Wine and Spirits Travel

I knew I didn’t have nearly enough time in Napa as I’d like, so it was difficult to narrow down where I was going and what I would miss this trip.  After a full day – with the help of Steve, my wonderful driver from Pure Luxury Transportation – I think I accomplished quite a bit. The first stop for the day was at Robert Mondavi . The Spanish architecture of one of the oldest and largest wineries in the area is welcoming as Dean takes me through the vineyard, warehouses and buildings that were once the center of culinary excellence as well as wine making. Mondavi hosted the “Great Chefs Program,” with notables like Julia Child cooking on these premises.  It was the patriarch’s dream to combine food and wine and it has been continued with food events like the Garden to Table Brunch. Despite all the talk of great food and gardens full of herbs and vegetables, it is wine I am at Robert Mondavi’s for and we make our way into a tasting room.  It is in this winery that th...

My California wine adventure actually didn’t start in wine country, it began in Tiburon , a waterside community in Marin . There was no doubt that I had quite a week ahead of me and I deserved just a bit of downtime first. I took it with a short stay at The Lodge at Tiburon , a rustic hotel in the heart of the city. It’s a welcoming place and I wish I could have stayed a bit longer at The Lodge, , but I did enjoy a Grilled Veggie Flatbread Pizza with a unique combination that included asparagus and corn for dinner and the first sampling of one of my favorite Northern California treats – sourdough bread – for breakfast. Then it was off for a few hours of quality time with my nephew before hitting the road to Napa . It took an army of convention and visitors bureau personnel and public relations reps to plan my Napa Valley wine tour. I have a schedule that is packed solid, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’ve been looking forward to doing this ever since I became the “Wine...

What’s a gal to do when she has two brunches with Food Network Stars at the same time?  Go to them both, of course. I started out at the tent between Caesars and Bally’s for Paula’s Boardwalk Party.  Despite the huge crowd at the tables and the buffets, Paula Deen (and husband Michael Groover) made everyone feel like they were in her dining room.  There was lots of old-fashioned Southern Cooking, including Pork Chops, Chicken & Rice and an incredible Red Velvet Cake with a German Chocolate-like frosting.  Paula and Michael charmed the crowd, we enjoyed lots of wine and sweet tea – in this case Jeremiah Weed Sweet Tea .  It was a delicious and comfortable setting, but I had an entirely different type of brunch to get to. It was back to One Atlantic, the banquet spot over The Pier Shops at Caesars with incredible views of the ocean, for Alex Guarnaschelli’s Farm-to-Table Brunch.  The tables were set formally and included a selection of wine glas...

Is there anything better than a party overlooking the ocean with a top Food Network chef?  The answer is yes – three of them.  That’s how many I made it to on the last night of the Atlantic City Food and Wine Festival. It’s probably hard to believe I was still standing (and I wasn’t completely… more later) after my marathon day of events , but there were some incredible parties to attend and I wasn’t about to let my readers down.  I grabbed some caffeine, threw on my party dress , touched up the makeup and headed to party one with my companion, photographer and daughter, Sam. We didn’t have far to go for the first party as it was right where we were staying, Harrah’s .  It gave me yet another opportunity to enjoy The Pool, this time for Conde Nast Traveler’s Taste The World: Grapes & Global Tapas.  The setting was tropical and the wine list huge.  As was the case with all of the events at the Food & Wine Festival, there was a little of everyth...

The second day of the Food Network’s Atlantic City Food & Wine Festival was filled to the brim with events.  I had a hard time deciding where to go, but finally narrowed it down – to seven.  Considering I had my daughter Sam along to help me taste, note and photograph, I thought I could handle it. I started off joining three other writers for an informal interview with Guy Fieri .  Why he is called the “bad boy” of the Food Network , I will never know.  Guy was cordial and accommodating.  He actually lit up when I asked him about his appeal to children (my nieces and nephew, ages 12, 10 and 5, love him).  Guy explained his process of talking to kids the same way he talks to adults, adding how important his own relationship to his children is.  Most famous for his shows, like “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” Ultimate Recipe Showdown” and “Guy’s Big Bite,” the Food Network star also admitted that he feels he’s living a dream beyond his expectation an...

Day two of the Food Network’s Atlantic City Food and Wine Festival actually didn’t start until the evening, but I had three events to squeeze in there. Stop one was at Guy Fieri’s Cheesesteak Battle. Guy – and I – were going to pick the best one at the Palladium Ballroom in Caesars . It was a food orgy in there with four contestants and a selection of additional food, like a great chicken/asparagus cheesesteak-like offering from Café Roma, Spicy Chicken Dim Sum from Sammy’s Beach Bar, and some absolutely delicious chocolates from 2 Chicks with Chocolate , which I highly recommend checking out. There was also lots of drink offerings, like Rosenblum Cellars wine and Blue Moon beer. Guy and I didn’t quite agree on the winner.  He went for Tony Boloney’s Cheesesteak, which I thought was very good, but a bit too salty for me.  This Atlantic City restaurant beat out my choice, Chinks Steaks of Philadelphia, which I thought was the perfect mixture of tender beer, cheese a...