Wine and Spirits Travel

This trip to Sonoma was filled with great food, phenomenal wine and quality family time. It was the latter two I got to concentrate on my final day. We all enjoyed every moment of the Mayacama house in Santa Rosa that Inspirato has available to its members. The hot tub was especially popular with the kids. I was happy just soaking up the views and I explored the community a bit before we left. I loved to watch the deer frolicking through the wooded areas before I checked out the tennis courts and swimming pool. There was still time to head to the very large country club. It was quite impressive inside and out, complete with a gym, spa and restaurants. There was even a concierge available for those unlike me who didn’t have all of their plans made for the stay. Unfortunately, our time in Santa Rosa was running out. We were heading to one of my favorite wineries and I was excited about taking the family there. Michel-Schlumberger offers something for everyone and I k

I don’t get to spend as much time with my family as I would like, so it worked out perfectly that they were able to join me in Mayacama, an incredible development in Santa Rosa. It’s within this community that Inspirato has a  property for rent.  This spacious villa is not available to members until the spring (and booking up fast), but I had a chance to check it out first hand. With four bedrooms and a den with a large couch, we were able to spread out nicely throughout the house.  My nephew Jake started my day out right by making me a very special (and chocolately) brea. He had a party to go to with my brother so it was a girls’ day and I had a very special one planned at one of my favorite places in Sonoma – the FrancisFord Coppola Winery . You wouldn’t normally pick a winery to spend the afternoon with an 11 year old and a 13 year old, but the famed director built this place with the family in mind. I love to look at the movie memorabilia and am still in awe every

It was my last day at Camellia Inn in Healdsburg, an adorable Bed & Breakfast in the heart of town. I had some time this morning so I was able to enjoy the breakfast spread – Chocolate Chip Scones, Egg Casserole, Mango Smoothies, Cereals, Breads – and chat a bit with owner Lucy Lewand. Soon it was time to hit the road for Santa Rosa to finish up my Sonoma adventure there. I made a stop at D’Argenzio Winery to meet with owner Raymond D’Argenzio. We had met on my last trip here and I loved his Italian style wines. He’s also been instrumental in putting together Vintner’s Square in Santa Rosa, a terrific spot with wineries and shops that has food and wine events each week. As usual, there was plenty to taste here. I had raved about  their 2008 Sangiovese and the 2009 was just as good, full of fruit and very pasta friendly (a necessary food group in my household). The 2008 D’Amarone, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and Petite Syrah, is also a great find, full

I hadn’t had a chance to see Beth from Wine Road Northern Sonoma since my 2010 trip so I was excited that she would be taking me around for the day. It was a full itinerary of wine tasting so we needed to start with a big breakfast and we did that in downtown Healdsburg at Bovolo . I thoroughly enjoyed the baked eggs, with roasted potatoes, mushrooms and truffle oil. Our first stop of the day was at Dutton Goldfield Winery in the Russian River Valley. We met with Dan Goldfield at their tasting room, which has only been at this location for about a year. This winery began in 1998 when Dan joined his friend Warren Dutton, a fifth generation farmer in this area.  They do a lot of single vineyard wines at Dutton Goldfield. The standouts here are the 2009 Freestone Hill Pinot Noir, fruit forward with a light spice on the back; and the 2009 Zinfandel Stoetz Ridge, with soft tannins and light oak, with obvious red fruit. Next, we walked over to Red Car Winery , which produce

It was a full day around Sonoma with Tracy from Wine Road Northern Sonoma , as I made first time visits to some of the area’s great finds. Our first stop was at Timber Crest Farms , which is now the home of a collection of tasting ro.  It’s a great idea, putting together a selection of wineries you can check out in one place (and they even have a food truck if you get hungry in the middle).   We started the tasting at Papapietro Perry , which has some of Tracy’s favorite Pinot Noirs that have also garnered critical acclaim. Though it’s not one of my top varieties, I was impressed with the 2008 Elsbree Vineyards Pinot Noir, a complex mixture of pepper and fruit. It's no wonder this winery, owned by two couples, has come so far. Originally started out of a garage, they now produce 8,000 cases a year from small lots of single vineyards.  They have made a name for themselves with their consistently acclaimed Pinots. Next we made a stop at Family Wineries of Dry Cree

Sonoma is one of those places I can visit every few months and it is guaranteed that I will find things to taste and places to visit that I haven’t seen before. The planning of this trip was no different and I was really excited about the itinerary Wine Road Northern Sonoma had helped me plan that included new discoveries and reacquainting with some old friends. I was excited to meet Sondra Bernstein, whose popular restaurants have made her well known even out of wine country. We were meeting at the girl & the fig and she was very gracious about the fact that I was running about an hour late. I enjoyed hearing all about Sondra’s trips through the South of France that led to her love of French food and wine, and a desire to bring it to California wine country. I listened to how Sondra has educated her restaurant patrons and the winery community in the Rhone varietals and food, and judging by the fact that many of these wines are now being made in Sonoma (and many peop

I had a great trip to Indianapolis in September and discovered some of the plans the city was making to get ready for the 2012 Super Bowl. I couldn’t wait to return to the city and I had my opportunity when I received an assignment from American Way Magazine . Once I was there I had a chance to explore some more things to see, do and eat. Evan of the Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Association met me in the lobby of the brand new (and largest in the world) J.W. Marriott to take me for lunch. We were heading to Goose The Market , where the owner has a passion for charcuterie, combined with a taste for interesting wines and beers. Goose the Market is famous for their bacon, and even has a Bacon of the Month Club (Apple Cider and Brandy, anyone?). They offer a few different sandwiches each day and I settled on The Goose, made with Prosciutto di Parma, basil, fresh mozzarella and extra virgin olive oil. I only had a few bites of the delicious concoction when we were