ongoing – March 29 

     Cal Ripken Jr. had a streak: 2632 games played in a row. And Chef Daniel Bruce has a streak. He’s been in the kitchen for (approximately) 920 consecutive food-wine pairings at the Boston Harbor Hotel’s Boston Wine Festival, the ongoing event that kicked off Friday Jan. 11 and runs through Saturday March 30 at Meritage. That’s 23 years X roughly 40 dinners a year.  That is, he’s Boston dining’s Ripken.

   “Whoa, I never thought of that,” Bruce says. He’s not taken one sick day, one day off, during this run. Considering all this, I asked him: Does fatigue ever set in?

    Bruce admits that could have been the case. “I’m lucky,” he says. “I can go into this a lot of excitement. As long as that happens, I’m in the ballgame.”

     This being Year 24, did he ever envision this kind of success and sustenance?

    “I never envisioned it. I had no idea I would be in the same position. If I step back and look at the Wine Festival, I’m very proud it’s not only survived 23 years, but is thriving,  doing better now than five or ten years ago.” (It’s done so well Bruce has started Wine Festival programs in Washington, D.C. and Berkeley, CA.)  What you get: Fine wines from a particular winemaker – who will be there and come around to your table to discuss the wine if you like – paired to a menu chosen and cooked by Bruce. There’s a maximum of 78 guests per dinner; tables of eight are the norm, and people are encouraged to catch up with old friends or make new ones.

   Bruce: “Some come to specific dinners because they love those wines, and they could be obscure, a wine they’ve been drinking for years, but they’ve never met the winemakers.”

  “This year, the thing is to bring in the well-known winemakers from around the world,” Bruce continues, “but also some lesser-known ones. There a Chilean winemaker, Montes, and my first Portuguese winemaker, Sandra Pavares, who run the Wine and Soul. Every year I try to do something a little different, bring in some new wineries. I tasted her wine and thought it was fantastic and Montes I thought was fantastic and the caliber I need from a wine festival.”

    “The ‘wine festival’ name may be a misnomer,” says Bruce, “because you think of tables and wine poured at multiple levels. We do have the opening reception [where that happens]. But the essence of what the festival is a winemaker-and-owner joining us at dinner. It’s an intimate setting, a round table, which allows for conversation to take. You may buy a ticket with two or four people and sit with people you don’t know.”

    “This concept doesn’t really exist elsewhere.” Bruce continues. “Many cities have festivals and walk-around events. But this is not like the others. One of the big themes this year is boutique wineries. These dinners which are hosted by the winemaker who goes around table to table. There’s the global aspect, but one-on-one. I personally prepare every meal and also go table to table. It’s become in essence a personalized festival, with the wine and food synergy. … I’ve been careful not to make them stodgy formal dinners. I like to enjoy myself, I don’t mind structured, but not so structured that I can’t enjoy myself.”

     What qualifies as a boutique winery? “The criteria was quality of wine and 4000 or less cases mad in a given year,” says Bruce. “That doesn’t mean those are the only winemakers I have coming in, but that’s the general theme. I build my calendar and fill it in with winemakers. I personally call the winemakers. Due to the relationships developed over the years, they all say yes. There’s probably 300 I can call at any given moment. But I think it’s important to give my client base and opportunities to try different wines each year. Winemakers like to have an opportunity to show what they’re doing new. There’s an educational side to this. They know all I care about is quality. I have no other agenda.”

     How has the festival evolved? “As time has gone by,” says Bruce, “my customer base has increased. The people who come may not come to as many dinners as the old group. It’s a little younger now, more diverse. It’s because wine is much more part of the table here in Boston than it was. It’s everywhere now, everyone’s into wine and food.”

   At press time, two events have sold out. You can check out the options on the website below. Brunches start at $75/person and dinners go from $145-$250/person.  The opening and closing receptions are $100/person.

   Bruce: “The Wine Festival happens because of the relationship with winemakers and guests alike. I feel like I’m carrying on an important part of the fabric of Boston. I think the Wine Festival has become a household word. And I don’t’ really do a lot of advertising.” 

     Oh, yeah. Bruce takes a week off after the Festival before planning next year’s.  He’s also finishing up a cookbook – his first, tentatively titled “Daniel Bruce: Keeping It Simple” – for an intended November publication. When we spoke on the phone, he was at home testing recipes. He’s contributed to a lot of cookbooks, but this is the first that’s entirely his.

    One thing Bruce is not and will become: A TV celebrity chef.  “I have no interest in chef shows,” he says. “My wife has said I’d be great on television. But I like being behind the stove. I’d like to keep it that way.” 

70 Rowes Wharf, 617-439-7000 www.bostonwinefestival.net