During our planning, we became quite interested in the wine regions around Verona, and we were not disappointed in our visits. There are multiple appellations within 30-60 minutes driving, and each...
Blog posts from wineries
NY Summer 2020: North Fork Food + Drink
With coronavirus restrictions we were very selective about where we went this year, but still got to try a few restaurants, breweries and wineries. Food A Lure Chowder House - This was the first...
Alsace: Day 3 – Riquewihr + Obernai
Riquewihr This little village really looked promising on the drive into town... However, once we parked (car lots were 3€ for two hours with no option for less time) and noticed bus loads of (mostly...
Alsace: Day 2 – Eguisheim, Munster, Ammerschwihr, Kaysersberg
Eguisheim Another item on Eric's must-see list was this small village ringed by roads with names like Rue de Riesling, Rue de Traminer, etc. Luckily we found a free parking spot near a park just...
Alsace: Day 1 – Haut-Koenigsbourg, Saint-Hippolyte, Rorschwihr, Ribeauville
Haut-Kœnigsbourg Our first day in Alsace was predicted to be the sunniest, so we decided to start explorations here to take advantage of the views. It was one of the top three items on Eric's...
Pacific NW: Efeste & exploring Bellevue
Our only wine tasting for the day was EFESTĒ to pick up our semi-annual allotment and try out some additional wines. Since it was Monday, we were the only people in the tasting room which meant a...
Pacific NW: Woodinville Wineries and hanging with friends
After a leisurely breakfast at the hotel we met my friend Barb (from high school) & her husband, Jon at Davenport Cellars at noon. Phil was our wine pourer and he definitely opened up a bit when...
Pacific NW: Willamette Valley and drive to Seattle
Stopped in at the Sweet Oregon Berry Co again for another round of raspberry and pumpkin hand pies, then headed to our old favorite Arborbrook Vineyards. Per usual, the tasting here was good, it's...
Pacific NW: Willamette Valley, day 2
We met our friend from college, Nate Wall, at Day Wines for a tasting and tour. Got to try a bunch of different wines and have a great conversation about wine making methods. Our next destination...
Italy 2017: daytrip to Chianti
There are many, many options to explore the Chianti region via daytrips from Florence. We immediately ruled out any that involved being on a bus with 50+ other people, so that left small van tours...
Seattle 2015: Woodinville Wineries
Most of the wineries we visited had a $10 tasting fee that was waived with purchase. No one minded if we split a tasting and more often than not we also had a chance to try a few extra unlisted...
Auckland wineries: Warkworth region
Our first choice for the day, Mahurangi River, was not open due to a private function, so we headed to Brick Bay. This is quite the site, with sculptures, gardens, sheep and a very modern building...
Auckland wineries: Henderson and Kumeu regions
Wednesday After landing in Auckland and checking into our hotel, we took a 30 minute drive up to Babich Wines. Being a Wednesday afternoon it was not busy; in fact, the tasting room was empty! Once...
Sonoma County: Russian River Valley wine tasting
Porter Creek Vineyards -- On our second visit to this charming tasting room we had an equally lovely visit. Jonathan was a friendly host full of suggestions and stories. Given the small tasting room...
Sonoma County: Dry Creek and Alexander Valley wine tasting
Though we have been to Sonoma County a few times now, we really hadn't explored the Dry Creek and Alexander Valleys, so on this trip we set out to remedy that issue. Zinfandel is king here and you...
Woodinville wineries
We split up our winery visits over two days, Friday and Sunday. Unfortunately, this meant we missed a few that were only open on Saturday, so I have them on the list for next time. All the wineries...
Our Itinerary
2024 Trips
San Diego, CA (Jan)
Sarasota, FL (Feb)
Madrid, Spain (Mar)
Valencia, Spain (Mar+Apr)
Palma, Mallorca (Apr)
Croatia (May)
Long Island, NY (July)
Faroe Islands (Aug)
London, UK (Sept)
Puglia, Italy (Sept)
Rome, Italy (Oct)
Frankfurt, Germany (Oct)
Mosel Valley, Germany (Oct)
London, UK (Dec)
Manchester, UK (Dec)
2023 Trips
San Diego (Jan)
Orlando (Feb)
Richmond, VA (Apr)
Northern Italy (Apr)
NC Mountains (May)
Long Island (Jul)
Wisconsin (Aug)
Chicago (Aug)
Oak Island, NC (Sept)
Brooklyn, NY (Sept)
Bordeaux + Rugby World Cup (Sep)
Castilla y León (Sep)
Seychelles (Nov)
Willamette Valley (Dec)
2022 Trips
Florida (Feb)
NC Mountains (Apr)
Washington DC (Apr)
Valencia, Spain (May)
Hilton Head, SC (May)
Pacific NW (Jun)
Long Island (Jul)
Florida (Sept)
Chicago (Sept)
Poland (Sept)
NC Mountains (Nov)
Euro Xmas Markets (Dec)