Wine Travel Stories

In-depth Tales of Winery Visits Around the World

Gruet Sparkling Wine From New Mexico Paired With Green Chile Cuisine

New Mexico Green Chile Dishes Pair Well With Sparkling Wine I have visited Gruet winery in Albuquerque, New Mexico on several occasions, and it has always been a delight. Recently I was able to interview the Gruet winemaker, Carrie Gurule, via Zoom. She also shipped me a variety of Gruet sparkling wines to try, and we had a wonderful conversation about which of the wines paired best with New Mexico green chile cuisine. “I have all of my mother’s handwritten recipes for New Mexican dishes,” Gruet Head Winemaker Carrie Gurule told me in a recent Zoom interview. “And they pair [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2026-01-25T11:51:23-08:00January 25, 2026|

Organic Wine & Food Dinner at Stanly Ranch Auberge in Napa Valley

Stanly Ranch Auberge is a New Luxury Resort in Napa Valley. Photo Credit: Stanly Ranch As one of Napa Valley’s newest resorts (2022), the Stanly Ranch Auberge Collection is making a splash with a focus on fresh, organic foods paired with local organic and sustainable wines. A perfect example was a recent wine and food pairing dinner at The Grange, their outdoor dining area surrounded by a sumptuous chef’s garden filled with rows and rows of delicious, fresh, organically grown vegetables. Featuring the organic wines of Quintessa Winery, the dinner was limited to 40 guests (including non-resort guests) and began [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2026-01-25T12:05:17-08:00October 30, 2025|

A Sparkling Visit to Domaine Evremond in Kent

I just returned from an exciting 5-day tour of the English Wine Region, located about an hour's drive south of London. Did you know there are now 212 wineries in England, and the primarily focus on making sparkling wine, due to their cooler climate and chalky soil! Below is a description of my visit to Domaine Evremond, a new winery that just opened in April of 2025. Our Group Visiting Domaine EVREMOND in Kent, England Domaine Evremond: A Franco-English Sparkling Wine Dream Realized Patrick McGrath welcomed us warmly to Domaine Evremond, introducing the team that has brought this pioneering winery [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2025-09-21T11:07:50-07:00September 21, 2025|

Experiencing the Wines of Drama in Northern Greece

Ktima Nico Lazaridi Winery in the Drama Wine Region of Greece This summer I had a chance to go on a wine tour in Northern Greece and was blown away by the high-quality of the wines, the delicious foods and the beautiful mountainous scenary sloping down the sea. One of the wine regions I visited is called "Drama," and is the birthplace of the wine good, Dionysus (also called Bacchus by the Italians). Read more about my experience below. Dramatic Mountain and See Views In Drama Wine Region of Greece We were all very excited to experience the wines of [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2025-09-21T10:50:08-07:00September 21, 2025|

Dinner At 3-Star SingleThread Restaurant with Bricoleur Vineyards Wines

Wine and Food Pairings at 3-Star SingleThread Restaurant in Healdsburg, CA. Thach Though it was expensive to pay for the 9-course tasting menu at 3-Star Michelin restaurant, SingleThread, in Healdsburg, California, sometimes in life you just have to splurge. Besides dining at a 3-star Michelin isn't only about the food and wine, it is also like getting a front-row orchestra seat at both the ballet and theater, as well as attending an art gallery. This is because the servers seem to dance around the table in a ballet of grace as they bring new dishes and change out cutlery, plates [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2025-07-11T09:03:14-07:00July 10, 2025|

A Visit to Promontory Winery in Napa Valley

Visiting Promontory Winery in Napa Valley. Thach Driving up to the massive iron gates of Promontory Winery set upon a hillside about Napa Valley was an intimidating experience. However, once inside the gates, we were welcomed by Will Harlan and the rest of the afternoon was a magical visit as we learned more about his vision for the future. The Story of How Promontory Winery Was Established In the early 1980s, before Will Harlan was born, his father, H. William (Bill) Harlan, was hiking in the mountains above Napa Valley and stumbled upon a hidden valley. It was isolated and [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2025-06-15T03:18:56-07:00June 15, 2025|

Tasting the Exquisite Wines of Dr. Konstantin Frank in the NY Finger Lakes Region

Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery in the Finger Lakes Wine Region of New York I first visited the Finger Lakes wine region of upstate New York in the early Spring on my way to visit Niagara Falls. We stayed two nights at a darling BnB on the shores of the one of the lakes, and I remember thinking that it was one of the most beautiful wine regions in America, with the vineyards planted along the gently slopping hillsides of the lake. We spent three days there visiting different wineries and enjoying not only the lovely rieslings and cabernet franc wines, [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2025-04-13T11:44:54-07:00April 13, 2025|

Exploring Madrid’s Hidden Gem: A Guide to Visiting the Vinos de Madrid Wine Region

Madrid, Spain is a Great Place to Visit. Photo Credit: Pexels.com, NextVoyage (Contributed by guest author, Michael Pope) When you think of Madrid and wine, it’s easy to imagine yourself in a lively tapas bar, where glasses of vino flow freely and pair perfectly with the clink of plates and the hum of conversation. Here, wine is woven into the rhythm of daily life, usually decent, always affordable, and a natural companion to the city’s love of food. Sadly, for many people, the Madrid wine culture ends there, fulfilled by wines from other more famous DOs, leaving the region’s own [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2025-01-23T11:38:59-08:00January 22, 2025|

Tasting My First Wine Made in Tanzania

Enjoying African Wine on Safari Nothing excites me more than trying a wine from a new country. Currently wine is produced in more than 70 countries around the world, but one that surprised me was Tanzania in Africa. When traveling in Africa, the most common wine to be served is from South Africa. This makes sense because they make incredible wine in South Africa — I have visited there twice for wine conferences and tours. However, there are other countries in Africa that do produce wine, and one is Tanzania. This is because there are high mountains (think Mt. Kilimanjaro) [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2025-02-20T17:15:33-08:00December 23, 2024|

A Magical Visit to Spottswoode Winery in Napa Valley During Harvest

Spottswoode Winery in Napa Valley. Photo Credit: Spottswoode I've known Beth Novak, President and CEO of Spottwoode Winery in Napa Valley for years, but actually never had a chance to visit the historic winery (first built in 1884) until this harvest. By the time I completed my visit, I was completely captivated by how natural, authentic, and inspirational Beth and all her employees are. In fact, when I arrived, I found a group of employees dancing and singing in the cellar as they worked! “The original old stone winery was built in 1884,” stated Beth Nowak, after she greeted me. [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2024-12-23T14:17:33-08:00December 23, 2024|

A Visit to Cristal and Roederer Champagne in France

Wines Served at Lunch at Cristal Champagne Press House in Ay, France It was such a treat to receive an invitation to visit the Cristal Champagne Press House and Champagne Louis Roederer Maison in France this September. My friend and colleague, Xaviar Barlier, who is SVP of Marketing & Communications with Maison, Marques and Domaines, extended the invitation. So I flew to Paris for one week, inviting my friend, Lupe Leon, as companion. One of the very fascinating aspects of the trip was being seated next to Frédéric Rouzaud at lunch. He is the 7th generation family member and current [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2024-11-10T12:24:32-08:00November 10, 2024|

Enjoying a Historic Wine Tasting at Ridge Lytton Springs Winery in Sonoma County

Line-up of Old Vine Zinfandel Wines Tasted at 50th Anniversary of Ridge Lytton Springs WineryThach Recently, I was invited to a historic wine-tasting and lunch at Ridge Lytton Springs Winery in Sonoma County. It was to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the winery, and we were treated to some very old zinfandels sourced from their 100+ year vineyards. A true treat! A Brief History of Ridge Lytton Springs Winery In the winter of 1971 , Paul Draper, winemaker with Ridge Vineyards, visited a 100-year old vineyard in the Dry Creek Valley of Sonoma County, California. He was searching for old-vine zinfandel [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2024-09-30T17:26:26-07:00September 30, 2024|

Celebrating Food & Wine at the ‘Taste of Sonoma’ Festival

Guests Enjoy Socializing With Friends at the Taste of Sonoma Food & Wine Festival. Photo Credit: Thach As a Sonoma County native, over the years I've attended the Taste of Sonoma Food & Wine Festival on multiple occasions. However this year I went with the express purpose of interviewing strangers about why they decided to attend. I learned some interesting facts! The 'Taste of Sonoma' festival has been offered for more than a decade at different locations around Sonoma County. This makes perfect since, because Sonoma County is not only home to more than 500 wineries, but also some of [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2024-07-17T09:33:24-07:00July 17, 2024|

The Inspiring Story of Calera Winery and Josh Jensen

Josh Jensen, Calera Winery Founder and Mike Waller, Current Calera WInemaker CALERA Not only do I believe that the Pinot Noir wines from Calera are some of the best in California, but the story of how this historic winery and vineyard came to be is equally compelling. Here is quick recap of the visionary story of Josh Jensen and his successor winemaker, Mike Waller. Upon returning from a wine trip to Burgundy in 1971, Josh Jensen spent two years driving up and down the coast of California in search of a location that had limestone soil and the right climate [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2024-06-11T20:48:40-07:00June 11, 2024|

The New Hillside Wine Tourism Experience At Shafer Winery in Napa Valley

Enjoying the New Hillside WIne Tourism Experience at Shafer Winery in Napa Valley. I've visited Shafer Winery many times over the years, but have never had a chance to explore the famous hillside vineyards behind the winery until they just created this new hillside wine tourism experience this year. It is fascinating to taste the wine while surrounded by these amazing vines that birthed the Shafer Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon. About Shafer Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley’s famous Shafer Hillside Select wine has been reaping top reviews for more than 40 years now, but this is the first time [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2024-05-25T11:18:54-07:00May 25, 2024|