Wine and Spirits Travel

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