Last Winter, while studying at the International Wine Institute of Bordeaux, I attended a class on the wine region of Burgundy (Bourgogne in French). Discussing the nuances of Burgundian terroirs from the grapes and soil to the climate and vineyard placement, inspired a spontaneous trip to this fabled region. Within weeks I had found myself traipsing…
Off the Beaten Path: Mendocino Wine Country
About 120 miles north of San Francisco, dispersed between the towering Redwoods and rugged Pacific coastline, are scores of vineyards belonging to Mendocino Wine Country. This region may be lesser-known than it’s southern grape growing neighbors, but the wines Mendocino puts forth can certainly rival Napa and Sonoma. Vineyards span across several narrow valleys, including…
Dreaming of a Bordeaux Christmas
Cue the twinkling lights, festive treats, and steaming-spiked drinks…it’s Christmas time once again. One of the best places to celebrate the holiday season is inside the many picture-perfect Christmas markets throughout Europe. While living in Bordeaux, France this past year, I did exactly that. Straight from the pages of a story-book is the Marché de Noël de…
Why Fall is the Best Time to Visit Napa Valley
Just when you think Napa Valley can’t get any better, she starts to shed her leaves and metamorphose into a brilliant Autumnal paradise. As a girl who grew up being spoiled by Fall in New England, you bet I can appreciate that time of year when the leaves get crunchy and the air becomes crisp….
Orange Cranberry Prosecco Recipe
Prosec-Ho-Ho-Ho! Can you believe the holidays are already here? Get into the holiday spirit with my fun and easy cocktail recipe using two of my favorite ingredient pairings of the season – oranges and cranberries. Clink, clink, cheers! Feeling inspired? Create your own Prosecco recipe and you can win a trip for two to Italy!…
Napa Valley By Air
I might have cried when my boyfriend surprised me with a hot air balloon ride over Napa Valley for our anniversary this year. Despite my fear of heights, taking flight aboard a wicker basket and colorful balloon has always been a bucket list item of mine. Our car headlights were alone on the road as…
Paris in Bloom
This past spring ,I had an opportunity to travel solo to the “City of Lights.” During a 24-hour layover from Rome to Düsseldorf, I had plenty of time to nibble on crêpes while wandering the hustling Seine. Spring had just sprung in the city, providing more than enough stimuli for a day’s trip. Happily, I was…
Find me in Florence
The warm rubescent hues of the city’s roofs were a welcoming sight after a grueling climb to the top of Florence’s Duomo. The sun felt hotter 463 steps up, but the cooling breeze made up for it. My sister and I encircled the narrow platform, taking in unparalleled 360° views of the city below. It…
A Spring Day in Tuscany
Earlier this year, before the flower blooms and heat waves, I had a the perfect spring day exploring Tuscan Wine Country. Driving north from Rome, along the “Highway of Sun,” my sister and I were leaving the city excitement to take in rustic, painting-like views of one of the most iconic wine regions of the…
Rome Sweet Home
I ran to hug my sister, nearly knocking her to the ground. It had been three months since seeing her at Christmas back in the States. This reunion was a little far from home, however. We were in one of my favorite cities in the world – Rome, Italy. Whenever I express my love for…
Going Local in Champagne
An early morning drive to the Champagne countryside was the moment I had been waiting for my entire trip. We were finally getting a chance to see where the famous Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier grapes are actually grown and where the smaller Champagne producers are settled. Guided by a Reims local, Valentin from…
Reims, France: a Travel Dream Fulfilled
As a lover of wine and the finer things in life, my love for Champagne was unavoidable. Having just blown out the candles on my 24th birthday, I couldn’t think of a more fitting place to celebrate than in the region where luxury is bottled. Early on a Saturday morning, my Finnish friend and I…
Bordeaux: a Love Story of Three Châteaux
Until recently, many of the Classified Growth Châteaux of Bordeaux did not open their gates to the public. Luckily for me, things have begun to change in this world-famous wine region. Now more than ever, some of the best wine estates are welcoming guests to their property for a once in a lifetime look into…
The Quick Sip on Porto
The quest to discover the magic of Port wine had brought me to Portugal’s second largest city, home to colorfully splashed buildings, a lively waterfront, and enough wine to make you weak in the knees. The city of course is Porto, located on the northern bank of the Douro River, just a stone’s throw away…
The Best of Douro Valley
Some may be surprised by the fact that Portugal’s most famous wine is not actually produced in the city where it derives its name from. The magic of this precious liquid actually begins about 200 miles east in the Douro Valley. The Douro Valley is 70 miles of hillside-clinging vineyards shaped by the mighty Douro…
Taste of Médoc
Nestled between the Atlantic and the Gironde Estuary, sits the prestigious wine-producing region of the Médoc. Originating just south of the city of Bordeaux, the Médoc wine route weaves through the heart of some of the most fabulous wine appellations in the world: the Haut-Médoc, Margaux, Pauillac, Saint-Julien, and Saint-Estéphe, not forgetting Listrac and Moulis….
Bordeaux’s Right Bank: Saint-Émilion
Finally, after a month of calling Bordeaux my home, I wandered to the Bordelaise Vineyards just outside the city. Choosing the oldest Bordeaux wine region of Saint-Émilion as the preface for my journey was rewarding in many aspects. Although the vineyards are what we came for, the village was equaling amazing. Surrounded by vines in every…
Basque Country: Spain’s Best Kept Secret
The sheer diversity of Spain truly mesmerizes me. In contrast to the dry, warm, and sunny Rioja wine region I visited a couple weeks ago, my recent trip to the Basque Country seemed worlds away. Located on the Bay of Biscay on the Atlantic Coast, País Vasco (Spanish) or Eskuadi (Basque), experiences a mild maritime…
A Postcard from Bordeaux
Today marks one month since moving to the lovable French city of Bordeaux. While I have since settled into a daily rhythm filled with school and work, it still seems impossible to quit the feeling that I am on a holiday. How could I with weekend hiking trips in the countryside, day trips to the…
Inside Spain’s La Rioja
Spain is a country that will never get old no matter how many times I travel to it. Having lived in its vibrant southern city of Sevilla some years ago, it is a country that I will forever hold dear in my heart. During my recent return, I was led to a rediscovery of what…
