Customized Wine
Published August 6, 2012 | 
It may work just fine to base your judgement of wines off of their taste alone, but the more background information you have the better you will be able to keep track of the wines you like, and the easier it will be to find more promising wines in the future. When my interest first peaked in wine I had no idea of the wide variety of wines there were for me to choose from. First I had to choose what overall category of wine I liked, and that was easy because my father had heavily biased me towards red wines already. But beyond my basic choice of wine, there are so many flavors to choose from. In the U.S. wine varieties are mainly referred to by the type of grapes within them, while in Europe they often classify their wines by where they are grown. The reason for this inconsistency in names is because there are so many factors involved in what gives a wine its unique taste, and two of those factors are the grapes and the area where they are grown. My dad finds wines that he truly loves by knowing a great deal of background information about the grapes used, along with his past preferences of wine region, and some knowledge of the most recommended vineyards. Realizing all the knowledge that goes into finding a wine that fit me personally, was somewhat daunting at first. However, it makes the experience of finding an unforgettable wine that much more special. Just as anyone likes to have custom fit jeans or a customized schedule, you can customize a wine to your taste buds and that is worth the effort!
Vacationing in Maine
Published August 6, 2012 | Since I was little I have traveled to Maine each summer to visit my grandparents, and each time we visit there are always great memories made. However, when my grandparents moved to Florida I was worried that these trips would be forgotten and that we wouldn’t make it back to Maine anymore. To my happy surprise this was not the case! This past July I visited Maine with my father and brother, and the experience was just as memorable as always. My Dad found some great restaurants for us to check out, we took a boat out on Kezar lake, and we relaxed in Maine’s calm lifestyle. I left Maine feeling extremely lucky to have grown up with such great memories. I know now that I will never stop going back because Maine has become a part of me.
One of the things that makes Maine so memorable is the fact that each trip we take my father makes an effort to find something new for us to check out, and often the number one adventure on our to do list, is discovering some fantastic new restaurant. My father loves to find hidden gems, and somehow he manages to do this every time. One of the great restaurants that we found this past trip was one in Portland, Maine. I had a great bottle of wine, and meals that left my taste buds buzzing. It is definitely a restaurant going on my to-do list for every Maine trip here on out. The restaurant was very open and inviting with a relaxed atmosphere. They had an open kitchen, and waiters who went the extra mile to make our meal memorable. Eating there was not just about the food it was about the experience. This restaurant was unique to me because it not only had wines from around the world, but in some cases they could even special order wines for you, or provide a selection of rare wines only available from their restaurant.
One of the things I love about my father is his passion for cooking. He knows great food, and when he loves a restaurant I know that it is truly something special. There is nothing that makes him happier than a masterpiece meal accentuated by a great wine, and so I have grown up holding the two hand in hand. Although my brother likes to taunt me saying that wine is no great gift, I know that he is the one missing out! No dinner out is complete without a great bottle of wine. Knowing this little secret is something that vacations in Maine taught me, and which I will always recommend.
If you enjoyed this article or just love wine in general check out the cool infographic below. I stumbled upon it this morning when I was researching different wine online websites, and it had some interesting insight into the health benefits of wine and the process that goes into making it.
Presented By ONEHOPE Wine Online Fifty Percent of Profits Go To Charity
Kayaking & WineTours
Published August 6, 2012 | A close friend of mine John recently went on a group kayaking trip down the Delaware River, which ended with a winery tour and tasting. The trip was through a coupon website and he went with a bunch of friends from college who he hadn’t seen in a while. Unfortunately, his kayak must have had a hidden hole in it because not long into the trip, he had to start bailing it out with an empty water bottle, while two of his friends held him in place with their kayaks side by side with his. The worst trouble of all was really that he couldn’t stop laughing during the whole ordeal and so water from the bottle was finding its way right back into his boat. Although this was definitely a major technical difficultly, John couldn’t stop telling me about how much fun it was, and how much he would love to take another trip like this one before the end of the summer. Between his hysterical laughter and the photos I saw posted of him all over Facebook, I found myself sincerely wishing I had not been busy that day. At the end of two hours of Kayaking he and his friends ended up at Crossing Vineyards & Winery, where he had the chance to try a dozen wines, with different cheeses and chocolates for an added treat. Although I have always loved wines, I have yet to take a wine tasting tour myself. Now that I know just how much fun it can be, I am seriously jealous and a tiny bit sad that I have let so much time go by without trying it. One of my excuses was always that I didn’t know which wine tasting tour to choose, but how can a girl who loves outdoors go wrong with a Kayaking trip (even if I am a bit rusty with my Kayaking skills). The thing that is so appealing about this trip is that is affordable enough that even a large group of friends can enjoy the fun together. For who knows what reason, I had always thought of a vineyard tour as something intimate, like a good daytime date for two wine lovers. However, this cool trip idea has given me a new perspective on wine tasting tours altogether.When I looked online in search of other dates for this trip I could not find any offered, but I still plan on organizing a trip like this one for the end of the summer. It wouldn’t be hard to do, it’s only that I hadn’t thought of combing sporting with wine tasting. Now that I know this secret I will not soon forget it.
If you’ve been on any memorable vineyard tours or wine tastings please share them below. I would love to get some more ideas and advice!
Hotels.com: Family Vacations Made Easy
Published July 28, 2012 | With summer here, the kids are out of school, and my husband and I have saved up enough vacation days to finally go on some of the trips that we’ve been discussing all year. Our children have never traveled outside of the continental United States, so we decided that this summer was when we were going to change that. However, as we all know, international trips can be crazy expensive when you’re traveling with a family. Still, my husband and I were determined. We wanted our kids to see another country, but we especially wanted to visit France and go to their famous vineyards! We were able to nail down details such as which flights we were going to take, what towns we were visiting, and when we were going to be leaving, but we were stumped when it came to making reservations at a hotel. We didn’t know any hotels in the city we were flying to, and weren’t sure who to talk to, or where to even start!
However, a chat with a few of my girlfriends pointed me in the direction of Hotels.com. Ringing endorsements from my friends eased any skepticism I had about using this website, and arriving at their homepage only made me feel better. Hotels.com doesn’t have any change or cancellation fees, and I felt great knowing that I could cancel at any time, and not be charged for it. They also have a Price Match Guarantee, so I know I’m getting the best price out there! I saw that they worked with hotels in France, in addition to countless other countries. After reading about all the different deals that Hotels.com offered, I realized that this website was going to become invaluable to me. It is possible to plan a family vacation on a budget!
After exploring their Groups option to book rooms for both my children and my husband and I, I bumped up my savings even more with a Hotels.com coupon. I was so thrilled with my experience, that I couldn’t help myself from calling up their 24/7 customer service team at (877) 903-0071 to tell them just how much stress and money they had saved me! I’m so glad that I discovered Hotels.com in time for my trip, and I would encourage anyone to visit their website and check out how much they can help you, too. I know that I’ll be using them to help plan any trips I take in the future!
Learning About Wine in Chile
Published June 20, 2012 | 
While traveling in Chile, a country with distinguished vineyards, I learned about the rich history of the country’s wines. During a wine bike tour with two extremely knowledgeable guides, I had the pleasure of sampling a variety of Chilean wines and witnessing parts of the wine-making process. Some of the wines I tried include: Pinot Noir, Syrah, Carmenere, Merlot (some types which were previously confused with Carmenere), Chardonnay, etc. By far, the most interesting history belonged to the Carmenere grape. Once a prized grape of France, Carmenere was plagued with phylloxera and became nearly extinct during the mid-late 19th century. In the early 1990s, the Carmenere grape was rediscovered in Chile by a French professor.
Wine Tasting In Newburyport
Published May 18, 2012 | 
If you live in the Newburyport area and you love wine, then you’re in luck. Come out to the Spring Fling Wine Tasting, which is tomorrow at the Masonic Center on Green Street in Newburyport.I’m a big wine drinker, and pretty much drink and enjoy any type of wine. I even host wine tasting parties at my house, so this will be a great opportunity to find out about even more types that my guests would enjoy. There’s just something about the taste that makes me feel like I’m at home, back where I used to live which was near a winery.
Drinking Wine Is Healthy
Published May 18, 2012 | 
I’ve been trying to lose a few months throughout the past couple months, and I already lost fifteen pounds. This whole losing weight thing really isn’t as hard as other people say it is. All it takes is willpower to say no to all of those treats. I’m actually used to choosing carrots over cake, grilled chicken over burgers, and even seltzer over soda. The main key is to keep the bad foods out of the house, and then you won’t even crave what you can’t eat.
Google Name
Published March 30, 2012 | Authored by Leandro Delgado
Have you ever gone on broomfield wireless internet and googled your own name? It’s interesting to see what comes up. I did my name and there were some links to a 5K I did like 4 years ago, as well as my work website. I also did my kids, just to see what was out there on them. I think it is a good thing to do periodically for yourself, and your kids, just to know what is out there. Continue reading
My Trip To The Winery
Published March 30, 2012 |
I just got back from my trip to a very popular winery in California, and it was a lot of fun. I was able to try all different types of wine, and I even have a new favorite type. I like to see different winery’s in different states, and this can really get expensive. In the past, I thought I had to pay high prices for airfare. This time when I took my trip, I was finally able to get cheap tickets. Continue reading