I have never been to any of this type of event. It must be fun! O just recently started to drink wine, hubby and I buy a bottle every once in a while.
I know nothing about wine but I still enjoy visiting vineyards and doing tastings. But then, I enjoy Scotch tastings, too. And tequila … LOL
I have never been to a Scotch tasting. That is next on my list.
When I first started going to wine tasting I knew nothing about it but I found the people at the vineyards where very patient and loved answering questions.
I’m honestly not much of a wine drinker, but I have a best friend that prefers it over beer. He also enjoys going on wine tours, so this would totally be up his alley! 🙂
Looks like you had a wonderful time! I love wine tours as one can always learn something new!
What an incredible looking wine tour. It looks like you two really enjoyed yourselves.
My husband has recently started to enjoy learning about wine in the past couple of years. He would love that tour, I’m sure!!
I’m just starting to be able to pick out the different notes in wine. It’s fun to learn about it.
I love visiting Boston. When visiting two years ago, we had lunch and cannolis in the North End before walking the Freedom Trail. I also don’t know much about wine, so the wine tour sounds like a lot of fun and a great way to explore Boston.
I love win tours they area so much fun to go on!! Looks like this was a great one to take!
It looks like you guys had a great time. My other half and I love to visit vineyards when we travel, we’ve never had food at any yet, we need to do that next time!
Oh the ones with food pairings are so much fun. Especially chocolates and cheeses!
Oh so fun! I love going on wine tasting tours and events. I have been planning my list for this year. Now that the sun is out and the roads are clear, its time to head out and about.
I love the North End! It’s one of my favorite places to visit. It’s been a long time and I think we’re overdue for a weekend. We’ll definitely be checking out a wine tour from North End Wine Tours at that price!
haven’t been to the North End but pretty much interested to go there :)..looks like a lovely wine tour you have 🙂
That is truly a fun fact to know because I did not know that. I’ve also never been on a wine tour and would love to attend one some day.
I have never been on a wine tour but I have always wanted too! I went to the Bacardi Factory in PR and I loved it! I am a wine/rum girl so now all I need is to go to a winery and i’ll be set! I need to visit this place, it’s on my bucket list! Thanks!
Wine tours are the best! We did one for my last birthday & had a blast! Need to do one again sometime soon!
I have never been on a wine tour. Definitely sounds like a great experience.
I was raised in Europe so we enjoyed wine with most of our major meals. It is great to sample different kinds this way.
Looks like a great time. I did a wine tour on my honeymoon and haven’t been since. I didn’t know about the bubbles.
Love the North End. The best foods! Looks like you guys had a great time.
I LOVE wine tasting! I have never been on a wine tour but the next chance I get I am so going!
A wine tour sound so romantic! I’d love to do something like this with my husband.
This sounds like such a fun way to hang out with friends or have a nice date. My BIL is originally from Boston and travels home often…I will recommend this to him!
Amanda
http://www.queenofthelandoftwigsnberries.com
Ooh i loved visiting my gf in boston and going to north end! 🙂 The italian food there is so good! This wine walk looks lovely too.
Sounds like a really fun experience! Wine tasting has always been a relaxing and enjoyable experience for us. Thanks for sharing about this particular tour!
I’m not a wine expert, nor a drinker. Despite that I can tell it was an experience worth sharing.
That’s a great way to discover new wines and new places to eat in the city. What a fun thing to do!
Our downtown did one of these walking wine tours last fall and I missed it. I hope they do it again because it looks like a lot of fun!
I’m a wine person. Wine can really make you enjoy food better. I would want to try a similar tour like this.
It sounds like you had an amazing time indeed. I would so love to go on a wine tour some day. It is on my bucket list for sure. Thanks so much for sharing.
I love wine tours, actually I love wine. This tour sounds like it would be a fun day for girlfriends or couples. I want to go cook and drink now 🙂
That looks like so much fun and educational, too!
That must have been a blast tasting those fabulous wines! Glad you had nice weather for it. 🙂
I enjoy a good wine tasting tour for sure. I took one recently in St. Augustine.
I have never been on a wine tour and would love to do. The places you stopped sound like great places.
Wine tours are a lot of fun. I’ve been on one and enjoyed it a lot. 🙂
A neat technique and somethimg fun and different to do
I love to go wine tasting. We did a lot of that on our trip to Napa. This place reminds me of our trip, looks very nice.
How fun! I don’t drink but I’ve always wanted to go on a wine tour. It looks like you had lots of fun! Loved your photos on IG from it too:)
So while my hubby and I are from the wine country of the bay area we have actually never gone on a formal wine tour like the one you took with North End Wine Tour. We usually traipse on our own. But I think we’ll look into that now. What an experience that would be!
I’ve never been on a wine tour. This sounds like it would be a fantastic tour to try!
No fair you were able to go on this wine tour and not invite me. I miss our first trip out to Napa Valley b/f kids.
That would be so much fun to do with my husband. I love going to things like this where the major attraction is just strolling around with each other.
This is my kind of tour. I would totally do this.
I haven’t found a wine I like, yet, but that doesn’t stop me from trying new ones! A walking tour of Boston wine sounds like a great way to spend some time.
That looks like a blast. My husband and I just moved down to Florida. I haven’t heard of any wineries around here, but we are looking forward to touring some orchards. It’s so romantical!
I would love to do a wine tour. It sounds like a lot of fun and what a great way to sample different wines to see what you like without getting stuck with a whole bottle!
This sounds so fun! It really would make a great gift for a wine-loving couple.
I am adding wine tour to my bucket list. I would love to get to really know how to pair wine with my meals.
Oooh, that looks lovely! I live in wine country (that’s what our area is called lol) so there are plenty of tours in this area but they’re usually specific to individual vineyards.
I look forward to it every season! 🙂
Sounds like a great tour. Your husband looks like he is really enjoying himself!
Sounds like you had a lot of fun. I had no idea that the smaller the bubbles, the better the quality. Love learning interesting new facts every day!
Looks like they have a really nice selection of wines. Sounds like you learned a lot too!
I’ve always had a hard time drinking wine but I think it is because I don’t know how to drink and what to pair it with.
That looks like so much fun. I would love to do that
Nothing better than a day spent next to bottles of wine! I love wine tours so much. You get to taste lots of different types without having to commit to a whole glass. That can get expensive if you’re like me and want 4-5 glasses.
I want to go on a wine tour- I feel like it’s the perfect Spring activity (besides farmers markets!). And… who knew that small bubbles meant better champagne?! #learnsomethingneweveryday!
Thank you. I am coming to Boston to visit my daughter who lives in Downtown and she is a huge wine lover. We will definit
You’re speaking my language! This sounds like an ideal getaway or day date! I would love to try iy.
I had no idea that the smaller the bubbles the higher the quality! I’ll have to remember that.
This is a great experience. I have never been on a wine tour before. I did not know that you are matched with an ambassador
I did a wine tour last summer with my Mom and a friend of mine. It was so much fun. We learned so much about wine.
I miss the North End so much! And Boston in general! I want to take my family back there!
Wine Tours are always so great! It must be cool getting to sample all that wine
I never knew the bubble sizes were an indicator of the quality! We drink moderately, but aren’t really experts ourselves, either. I think this would really be a nice treat for a night out.
What a great experience for wine lovers! Good times, good wine, and great food: well worth the price of admission in my mind!
I love going on wine tours with my sweetie. We always come home with a bottle we’ve never had before, and it’s nice to learn about food accompaniments along the way.
I know my brother would love this tour. I love trying different wines too!
A wine tour would be right up my alley. This looks like a blast!
It looks like you had a great time.. I am not a big wine drinker, but I would like to go on a tour one day.
I would love to try that the next time I’m in Boston! What a great way to sample!
What a fun tour! We live between several wineries, so I agree. There is so much time and attention to detail put into creating a wine, so it is fascinating!
I would love to do something like this around my home! Nothing beats some good wines!
Now this is my kind of wine class, this sounds great. I would love to go on a wine tour like this. The wine and food look fantastic.
you go on the coolest tours and vacations!! Thanks for sharing.
It looks like you had a blast. I would love to do a wine tour one day.
You had me at wine and I would love to experience a tour like this. We actually did something similar while visiting Seattle a few years ago and had an amazing time!
Wine! Sure does make me feel fine…lol! But seriously I go to a wine festival and I love it…this looks like so much fun!
Wine…nice! I love wine festivals, especially when accompanied by great food and great company. Glad you had that great time with your hubby
This looks like you had a fun time. I love wine tasting.
I have never been on a wine tour, but would love to take one. I had no idea the smaller the bubbles, the better the wine. Interesting.
How fun (and super interesting!) I would love to be the person who gets to drink all the wine and decide what to sell!
I’ve never been on a wine tour before. This would be a fun date or an afternoon with the girls.
I love taking tours of different wineries and trying different wines. This one looks great.
That looks like fun. And a great way to learn about wines and how to pair them.
Sounds like fun! I enjoy good quality wine!
What a fun idea! I don’t know a lot about wine but I’ve always wanted to be more educated, and this seems like it would be a great experience to do with friends.
A wine tour is always so fun! Adult fun in gorgeous vineyards & wineries 🙂
I have just started liking wine. But I am always down for a wine tour.
I’m heading to Boston this weekend and looking for things to do. Thanks for the ideas.
That looks like a lot of fun! What a great tour!
I would love to do that! My husband and I love to go to wine tastings!
Wow, that looks like an amazing experience! And the food looked really good also. Thank you for sharing!
Funny you posted about wine tours! I am going on my first Wine tour next week with some of my friends! I love your experience recap thanks!!
I am surrounded by wine and wine country and love going on little tours and tastings. The food looks super good. I’m really hungry right now lol!
What a fun outing! Some girlfriends and I are hoping to do a wine tour in a few months, I’ve never done one!
Seems like a fabulous way to spend some time. I’m not much of a drinker, usually, but I could make an exception, especially when food is involved, too.
How FUN. My husband and I would absolutely LOVE to do something like this!
I wish we had places like that to go to. Would be fun to go with the hubby.
Ohh it seems like a really nice tour you had! So true, I would love to learn more about wine too!
This looks like an amazing place to go. I would love to go to a place like this with my husband. We’ve never been to any wine type place before.
Ha, this sounds amazing. I have never been on a wine tour and totally want to go.
I’m not a big wine drinker but I would love to go on one of these tours just to see the sites and taste the food.. I’m sure I could talk someone into drinking my portion of the wine right?! 🙂
I’d love to go on a wine tour like this! I’m not a wine snob- I just know what I like!
That wine tour looks delicious! Even better that it invoked so many fond memories for you.
Oh wow this City Wine Tour sounds FUN! It is a reasonable cost considered all that you get to do. Thanks for sharing and I”ll have to put it on my to do list!
Very interesting… a city wine tour. I’d actually go for something like that. I keep getting invited by my dad’s friends to go out to their wineries and orchards to do wine tastings. I’ve started to acquire a taste for it… lol
I have never been on a wine tour. Sounds like full of fun and a different one as well. I can guess you guys must have had a great time.
I love wine tours! We went on a few before our daughter came along…..I’d love to do another!!!
Ok, so can I just say that I’m totally jealous! Looks like you had a fantastic time!
That looks amazing! I love trying out new wine. We have a favorite vineyard that we visit by our vacay home!
I’ve always wanted to go on a wine tour, it looks like a lot of fun!
This used to be a job I had in university — doing tours at a nearby winery. And I was so sad to just be in Niagara Falls recently – our wine region mecca; and could not do a single tour!!
it’s so much fun.
I’ve toured wineries but I’ve never done a wine tour … and I’d love to!
This sounds like a great tour. I love trying new wines.
I love to tour wineries. We often find at least one to tour whenever we travel so we can try the local wines.
Fun! WE love good wine tours! This sounds like one to note, thanks for the tips!