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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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. […]

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! Ingredients: 2 1/2 cups cranberries 1 cup sugar 1 orange for garnish 1 ounce orange liqueur 1 […]

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 […]