Wine and Spirits Travel

It was time for Meg to go home and two more knowledgeable guides Teresa and Nicole, to take over and escort me through the scenery, attractions and wineries of the region.  Despite all I have seen, I am beginning to feel I’m not even scratching the surface on this trip.  There is just so much to see, do (and taste) in this area! The first stop was one of the biggest and most known wineries in this area, Dr. Konstantin Frank’s , home of the namesake wine, as well as Salmon Run and Chateau Frank sparkling wines.  The quickest way to sum up the quality of this winery is to point out the 40 gold medals their wine has won – in 2010 alone.  As if great wines weren’t enough, the winery offers some of the most absolutely incredible views you will ever see up here, with the vineyards in the front and Keuka Lake behind it.  Those vineyards have quite a history as Dr. Frank pioneered the growth of vinifera in the United States back in 1951 in his successful quest to bring Northern European win

After lunch at the Red Dove Tavern , Meg and I made a quick stop to check out Long Pier.  This is a great place to see the beauty of Seneca Lake.  It’s one of those sites you could stare at for hours, but there was still so much more of Finger Lakes to see on this day. Belhurst Castle & Winery is definitely one of those places I look forward to returning to for a longer visit.  We walked around the grounds, patio and exquisite restaurant a bit, but didn’t get to spend any time looking at the Inn or newly built spa.  I did, however, get to taste some of their wines.   They have an interesting assortment here, including a Sparkling wine, with lots of lemon and floral flavors.  Their Neptune is a good blend of Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay and Gewürztraminer.  I really liked the Cayuga and thought the most interesting was the Carrie Blush, named after the Belhurst founder Carrie Collins.  I was a bit skeptical when it was described as “cotton candy,” but I did get that flavor

I didn’t get quite as much sleep as I would have liked to start my first full day in Finger Lakes, but I was not about to let it get me down when I had such a great schedule ahead of me.  Meg from the Finger Lakes Visitors’ Center picked me up in Canandaigua bright and early, immediately improving my mood with a stop at the South Bristol Overlook. It was the first of many breaktaking views of lakes, mountains and valleys I was to see here and, even though I would have been content to explore it all day, I had wine to get to. The first winery of the day was a perfect choice. It was only 9:00 am so my mind wasn’t quite in tasting mode, but Tim and Diane quickly changed that in their laid back winery where they told me “we wanted to imagine more in life.”  Each bottle is a journey, not just by its name, but in the creative quotes and unique etches of their children on the bottles.  It all started – appropriately – with “Love,” Imagine Moore’s semi-dry Riesling, their most popular

I grew up in New York and spent most of my adult life there, but have never made it up to the Finger Lakes Region .   I had heard of the beauty of the lakes – Canandaigua, Keuka Park, Seneca, Cayuga, Owasco, Skaneatles and Orisco.  It wasn’t something I put high on my priority list, preferring to spend most of my vacation time heading south, west, or in the Caribbean.  Then I heard about the wines.  Not only were the wines from this region becoming well-known, but I was starting to hear more and more wineries around the country that were getting grapes from the Finger Lakes.  I knew it was time to check this place out. First of all, visiting the Finger Lakes wine country isn’t something you do for the day (unless you live in the area).  The region spans through over 600 miles of shoreline and includes over 100 wineries.  I would never attempt such an endeavor by myself so I called in the reinforcement which, in most cases, is the convention and visitors’ bureau and Finger Lakes has

It’s been a few years since I’ve been to the Poconos.  I had never been to the Skytop Lodge before.  Even though this was one of the few trips that I didn’t have a strict itinerary, I had planned the weekend in my mind.  There was a long drive to deal with from home and then I would arrive on time to enjoy a long, leisurely dinner, followed by some spirits and relaxation in the bar.  Sunday would be a light hike to the waterfalls, some canoeing or kayaking, yoga, and an hour or so relaxing by the pool.  I would finally get to unpack that bag with the bathing suit that had remained – untouched – in my suitcase for six months.  Unfortunately, despite my best efforts, none of that happened. I’m sure the phrase “making lemonade out of lemons” is a familiar one, but as the child of two disabled parents, it was a motto in my household.  The drive turned into 14 hours and the dining room was closed.  For the first time in a month here, it rained (poured is more accurate) and the indoor poo

I go into Chicago for events every few weeks.  It’s a bit far for me to drive back and forth the same day, especially since those events usually involve wine or liquor sampling!  I’ve stayed in a few Chicago hotels that I liked, but the latest one impressed me so much I am anxious to tell everyone about it. I managed to sneak into the Windy City between my big trips for an overnight at The James . To say I was impressed would be an understatement. This hotel is  in a perfect location on East Ontario Street.  The James is situated within blocks of the Magnificent Mile, Millennium Park and some of Chicago’s best museums, and  it’s on a block with three important places – Trader Joe’s, Starbucks and home of my favorite deep dish pizza,   Pizzeria Due ! This hotel was remodeled and opened as The James Chicago in 2006. The strong detail to contemporary design and art reminded me very much of 21c Museum Hotel in Louisville, and it turns out that Deborah Berke is the architect respons

I am done with wine for a little while ( Finger Lakes Wine Country is two weeks away), but I still managed to find some spirits to check out in California's Marin County . My morning began at the beautiful Gerstle Park Inn in San Rafael.  This bed & breakfast  is extra special with touches like a breakfast menu, beautiful grounds (with a fruit orchard and croquet court) and two of the most dedicated owners I’ve seen – Jim and Judy Dowling.  I recommend taking a break next time you are in Northern California and booking a room , or staying in one of the private cottages on the property. (For a limited time, BedAndBreakfast.com is offering $50 off on stays ) I couldn’t spend my stay just enjoying the Inn, but I did have some fun stuff planned for the rest of my California trip.  First up was Iron Springs Pub & Brewery where someone from my old Long Island, New York, neighborhood found his niche and it’s no longer a secret.  First, full disclosure… no beers were drank

Every day of my trip I have reported chronologically, but my second day in Sonoma had an unexpected stop that had a huge impact on me.  It wasn’t a phenomenal wine, I actually didn’t drink anything there.  It was a blast into my past, if you pardon the war pun. Before I became a travel writer, a wine and spirits writer or even a tennis writer, entertainment was my niche.  I wrote about music, theater and movies while I was in college and barely old enough to see an “R” rated flick.  I took on the role of critic and that was in fact the title of my thesis.  I had a few heroes and one came after a cinema class that took me to review “ Apocalypse Now. ”  Francis Ford Coppola was (is) a genius to me. While I didn’t want to necessarily be a director, I did dream of becoming a screenwriter and collecting an Oscar.  Finally getting to see one up close was the highlight of my day during my visit to the beautiful, but still under construction, Coppola Winery in Sonoma. I must preface this

The morning began with breakfast at the Westin Verasa Napa .  It was another beautiful hotel that I didn’t have long enough to enjoy, but I did savor the egg white omelet with mushrooms and cheese, while Claire and the hotel’s marketing manager Dan Block enjoyed the Huevos Benedicticas, Eggs Benedict on a corn muffin.  It was a satisfying meal from Chef Ken Frank, who also runs the Michelin star La Toque at this location, before heading off to my first tasting of the day. Rosenblum Cellars is an urban winery that has earned a reputation as the place to go for Zinfandel.  I was unable to squeeze in their Alameda winery, so Diageo brought them to me at their house in Rutherford.  It was an interesting tasting of the different levels of Rosenblum, from their four of their tiers – Vintner’s Cuvee, Appellation Series, Vineyard Designates and Reserve Wines.  Rosenblum, which also makes a line of organic wines, produces about 50 wines each year from a variety of vineyards around Californi

I didn’t have long enough to enjoy my rustically beautiful (love the fireplace) room at Harvest Inn , but I did stay long enough to experience the breakfast.  It was called a “continental breakfast,” yet I put it up there with one of the best hotel breakfasts I’ve ever had.  It included pastries, scones, muffins, fruit, quiche, cheese, yogurt, ham and cereal.  All were fresh and it was a tough decision to settle on yogurt, a blueberry scone and a piece of quiche.  It was just as tough to check out of the room I felt like I had just gotten to, but Sterling Vineyards was on the agenda. My Pure Luxury Transportation driver Steve picked me up bright and early to head over to Calistoga for my private tour at Sterling Vineyards .  My sister-in-law, Claire, was along for the day and we were escorted by Diageo’s Kim Tomlinson through the winery’s famous tram.  The ride over the Napa Valley is beautiful and we were immediately greeted by Michael Westrick, Sterling’s winemaker, on the othe