Hi Reader, When you're planning a wine trip, it's really easy to fill your itinerary with...wine.🍷 I mean, that's why you're going, right? But if all you experience is the wineries, you're missing a big part of what makes wine travel so interesting. The food people eat with the wine, the traditions around it, and what's grown alongside the grapes are all part of getting to know a region. That's led to some pretty cool experiences on my own trips... ...Like watching freshly harvested Croatian...
22 days ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader, I usually say I travel for the wine.🍷 But let's be honest, I'm also thinking about what's for dinner. 😋 A great winery can get a destination onto my list. But throw in some incredible food, a few things I've never heard of, and maybe a cheese shop or two, and I start looking at flights. Because one of the best parts of traveling is eating the things a place does best. If food is (almost) as important as wine when you travel, here are five destinations to add to your list. 🍁...
29 days ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, On my first big wine trip to Napa and Sonoma, I barely asked a question. I'd stand at the tasting bar wondering why one wine tasted so different from the last...and then say absolutely nothing. 🤐 I was convinced I'd ask something stupid. So I'd swirl. Nod. Say, "Oh, this one's nice." And move on to the next wine. But every once in a while, I'd get a host who started asking me questions. What did I like? What had I tasted so far? What was I hoping to try? Those tastings were always...
about 1 month ago • 4 min read
Hi Reader, Confession: I have an absurd number of vineyard photos on my phone. 🫣 I'd love to tell you they're all carefully composed. But a solid chunk are the same hillside shot eleven times. Because I refused to accept that my phone wasn't capturing what my eyes were seeing. 🤩 Some places just don't fit in a photo. You have to go stand in them. Here are five that are worth putting on your calendar, not just your camera roll. 🌊 Pelješac Peninsula, CroatiaTwo hours up the coast from...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, Is it just me, or is there an app for everything these days? Trip planning. Maps. Packing. Weather. Currency. Translation. Finding bathrooms. (Okay, maybe that last one isn't a bad idea. 😂) I've tried a lot of apps over the years. Some lasted exactly one trip before I forgot they existed. But the ones below have survived years of wine trips because they actually save me time, help me stay organized, and make planning a whole lot easier. ✈️ Finding Flights I've found Google Flights...
2 months ago • 4 min read
Hi Reader, I just got back from a travel creators conference in Virginia, and besides getting to see so many online friends IRL, one of my favorite parts was exploring a few places I'd never been before. I got to spend an afternoon at Jolene Family Winery in New Kent, just outside of Richmond. It’s a family-run winery right on a small lake with a huge patio and adorable glamping tents you can rent. If you're a fan of dry wines, I loved their Family White, a Chardonnay-based blend. And the...
3 months ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, I spend a lot of time dreaming about international destinations like Italy and France (for good reason!). But between Fourth of July celebrations, America turning 250, and the U.S. making a World Cup run, it's been a pretty good week to be celebrating here in Boston (or as some might say, "New Scotland" 😆). So it feels like the perfect excuse to appreciate some of the places that helped shape American wine. 🇺🇸 From the oldest vineyard in the country to the region that proved we...
4 months ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, As the travel planner in my friend group, I've organized my fair share of trips over the years. Girls' weekends. Family vacations. Friends’ getaways. And they usually start the same way: "This is going to be so much fun!" Then, things start to get complicated…especially when you add a wine region to the mix. Now you're coordinating winery reservations, transportation, tasting fees, and making sure nobody gets stranded at a winery because they stopped to buy a case of wine. 🤪 But...
4 months ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader, Back when I started branching out beyond your basic Cab Sauv and Chardonnay wines, Chianti was one of the first I tried. I'm not entirely sure why. Maybe I'd heard someone order it in a movie and thought it sounded sophisticated. 🎬🤵🏻😆 Or maybe it was because I was a young professional on a budget and Chianti was one of the few wines I could actually afford. Either way, when you hear "Chianti," there's a good chance one of those wicker basket bottles comes to mind. You know the...
5 months ago • 1 min read
