Time for a confession. Drinking liter after liter of beer while sitting around in a tent with 7500 of my closest friends has about the same appeal to me as eating fried tarantulas in Cambodia. I did it once – the drinking beer, not eating fried tarantulas – and while I’m glad to have experienced […]
Unexpected Luxembourg: Fine Wine and Fabulous Food
Fine wine? Until I received an invitation from the Grand Duchy to come on a wine themed weekend trip, I must admit that I had no idea that Luxembourg even grew wine. And much to my relief, or at least that’s what the Luxembourgers told me, very little of the rest of Europe knows it […]
Sauternes: Bordeaux’s Sweet Wine
Once upon a time there was a girl that drank Moscato with her meal. I hang my head as I admit that the girl committing that faux pas was me. In my defense, I was whatever today’s millennials would have been 15 years ago and just wanted to feel grown up drinking wine. I hadn’t […]
Sipping Saint-Émilion Grand Cru at Château Cantenac
Bordeaux is France’s largest fine wine region in both production and vineyard acreage, with over 7000 producers and 65 Bordeaux appellations recognized by the AOC (the Appellation d’Origine Controlle). Saint-Émilion, both a town and appellation in the Bordeaux wine region, has a history that dates back to Roman times and is the oldest still active […]
Blend Your Own Cognac at Camus Cognac
Cognac isn’t just an after-dinner drink. It’s a charming town in the Charentes region of southwestern France, where I’m told the sun shines no less than 330 days of the year. Though I would have loved to spend time wandering the town, which gives its name to one of the world’s most famous types of […]
The Barcelona Hotel for Wine Lovers
You can savor Spain’s famous Rioja wines without ever leaving chic Barcelona, yet feel like you’re in the heart of Spanish wine country. Hotel Praktik Vinoteca is a boutique wine themed hotel located in the heart of the Eixample district, steps away from fantastic restaurants, wine bars, the Passeig de Gracia and Rambla Catalunya. With […]
Wine Wednesday: Super Bowl Wine Pairings
Are you ready for some football?! As a non-football-loving and non-beer-drinking spouse that has been dragged to her fair share of Super Bowl Sunday parties, drinkable wines are my key to surviving the hootin’ and hollerin’ game day. Wine isn’t just for pairing with a perfectly pink filet or an aromatic herb crusted lamb chop. […]
The Secret Movie Theater at One Aldwych
I have a confession. After a day running around sightseeing, hiking, kayaking or whatever latest adventure it is that we’re researching, I’m exhausted! I long ago was over the nightlife scene and it might sound lame, but I’m often more than happy to just order room service and stay in. So when One Aldwych, a luxe 5-star […]
Un”wine”ding at the Ritz Carlton Chicago Spa
The health benefits of wine are undisputed. Red wine – in moderation, that is – has heart-healthy benefits and doctors say that the antioxidants even help prevent heart disease. The early Europeans were ages ahead in documenting the grape’s health benefits. Greek physician Hippocrates even used wine to treat patients in the 4th century B.C. […]
5 Vino Vacations to Take This Summer
Enchanting wine regions with stunningly beautiful vineyards, colorful landscapes, and (of course) top notch vino are the essentials of a wine vacation. Winery tours and tastings are just a start though, so we’ve put together these 5 types of wine vacations to help you plan the perfect wine-lovers retreat for your travel personality. Each promises […]
