The Haute Travel Writer

Epicure: For the Love of Food and Wine

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Prost! A Guide to the Munich Oktoberfest, The Greatest Beer Festival on Earth

To the uninformed, Oktoberfest may be nothing more than a time of year when Germans get together while wearing odd costumes and drinking beer. That misperception is far from the truth of what Oktoberfest really is. It is a celebration of Bavarian culture and tradition and the love of what it means to be German. The home of Oktoberfest is Munich and to fully appreciate the richness of the tradition, one must go there a
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Balblair Debuts its 21-year-old Whisky: Patience Deliciously Rewarded

In the 1980s there was a television commercial starring Orson Wells for Paul Mason wines where he smugly states: We will sell no wine before its time. Time, and more importantly patience, is a key ingredient in wine as well as in spirits. It is a component equally as significant as the fruit or the barley or as imperative as the talent of the winemaker or distiller. Some whiskies take the length of a generation or more to achieve their full potential but, if done well, will be worth the wait. Ba
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Finding Pleasure in a Glass In Argentina: Mendoza's Salentein Wine Experience

Argentina is an incredible country with so much to see. It has a rich diversity of nature from its arid landscapes of salt flats and deserts in Salta to its stunning Alp-like mountain ranges in the Andes, and of course the gorgeous scenery and wildlife of Patagonia. And one must mention their capital city Buenos Aires which has been called Paris of the South, filled with outdoor cafes, steak asado, and the tango. Argentina is also known as one of the top producers of New World Wines with one par
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Chila: Gastronomic Alchemy in Buenos Aires

Argentina is known for many good things. The first that comes to mind is tango and then for its good wine, especially their Malbecs from Mendoza. One must also mention soccer, especially now as Argentina is the reigning World Cup champion. It is also known for its food culture beginning with its savory steak cooked over an open fire by gauchos. Today Argentina’s culinary excellence has been elevated by its fine gastronomy with talented chefs that rival the best in Europe. In Buenos Aires is wher
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England's Most Scrumptious Offering: The Great Bath Feast

Although Bath is an odd name for a city, the origin of the name makes a lot of sense. This ancient city was named by the Romans who when occupying England, circa 60 A.D., found England’s only hot springs and thus named the area after its restorative waters. In modern times, it has become a gathering place for those looking for more than its healing waters. Today, Bath is a cherished cultural, historical, and architectural treasure and one of England’s most beautiful cities. It has also become a
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Afternoon Tea at Edinburgh Castle: Historic Dining

“There’s no leaving Edinburgh, no shifting it around: it stays with you, always.” The Scottish poet Alan Bold famously remarked. Indeed, the striking image of Edinburgh Castle, perched high above the city on the volcanic crag of Castle Rock, cuts a memorable impression. Inside, visitors can marvel at armour, cannons, and endless medieval architecture. And, for an even more traditional visit to Edinburgh, you can experience afternoon tea in one of the most historic castles in the UK. In the surr
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Liverpool’s Eats Meets Beats It Spot: Mamasan Bar and Brasserie

Liverpool is a thriving and youthful city with countless options for dining and entertainment. This is after all the home of the Beatles and that focus on arts and entertainment seems to be part of this city-by-the-sea’s DNA. In the center of the city are walking streets brimming with bars, restaurants, and retail outlets. No matter what the season, you will find street performers belting out cover tunes as if they were auditioning for Simon Cowell himself and for their shot at the big time on B
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The Brae Restaurant, Australia's Good Food Revolution

It’s just before eight in the morning and there is a slight frost in the air. Behind a 100-year-old farmer’s homestead are cords of chopped wood and a rustic outdoor oven. Dan Hunter is there preparing loaves of sourdough bread for today’s lunch. He takes the risen loaves out of a pan and coats them with cracked wheat; wheat grown on his neighbor’s field and milled that day. Between preparing loaves, he checks on the batch baking in the woodfired oven, carefully watching for it not to burn. Dan
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The International Alba White Truffle Festival

The Perfect Storm of Italian Cuisine: The International Alba White Truffle Festival When it comes to wine and food the Italians never fail to impress. It is in the blood, built on culinary traditions passed through time and memorial. But is also due to their bountiful produce, and their talented and innovative chefs. Beyond that, Italy is the wine lover’s nirvana. There is one time of the year that provides the gastronomic perfect storm of all the above when the most exalted culinary delicacy i
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Africola Restaurant: Where to go for a Foodgasm in South Australia

Most would agree that the best dining experience is not always about uber-fancy food with unrecognizable ingredients served with spume this and micro that, in a presentation so intricate you don’t know where to start. Often a good time with good friends and sharing good food is what moves us most. Africola is arguably Adelaide’s most exciting restaurant whose recipe consists of all of the above with a no holds barred serving of some damn good cooking as well. Africola is located in Adelaide’s t
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Tasting Australia Adelaide, Australia's Epicenter of Gastronomy

Since the days of the first settlers, Australia has been influenced by a mix of people, cultures, and traditions, all of whom have left their impact on the Aussie way of life. Nowhere is this more evident than in their food culture. The patina of influences from the Aboriginals, Germans, Polish, Irish, Chinese, and English is everywhere but especially in the culinary scene of the land down under. A 10-day celebration of their love of food and wine takes place each year in Adelaide, Australia’s e
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Australia's Grape to Glass Field of Dreams: Clare Valley Gourmet Week

Australia is indisputably one of the top producers of new world wines. Since the late 1800s, immigrants from Europe brought their way of life and love of food and wine to this island continent in the far reaches of the globe. In the highlands two hours away from Adelaide in South Australia is where you’ll find the Clare Valley. A piece of heaven found on rolling hills and pastures that produce highly acclaimed cool-climate wines. A celebration of this region’s traditions and love of food and win
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The Watervale Hotel, An Ethical Epicurean Experience created by South Australia's Food Rebels

In a small town, hidden in the mountains of the Clare Valley, one of Australia’s most revered wine regions, a food revolution is quietly taking place. Two entrepreneurs have reimagined what dining should be and have created a mecca and destination for foodies. Yes, the ambiance, wines, and gourmet experience are exceptional yet the story of what is happening at the Watervale Hotel is just as delicious. The Watervale Hotel is located in the heart of one of Australia’s most enchanting wine region
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The Mornington Peninsula's Epicurean Triumph, the Polperro Winery, Cellar Door Restaurant, and Vineyard Villas

There is nothing like a weekend getaway in the country. Taking a few hours’ drive away from the big city for an indulgent change of scenery and enjoying some delightful simple pleasure. An hour’s drive from Melbourne Australia is the Mornington Peninsula, a bucolic countryside surrounded by idyllic blue water and white sand beaches. This is one of Australia’s most coveted wine regions known for producing some of the country's top chardonnays and pinot noirs. An ideal way to savor the peninsula i
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Australia's Willie Wonka of Wine, Chester Osborne of d'Arenberg Wine and the McLaren Vale

Australia's wine industry is ripe with visionaries, mavericks and colorful characters with a bullheaded commitment to creating world-class wine. They are after all farmers and, by definition, toil season after season, crop after crop, and harvest after harvest in hopes - and often failures - of creating liquid gold from each uncertain vintage. Arguably South Australia’s most colorful winemaker, literally, is Chester Osbourne of McLaren Vale’s d’Arenberg Wines. Known for his flamboyant shirts tha
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Art of Living: The Bordeaux Wine Region and the Chateau Codellian-Bages

Bordeaux. The word, as it rolls off the tongue, brings to mind sophistication, the finest of wines and the French art of living. The Bordeaux region is remarkably beautiful with scenes of winding rivers, French chateaus in the countryside and grape vineyards as far as the eye can see. This is wine’s ground zero, named the Médoc. In the middle of the Médoc near the town of Pauilliac is the Chateau Codellian-Bages, a luxurious estate giving access to all of the epicurean riches this region has to
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Experiencing Tuscan-style Good Living and the Castello Banfi-Il Borgo Winery Estate

For the well-heeled epicurean, a destination that is a must see is Tuscany. There’s a mystique and legend around it built over water coolers in faraway places as those who return regale stories of rolling hills of grape, golden sunsets over wide open fields, rustic estates dotting the landscape and, of course, the wine. The fantasy of Tuscany builds beyond that with dreams of staying in the luxurious accommodations in a grand estate and having an exquisite gourmet dinner under the stars with you
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South Africa's Culinary Capital and its Epitome of Opulence, La Residence Wine Resort

South Africa’s Western Cape is renowned for producing some of the world’s finest wine and is home to more than 800 wine estates. Franschhoek is South Africa’s culinary capital and a top oenophile destination that rivals Bordeaux, Tuscany and the Napa Valley. There you’ll find La Residence, Franschhoek’s finest abode, bar none, heralded for its scenic beauty, stunning décor, and providing the quintessential wine resort experience. Franschhoek is Africa’s mecca for the wine lover. This region has
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Mitchelton Hotel Nagambie - MGallery by Sofitel: Indulging in Australia's Newest Decadent Wine Retreat

Decades ago, the wine lover’s experience was basically visiting the cellar door of our favorite winery to sniff, swirl, and sip and then to take a few bottles or a case back home. Today, across the oenophile meccas around the world, the experience has delightfully evolved into an immersive vacation. The journey leads to an unforgettable holiday at places where our treasured wines originate such as the wine chateau’s of Bordeaux or perhaps a villa amongst the vine covered hills of Tuscany. In Aus
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