The Wine Circus Returns to Manhattan

Mid-October, the carpeted halls of the New York Marriott Marquis will once again carry that familiar bouquet of oak, ambition, and dry cleaning. The 2025 New York Wine Experience, Wine Spectator’s annual celebration of all things vinous and spectacular, returns October 16–18 — three days when Times Square trades neon for nuance, and wine lovers gather to prove that education can, indeed, come by the glass.

It is a showcase of the world’s finest wines. Also, it’s equal parts tasting, pilgrimage, and a very elegant social experiment. The two “Critics’ Choice” evenings feature more than two hundred wines rated 90 points or higher, poured by the winemakers themselves — Bordeaux châteaux, Napa legends, Tuscan nobility, Champagne royalty. The crowd will swirl, nod, and whisper the international mantra of tasting rooms everywhere: “I’m getting graphite.”

Then come the seminars — the intellectual heart of the event. Expect vertical tastings of Opus One and Château Cheval Blanc, a deep dive into Champagne, and a Brunello retrospective guaranteed to make you reconsider that bottle you opened on a random Tuesday. Luncheons pair rare wines with dishes that sound like poetry, and panels remind us that every terroir on earth is somehow both utterly unique and tragically misunderstood.

There’s even a “Wine Stars” session, because no festival is complete without a celebrity vintner whose passion project may or may not double as a tax deduction. (Carmelo Anthony is on this year’s program — proving that post-NBA life can sparkle too.)

The grand finale? A Champagne reception, naturally — because nothing says “lifelong learning” quite like one last toast to effervescence.

To be fair, the New York Wine Experience isn’t just about indulgence. The proceeds support the Wine Spectator Scholarship Foundation, which has quietly awarded millions in grants to culinary and wine education programs. Behind the tuxedos and Riedel stems, there’s a genuine commitment to nurturing the next generation of professionals who make this world delicious.

Still, the spectacle is part of the charm. It’s a reminder that wine is more than chemistry or agriculture — it’s performance art. And for three nights each fall, Manhattan becomes the stage: the lights shimmer, the pours flow, and the applause carries just the faintest hint of Merlot.