Wine and Spirits Travel

  (This story was originally published in Cocktails and Joints)   Destination weddings can take away a lot of the hassle – and cost – from the bride and groom, but it’s difficult to plan when your guests don’t want to leave the U.S.   You can still find some exciting places to head out of town for your nuptials without anyone needing to make a trip to the passport office. In fact, you may find some of these places offer unique scenery you won’t get on an island. Geyserville, California Geyserville, California Between the Mayacamas Mountains and the vineyards, the backdrop for your ceremony will be amazing at the Geyserville Inn . This Sonoma accommodation is laid back and attentive at the same time. It’s family owned and there’s only one wedding at a time. Guests can stay right at the Inn in one of the well-appointed 41 rooms or suites. You should also consider the rehearsal dinner or next day brunch at the Francis Ford Coppola Winery . It may be in the heart of ...

My friend Roberta and I woke up in our beautiful room at The Edgewater Resort & Spa in Madison, Wisconsin . I had been there on a “combo” trip – covering a college tennis tournament and checking out the city. It was our final day. The first thing on the agenda was tour of the hotel with Jessica Arendas, Marketing and Public Relations Manager of The Edgewater . I had actually been to this hotel before. It was 2010 and I was there for the Celebration of American Distilling . Since that time, The Edgewater had gone through a dramatic renovation. I didn’t recognize the place – except it’s lakefront location – and I was looking forward to checking out more of it. We met Jessica in the lobby and I remarked immediately how much I loved the spiral staircase and lighting fixtures. It only got better from there. The resort had taken on an understated elegance, enough so that you felt like you were staying someplace special, but not too much that you didn’t ...

It was day three in Madison, Wisconsin , and my friend Roberta and I were getting ready to leave The Graduate Madison and heading to our next hotel, The Edgewater Resort. I had chosen to split the stay between the two accommodations because they are totally different. We certainly had enjoyed the college town atmosphere of The Graduate Madison . Before we left, we had breakfast in the lobby café, Portage Pi. Hand pies are the specialty here, and very popular with college students. Lots of locals show up just to eat here and get coffee and smoothies, while taking advantage of the free Wi-Fi and power hookups. I went for sweet, while Roberta preferred the savory. Both were good with our smoothies and coffees. It was one time I wasn’t anxious to turn in my keys as I loved the idea that Graduate Madison had made them look like student IDs, but it was time to head out. While in Madison , I was also covering a tennis tournament at the university. Roberta dro...