Tag: Wine Travel View All Tags

At the Big House: Doing the Other Stuff at the Biltmore Estate

October 9, 2008 at 12:00 PM | 1 Comment

Sure, the Biltmore Estate in western North Carolina is America's largest home. And it's great to spend a few hours touring the home, trying to wrap you head around what it was like to live there while realizing that you're a have-not.

But besides checking out the Lady on the Hill, the estate's 8,000 acres have a lot more to offer--like booze.

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Plumbing Travel: Where White Wine is Plentiful

October 8, 2008 at 11:00 AM | 2 Comments

We wish we lived in the Italian town of Marino, south of Rome. Or at least that we'd been staying there over the weekend when wine began pouring out of taps and showers across the village.

The white wine was meant to be flowing out of the town's fountain to celebrate the annual wine harvest. But as perhaps only Italian engineers could do, they hooked up the wrong pipes and housewives found the wine pouring out into their kettles and mop buckets instead.

For wine lovers, the drop was a kind of Frascati, a slightly bubbly white wine that's famous in the region. Of course officials say the mistake won't happen again, but we still think a stop by Marino's a good bet for a free drink.

Related Stories:
· Bungling Italian Authorities Turn Water into Wine [UK Times]
· Wine Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Peter Darch]

South Africa Field Trip: Wine Tours

October 1, 2008 at 10:30 AM | 0 Comments

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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Comic Book Driving Wine Sales in Asia

September 25, 2008 at 4:35 PM | 1 Comment

A comic book series in Japan is turning into the biggest deal in the wine industry there. As the story goes, the son of a deceased wine critic has to travel the globe, looking for great vino. (Seems much more pleasant than fighting The Joker!)

The mere mention of a bottling in the books can drive outrageous sales, says The Telegraph:

The comic is read by 500,000 Japanese each week and [its] sway over the wine market is spreading throughout Asia. Some wine importers say they have never seen such a powerful single influence on their business.

In Taiwan a single reference to a relatively obscure French terroir led to dozens of cases of the wine being sold within a few days.

Maybe it's getting bought up by those wine spas?

Related Stories:
· Character Drives up Wine Sales in Japan [Telegraph, via]
· Wine Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: PSFK]

Fall Culture Travel: Drink (Wine) to Your Health

September 15, 2008 at 3:05 PM | 0 Comments

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]

Upstate Wineries Worth Visiting: Chateau LaFayette Reneau

July 3, 2008 at 2:05 PM | 0 Comments

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 Wineries Worth Visiting: Dr. Frank's

July 2, 2008 at 4:30 PM | 1 Comment

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 Wineries Worth Visiting: Six Mile Creek

July 1, 2008 at 4:15 PM | 2 Comments

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 Wineries Worth Visiting: Villa Bellangelo

June 30, 2008 at 5:00 PM | 0 Comments

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: The Pinot Days Festival

June 27, 2008 at 12:05 PM | 0 Comments

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]

Adventures of Link: Our Long Wine Weekend

June 11, 2008 at 6:00 PM | 1 Comment

We've spent the last few days touring around Upstate New York, investigating some of our old favorites and finding new places to add to our Upstate Travel Map. It's been going pretty well!

We hope to bring you more on the region later this summer, but in the meantime, here are some wineries that we've enjoyed on our latest trip. Trust us, you won't mind 100-degree heat when you're sipping on a frosty Finger Lakes Riesling.

Related Stories:
· Villa Bellangelo [Official Site]
· Glenora Wine Cellars [Official Site]
· Prejean Winery [Official Site]
· Six Mile Creek Vineyard [Official Site]
· Wine Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: brewrat]

Ski Resorts in Summer: Food & Wine Classic

June 11, 2008 at 12:17 PM | 0 Comments

The Food & Wine Classic, takes place this weekend in the swellest mountain town in the USA, Aspen, Colorado. It's the Art Basel of American cuisine, a place where you can sample some of the country's finest wines, attend a "Future of Flavor" seasoning seminar by high cuisine juggernaut McCormick and steal away to the US Open viewing lounge to gripe to other dudes about how all you want to do is play some golf and get away from your wife and her drunk friends.

Beginning this Friday afternoon, there are some really quality events such as the Sam Adams beer pairing with food and a documentary about Spanish wine country held at the Aspen Opera House. (We're pretty sure Aspen is the only ski town with an opera house.)

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