Last night was my first blog event that didn’t revolve around a workout, healthy living product, or cooking. Instead, I was able to toast the evening away with Theodora and a hilarious Food Network personality, Anne Burrell.

This Fall, Food Network’s new wine, Entwine, will be hitting your local grocery store and wine store shelves! These four lovely bottles will each find their place amongst the other wines, perched above the Yellowtails of the aisle and below the Cake Bread. Priced between $8-$12, this is a wine from a quality vineyard for the everyday American who can’t understand the average sommelier’s description and is easily intimidated at the wine store.

Theodora and I were greeted at Kitchen NYC by a number of friendly wine and social bloggers along with some amazing press.

Our wine glasses were each labeled with our name and blog or magazine name so there was no confusion. How stinking cute is this? I can’t wait to use the wax crayon method at our next party!

There are four varieties of Entwine, each of which were quite nice.

Everyone started with the Pinot Grigio since it greeted us at the entrance.

The 2009 Pinot Grigio is 13.0% alcohol and comes from California grapes. It is described as crisp, refreshing, and citrusy; perfectly paired with salty cheeses, guacamole, or Asian takeout!

This wine was paired with scallops. The scallop was sautéed and then dressed with a citrus and pomegranate vinaigrette. I love scallops!

My favorite wine of the night was next, the Chardonnay. This 2009 Chardonnay was aged 15 months in oak barrels and stainless steel tanks. Many people were chatting about how easy it went down and they weren’t wrong. This easy drinking wine pairs perfectly with potato chips, grilled cheese, cream sauces, or even roast chicken. This is the perfect wine for a weekday girls night!

It was paired with a delicious chicken and chutney dish.

Next, we ventured into the kitchen area for a taste of red.

Neither the Merlot or Cabernet were memorable but both were more than palatable and could easily be enjoyed curled up on the couch with a good book on a cold winter evening.

The Merlot, was aged for 12 months and is described as being juicy and mouth watering. The suggested pairings are pizza, meatloaf, pasta, and weeknight dinners. The Cabernet Sauvignon, our last wine of the evening, was aged for 12 months and is rich, fruity, and herbaceous. It pairs perfectly with steak and potatoes, sautéed mushrooms, or the delicious lamb in the picture below. The lamb dish is one of Anne’s recipes and was my favorite dish of the night.

During our tasting, the men and women behind Entwine were around for meet and greet sessions, including Anne Burrell and the very attractive Karl D. Wente, the fifth generation winemaker behind the wine.

Anne was by far my favorite person! She was just as hilarious in person as on Food Network.

Unbeknownst to me, she used to teach at the Institute of Culinary Education. During her time there she instilled upon her students her love of wine in simple terms. You should drink what you like, versus trying find the “light forest floor or leather notes” in wine. Wine shouldn’t be scary or intimidating. This is one of the reasons why she’s so passionate about Entwine. Entwine is all about loving your wine in the same way you love your food. The descriptions sound more like menus than wine labels.

It was an amazing evening with some wonderful new friends. I look forward to following some of the New York City wine blogs and Entwine. Hopefully it will hit NYC shelves quickly as it is definitely a perfect weeknight wine choice. If you’re a friend of mine, you’ll more than likely be offered a glass of the chardonnay this Fall!

Thank you Food Network and Wente Wines for a wonderful evening!