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In-Flight Drinks / Wine / Drinking Travel / American Airlines / Air France / Emirates / Lufthansa / Air New Zealand / In-Flight Meals / → All Tags

Mile High Boozing: Five Airlines That Really Know Their Wine

We kind of have an in-flight drinking problem. We tried to take it easy with specialty drinks, but we’re once again hungry for beverages with a little bit of alcohol. All major airlines put an emphasis on their wine selections and pairings to lure business customers aboard their planes, but there are a few that take their selections to the next level. After all, there’s way more to selecting wines than swinging by Trader Joe’s for a couple cases of “Two Buck Chuck” on the way to the airport. Here are five airlines that put the most thought into their in-flight wine selections.

· Air France
When you think of wine one of the first locations that should come to mind is France, so it’s no surprise that Air France takes their in-flight beverages pretty seriously. Not only do they offer plenty of wine, but they also offer plenty of champagne. They crack open about 900,000 bottles of champagne per year and it’s free to all passengers on long-haul trips—including those in the back of the plane. Billecart Salmon, Duval-Leroy, Pol Roger, and Heidsieck are just some of the types of bubbly served. All flight attendants receive training on fine wine at the same time that they learn how to do the safety demo, so you should be informed of the bottle’s origin, vintage, and type from your flight attendant. Not surprisingly, the only option on Air France is French wines.

We're popping more corks after the break...

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Travel Gear / Wine / Luggage / → All Tags

Would You Like Some Cheese To Go With Your WineSkin?

Ever since bringing liquids in your carry-on baggage became a misdemeanor, taking some wine back from your vacation has been quite a pain. Your options? Down the bottles before you hit security (no need for Xanax!), take the chance of packing them in your suitcase where breakage and spillage are very real possibilities or ship 'em home. Or consider the WineSkin.

The WineSkin is no engineering feat. It's basically just a big bubble wrap envelope shaped like a wine bottle. It has a dual-strip seal to keep any spillage from spilling over into your suitcase. However, a thin sheath of bubble wrap won't prevent breakage caused by overzealous baggage handlers. So while we like the idea of the WineSkin, we’d still want to wrap it in a shirt or two, just in case.

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Yachting / Megayachts / Superyachts / Luxury Travel / Billionaire Travel / Wine / → All Tags

What to Do if the Wine Cellar on your Superyacht Does Not Suffice

I recently got my hands on the new 2009 issue of Burgess Superyacht Living & Style Magazine, and I'm more convinced than ever that superyachting is for me. There's simply no more potent symbol of wealth, success, and conspicuous consumption than one of these 40-meter-plus luxe boats. A private jet is nice, but who's going to see it beyond a few people at the airport? An opulent mansion is a little more visible, but you can't force people to drive by your house to envy you (yet). With a superyacht, however, you can seek out the poor people (i.e. owners of "regular" yachts) whether they're in Monaco or Wildwood and slowly cruise by with a margarita in your hand, guaranteeing the admiration and jealousy of all who witness the spectacle.

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Food Travel / Food Festivals / Festivals / Wine / Food TV / → All Tags

Back Of The Envelope Guide: South Beach Wine And Food Festival

Thousands of foodies will descend on the greater Miami area next month for the annual Food Network South Beach Wine and Food Festival, considered by many the biggest food event of the year, running February 19-22. But what to do in SoBe when you get tired of stalking Giada De Laurentiis, Rachael Ray and Emeril?

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Thanksgiving Alternatives / Thanksgiving-Alternatives-Map / Gourmet Travel / Wine / Willamette Valley / → All Tags

Toast Your Thanks In Oregon

To deal with holiday stress, some of us reach for the bottle. Turn stress-induced drinking into a learning experience with the Willamette Valley Wineries' Wine Country Thanksgiving.

Over a hundred wineries are throwing open their doors over the holiday weekend for wine snobs and "Sideways"-watching amateurs alike. How to choose? Check out the incentives some vineyards are offering: At Carabella Vineyard in Newberg, you can buy wine "futures" to get a great deal on next year's vintages along with this year's bottles; Stag Hollow Wines in Yamhill promises chocolate pairings with your vino.

Remember: Be safe and use a designated driver. Try sweetening the deal by offering to get them a Black Friday treasure like a Blu-Ray player!

Related Stories:
· Active Travel: Willamette National Forest [Jaunted]
· Portland Avalon Hotel and Spa: Don't Call the Town Car A Drunk Bus [HC]
· Set the Poker Table Instead of Mom's [Jaunted]
· Breathe! Restful Retreats At Home and Away [Jaunted]
· Thanksgiving coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: themarioblog]

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South Africa Field Trip: Wine Tours

Our Southern Africa embed Jill Nawrocki recently ducked out of Namibia for a field trip to South Africa.

Namibia is home to a handful of lagers and just one brand of wine, so I was excited to tour some of South Africa's vineyards and sample what the country had to offer. Kev--the go-to guy at our hostel for all things Cape Town--suggested Easy Rider Wine Tours.

At just R350 ($43) for a full-day trip to four different vineyards, including a delicious restaurant lunch, it was well within our budget. And plus, it sounded like a lot of fun.

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Fall Culture Travel / Wine / Wine Travel / → All Tags

Fall Culture Travel: Drink (Wine) to Your Health

Not all of us want to be clanking steins with our fellow men in Germany this fall: For the discriminating palate, why not visit the northeastern city of Logroño, Spain September 21-28 for the first fruits of the Rioja region?

The Festival of the Vendimia Riojana consecrates the wine produced by this temperate region that's also home to the Camino de Santiago. On September 21, the patron virgin is offered juice from the first harvested batch of grapes before it goes into bottles. Dancing, parades and cork-popping ensue!

And in case you miss the mellifluous sounds of polka, the German band Trachtenkapelle plays Monday, September 22. Just don't ask for the local beer.

Related Stories:
· Straight Lines Are for Losers [Jaunted]
· Tourism Board Travel: Cheap Wine in Philly [Jaunted]
· Wine Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo of the Bodega de Herederos del Marqués de Riscal: tecnorrante]

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Upstate Wineries Worth Visiting: Chateau LaFayette Reneau

Earlier this summer, we went wine tasting in New York's Finger Lakes region. Not all the wine we had was worth drinking, but these places deserve a stop.

Make sure to step over the cat when you walk into Chateau LaFayette Reneau. This winery, on the east side of Seneca Lake, keeps things rustic with its tasting room in a converted barn and its famous-for-Upstate feline mascot.

Like many vineyards in the area, Reneau levies a tasting fee of $4, but you'll get to keep the glass--and you get to try up to 12 wines. (Or more! On our recent stop, they let us sample all 20 offerings.)

After your epic flight of Rieslings and Chardonnays, stake out a spot on the back porch and unroll your picnic supplies. If you'd like to linger longer, there's also an inn on the property.

Related Stories:
· Chateau LaFayette Reneau [Official Site]
· Upstate New York Travel Map [Jaunted]

[Photo: FLWR]

Upstate-NY-Travel-Map / Wine / Wine Travel / Finger Lakes / Alcohol / → All Tags

Upstate Wineries Worth Visiting: Dr. Frank's

Earlier this summer, we went wine tasting in New York's Finger Lakes region. Not all the wine we had was worth drinking, but these places deserve a stop.

No real trek through the Upstate wine country is complete without a stop at Dr. Konstantin Frank's Vinifera Wine Cellars. It's a bit of a drive to get there, but if it weren't for Dr. Frank, there might not be Finger Lakes wine.

Growing up in the Ukraine, the doctor studied methods to grow high-quality vinifera grapes (think Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay and Riesling) in colder climates. When he later moved to the Finger Lakes, his winery, started in 1962, was the first to grow these European varieties in the area--and the first to prove it could be done.

After Dr. Frank passed away in 1985, his family took over, continuing the production of top quality wines. You'll also find some more esoteric stuff here, like Rkatsiteli (a white), Fleur de Pinot Noir (a non-vintage red) and a Blanc de Blancs (a Champagne-style bubbly).

Related Stories:
· Dr. Konstantin Frank's Vinifera Wine Cellars [Official Site]
· Upstate New York Travel Map [Jaunted]

[Photo: Dr. Frank's]

Upstate-NY-Travel-Map / Wine / Wine Travel / Finger Lakes / Alcohol / → All Tags

Upstate Wineries Worth Visiting: Six Mile Creek

Earlier this summer, we went wine tasting in New York's Finger Lakes region. Not all the wine we had was worth drinking, but these places deserve a stop.

Despite the name, not all the wineries in this region actually overlook lakes, and the best of that bunch is undoubtedly Six Mile Creek. Just a 7-minute drive from downtown Ithaca, the winery is almost urban in its setting at the south end of Cayuga Lake.

Owners Nancy and Roger Battistella opened their vineyard in 1987, focusing on small yields and the local microclimate. Unlike many of the other wineries north of Six Mile Creek, where the deep lake provides a moderating influence, the growing season is particularly short in Ithaca. Because of that only white wine grapes are grown on-site.

That said, all the vinification and bottling happens here, and thanks to the Battistella's use of grapes from other regions, the reds are some of the best made in the Finger Lakes. Particularly interesting is Quintessence, a blend that varies in composition from vintage to vintage. Also distinctive is Six Mile Creek's grappa--though it's not for the faint of heart!

Related Stories:
· Six Mile Creek [Official Site]
· Upstate New York Travel Map [Jaunted]

[Photo: doctor paradox]

Upstate-NY-Travel-Map / Wine / Wine Travel / Finger Lakes / Alcohol / → All Tags

Upstate Wineries Worth Visiting: Villa Bellangelo

Earlier this summer, we went wine tasting in New York's Finger Lakes region. Not all the wine we had was worth drinking, but these places deserve a stop.

Unlike many of the wineries on Seneca Lake, Villa Bellangelo sits a little bit off Highway 14. We actually drove right past it, but after whipping a quick U-turn, we realized that there's a big sign marking the drive.

Bellangelo rocks an Italian vibe, complete with a Vespa on the porch of the tasting room. The theme continues in the wines, which are mostly dry. You'll find plenty of crisp whites--we liked the stainless steel-aged Chardonnay--and an atypical-for-the-region Sangiovese. (That's the same grape Italians use in Chianti and Brunello di Montalcino.)

Perhaps the biggest surprise at Bellangelo, though, isn't the wine on offer. The tasting room has free WiFi and plenty of seating, making it a great spot for checking in with the office while enjoying a glass of wine and a sweeping view of the lake.

Related Stories:
· Villa Bellangelo [Official Site]
· Upstate NY Travel Map [Jaunted]

[Photo: Villa Bellangelo]

Wine Travel / Wine / Alcohol / Summer Travel / → All Tags

Wine Travel: The Pinot Days Festival

The fickle little fruit that became so popular thanks to a horizontal movie about failed expectations, insecurity, wine tasing and adultery has been having a major moment in the media sun. No doubt that means big crowds at Fort Mason in San Francisco this weekend for the Pinot Days festival.

The list of producers 180 strong, so if you like pinot noir, chances are you'll be a kid in a candy store. Besides lots of knobs walking around with their complimentary wine glass strung around their neck like drab-suburban bling, serious oenophiles can hear talks form some of the top Pinot producers in the world as well as meet wine makers from all over.

The one thing that caught our eye was the "Focus Tastings." You're poured 16 different wines to taste and try to determine how each differs. They call it education, we call it paying $65 to have purple teeth!

Related Stories:
· Pinot Days [Official Site]
· Wine Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: greenmelinda]