VinoTripping Blog

Champagne… ’til we meet again

Champagne:  We expected about an hours drive to Reims, and when we arrived we found the city to be a bit drab.  We checked in to our really different hotel, Grand Hotel Des Templier, and headed out to see the center of it all, the avenue where all of the big champagne houses are… Taittinger, Veuve Cliquot, Ruinart…. The area …

VinoTripping Blog

St. Emilion and the Right Bank of Bordeaux

overlooking petrus

St. Emilion – We drove by the cutest city, all up a hill of limestone.  The ancient city still stands and it is laced with cobblestone streets and little shops and cafes.  The city is built on this limestone hill.  The area was once underneath a great sea, and so the soil is limestone with shells and fossils.  We learned …

VinoTripping Blog

Day 2 on the Left Bank of Bordeaux

latourcarnet

The next morning we breakfasted and bid goodbye to Erwan, jumped in the car and headed up the Medoc towards the ocean. We arrived at Chateau Fieuzal and were greeted by Annabelle Denis, their Chargée de Communication.  Annabelle has worked at Fieuzal for years. They had sent her to intern in Napa the previous year, so her English and her …

VinoTripping Blog

Cite Du Vin and beyond

cite du vin

The Cite du Vin is located in the city of Bordeaux on the bank of the river.  The design was architected to look like wine swirling in a glass and it is a beautiful building.  The exhibits were really interesting, all based around understanding wine, its history and enjoying wine… without actually having a glass in hand.  There were many, …

VinoTripping Blog

Day 3 and 4: Bordeaux – Left Bank – Graves, Bordeaux and Medoc

blending class cht pape clement

Planning:  I always do intense internet searching for any trip.  Through searching, reading about tours, blogs, trip advisor and other reviews, I found castles where anyone can spend a night and it’s reasonably priced for such a special venue. Tip:  If you email or call properties directly, often times they will give you a better rate than online.  You may …

VinoTripping Blog

Day 2: Sonoma – Flanagan Winery and Riley’s Rows

Day 2:  Sonoma – Flanagan Winery and Riley’s Rows;

Day 2:  Flanagan Winery The next day we woke up early, as it was the one day we had dedicated to touring Sonoma (definitely not enough time!).  We had a special invitation from Flanagan Winery to meet up with their Director of Business Development & Hospitality, Sarah Kelley, and their Owner, Eric Flanagan.  We didn’t realize that we were in …

VinoTripping Blog

(Jan 24, 2019) – Attending the Fantastic Easter Seals NH Winter Wine Spectacular?

Easter Seals Wine Event NH

New Hampshire wine week is quickly approaching and of the highlights is the 16th annual Winter Wine Spectacular. This is an evening of incredible wine and one of my favorites of the year. It is January 24th at the DoubleTree in Manchester, NH The Easter Seals Wine Spectacular is a key fundraiser and a joint effort between Easter Seals and …

VinoTripping Blog

A Glimpse Into The Future of Walla Walla, WA Wine Industry – Force Mejeure

strong winemaking crew

It’s finally time, my first Wine Bloggers Conference has arrived.  I meet people almost immediately in the airport who are my people; who love travel and learning and wine as much as I do!  We land in the tiny airport in Walla Walla and are surprised that all of our bags make it to this small airport and we are …