Wine Travel Stories

In-depth Tales of Winery Visits Around the World

Wine and Food in Panama

Empty Red Wine Glasses in Panama March 2015 – There are no wineries in Panama, but there are plenty of wines in the restaurants, bars, grocery stores and occasional liquor store. Due to its location, linking Central America to South America, it is not surprising that the majority of the wine is from Chile and Argentina. However, we also found a large selection from Spain, and a few bottles from Australia and California – primarily Yellow Tail and Gallo brands, such as Barefoot and Apothic. A positive is that the price for wine in Panama seemed quite reasonable, and you [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T15:01:32-08:00March 30, 2015|

A Tasting of Wines from Yarimada Winery in Azerbaijan

Wine Tasting at Art Garden Restaurant January 2015 - Several days after arriving in Baku, I received an email invitation from Ibrahim Abdulrahimov, the Commercial Director of Yarimada Winery. He invited me to a private wine tasting and lunch at the Art Garden Restaurant in the Old City of Baku. Ibrahim was kind enough to pick me up from my hotel, and as we drove to the restaurant, he explained more about the winery. The name, “Yarimada” means “peninsula” in Azerbaijani. The winery is named this because it is located 40 minutes from Baku on the Absheron peninsula in the [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T15:01:55-08:00March 25, 2015|

Tasting the Wines of Savalan from Aspi Winery, Azerbaijan

Tasting with Timur & Jahid of Savalan Wines January 2015 - Before visiting Azerbaijan, I did an Internet search for Azerbaijani wineries and discovered that Aspi Winery (http://aspiwinery.az/) is one of the most sophisticated in that they have a website in four languages. The other wineries either didn’t have websites, or they were not in English. Furthermore I was distressed to learn there was no “Wines of Azerbaijan Association,” to assist me in scheduling appointments. Fortunately Timur Mamedov, Commercial Director for Aspi Winery, was extremely responsive. He answered my email almost immediately and invited us to a tasting of wines [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T15:02:16-08:00March 23, 2015|

Ancient Wine in the Land of Fire – Azerbaijan

Heydar Aliyev Cultural Centre January 2015 - It had been 18 years since my first visit to Baku, Azerbaijan in the Spring of 1996, when I was working for Amoco Oil. My memories were of a black city covered in grimy oil and soot, dinners of caviar and sturgeon, and sweet reds wines along with gritty white sparkling wine. Arriving again in Baku for 10 days from Dec. 26, 2014 to Jan. 4, 2015 was like walking into a futurist city. Everything was clean and sparkling, and there were many new buildings with amazing architecture like the Fire Towers and [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T15:02:36-08:00March 19, 2015|

Hidden Wineries in the Steep Hills Above Nice – Visit to Chateau Bellet de Cremant in Bellet AOC

Zia at Chateau Bellet (Summer 2014) Another afternoon during our two week stay in Nice to attend a French language school, we visited Chateau Bellet de Cremant in the steep hills above Nice. It was actually only a 10 minute drive from our gite that we rented in the hills, and is about 20 minutes from downtown Nice. The Bellet AOC is the second smallest in France, after Chateau Grillet in the Northern Rhone. Bellot includes only 70 hectares of vineyards and 10 domaines (wineries). They do not advertise and there is no tourist office with maps to help you [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T15:03:09-08:00March 17, 2015|

A Magical Day in Provence with Visit to Maison des Vins de Provence in Les Arcs

The Beauty of Provence Roses (Summer 2014) During our two week visit to Provence with French language classes every morning in Nice, we managed to slip away one afternoon to visit Maison des Vins de Provence. It was about a 50 minute drive from Nice and easily accessible from the freeway, where we exited at the town of Les Arcs. A large sign signals the entrance to a cluster of buildings, which include the welcome center and tasting room, a wine shop, restaurant and the administration buildings for the Maison des Vins de Provence. There is ample free parking in [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T15:03:38-08:00March 9, 2015|

Last Night in Paris and a Video Highlighting Our Adventures

Our Group in Paris (May 23 & 24, 2014) The next morning we boarded the bus for the 3.5 hour drive from Beaune to Paris, stopping once along the way at another large French gas station to grabs some snacks. We arrived back at the Mercure in Paris around 1pm, and everyone was happy to be back in a modern hotel with working wifi. The afternoon was free time, so some people opted to take a nap, whereas others took the metro to Versailles, the Louvre, and many other Paris locals. It was our last night in Paris, and everyone [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T15:04:28-08:00January 26, 2015|

Visiting Romanee Conti and La Tache Vineyards With a Stop at Clos de Vougeot Wine Museum

Clos de Vougeot (May 22, 2014) – Our last appointment of the day was at 4:30 at Clos de Vougeot, the ancient wine farm of the Cistercian monks who studied the soils of Burgundy and recognized the unique terroirs that could be found just a few meters apart. It was their early work that helped to determine the Grand Cru and Premier Cru vineyards of the area. The sky was darkening with threatening rain clouds as we approached, making the medieval structure look even more forbidding. We entered and toured the old cellars and everyone was amazed at the three ancient wooden [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T15:05:36-08:00January 10, 2015|

In Search of the Perfect Pinot Noir in Cote de Nuits at Dufouleur, Vougeraie& Trapet-Rochelandet

Tasting in the Cellars of Dufouleur (May 22, 2014) – As the day before was devoted to chardonnay, it was only fitting that our third and last day in Burgundy was devoted to pinot noir. Therefore, we headed north of Beaune to the famous Cote de Nuits where the largest percentages of Grand Cru pinot noir vineyards are located. First stop, at 9am, was Domaine Dufouleur in Nuits St. Georges, where we met with the charming Maximilien, Export Sales Manager. Established in 1848, Dufouleur is both a negotiant and an estate. They farm only 25 hectares, but produce over 1 million bottles [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T15:05:59-08:00January 9, 2015|

Celebrating Chardonnay in Cote de Beaune – Meursault, Montrachet & Santenany

Our Group in Meursault at Caves Ropiteau Freres (Wed., May 21, 2014) The remainder of the day was dedicated to exploring the homeland of Chardonnay, so we headed south out of Beaune to the famous villages of Meursault, Puligny Montrachet and Chassange Montrachet. The first stop was lunch in Meursault where everyone came to realize that you can’t rush a meal in France. So though we were a little late for our next appointment, we managed to make up time later. After lunch we had an appointment at Caves Ropiteau Frères at 2pm where we met with winemaker, Nicholas, who provided a [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T15:06:27-08:00January 6, 2015|

Warm Welcome to Burgundy by the BIVB and Domaine du Clos Frantin

Hospice de Beaune in Burgundy (May 21, 2014) – We awoke to a warm day in the low 80’s with partially cloudy skies, and were made to feel very welcome in Burgundy by a presentation provided by the BIVB. They actually came to our hotel and provided an excellent slide show describing the special terroir and AOC’s of the region. Wine Tasting with Christophe at Domaine du Clos Frantin Next we boarded the bus and drove to Nuits St. George for a cellar tour and tasting at the Domaine du Clos Frantin.This is one of several estates owned by Maison Albert Bichot. [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T15:06:50-08:00January 5, 2015|

Wine Tasting at Chateau Chenonceau and Chablisenne

The Loire River We spent the night in the small town of Amboise with its ancient castle, pedestrian walkways, rose covered houses, and colorful cafes all nestled along side the Loire River. The next day we drove the short distance to Chateau Chenonceau, the famous castle that spans the River Cher and was the home of both Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de Medici. We had 1.5 hours to tour the castle and magnificent gardens, and though it was raining a bit, it was still an enchanted place. Chateau Chenonceau At 10:30 we all met in the wine cellar for [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T15:07:12-08:00January 1, 2015|

Antique Chenin Blanc Vines in the Loire Valley at Plou & Fils Winery

80 year old chenin blanc vine (Monday, May 19, 2014) Our next stop was a small family winery called Plou & Fils that was located in the Amboise AOC. Started in 1508, the vineyard and winery had been passed down the generations to the current general manager and enologist, Matua. He was tall, energetic, in his early 30’s, and with a great sense of humor. He beckoned for all 31 of us to follow him up a small dirt trail to the top of a hill where their vineyards were situated. As we were walking towards an amazing vineyard of ancient gnarled vines, [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T15:07:31-08:00December 31, 2014|

Visit to Chambord Castle and Caves de Vouvray

Chambord Castle in Loire Valley (Monday, May 19, 2014) We departed Paris promptly at 8am and arrived at the castle of Chambord around 10:15. Everyone was awestruck at the grandeur of the “hunting palace of the kings” with more than 400 rooms. After touring Chambord, we drove a short 15 minutes to the town of Blois where we had time for lunch and witnessing the amazing mechanical dragons that emerge from the Hudini building on the square of the Chateau. Next we drove about 40 minutes to the charming village of Vouvray where we had an appointment for a tour and [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T15:17:44-08:00December 30, 2014|

Snapshot of Loire Valley Wine Statistics

Castle in the Loire Valley The Loire Valley is about a 1.5 hour drive south of Paris and stretches 800 km (approx. 500 miles) from the east in Sancerre to the Atlantic Ocean. It is the longest wine region in France. With a continental climate, the vineyards are greatly influenced by the effect of the Loire River and the Atlantic. They have a special soil called “tufa”, which is a type of soft yellow limestone. Many of the castles and caves of Loire are made from this stone, and it can be found in many vineyards along with some clay [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T15:18:05-08:00December 25, 2014|

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