Wine and Spirits Travel

I usually love my job, but sometimes I really love my job, like the last two days when I got to take off with my daughter Sam in Napa to check out a great hotel, two spas, four restaurants – and lots of wine. I was in Napa last summer , but it’s been a few years since I spent any time in Calistoga .  This quaint area is the perfect place to plan a girls' getaway as it appears to be the land of spas.  That’s exactly where we started, at Solage Resort & Spa , a luxury retreat in the center of Calistoga. Our cottage at Solage was just beautiful, complete with a cozy living room and a patio in the back that included a Jacuzzi.  We also had two bicycles on our front porch and though we didn’t have a chance to use them, they are a popular mode of transportation around Northern California, where gas is over $4 a gallon. The Spa at Solage has received many accolades (including a vote as the No. 1 Spa in the Americas in Conde Nast Traveller) and it was easy to see why. It’s a r

I actually took some time off this weekend to spend with the family, while having a chance to taste my way around more of Marin County. I’m staying at the Courtyard Larkspur which is in a perfect location for just about anything you want to do in this area.  The hotel’s only about a mile from Highway 101, within walking distance of the San Francisco Ferry Terminal and across from a great little shopping center. Within that center is the Marin Brewing Company which, as the name indicates, is a great place for beer.  I enlisted Sam’s help in trying some out and she gave it the thumbs up. We made our way around the county on Sunday.  I explored the Larkspur area a little, taking in the 70 degree weather (and, unfortunately, the pollen).  The Courtyard by Marriott Larkspur Landing has a great Bistro in the lobby that has Starbucks coffee and a good selection of healthy breakfast, lunch and dinner choices.  I also love the large lounge area for relaxing and catching up on sports (on y

Marin County is the often forgotten area between San Francisco and the California wine countries of Napa and Sonoma. I have been here many times because I have family in this area, but this is the first time I’m getting to spend a week in this area exploring. My last trip here included a mini girls’ getaway with my nieces which was a lot of fun.  This time it’s going to be a Napa getaway in Calistoga, but before that gets here I am checking out Marin, starting with Novato. According to Christine Bohlke, my contact from the Marin County Convention & Visitors Bureau, Novato is just the place for the Spirits Traveler to begin. You see, legend has it that a Russian contingency came here and was disappointed to find this area had “No Vodka,” and named the town accordingly! You won’t find a shortage of vodka – or any other spirits – here these days and Christine helped me prove that by taking me around town.  I had the pleasure of staying at one of the great representatives of Nova

A previous engagement kept me from accompanying the rest of my group to Epernay on a visit to the Perrier Jouet Champagne House.  Epernay had been a classic stop on my October trip to France so I was familiar with this champagne filled city, but wanted to learn more about this brand and its history. Though the wine and spirits giant Pernod Ricard now owns Perrier Jouet, it still bears the legacy of the family it came from in 1811.  The house includes extensive caves which housed many fine champagnes, as well as Italian prisoners during the war.  Most of all, it is filled with tradition founded by Pierre-Nicolas Perrier and Rose Adelaide Jouët on Avenue de Champagne in Epernay, now home to an abundance of champagne houses.  Before I left France, I did have a chance to sit with Cellar Master Herve Deschamps who told me about what makes Perrier Jouët stand out from the rest, “It’s a family work ethic,” he said, “to preserve the quality and maintain the same style.”  The vineyards, w