Welcome to the Vineyard
Great Vineyard stops for wine tasting
These fantastic culinary journeys will sate both wanderlust and discerning taste buds.
U.S. wine exports, 95 percent from California, reached a record high $951 million in 2007, an 8.6 percent jump from the previous year. Volume shipments in 2007 increased 12 percent to 453 million liters, compared to 2006
I have frequented a few wineries along the coastal highways of California,and discovered
the good tastes of cheeses and wines as I traveled to my destinations.
There is one thing to remember when doing this is the spirits
will hit you if you indulge to deeply,so you need a to bring along a designated driver.
Most of the wineries I have stopped at are in the Arroyo Grande area of California.
Here I have pinpointed some hot spots for the food and wine
connoisseur to check out on their journeys across the globe.
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Related Destinations
Amalfi
Sicily
Istanbul
Florida
Napa Valley
Seattle
Alsace
Burgundy
Paris
The Gulf beyond Dubai
Dubai has come to define luxury travel in the Persian Gulf, thanks to the outrageous opulence of its latest resorts, shops and restaurants. Now the rest of the Gulf is vying for the jet set, with posh hotels opening in Bahrain and Qatar. At the new Shangri-La Abu Dhabi, try regional sweets like basmaand Arabic coffee at the hotel's restaurant Sofra bld (shangri-la.com).
Italy
Amalfi CoastSail along the Amalfi Coast to the towns of Sorrento and Ravello and visit Capri and the ancient ruins of Paestum with Italian cooking expert Peggy Markel (June 11-18; from $3,000; peggymarkel.com).
Sicily
Cycle through Sicily.
Syria
Damascus
Meet with baklava makers and shop the markets of Damascus and Aleppo
Turkey
Istanbul
Explore Istanbul's bazaars and Anatolia's clay-pot cooking
U.S.
Florida
Forage for crabs in Gulf Coast waters with WaterColor Inn culinary adviser Chris Hastings (October 23-26; $1,500; brownelltravel.com).
Napa Valley
Seattle
Learn butchery and other culinary skills at Tom Douglas' Culinary Summer Camp in Seattle (July 6-10; $2,500, lodging not included; 206-448-2001).
France Alsace/Colmar
Cook Alsatian dishes like choucroute with chefs Barbara Lynch and Maria Helm Sinskey (November; price to be determined; no9park.com).
Burgundy Tour
The region's most prestigious wineries with British Master of Wine Clive Coates (June 22-28; $3,400; bu.edu/foodandwine/tours).
Paris
Go on private chocolate-factory tours
.