The House of Paul Bara Champagne is one of the standard bearers for traditionally made Champagne. When it comes to Pinot Noir-based Champagnes, Paul Bara is THE standard bearer, known for top vineyards, meticulous detail and exceptionally high standards for quality. So it was a real treat when Marquis Wine Cellars invited us to try the very best of the Paul Bara line-up: the 2002 Comtesse Marie de France.
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Talisman: A Sonoma Pinot
Talisman is currently making some of the best Pinot in California, period. And when you take a closer look you can see many reasons why.
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Danube Delights – Cruising down the Danube with Emerald Waterways
There is a reason the Danube is the most popular River Cruise amongst travelers today. It is an ideal way to explore a stunning part of world presenting a variety of experiences. And whether you love history, food, architecture, music or art, you will not be disappointed. Couple that with the luxurious accommodation provided by the Emerald Star—Emerald Waterways’ recently named Best New River Ship of the Year by Cruise Critic—and you simply can’t go wrong.
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Grower Champagne
The Grower Champagne movement is picking up steam, and for consumers, this is a very good thing. The Champagne region of France produces annually over 350 million bottles of delicious bubbly and this production can be divided between two groups: the big “Houses” with the familiar names like Moet & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot, Pol Roger, Taittinger et al. and the “Growers”, a group whose members have flown largely under the radar…until recently.
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Emerald Waterways – The Emerald Star
Having worked in the travel industry for over a decade, I’ve seen trends come and go in terms of popular destinations people want to visit as well as modes of transport. You get a sense for those things that will sustain over time and those which will be replaced by the “next big thing”. Without question, I’ve been asked more about River Cruising than any other aspect of travel in the last two years. And not just from the usual suspects of seniors with a bit more of a disposable income and time on their hands. But also by Baby Boomers (the backpackers of 20yrs ago who still experience wanderlust but are trading hostels for more luxurious accommodations) and young families looking for a comfortable and safe mode of transportation to visit several destinations while also providing an educational value for both themselves and their children.
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The pedigree does not get much higher than Biserno, the latest creation of Marchese Lodovico Antinori. Lodovico formerly owned the elite of the Super-Tuscan wineries: Tenuta dell Ornellaia, makers of Ornellaia and Masseto. In 2002 he sold his interest to his partners the Mondavi-Frescobaldi Group. For the Biserno venture he has partnered with his brother, Marchese Piero Antinori, president of Marchesi Antinori, the winery that arguably created the Super-Tuscan brand with his ground-breaking Tignanello. So it was with considerable excitement that I happily accepted George Wong’s generous invitation to taste these wines at a small, gentlemen-only dinner party at George’s beautiful home.
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Maison Bleue Tasting Room (Walla Walla, WA)
The first thing you notice when you walk in to Maison Bleue’s downtown Walla Walla tasting room is how spacious it is. Not that it is big, or empty, but spacious. The ceilings must be 15 feet tall. It is the height over head that really contributes to that feeling of spaciousness. The décor adds to that feeling; furnishings are simple, tasteful and sparse. The walls are bare, but for two chalk boards to inform you about the wine, and painted a dark cobalt blue which adds to the feeling of space and class. They climb to a beautiful white plaster brocade ceiling.
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Walla Walla, WA – Where to Eat
One of the joys of visiting any wine region is that it’s also farm country which means direct access to fresh, organic & local food. The Columbia Valley is no different. In fact, so much so it seemed that every restaurant we ate at in Walla Walla went out of their way to tell us what had just come in (Heirloom tomatoes, fresh wildberries, etc) along with directing us to other local eateries versus well known franchises. For such a small town, the quality we found in the restaurant scene here was truly remarkable.
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