I have been hard at work on holiday season gift for you all (no Santa nor magic elves involved though). In fact, you'll find a couple goodies in this post. Let’s start with the one that is most time sensitive Eat Wine Santiago 2012 is LIVE That’s right, Eat Wine...
Forget it in the freezer: I know that many a sommelier will cringe to hear this, but it’s the truth, and come on, we all do this in a pinch. Stick a bubbly or white wine in the freezer for 15-30 minutes to get it ice cold. It works like a charm, but only if you don’t...
Oh, Salta. There you go again...showing up in my dreams. As if two trips already this year weren't enough, as Kylie Minogue sang it, "I just can't get you out of my head". Visions of ruby-colored mountains, majestic cardon-covered canyons, ancient adobe towns,...
You guys have been writing a lot to ask which South American wines I recommend for parties, big and small, since they pack such a value-driven punch and a lot of bang for your buck. Now that we are officially knee-deep in the holiday season, here are a...
Over Thanksgiving, we said adiós to turkey, cranberries, and Chile, and jetted over the Andes to the city of Córdoba in Argentina. Never heard of it? It's the second largest city in Argentina with nearly two million inhabitants. Our destination wasn't really...
Love vino? Having an affair with Malbec or Carmenere? Does South America stir your imagination? This April 20-28, 2012 we'll be embarking on our Signature Journey, Southern Cone Sampler, to sip our way across boutique gems and prestigious bodegas in...
As Thanksgiving descends upon the masses up north, I want to share a short cooking and wine pairing video to give you some ideas that could easily become the first course spread. Yes, it is 90% do ahead. Important when you're hosting a house full of...
There’s been on-going petition by clients for me to personally host more weeklong tours. I have heard you all and shall deliver in 2012 with our Signature Journeys in Chile, Argentina, Peru, and Uruguay. I am super psyched to announce a special trip to...
How often do I hear our clients, when putting together an itinerary, say “All we need is the wine tasting. We don’t need to see a bunch of barrels.” I try to hide my dismay. Then I gently persuade them that understanding the use of barrels, usually...
Photo by Eduardo Amorim at http://www.flickr.com/photos/bombeador/ Having just spent 10 days in Texas, a true study in a very unique subculture within the United States, I was struck by the similarities between Texas and Argentina. They seem to be two...
Hi amigos. Color me happy, I am home after a whirlwind road show in the Southern US. GREAT trip. Beyond the cooking demos, classes at Central Market in Texas, and wine tasting events, I experienced a full-on tropical "monsoon" at Disney World in Florida (the...
When I drink wine, it’s not just about the juice. I tend to gravitate to projects that are personalized, often, where I know the people behind them. Sharing a product where we know and appreciate its origin, and support its owners, is important in this day and age,...
I am celebrating my upcoming trip to Salta next week, with a group of clients, in Northwest Argentina with this picture post of scenes from our last trip there. Salta is appropriately called "La Linda", the beautiful by her residents, of both the city...
You don’t have to be a wine nerd, self-proclaimed expert, or connoisseur to have these toys. You just need to like wine, and consume a lot of it. See them as your “pleasure companions”. Their purpose is to simplify getting to the juice, making the juice taste better,...
I am in the front seat of a 4x4 bouncing up a very steep road cut out of a tree-entangled hillside. A cloud of terracotta-colored dust fills the air, forcing up to shut the windows. To my left, expertly navigating these unruly roads, is a soft-spoken man, the...
Every now and then, I get obsessed with a country. It doesn’t always mean I am going to leave everything behind and move there, but there’s an undeniable attraction. One of those places that flirts with you, where the culture, people, and geography totally seduce you....
Every Chilean home has its own rendition of stuffed zucchini called zapallito italiano relleno in local speak. I always equate this homey dish to America’s beloved old-school macaroni-and-cheese. Every cook has their own special ingredients and usually, if you...
Here I am sitting, indecisive, paralyzed. How can something as fun as planning a vacation be so difficult? How the heck did my calendar get blocked for the next year already? You would think that since we’re in the business of planning other people’s vacations, it...
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