With the 2010 New World Wine & Food Festival taking place in and around San Antonio this week, we had to pick at least one event to attend.  The closest venue won out: Sip, Savor and Shop at The Shops at LaCantera.   I tried to downplay the "shop" part of the title but was the ladies just laughed at me.

The event was a lot of fun.  For your entrance fee, you were given a plastic glass and unlimited tasting of the available wines and samplings of some great food.  I'm convinced we got our money's worth.

There were some more well known gems in the wine selection such as a Franciscan Magnificat (Bordeaux Blend), Robert Mondavi Merlot, and Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon.  However, tastings give you the opportunity to try something new; so, we did and then some.   My favorite new wine of the event:  A-Mano Primitivo.  This Italian from the Puglia region (heel of the boot) was full of red fruit flavors and soft tannins.  It went well with the pizza from Grimaldi's Pizzeria.  Another interesting wine was the Seven Daughters red blend.  Imagine a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Syrah, Carignane, and Sangiovese.   There were both red and dark fruit flavors with a peppery finish.  Not to disrespect white wines, Angie and I both enjoyed the Fall Creek Sauvignon Blanc.

Among the food items that stood out was a crab bisque from the restaurant at Nordstrom's, a Fortina sausage courtesy of Magianos, and a knockout macaroni and cheese from the Yard House. We joked about going to dinner after the tastings, but we were all pretty full.  The generous food samples were more than a single bite that one would expect from this type event.

I wish we could have attended a few more events this year, but I'm very pleased we chose this one.  And as for the shopping...Ang says, "Thanks Free People for the 15% discount on the earrings!"