WHERE HAVE I BEEN?
Napa Valley 2017--This trip was a whirlwind tour with visits to several wineries over three days along with fabulous restaurants. Highlights on the wine front were Charles Krug, the oldest winery in Napa Valley. We were able to sample both the Napa Valley and the Reserve Selections with favorites being their 2016 St. Helena Sauvignon Blanc, the 2015 Carneros Chardonnay and the 2013 Limited Release Cold Springs Cabernet Sauvignon. The Stag's Leap Winery Tour was well worth the $60 fee with a 90 minute expertly guided tour of the gorgeous grounds, the mansion and the underground former speakeasy. Along the way and at the end in the grand dining room, we tasted several selection, with the standout being their 2012 Audentia Estate Cabernet Sauvignon. Robery Sinskey, BV, V. Sattui, Grgich Hills, and Prager rounded out our tastings. Our meal at the CIA at Copia was the highlight of our dining in the area. We chose a chef's table seat where the CIA chefs in training offered small bites as they emerged from the oven or grill or at our request. The recommended wine pairings by the glass were spot on and the entire meal was delicious. Mustard's Grill was a near second in the dining department. The bill themselves as a "Deluxe Truckstop" with "Way Too Many Wines." The meals were made with locally sourced ingredients, many from the chef's garden on site and their proteins were expertly prepared and seasoned. I highly recommend the Napa Valley Vintners website to help you plan your trip. And, if you happen to be or are traveling with a Lexus Owner, definitely check out the Lexus Owner Benefits section on the Napa Valley Vintners website. This saved us a boatload of money on tasting fees and the Lexus staff will book and help schedule your winery visits for you.
New Orleans 2017--New Orleans serves as the spot for my yearly live music and fine dining pilgrimage. This year was a bit more relaxed as we went to attend a wedding instead of a four-day long music festival. This allowed for plenty of time to visit wonderful restaurants and bars. We began the weekend at the St James Cheese Co. downtown. See my blog post for full details on this lovely little lunch and happy hour spot. The wedding ended with a second line parade to Brennan's for lunch and their famous Bananas Foster. The Carousel Bar at the Hotel Monteleone on Royal Street is always on our itinerary and this time, most of the wedding guests joined us which was great fun. Have a seat at the revolving Carousel bar if you can score one and have an expertly made Sazerac or glass of wine. Sylvain and Shaya rounded out our dining and both were amazing. See my blog post on Sylvain, and Shaya's to follow soon.
Costa Rica 2016 & 2017--While not wine-focused trips, we had some excellent food both in Tamarindo and the Playa Potrero area. Asian fusion, fish tacos, shrimp bowls and even Memphis BBQ were on the menu for the week and we found some gems that we will definitely return to. See my blog post on our Playa Potrero favorite, Numu. Beach hopping, wildlife river tours and surfing occupied the rest of our time while in Central America.
Portland and Willamette Valley 2015--A visit to one of my best friends from graduate school and his partner. We were able to spend about a day and a half tasting in the Willamette Valley. Just about a 35-minute drive from his place in Portland, we used the Willamette Valley Wineries website to plan our trip. Similar to Burgundy, this is where you will find top quality Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. While Burgundy is almost exclusively devoted to these two grapes, Willamette Valley also features some excellent Pinot Blancs, Rieslings, and sparkling wines.
Spain 2015-A fabulous wine focused trip to Barcelona, Penedès, Mallorca, and the Montsant region. The end of our trip in Barcelona coincided with La Mercé, perhaps the largest festival honoring the Patron Saint of Barcelona. A huge wine festival was part of the programming, where I spent an afternoon whose memory left me shortly after the cab ride home due to their pours being regular glass sized unbeknownst to me when I purchased the tasting tickets. Several days were spent exploring the Montsant region's treasure trove of Garnacha, Caringnan and Tempranillo based wines followed by a day tasting sparklers in Penedès.
Tuscany 2013--Seven days of biking through Tuscany's HILLS. Luckily, each hill was topped with many options to sample the outstanding wines of the region. The wines were dominated by Sangiovese based Chiantis, Brunellos and Vino Nobile de Montepulciano, and we were able to find some very good whites, notable the Vernaccia di San Gimignano. Blue Marble European Bike Trips took us on this challenging trip and we loved the experience.
Burgundy 2006--My first significant biking or wine trip. Blue Marble European Bike Trips guided me as a single 30 something who had never traveled more than 7 miles on a bike from Dijon to Tournus, France. Miraculously, I made it and came out the other side with a new understanding of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and my modest athletic ability. The guide was phenomenal and my fellow travelers were lovely. I wish I could go back to that age and do it again. I highly recommend their tour company for someone who fits their traveler profile. This is well outlined in quite amusing fashion on their website.
WHERE AM I GOING?
Next up is Vinitaly!
I am over the moon to be heading to Verona in a few short days for the largest wine conferences in Europe. I have no idea what to expect, except for tons of wine! Trade tastings, educational opportunities and food halls and exhibits are on my list and I'll be able to join up with a distributor from Austin to meet individual producers. From there, I will spend a few days in Florence visiting an old friend who is teaching English there for about a year and has settled in to the Italian lifestyle very nicely.
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