Lifestyle

Paso Robles is a premier Wine Country destination, located off the coast of California in San Luis Obispo County and known for its wineries, olive oil and orchards.  For a weekend trip or as a stop along the drive up the coast, Paso Robles is a destination you don’t want to miss. Along our travels, here are some of our favorite spots that are sure to please your wanderlust.
21 August, 2013
When most people think wine country, the first thing that comes to mind is Napa Valley. Located North of San Francisco, Napa is home to some of California’s best wineries. With miles of vineyards everywhere you look, it’s hard to escape wine country without indulging in a few bottles of wine. Rolling hills, spas, boutique hotels, farmer’s markets, and eclectic antique stores surround Napa. But it wouldn’t be a rightful visit without tasting some local wineries first! Schramberg Estate (1400 Schramsberg Road, Calistoga, CA 94515) Visiting this next winery is like experiencing a piece of Napa history. Nestled away in the hills of Diamond Mountain, the Schramsberg estate is known to be the first hillside winery of the Napa Valley. Founded in 1862, this winery in home to 218 acres and is a registered historical landmark. The wide spread acres are made up of the Victorian house, the winery, a barn and even include caves. Schramsberg’s history goes beyond its old grounds and family ties. After the Blanc de Blancs was used for President Nixon’s 1972 “Toast to Peace”, the Schramsberg sparkling wines have been used at official State functions by every U.S. Presidential administration since.  Open daily from 10am-4:30pm. Reservations recommended for tours through the caves.
20 August, 2013
One of my favorite weekend getaways is to Sonoma. Making Healdsburg the home base, it is centrally located between the Dry Creek Valley (known for Zinfandel) and the Russian River Valley (known for Pinot Noir). With two days in the area, spend a day in each valley, but if you have more time, it's even better!  Here are some of my favorite wineries to visit: Russian River Valley  Arista Winery  7015 Westside Road, Healdsburg, CA 95448 If you are looking for a divine Russan River Valley Pinot Noir, then look no further than Arista Winery. Founded by the McWilliams family in 2002, they have dedicated themselves to working with local growers and practice sustainable farming. Beyond amazing wines, the vineyard boasts beautiful Japanese water gardens, mountain and vineyard vistas and a traditional tasting room. The tranquil environment is perfect for picnics, gatherings and intimate tastings. Hours: Mon-Sun 11am-5pm     
19 August, 2013
Surrounded by rolling hills and lush vineyards, Sonoma Valley is a premier destination in Northern California. Sonoma Valley offers visitors an array of activities such as wineries, spas, 5-star restaurants, hiking trails, historic grounds, and a variety of ethnic eateries. One of our favorite towns to visit is Healdsburg. A quaint town with a charming town square, Healdsburg is the perfect place to make as a home-base as you explore the various wine areas. After numerous trips to Healdsburg, we have come up with some of our favorite spots: Where to Stay: 
19 August, 2013
As the 11th Annual Tales of the Cocktail took place this past July, it was my 5th journey to one of the world's largest cocktail festivals. Bringing together industry professionals and cocktail enthusiasts from around the world, Tales of the Cocktail is made up of hundreds of events including seminars, tastings, Spirited Dinners, cocktail competitions and parties. There are so many things to do and it's impossible to do everything. Even when trying to pick and chose carefully, schedules fill up fast and no matter how hard we try, we still were running from event to event.  Here are the highlights from our 2013 trip. Day 1: The Perfect Respite by Perfect Purée of Napa Valley - What a perfect way to start the day - with Perfect Puree smoothies, hangover helpers, antioxidant nibbles and massages. We were relaxed and at peace, ready to face the day.   Auchentoshan Whisky & Whiskers - From breakfast, we were whisked away on a Pedi Cab to Aidan Gill for Men for an Auchentoshan dram, a cocktail and a hand massage. Going from one massage to another was definitely a treat but the best part were the Auchie Highballs with Auchentoshan Classic, cucumber soda and RX Auchie bitters.
12 August, 2013
Who doesn't love a great Tiki cocktail while sitting on the beach? Or perhaps you have a favorite Tiki bar. But, now you can make the best Tiki drinks at home and enjoy them in your own backyard this summer! P Moss, a Tiki historian who owns Frankie’s Tiki Room in Las Vegas and the Double Down Saloons in Las Vegas and New York City, recently released his new book LIQUID VACATION: 77 Refreshing Tropical Drinks from Frankie’s Tiki Room in Las Vegas.  P Moss and Liquid Vacation  
08 August, 2013
Every day is a good day to drink Fiddlehead ‘728’ Pinot Noir, but it was especially fun to drink it on 7/28/13 when Fiddlehead Winery hosted a National Virtual Toast to celebrate their wine. We headed up to Lompoc for the day where they hosted a party in their tasting room in the Lompoc Wine Ghetto. IMG_20130728_195244 20130728_150118 At the party, we tasted through six vintages of Fiddlehead '728' Pinot Noir from the Fiddlestix Vineyard, plus a few other treats.
07 August, 2013
Set in Downtown LA, the Los Angeles Food & Wine Festival (August 22-25, 2013) is a four-day epicurean event showcasing the finest in food and drink culture throughout Los Angeles and culinary personalities from throughout the country.  As we get ready for the third annual event, a preview event was held at Duff’s Cakemix on Melrose Avenue where press and bloggers were invited, along with chefs, to decorate cakes and mingle with some of the participating chefs. As a preview for LA Food and Wine, this event was a great reason to finally go inside Duff’s Cakemix Bakery and DIY cake shop, which I have been wanting to check out. Duff's Cakemix We arrived and were greeted with wine and grilled cheese sandwiches by Chef Eric Greenspan (Owner of The Foundry on Melrose and The Roof on Wilshire), who will soon be opening his much-anticipated Greenspan's Grilled Cheese. Lucky us, we enjoyed Greenspan’s 2008 Grilled Cheese Invitational Gold winning “The Champ” – grilled taleggio cheese and short rib sandwich served on raisin-walnut bread with an apricot caper puree. Yum! Yum!
05 August, 2013
Show more
Loading...
Copied!