Wine and Spirits Travel

A few months ago I wrote about the Stories Beat Stuff contest to win trips to New Zealand. The first phase of the competition is complete and now it’s time for Tourism New Zealand to get on to the second – and give away more trips. Things have gotten even more exciting as the prize value has increased from $20,000 to $30,000 and there are two more experiences for you to compete for. The key to the competition is how far you are willing to go for a trip of a lifetime. In this case, you need to make a video or take a picture explaining exactly what you would trade for that trip. Then, you need to get as many votes as possible. Ask your friends to help out too because you can bring three friends along on this trip at no cost to them! I’m really excited about this contest because I’m still planning a trip of my own to New Zealand. While I don’t have to trade anything for it, I’d love to hear more about what adventures I should add to my trip. Here are the two new ones added t

I had spent virtually no time in the Phoenix area of Arizona and I was excited about this trip for a number of reasons. Susan Campbell and I met by email two years ago when we were both trying to get money from a publisher who hadn’t paid us. We struck up a cyber-friendship and always talked about going on a trip together. Our available dates never seemed to coincide. Finally, she received an invitation to The Boulders and I to the Arizona Biltmore and Sanctuary at Camelback . With the help of the Phoenix area tourism board, we were able to put together this trip. My travel was uneventful, despite reports of a rare impending snow and sand storm coming to Phoenix! . Susan’s flight from Montreal was delayed just enough to have us come in around the same time and we met for the very first time in front of the Thrifty Car Rental desk in Phoenix. Since we both have photos with our stories throughout the internet it was easy to spot each other and we were ready for our advent

I spent most of my life in New York, but the truth is I spent very little of that in Manhattan. As a teen, I would go in on my school breaks for shopping or theater, and as an adult it was mostly a trip into the city to see a play, have dinner, or meet friends for drinks. I had never spent four days staying there before and I was determined to finish it with as much as possible. My daughter Sam met me in the morning at my friend Liza’s and we headed over to drop my things at The Library Hotel . I had stayed at two of this brand’s sister hotels previously (Hotel Elysee and Casablanca) and absolutely loved them. This one proved to be just as unique. With an evening social hour (great wine and cheese spread) and a big European breakfast, you can’t possibly get more for your dollar in New York. Plus, there’s also the indiivudality of the hotel. This one – “Library” – has each floor dedicated to a subject and each room to a subdivision.  My room was 20th Century History and was fil

It was a perfect warm spring day as I attended the New York City Wine Expo and  got to spend some time catching up with a friend at a new Manhattan club . I had never been to the New York Wine Expo before and was very surprised by the variety of wine regions represented at the Jacob Javits Center.  The nearby Finger Lakes was well represented and proved to many how different Rieslings can be. I stopped by and tasted some unusual Greek wines before spending awhile checking out La Strada del Vino, a region of Tuscany. I sampled some excellent Chianti’s and talked about planning a trip there this coming fall. Another region I am expecting to get to soon is New Zealand and they had some of their famous sauvignon blanc out. There were also plenty of tastings at the Côtes de Rhône table,  as well as a representation from South Africa that included an unusual sweet Shiraz (Jam Jar). I found some unusual wines, such as Renee-Hugues Gay Wines, Happy Bitch Wine and Middle

I did a major change in scenery when I headed from Florida to New York City.  I had a lot to get in and decided to stay in Manhattan for a few days for the first time ever. There was no quick in and out this trip. I was going to explore, taste and visit my way around the Big Apple. There’s almost nothing better than a greeting of fruit, snacks and refreshments after a long day of traveling, but I found the something better next to my bed at the New York Palace . I have traveled to many hotels around the world, from comfortable to luxury. This one stumped me with something I have never seen before. It was so simple, just a little remote control on my night table that controlled the room lights and temperature.  Without getting out of bed during the night I could turn up the air conditioning, the heat, or turn either off. One of these days I will make a list of my favorite hotel room amenities and this will be toward the top! The temperature control helped me get a good

When the Food Network’s South Beach Wine & Food Festival  ended, my eating and drinking did not. The only thing that changed was the company and I’m always happy when that my companions are family. I was picked up at The National Hotel after the end of the festival by my mom and cousin Gayle. We were off to check out one of the most talked about restaurants to hit South Beach in a long time. Juvia had it all – location, décor, food and drinks. The location may have looked a bit strange from the outside (a private elevator taking you to the roof of the garage), but once upstairs there was no doubt this place was special. I have never seen such beautiful views of Miami and I loved the combination of elegance and comfort. Juvia is a great place for cocktails and I was smitten with the Pear Sangria, while Gayle enjoyed a Purple Rain we started with. I have to admit I was a bit concerned with the menu when I first saw it as it was mostly filled with seafood, but I fo

For those who have not been to the Whole Foods Grand Market at the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival , it is hard to describe. The “market” consists of three blocks (on the beach) of food, wine and spirits. There are three rows in each block offering more than anyone could ingest in one day. Still, we all try our best. The food seminars on the Kitchen Aid states continued throughout the day and I got to catch some of the ones by Rocco Dispirito, Bobby Deen (mom Paula was also on the stage Sunday) and Countess Luann de Lesseps. They were all pretty full and the participants seemed to enjoy both the food and the cooking tips. The Whole Foods booth was actually a group of booths, from which the samples added up to an entire meal on its own. I really enjoyed the Spinach Feta Pinwheel. It went down perfectly with a Pom Pomegrante Bellini. Speaking of the Bellini, The Wilson Creek Peach Bellini sparkling wine was just great. It was pretty hot outside, but