Unexpected Wine Destinations

This week on The Traveling Eye was all about Unexpected Wine Destinations.

Of course the wine destinations we think of first are fantastic (California, Italy, France, etc.) and I love them but there are times when we are surprised by a destination and what it produces. Wine is sometimes that surprise.

We too were surprised by some of them.  Some we've been to and others we went to trusted sources like Travel & Leisure.  Here is a piece they did on Unexpected US wine Trails.  Texas, New Mexico and North Carolina are on the list.  Go figure.

More than 20 years ago I went to Hawaii.  Maui, my favorite island in Hawaii to be exact. I think it's time for me to go back and rediscover as I am sure quiet a bit has changed since then.  I won't digress.  On the road to Hana, we visited a little wine shop from Maui Wines.  I don't know if they still produce it but, they used to have a Maui Blush that was on the sweet side, my taste buds were different then. The Maui Blush was similar to a white zinfandel. The one thing that was definitely an acquired taste for me was the pineapple wine.  It was too acidic for me but others that were there were fond of it.  But the biggest surprise here was that Hawaii produced wine.  There are others like Volcano Winery too on the Big Island.

On a group trip I organized to India a few years ago we stayed at the Rambagh Palace Jaipur.  Built it 1865 as the queens handmaiden guesthouse, this resort is now a Palace Hotel.  It was here that I discovered that India produced some fantastic wines.  At the bar I ordered a glass of wine and was offered one of India's own. While I don't remember the name of it, I remember that it was a Cab/Shiraz blend and one of India's award winning wines.  You'll have to trust me on this. It had a bottle sent to my client's room and he too loved it.

Another surprise to me was Turkey.  On a familiarization trip a couple of years ago we were hosted by Marmara Hotels, a Turkish owned hotel chain.  At the Marmara Taksim in the center of Istanbul, we had dinner at their fine dining restaurant and our meal was accompanied by their own wines. AND...When retired for the evening we were presented with their own chocolates.  some of the best chocolate I've ever had.  Their chocolate and wine shop is in the hotel.

Below is a repost from our trip to Shawnee in southern Illinois.

Happy Trails.....
Ja'Vonne

Hi Everyone!

Howard of Video Twist Productions, Ja'Vonne and I recently spent two nights and three days in Southernmost Illinois touring the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail.  On day one we visited Blue Sky, Orlandini, Owl Creek and Rustle Hills Wineries and Vineyards.  With the help of tasting staff at the vineyards and our own wine expert Ja'Vonne, Howard and I were educated on the different types of wine, food that should pair with each wine, and the correct way to taste a wine. You swirl the wine in the glass, sniff the bouquet of the wine, sip and slurp, hold and swallow so the wine hits the back of the tongue and you can taste the full flavor.  There is something about tandons (not sure if it is spelled right) but I don't understand that part yet.

It's day two and we head over to Scandinavian Gift shop and tasting room at the Hedman Vineyards (www.peachbarn.com) Gerd and Anders Hedman opened Hedman Vineyards in 2005.

Hedman Vineyards

  They produce European-styled wines and offer Swedish cuisine in their Peach Barn Cafe. The gift shop has some great Swedish cookies and preserves. When we visit again we must try their Swedish Meatballs with a glass of wine.

Bonnie, Paul, Ja'Vonne

Next stop Alto Vineyards! In 1984 Guy Renzaglia, Ted Wichmann and others established the Alto Vineyards (www.altovineyards.com).  It is the first commercial winery in Southern Illinois. Now the Alto is run by Paul Renzaglia. Paul has been our show via phone so Ja'Vonne and I were excited to visit Alto Vineyards and meet Paul in person.  He took us out into the vineyards and explained the grapes to us.  It was HOT that day and we were past the perspiring stage and into a full sweat so we decided to head in, cool off and taste the finished products of the grapes. I tasted my first Port wine and found that I enjoyed it.  I left with a bottle of Porto Di Guido and another chapter written in my "understanding wine" handbook.

In 1997, Dr. Paul and Rhoda Jacobs opened the first Von Jakob Vineyard (www.vonjakobvineyard.com) in Pomona, Illinois.  The second location is located in Alto Pass which is where we were having lunch. Von Jakob has recently added brewery to its name as they now produce fine tasting beer. We decided to forgo the wine tasting to sample a little of their new product. When you visit, I suggest you order the cheese bread and the meatball sandwich. Real good stuff!

Ja'Vonne, George, Bonnie

Our last winery for the day was to the Pomona Winery (www.pomonawinery.com). This winery is different because it does not use any grapes to make their wine. George Majka and Jane Payne broke ground in 1989 to build Pomona Winery. They are both carpenters so they actual built the winery. Instead of dealing with planting and harvesting grapes, they decided to make their wine using fresh fruits. We spent an hour with George as we tasted wines with names like Once in a Blue Moon Blueberry Wine, Sweet Apple, Kir, and Jonathon Oak Aged Reserve.  With each wine, George would give us a recipe of how to infuse the wine in the preparation of a dish as well as drinking a glass to compliment the meal. You know I had to take the Once in a Blue Moon Blueberry Dessert Wine home with me.We waved goodbye to George and Jane and headed home to relax and prepare for out last day in Shawnee.
   

Day Three!

It was our last day in the Shawnee area and we had to pack the car and head over to the Star View Vineyard (www.starviewvineyard), where   we were doing our live broadcast, having lunch and of course, tasting wine before heading back home to Chicago.  Scott and Kate Sensmeire opened Star View Vineyards in 2005. Their first harvest yielded six award winning wines. They offered their vineyard to us to do our live broadcast back to Chicago and we  found the perfect place to set up, out on the patio overlooking the vineyards. It was one of the hottest days in creation but Kate told us the best way to handle the heat is by having a cool glass of wine. It was still hot but the wine was delicious. Scott brought in some grapes he had picked and kept cool.  One bunch would be red wine and the other white.  Don't tell him, but they both looked the same to me.

It was time for us to pack up, collect all the wine we bought and head back to Chicago.  I learned so much on this trip to Southernmost Illinois. Illinois has mountains, beautiful forests, and wonderful people. All wines do not taste like Morgan David and dry red wines actually taste good. You shouldn't leave good wine, like the award winning wines made along the Shawnee Wine Trail, in your car when it is warm, and good friendships and conversations are made over a nice glass of wine.

Thanks to Carol Hoffman and everyone at the Southernmost Illinois Tourism Bureau (www.southernmostillinois.com) for helping us plan this great road trip. I raise my glass to all the award winning wineries and vineyards along the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail. Thank you for your hospitality, lessons in wine enjoyment, and making my initiation into tasting and drinking wine fun.

Bonnie, Howard, Ja'Vonne - The Traveling Eye

I recommend you plan a trip down to Southernmost Illinois and introduce yourself to all the great things this area has to offer.  Illinois is an awesome state, mile after magnificent mile.

Until next time, keep your EYE to the sky!


Bonnie

The Wonders of Fall Travel

I love the fall.  I love everything about it.  The weather, fall fashion, fall colors and great prices. If you live or have lived in a place that experiences four seasons, you know what I mean.

What's so great about fall travel?

• Shoulder season" Shoulder season is that season of travel between low season and peak season.  This usually occurs during the Spring and Fall.  For the Fall, should season typically starts after Labor Day and goes until the end of November.  Prices are good, especially right after the holiday.  The weather is usually mild and the crowds are gone. Some of my most memorable trips were during shoulder season and I think the season had everything to do with it.
• The colors of Fall: Fall Foliage is probably one of the most recognizable conditions of the Fall season.  Leaf Peepers, are they or should I say we are called, revel in the vibrant colors of nature.  Depending on where you are the colors can be red, orange, gold, yellow and green.  The season for fall foliage starts in September and goes until November.  The north starts earlier and the season finishes in the south.  www.foliagenetwork.com is a great site to see where the leaves are. I remember driving Sky Line Drive in Virgina in the convertible with the top down. When it got a little chilly, we'd turn the heat on but keep the top down.
• The Harvest: I'm a foodie, so this is an obvious attraction.  From wine to food, we begin to shift our the abundance of our summer fare of produce to our fall bounty.  Our taste buds become more hearty and rooted.  Apples, pears, pumpkin, potatoes, zucchini, squash.  We switch from lemonade to cider and vodka to rum or brandy, light crisp whites wines to reds of many varieties.  This is a time to celebrate and gather.
• And, Festivals: A lot of the festivals center around food and depend on the region.  For some reason, festivals during this time seem more subdued and sophisticated.  Could be my imagination but the summer festivals seem wild and with reckless abandon, while fall festivals are well, as I said before more subdued and sophisticated.  Wine tastings, hay rides, picking fruit in orchards, drinking hot apple cider, seafood.  You see what I mean?
• Places I love in the fall:
• Italy: I visited Italy in November a couple of years ago and absolutely loved it.  It was actually my second time going to Italy. The first time was in the Spring in May.  The weather was similar but there was something about the fall that I just loved.  Tuscany, Rome and Venice. They were all wonderful. Venice can be a bit smelly in the summer because of the heat and water so the air is much fresher during this time.  Tuscany is alive with color.  Places like, Pisa, Lucca, San Gimignano, Sienna and of course Florence.  I think it's the crisp Fall air that I love.
• Hawaii: Especially Maui.  November is the beginning of Whale season.  The humpback whales come to Hawaii in search of warmer waters to mate and give birth.
• Anywhere is the Northeast or Southeast in the US.  From Massachusetts to Georgia.  From lobsters to pecans, from the ahh in Bahhston (Boston) to the aw in tawkin (talking), I just love the regional gems of the US and all they have to offer.
• You can't talk about the Fall in the US without mentioning Thanksgiving!  the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Turkey, Family, food and fun.

Ja'Vonne

What Travel Agents Wont Tell You?????

There was an article in Women's Day referencing the aforementioned title and it struck a cord with me and many other travel industry professionals.  We talked about it in great length on The Traveling Eye last week and I wanted to again share my thoughts.

While I'm not a traditional Travel Agent, I still provide travel services.  I also have friends who are travel agents and when I shared this with them, they too were appalled as were so many others.

Now, Women's Day says that the article was to give their readers insight on how to save on travel but every point was supported with why a travel agent wouldn't share this information with you and the constant reason was for commission.  I think this takes a stab at the integrity of the travel agent rather than provide the consumer useful information unless the goal is to have the consumer not trust or use a travel agent.

Travel agents like many other professionals are about trust and building a relationship.  I don't think any travel professional who wants to stay in business and retain clients would base their professional advice solely on commission.  The mere fact that you use a travel agent means commission is earned or shall I say a living is earned from their their professional services. We highly respect our services, what we do and our clients, so if that all rested on commission earned on one sale, we wouldn't be in business very long.  Consumers are too smart for that!

Here are some of the points that I'd like to address:
3. They may not have been to the hotel or on the cruise ship they’re recommending.
Some pros may fib about their travels to close a sale. “Agents untruthfully telling clients that they’ve sailed on a particular cruise ship because it’s more expensive or stayed at a certain pricier resort is common,” says Cambridge. Stone explains that reputable agencies encourage their employees to take “familiarization (FAM) trips” which allow the agent to learn about a destination at a deeply discounted rate. She suggests asking about recent FAM trips your agent’s taken to learn which destinations and accommodations she truly knows well.
I can't speak for every single travel agent but this goes back to integrity and majority of us have it. I don't think anyone in their right mind would think that it is humanly possible to have stayed in every hotel or experienced every cruise ship.  I know it states some pros, but come on, we know it is OK to say I haven't stayed there or been on that cruise.  However, we can still make recommendations based on education and research.

5. Travel insurance may not be necessary.
Some travel agents push insurance because it increases the price of the vacation package—and thus, it could increase their commission. Yet, if you have health insurance, you may be covered for health emergencies while you're traveling overseas. And many credit card companies cover the costs of lost baggage, canceled trips, emergency assistance and accidental death or dismemberment. It pays (literally) to check with your health-insurance and credit card companies before you buy travel insurance.
Why does almost every point talk about increasing commission?  Anyway, I highly recommend insurance so that the traveler and I have peace of mind.  There are so many unknowns about ones own health insurance, what's covered internationally and how much of it.  Also, your health insurance wont cover for itinerary changes, cancellation, change fees, evacuation or transportation!  There are so many credit card companies and even more varying policies.  Credit Card companies usually don't automatically cover the costs of lost baggage & canceled trips. With many credit card companies you have to have a special program for lost baggage and canceled trips or you have to purchase, ....wait for it.....Insurance. The other caviat is that if you purchase a package through a tour operator and therefore your credit card does not pay for the airline ticket directly with the airline many of these points you made are invalid.  You see there are many reasons based on our education, experience and research why we highly recommend travelers insurance!

I'm not going to go into every point because I think ASTA put it in the best words. "The American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) read with concern Woman’s Day article entitled “10 Things Travel Agents Won’t Tell You.” While the article starts out right, as we certainly agree that “a travel agent can be a great resource,” that’s where it ended."

Regards,
Ja'Vonne

JAVONNE'S TRAVEL MINUTE

There are many women married and single who travel alone.  This number is increasing and what I also find increasing is the image of the single female traveler especially those from America and Europe.

Ultimately, safety is the number one priority for any traveler and more so with a woman.

I’ve broached this subject before but wanted to address it again with some more safety tips.

Common sense never goes out of style and is sometimes your best source.  While having the same common sense you would have at home comes into play, you also have to adapt to the local culture and know gender roles.  Now is not the time to get on a soap box or exercise your ideals.

It’s also imperative to have a cell phone with you.  Either have your own cell phone and service upgraded to include international service prior to departing or obtain a local cell phone immediately upon arrival.  Know the local emergency number, how to dial it and store it in your phone.

Finally, know how to communicate “help” in the local language. With these tips you’ll feel safe, prepared and able to enjoy your trip.

Ja'Vonne

JA'VONNE'S TRAVEL MINUTE

Because you are a savvy traveler you always carry on your luggage.  Well, in today's travel environment not only are the flights full but so too are the overhead bins.

Whether it's for short trips, to avoid checked bag fees or just to make sure your bags arrive when you do, more people are carrying on.

You may start out with the intention of carrying your bag onto the plane but when you get boarding zone 6, chances are you'll have to relinquish your bag to the airline to be checked.

Now, what do you do when you have valuables or fragile items that you know will not survive the belly of the beast?  Being the savvy traveler that you are, you have packed a collapsible day bag in your carry on.  One that is lightweight, folds flat and won't take up space.  And, voila, you have a bag that will fit underneath the seat in front of you and your valuables are protected.  A savvy traveler is ALWAYS prepared.

Ja'Vonne

JA'VONNE TRAVEL MINUTE

The evolution of the Ferris Wheel has been slow and steady but has proven to be a major attraction throughout time in cities around the world.

In 1893 George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr. debuted the first Ferris Wheel at the Worlds' Fair in Chicago.  It stood at 264 feet, had 36 cars, each fitted with 40 revolving chairs and able to accommodate up to 60 people.

Today while we still call them Ferris Wheels, they have actually evolved into Observation Wheels with the Singapore Flyer in Singapore currently the tallest at 541 feet with 28 air conditioned capsules each carrying 28 passengers.  Singapore has held this title since 2008 but will soon loose it to the 550 feet High Roller in Las Vegas scheduled to open early 2014, which will loose its title to the 689 feet Dubai Eye scheduled to be unveiled in 2015 and coming in a close second the 625 feet New York Wheel scheduled to debut in 2016.

With the long list of future wheels the Ferris Wheel has and will continue to stand the test of time and be a major attraction in cities around the world.

Ja'Vonne

BONNIE'S EYE ON!

There is a popular attraction in Chicago that attracts millions of tourists each year.  However, if you ask them and even the people who live in Chicago, what the name of it is, most of them will proudly and confidently answer, “The Bean.”  That, my friends, is the wrong answer.  The kidney bean shaped attraction located in the center of the AT&T Plaza in Millennium Park is actually named Cloud Gate.

The sculpture created by British artist Anish Kappor took two years to construct. Her inspiration was liquid mercury and true to her vision, the outside shows no visible seams.  After much anticipation and a little mystery, Cloud Gate was dedicated on May 15, 2006.  It’s curved shaped does look like a kidney bean so from day one, it has nicknamed "The Bean."

I love it because of the way it reflects the beautiful Chicago Skyline from every angle.  Children love to play around it, while others are fascinated with their reflections underneath this popular attraction.

Whether you call it by its rightful name of Cloud Gate or its popular nickname "The Bean," it is a wonderful spot to visit and take a photo, whether you live in Chicago or not.

Keep your EYE to the sky!

Bonnie DeShong

Co-host of The Traveling Eye