I’ve posted 26 pictures from my winery tours trip to Napa and Sonoma on the Food & Wine Chickie Facebook fan page: http://bit.ly/aEZeUh
What are some of your favorites?
Off to Napa and Sonoma We Go
April 22, 2010 By
The time is finally here. My guy and I are off to Napa Valley and Sonoma tomorrow for a five-day wine-filled whirlwind.
Our two nights in Napa Valley will include nine tastings and some fabulous meals, including dinners at Bistro Jeanty and at La Toque.
Our two nights in Sonoma have us going to nine tastings and a much-anticipated tasting dinner at Cyrus in gorgeous Healdsburg.
I’ll be posting to Twitter and Facebook along the way, so get engaged with me on those platforms if you aren’t already and be on the lookout for an extensive recap blog post when I return.
Cheers,
Veronique Deblois – Founder, Food & Wine Chickie Insider
New York Austrian Wine Tasting at a Discount
March 25, 2010 By
UPDATE: Use Special Code: AUSTRIANNYC for an increased discount of $10 off the cost of the event!
I’d like to let you know about an upcoming Austrian wine tasting on May 5th in New York City. This is going to be the biggest Austrian wine event to ever hit the states and will feature over 100 Austrian winemakers. The event also features food from top New York restaurants.
Readers of Food & Wine Chickie Insider get $5 off admission via the Austrian Trade Commission by using Special Code: BLOGAUSTRIA when reserving tickets at: http://bit.ly/cug2iV.
Join me for some interesting wines, great food and fun crowd!
Restaurant Blue Pepper
November 18, 2009 By
Blue Pepper Interior
Blue Pepper is a very intimate space near the popular Leidseplein in Amsterdam. The restaurant is away from the touristy places, but within close proximity to the nightlife and fun of Leidseplein.
First, the service at Blue Pepper is impeccable. Our server was very well-versed about the menu and the ingredients and had great wine recommendations. Very impressed by him, and can’t say this about many people in that role.
Executive chef Sonja Pereira does an amazing job at recreating the famous Indonesian rice table. The 70 Euro tasting menu features over 25 dishes, yes 25, each more outstanding than the next. Stellar were the citrusy soup, the lamb saté, the extra spicy meat ‘stew’ and the banana and caramel fritter.
Blue Pepper Food
We’re experienced diners and this might be one of my top 5 meals ever. A must-try in a city not typically known for its cuisine.
Blue Pepper
http://www.restaurantbluepepper.com
Nassaukade 366
1054 AB Amsterdam
Telephone: 020-4897039
30 October 2009 
Mosel Wine Region of Germany in Three Days
October 30, 2009 By
Wehlen Vineyard
Wine lovers looking for a quick getaway to one of Europe’s most beautiful regions should consider the Mosel Wine Region of Germany.
The heart of the region is a mere 3 ½ hour drive from Amsterdam and a short 1 ½ hour drive from Dusseldorf. A rental car is highly recommended to fully enjoy all that Mosel has to offer. The region is filled with neat little towns, country roads lined with castles and vineyards on steep hills overlooking the beautiful Mosel River.
Vine-Covered Bernkastel
For those who have not been exposed to German wines or think of German wines as overly sweet, a 3-day visit to the Mosel region will provide a new perspective.
Day 1:
An ideal place to start this short wine tour is in Cochem. Cochem is an attractive town famous for 1,000 year-old, late-Gothic Cochem Castle. Cochem is a great place for wine enthusiasts to lunch on traditional local fare before heading south to begin wine touring.
After lunch, travelers can head south to Briedern where they’ll find a charming inn named Mosel Landhaus. The inn is small and inviting and the hosts, Sylvia and Jan, offer warm hospitality and well-appointed, newly renovated rooms. This inn is centrally located within a short distance of popular vineyards and attractions and is quite affordable.
The hosts of Mosel Landhaus will make insightful recommendations for places to have afternoon drinks and dinner.
Day 2:
Weingut Lipmann in Beilstein.
Riesling tasting at Weingut Lipmann in Beilstein
After a lovely breakfast at Mosel Landhaus, a short drive east to Beilstein offers cute shops to visit and the welcoming Weingut Lipmann for a tasting of the region’s best whites. The friendly staff at this cozy winebar, also known as a Weingut, offers a cheese course to pair with the wonderful Mosel wines.
Day 3:
Weingut Friedrich Storck
A trip to Bernkastel begins a full day of wine tasting. The drive to Bernkastel offers beautiful views of the regions’ most expansive vineyards. A great place to stop for a first tasting is a quaint wine bar named Weingut Friedrich Storck in Traben-Trarbach. The place offers a vast selection of German whites and modest selection of reds.
After lunching and visiting Traben-Trarbach, it’s only a short drive to Wehlen, home of well-known SA Pruem Winery, with its breathtaking vineyards spread over steep hills.
Cellar tasting at Mosel Landhause in Briedern
On the last evening at Mosel Landhaus, guests can participate in a wine tasting in the inn’s wine cave. I strongly urge patrons to partake in this activity as the wine cave is full of charm and the inn’s hosts are proud to share their love of Mosel wines with guests.
Drinkless in Salt Lake City
September 11, 2009 By
So, I’m in Salt Lake City for a conference (nice town by the way). It’s my first stay in Salt Lake City and I’m here for two days, working hard and playing…very little. As I picked up my registration packet upon arriving at the venue, the beautiful Grand America, I immediately noticed some interesting information about alcohol consumption I should be aware of as an attendee of the conference.
1) Alcohol beverage service in a licensed restaurant requires that:
- You order food with your drink (can you say side of chips and salsa with after-dinner drinks?)
- Your beverage be delivered to your table or at a counter by a waiter
- You consume your drink at or near your table or counter
2) Limitation on number of drinks:
- Each attendee may have no more than one spirituous liquor drink before the patron at one time (more on this in a bit)
- Other than spirituous liquor, attendee may have no more than two alcoholic beverages at any time before them (sic)
What??! If you’re a road warrior like me and attend tons of conferences, you know that the ‘reward’ at the end of the day is a visit to the nearest bar to commiserate about the long hours with some of your cohorts. These limitations put a serious damper on the evening fun (nice town by the way).
Took an associate to dinner last night and we both ordered a well-deserved round of Stellas prior to our meal. I also ordered a decent glass of California Cabernet to enjoy with my steak. When the waiter brought my wine, he actually waited for me to drink my last swallow of beer prior to pouring my wine. State law! The poor guy actually said to me, as he was holding back the wine, “you’re not from Utah, are you?” and went into a well-practiced apology about not being able to put down the wine before he could pick the beer glass (nice town by the way).
And I thought my home-state of New Jersey was off by not letting me LEGALLY order wine online from a non-NJ vendor. More to come from my next conference in LAS VEGAS, where I don’t think my blog entry name will be “Drinkless in Las Vegas”.
24 August 2009 
Mosel Landhaus – The perfect inn for a Mosel River Region wine vacation
August 24, 2009 By
Mosel Landhaus View
My husband and I are wine lovers and selected Briedern and Mosel Landhaus as a central place to tour the Mosel River Region.
What a pleasant surprise it was to arrive at this riverside inn with its welcoming facade. The hosts, Dutch-business-people-turned-inn-keepers, treated us and the other guests like family. They couldn’t have done more to make us feel at home and to recommend restaurants, cafes and places of interest.
Mosel Landhaus Bedroom
Our room at Mosel Landhaus was beautiful and recently remodeled. It featured a direct view of the Mosel River, which made for a romantic experience. Linens were white and pale yellow and the bed was very comfortable. The bathroom was brand new with a huge corner shower and all new fixtures.
Mosel Landhaus Breakfast
The breakfast, which was included with our stay, offered the best that Mosel has to offer. The scrambled eggs cooked in salty butter with home-grown fine herbs were the best I’ve ever had. The plates of cheeses and regional meats, the incredible bread, the velvety yogurt and the great coffee were the perfect start to perfect days.
On our last day at Mosel Landhaus, the owners invited us to a wine tasting in the inn’s cellar. What a treat! Make sure you do this tasting as it was a great time and the perfect place to learn about German wines.
I highly recommend Mosel Landhaus to anyone who wants to feel pampered and who wants to leave Mosel feeling like they’ve stayed with family. The hosts, Silvia and Jan are experts at attention to details.
Moselstrasse 19, Briedern 56820, Germany
Picture perfect Maine stay at Cabot Cove Cottages
August 24, 2009 By
The Cottages at Cabot Cove has been refurbished to a beautiful and comfortable haven on the outskirts of quaint Kennebunkport, Maine. The cottages are adorable and feature front porches where you can sit, lakeside, and take in all that Maine has to offer.
The staff at this property is friendly and warm, and guests are made to feel very welcomed and attended to – New England style.
A perk of staying at The Cottages at Cabot Cove is its proximity to the village of Kennebunkport, while not being in the middle of the busy town center. Kennebunkport offers great places to eat and shop.
This property is super for a couple wanting to getaway for quality time, or for a family wanting to enjoy a Maine stay.
7 South Maine St.
Kennebunkport, ME 04046
(207) 967-5424
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