Luxury tour operator Artisans of Leisure has added 16 new private tours to its menu. Known for tours that are culturally rich and provide insider access, Artisans of Leisure is one of the only US based tour operators that offers private luxury tours in Central Europe. They include single-city, multi-city and multi-country tours as well…
Backroads has long been known for its week-long adventures. But now for those who don’t have seven days to spare, how about three? Weekend biking trips in Northern California’s renowned wine country are now on the menu. As with all its biking, walking and multi-sport itineraries, Backroads’ trips are top quality and feature impeccable service…
In addition to world-class wines, wineries and vineyards, California wine country offers many miles of beautiful hiking trails. If you love wine, and yearn to experience the great outdoors, a winehiking tour with www.californiawinehikes.com may be just the getaway you’ve been searching for. From coastal waterfalls and high mountain streams to wildflowers and redwoods, California…
Horizon Air now has direct flights to Sonoma Wine Country from both Los Angeles and Seattle. The twice-daily flights from LAX arrive at Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma County Airport at 10:10 AM and 8:30 PM. Introductory fares are as low as $69 one-way. A daily flight out of Seattle arrives at 3:50 PM, leaving plenty of…
Calling themselves “Sommelier paired to enhance the food you eat everyday,” Wine That Loves…™ has splashy graphics, colorful bottles, and a range of offerings. According to its Website, they “offer the very best Wine That Loves…™ for every type of popular food, our Wine Director, one of America’s top wine tasters, scours the world for…
The results are in for the 2007 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. The winners were announced on January 9-12 by 55 professional wine judges from across the US who evaluated more than 3,800 wines entered by 1,572 wineries from 20 states. Complete results will be published in the Chronicle on Friday, February 16 and a…
The outlook is rosy for the US wine industry. It now generates $162 billion annually. There are over 4,900 wineries across all 50 states. And it supports over 1 million workers with a $3 billion payroll. Here in California, there were over 27 million wine related visits last year. I’ll be one of them today…
In 1994 I stood in a local bar in the countryside near Grecia. A weathered old man walked in from a day in the cane fields. A machete hung at his waist and he was barefoot. He stepped to the bar and put up one finger. The bartender poured him a shot that nearly dribbled…
It’s fun to say and even more so to visit. Walla Walla, located in the southeast corner of Washington, is home to the state’s exploding wine industry. Chef Mike Davis, owner of 26brix restaurant, has put a group of partners together and come up with some terrific packages being offered through Blue Stocking Tours of…
Drum roll, please… We’re extremely proud to introduce Vagablond’s new design. We feel it’s a better representation of our upscale content, sophisticated collection of global contributors, and our unique position of offering daily articles about luxury travel, superior shopping, vintage wines and delicious foods. As you can see, it features more color, a cool new…
It’s not every day that a company celebrates its 125th anniversary, as well as its first. But that’s exactly what just happened at Oakville Grocery, Napa Valley’s best-known culinary emporium for the finest gourmet products, regional winemakers, unique gifts, fantastic catering, and more. The Oakville Grocery opened its flagship store in 1881 in the quaint…
If you’ve never been to a Melting Pot Restaurant across the US, you’re missing out on a spectacular opportunity for fun fondue along with extremely tasty food-and-cheese pairings with an extensive wine list. In fact, Melting Pot Restaurants Inc. just announced that 53 of its locations have received 2006 Wine Spectator awards for their outstanding…