Wine Vacations

Wine is an important part of life. So many dish towels say so.

It’s an actual plant that grows from the ground and makes people happy. Some people are casual wine drinkers, some love to party with wine and others take it very seriously. Mostly, it makes people happy.

There was someone in my past who introduced me to good wine. I learned a bit from him and then went to Napa and Sonoma for the first time, when I was 24. I was fascinated with everything about it. Except for the science, that just completely baffles me. Hats off to those kids who go off to University California Davis and Cal Poly and learn how dirt turns into wine. I love those kids.

Fast forward a few years later and I actually moved to the Bay Area. I went to Napa and Sonoma as often as possible. If anyone hinted they were coming to town, I’d immediately schedule a journey up to taste the wine.

My desire to learn about and taste wine turned into travel. It helped that my mom loves wine and so do her friends. Our first really magnificent wine trip (outside of Sonoma and Napa which are indeed magnificent) was to South America. We had a quick stop in Santiago but took a day trip out to Emiliana Winery on the way to the coast. There, I learned about biodynamic and organic winemaking. A simplified way of saying that is that every person and animal on the estate has something to do with making the wine. Including this guy. He’s in charge of tamping down the ground to keep the vines in. And eating bugs.

Alpaca on Vineyard 

The real portion of our wine vacation continued in Mendoza, Argentina. My people are from Miami and because of their proximity to South America, they drink a LOT of Malbec. Mom and her BFF met a winemaker serving samples at Costco in Miami and that got us into one of the finest wineries I’ve visited and still drink today. 

With some research, I lucked into probably the best wine guide I’ve ever had. Juan is handsome and cool and toured us around in a vintage Land Rover. Four wineries and the biggest lunch I’ve ever eaten. I became an expert in South American wines. Serendipitously, the wine we tasted is available at a wonderful Argentine restaurant down the street from our house.

Vineyard with the Andes in the background  (The Andes, wow)

 

We live just a couple of hours away from Santa Barbara and the Santa Ynez Valley. The movie Sideways made this region explode. They deserve every bit of attention. Wineries like Carr, Demetria and Brander produce world class wines that are on par with anything in Northern California and more affordable.

Also in California is the exploding Paso Robles region. We’ve created the perfect itinerary for you to experience white and red Rhone blends and yummy Cabernets. This is an unfussy farm town where you can easily make friends with the winemaker. There are 3 dog parks right near the wineries so you can tire your pet out before your wine tasting visits.

My sweet pup after a play at the dog park

There’s so much more to explore – Willamette Valley, OR, Walla-Walla, WA, Croatia, Italy, France, New Zealand, Australia… (we are big fans of this Tasmanian sparkling wine – Tasmania is a part of Australia even though it’s a separate island).

Ready to go? Comment below, email me or fill out the travel questionnaire. Be sure to follow on Facebook and Instagram to see more pictures!

Off You Go, Then!