In the heart of historic Boston, where the city’s rich past meets its vibrant present, the Boston Harbor Hotel is perched majestically on the waterfront. This iconic beacon of luxury and elegance is more than just a place to lay your head. Stepping into its grand lobby is like stepping into a world of timeless sophistication – marble floors and sparkling chandeliers greet guests as they make their way to the check-in counter.

If you are booked in a harborside view room and arrive at sunset, you will be greeted by sweeping views of the harbor under a glow of gold as sailboats dance gracefully across the shimmering waters. The room itself exudes refined comfort, with plush furnishings, sumptuous linens, and every modern amenity thoughtfully provided, including salts for a soaking tub.

Instead of dining at the on-site restaurant, I headed to the Meritage Room as a guest of Meet Boston, to attend one of several events during the Boston Wine & Food Festival.

On this evening, the event featured the Women of Willamette, one of many evenings on the festival’s comprehensive roster. The event ends in March, but there is still time for a Mezcal tasting dinner or a sensory trip to Napa Valley to taste the wines of Alpha Omega, the latter of which I can attest to serving exceptional cabernets. If you cannot make it this year, be sure to mark your calendars for next year’s Boston Wine & Food Festival events at the Boston Harbor Hotel, and better yet, book a room to enjoy the evening without worrying about transportation home.

For this particular event, the Women of Willamette – Katie Santora of Chehalem and Savannah Mills of Brick House – were in Boston to guide a group of diners and tasters through Oregon’s premier wine country. This region is celebrated for its cool climate and fertile soil, making it a haven for wine connoisseurs who appreciate the crisp acidity of a Chardonnay kissed by the cool Oregon breezes, and the delicate aromas of cherry and raspberry in a Willamette Valley Pinot Noir.

The evening began with a reception and sips of Chemistry rosé bubbles of Pinot Noir. Once seated at one of several large round tables, each attendee enjoyed a 2023 Brick House Intentional Rosé Pinot Noir with a strong minerality on the palate, yet light and bright acidity. This wine was paired with Island Creek Chilled Aunt Dotty Oysters – some of the best in the world! To continue the rosé theme, the mignonette was presented in a dropper filled with Intentional Rosé as the base. A 2022 Chehalem INOX Chardonnay also worked well with the oysters – especially if you enjoy creamy Chardonnays.

The second course accompanied the third wine of the evening, a 2022 Brick House Cascadia Chardonnay. A powerful 2022 Chehalem Pinot Gris proved delicious with torched Humbolt Fog and sliced beets over a creamy fluid gel. Then, it was time for the reds.

From five lots of Pinot Noir, Brick House produced a 2022 Select Pinot Noir, Ribbon Ridge with a full tannin structure. We also tasted a 2021 Chehalem Pinot Noir, Chehalem Mountains, both paired with a slightly roasted Pacific Coast salmon, the most amazing cultivated exotic Oregon mushrooms (oh, the texture!), and DD’s Ricotta Dumplings under a somewhat dried Pinot truffle jus.

Finally, a 2022 Chehalem Estate Reserve Pinot Noir and a 2019 Brick House Les Dijonnais Pinot Noir paired perfectly with a Burgundian cheese and curled strip of nougat.

Laughter ensued before old and newly made friends bid adieu and moved across the lobby in the Boston Harbor Hotel from the Meritage Room to their respective rooms. Following a restful sleep, open drapes revealed the stunning view of the Boston Harbor Rowes Wharf. One salt bath later, I left in a better state than when I arrived. And that is a good thing.

Reserve your spot before the end of March 2024!

Charlene Peters is a food and wine writer and author of “Travel Makes Me Hungry.”