Wine and Spirits Travel

It has been many years since I stepped foot on the island of St. Martin (the common spelling I will be using to keep things simple). I spent the day here while on a cruise around the Caribbean. I vividly remember it being my favorite island on the trip. From the colorful cobblestone streets on the Dutch side ( St. Maarten ) to the unique European-style buildings on the French half (Saint Martin), I had been impressed with the beauty of the towns and the beaches.  I remember strolling the streets and doing some jewelry shopping, as well as relaxing on the soft sand with a cool drink. A lot can change in twenty plus years and I was prepared for that when I decided to take this trip with the tourism board on the Dutch side.  I actually hadn’t done any Caribbean trips since Punta Cana in 2010 and it seemed like the perfect island with lots of restaurants and home grown spirits. It had been a long day of three flights and I was ready to get to the hotel, where Trish, our

After my morning tasting and exploring the North Market , I met Amy Weirick, who works with Experience Columbus . She put together a full day and it started at The Candle Lab in the city’s Short North section. We had time to mix our favorite fragrances into a candle (I choose hot chocolate and marshmallow), and do a little downtown shopping before heading off to lunch. We ate in the German Village, one of the many diverse neighborhoods in this Ohio city. Among the Cobblestone streets and brick houses was Lindey’s , a popular restaurant that was filled to the brim on this weekday. Amy ordered the Tuna Tartar, a favorite of hers, and I enjoyed a Spinach Quiche, that was very good with a hint of bacon. We stayed in the area a bit longer to head over to Pistacia Vera , which means true pistachio in Latin. You will find some pistachio items here, but the focus is all French. Like my favorite stops in Paris, there are macaroons that melt in your mouth, airy croissants and a se

Voli has been an advertiser of Wine And Spirits Travel ever since I met CEO  Adam Kamenstein and  discovered his delicious vodkas at the Food Network's South Beach Wine & Food Festival in 2010 . The Vanilla Espresso is my absolute favorite, but I'm always ready to sip on any of these low calorie, electrolyte-induced vodkas, which include Raspberry Cocoa, Orange Vanilla and Lemon. I am far from alone in touting the taste of Voli as the brand has become rather popular and has picked up some rather high profile fans. First, Pitbull  became a partner in Voli and now  six-time Grammy winner Fergie  is the latest part owner of the brand.  "I'm excited about my new partnership with Voli Light Vodka, a company that understands the modern girl on the go,” said Fergie. “A fit and active lifestyle can now happily co-exist with a sexy night on the town with your girlfriends or your man." The wheat-based low calorie vodkas of Voli made in Cognac, France

It had been a few years since I spent any time in Columbus, Ohio. I had come each November to cover a tennis tournament every year, but never got to spend much time downtown. Since then, I had heard the city had welcomed a new food and drink scene and I was anxious to check it out. After I left Rockmill Brewery , I went straight to the Hampton Inn and Suites Downtown to check in. I was met there by Scott Peacock, Public Relations Manager for Experience Columbus .  Scott took me to M at Miranova , one of Cameron Mitchell’s restaurants, which is known for its drinks as much as its food. We started the evening at the bar trying out some of those famous cocktails made by Cris Dehlavi , a mixologist extraordinaire who has brought her award winning skills to this restaurant for nearly a decade. Scott and I were joined by another local celebrity, Angela An. The local morning news anchor has an interest in food and drinks that brought her and her husband to develop Food Hop , a s

In the fall, I had a great trip to the Inn at Cedar Falls in Hocking Hills, Ohio.  During that trip I met Matthew Barbee of Rockmill Brewery . He came to the inn’s restaurant to have dinner with my friend Lisa and me, and to introduce us to his beer. Lisa loved it, but I didn’t drink any. The fact is, I hadn’t had any beer in about 30 years. I had wiped the beverage from my vocabulary after a bad experience. While Matt understood about the fact that I wouldn’t drink beer, I began to question my position. Honestly, I had never thought much about it before. After all, it’s not like there aren’t thousands of types of wines and spirits  for me to drink. But as I listened to him describe his beer, everything that goes into the small batches and how he pairs it with food and cheese, I thought that maybe I should reconsider. This may seem like a trivial revelation to most, but it wasn’t to me. I had been the only breathing sole at the Great American Beer Festival who had not t

My stay at the brand new Radisson Blu Aqua in Chicago continued with a full tour of the property and a chance to experience two Michelin Star restaurants in one day. The day started with a healthy fruit-filled breakfast in the Radisson Blu business center. The behind the scenes tour took us everywhere through this building, designed by Jim Hamilton down to the long, single piece fireplace and carpet that represents and aerial view of Chicago and sits in the lobby. While the whole place is modern, warm and attractive, I was most impressed with the fitness facility. I have never seen anything like it at a hotel – 8,000 square feet of the latest exercise equipment; indoor and outdoor swimming pools; a spa area; an outdoor running track; and a basketball court. It fits in perfectly with the Magellan Complex neighborhood (also referred to as Lakeshore East), where a six acre park provides plenty of open space for walking. Meghan Risch of the Chicago Convention & Touri

The first Radisson Blu in North America came to Chicago recently and I was invited to check it out with a group of fellow journalists. While I always enjoy visiting a new hotel, I was just as excited about the opportunity to play tourist in Chicago as I am still discovering the city. My room was modern and, yes, blue. I had arrived late at night and didn’t really have time for dinner, so I was ready for a big breakfast. The room service spread certainly fit the bill, supplying a fresh selection that was more than I could finish. I had a bit of time to relax and digest before the official luncheon when we were introduced to the Radisson executive team, as well as Meghan Risch of the Chicago Convention & Tourism Bureau . We learned about the hotel brands of Carlson --  Hotel Missoni, Radisson Blu, Radisson, Park Plaza, Park Inn and Country Inn – while sipping champagne in the very comfortable viewing room of the new hotel. The afternoon was filled with fun activi