The Haute Travel Writer

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Francis Ford Coppola Winery: Sonoma's Oscar-Worthy Wine Experience

Everyone has an unforgettable and favorite scene from The Godfather. It may be the kiss of death from Michael to his brother Fredo or the severed horse’s head put in the bed of an unfortunate who refused a family request. Or from Apocalypse Now, the scene with Robert Duvall, as bombs rain down and explode around him, belts out: “There’s nothing like the smell of napalm in the morning”. These scenes are part of who we are as a culture, cinematic gold for generations created by a virtuoso of the s
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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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Uruguay's Ultimate Wine Retreat, The Sacromonte Landscape Hotel

It’s in a far-off place and hard to get to. On the other side of the world tucked away in a little corner of South America where the closest city is Punta del Este which is about an hour away. While you are en route, you’ll barely notice that the roads have changed from well-maintained to bumpy, pot-holed, and unpaved as the distraction of the bucolic pastures, woodlands, and undulating hills of the Uruguayan countryside demands your full attention. You’ll soon find out that the place at the end
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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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Black Barn Retreats of Hawke's Bay: New Zealand's Ultimate Vines, Wines and Dine Vacation

Hawke’s Bay is the culinary mecca that put New Zealand on the international wine connoisseur’s map. The soil and climate are perfect for producing some of the top red wines with exquisite merlot, cabernet sauvignon and Malbec blends.  But Hawke’s Bay has more to offer than its abundance 150 wineries and cellar doors. There are outdoor concerts, amazing natural vistas and activities, and exceptional holiday experiences.  For lovers of food and wine and wonderful holidays, Black Barn Retreats are
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An Oenophile Getaway to the Washington Wine Country and a stay at the Willows Lodge.

In the United States, outside of Seattle is the little hamlet of Woodinville. It is the ground zero of Washington Wine Country with a bounty of winemakers, wineries, and countless places for lovers of the grape to sip, taste, and explore. It is here that oenophiles stray for a weekend away from the hustle and bustle of Seattle or travel in from around the world. Savvy travelers to this region invariably choose the Willows Lodge as the ideal respite to take in all of the wine and wonders of the P
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Lindenderry at Red Hill, Australia's Bordeaux Down Under

When we think of a destination for wine lovers, we think of Tuscany, Bordeaux or maybe the Napa Valley. We dream of driving through a countryside of rolling hills of vineyards dotted with villages and chateaus. The vacation in the vines invariably includes meandering from cellar door to cellar door tasting favorited wines, at their origin, that may sit in our wine cellar or that we’ve had during a gourmet dinner out.  Australia must also be on that short list of the perfect wine vacation. There
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Finding Nirvana in Oregon's Wine Country and the Youngberg Hill Vineyards and Inn

For those who love wine, nirvana is a long weekend in the most stunning of wine regions surrounded by rolling hills of grapevine trellises as far as the eyes can see. We love to be immersed in the wine land staying at a boutique inn where we can walk out of our villa into the rows of our favorite grape variety and feel the terroir beneath our feet. Such a place exists in the rolling majestic hills of Oregon’s Willamette Valley. This beautiful hamlet is where you’ll find Oregon’s premier wine cou
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Proving them Wrong:Washington State Celebrates 50 years of Exquisite Wines at the Chateau Ste. Michelle

Once upon a time, it was thought that good wines could only be produced in France, Italy or perhaps California.  50 years ago, the founders of Chateau Ste. Michelle in Washington state set out to prove them wrong. This year the winemakers are celebrating 50 years of producing award-winning wines and putting Washington state’s winemaking industry on the stage with the best wines from around the world. Wine lovers seeking to explore Washington’s premier wine, dine and play experiences can take the
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Exploring The Oenophile Utopia of Bordeaux with Viking River Cruises

When we think of gourmet food and fine wine, most will instantly think of France. And when we think of where to find the finest wine in France, we of course think Bordeaux. It was Napoleon III who first organized the region’s wine chateaus in 1855 and designated their land as unique in their ability to produce the world’s most exquisite wines. Viking River Cruises takes guest on an eight day epicurean adventure of fine wine and exquisite dining while visiting the ports and lands of this culinary
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Exploring Stellenbosch, South Africa: One of the World's Most Spectacular Wine Routes

When we think of the world’s top destinations to enjoy wine, the first that comes to mind are Bordeaux, Tuscany or perhaps the Napa Valley. They are known for their excellence in wine but also as places where lovers of wine can go to be immersed in the terroir of the locale, amongst the rolling hills filled with grape vines and to be able to swirl and sip at the winery’s cellar door. The experience does not end at the cellar door; beyond the bottle are culinary experiences where gastronomic menu
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Fine Wine, Epicurean Adventures, And Living the High Life Of The Cote Azure With SeaDream Yachts

A group of well-heeled passengers walk past rows of sparkling mega yachts onto the cobblestone streets of St. Tropez. They are led by their guide, in his crisp white chef’s jacket, to the village’s daily market while along the way he points out the market’s abundance of fish, clams, and oysters, all of which were caught just hours earlier. The tour reaches its destination at a wine cellar door in the middle of the market. There awaits a long table and wine barrels covered with the bounty of the
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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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Discovering The Wine Heaven of Australia's Margaret River

Australia is a country known for kangaroos, the Great Barrier Reef, the unspoiled nature the Outback as well as their bustling cosmopolitan cities of Sydney and Melbourne. Australia is also renowned for two other definitive attributes. Australia is known for its tough and defiant people; mavericks who, as a result of being cut off from the rest of the world by geography and endless oceans, forged an independent and self-sufficient country. Australia’s second notable feature is a gift to the oeno
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Discovering Italy's Best Kept Secret: the Wine-Rich Collio Region

Discovering Italy's Best Kept Secret: the Wine-Rich Collio Region The saying goes that one could travel for their entire life and never see all of Italy’s beautiful destinations. That saying rings true, yet most travelers stay on the beaten path visiting Florence, Rome, Venice or perhaps one of Italy’s many islands. Lovers of wine usually pick Tuscany, whose roads in summer months quickly fill with wine hungry tourists buzzing around on their Vespas. In the northeast part of Italy is where the
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Wine time in Australia’s Yarra Valley with De Bortoli Wine and the Araluen Boutique Accommodation

Victoria, a state in south-eastern Australia, is a destination hard not to love. The cosmopolitan and vibrant city of Melbourne is surrounded by the seaside beaches of the Mornington Peninsula to the soaring alp-like Grampian Mountain Ranges. At the turn of the century and after the world wars, Italians, as other European immigrants, settled throughout Australia and brought their traditions of food and wine making. Those early settlers found similar growing conditions in the undulating hills an
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Melbourne Australia's Gastronomic Getaway, Max's Restaurant at Red Hills Estate

When one travels to Tuscany, Bordeaux or Napa Valley, they go because of their love of wine. These wine forlorn travelers seek out a fantasy week of diving along winding country roads through undulating hills where the farmlands switch between paddocks with livestock, crops of all manner, and of course miles and miles of grape vines. They dream of frequent stops at cellar doors of the top wineries to swirl and sip wine at its source while talking wine with the cellar door experts or maybe the wi
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An epicurean adventure in Australia’s Bellarine Peninsula & the eco-luxury B&B, The Nest

Australia is a destination of many natural gifts; from dramatic coastlines with jutting mountains that plummet into the sea, to  calm waters on sandy beaches, and of course, the arid and majestic beauty of the Outback. An hour and a half drive south of Melbourne is where you’ll find a unique treasure; the Bellarine Peninsula. Here you’ll find quaint coastal towns built at the turn of the century, sweeping farmland and livestock grazing on wide-open pastures, and vineyards as far as the eye can
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