[trip style = wine tasting]
Wine tasting season is here! In North America, some key tasting states and provinces include: California, Washington, Oregon, BC and Ontario. To make the most of these unique wine-making regions, a tasting plan-of-attack will help you tour like an apprentice sommelier. Here's how:
Do
- See a variety of wineries: small, med and big. This will give you a well-rounded "taste" of wine-making.
- Take time to talk to the Host/Vintner. Learning from their passion seems to make the wine taste better.
- Vary your experience. At some wineries take the tour, at others talk at length to the host (if they are not too busy) and at others enjoy the grounds.
- Savor the experience. Don't just taste to taste, try to learn. *Usually* the more you find out, the more appreciation you gain for that "zin."
- Heed wine-tasting etiquette.
- Bring cash for your tastings, most cost between $5-20/person. Note that most wineries allow you to share a tasting.
- Consider alternate forms of transport: Limo, Bike, etc...
- Choose your plan of attack - either be spontaneous or plan your journey. This point is especially true if you only have an afternoon or a short 2-3 day tasting window.
- Eat plenty of food, or bring some---like crackers---with you to eat in between.
- Get recommendations from your hotel's concierge or neighboring wineries about others you'd enjoy.
Don't
- Use wine tasting as an opportunity to drink 'for the sake of it.'
- Only see one type of winery. Further to the tip above, touring different types---region, varietal, size, philosophy---provides an education that deepens your appreciation and understanding for the process of wine-making and drinking.
- Drive after seeing multiple wineries and tasting multiple varietals.
- Drink the 'wine' from the big barrels near the tasting bars: that's wine and spit.
- Wear white clothing. Due to over-aggressive swirling, I know someone whose pinot noir 'taste' went on their white t-shirt rather than into their mouth.
- Swirl rose or bubbly.
[all pictures my own, taken in sonoma]
This month we've devoted a few posts to 
Hotwire
Hotwire is a leader in the 'Undercover' travel booking genre, in fact, according to 
Once you find the hotel selection you're happy with, you book it and find out the name and exact location after you've confirmed the purchase.
The way we book travel has evolved once again. First there were travel agents. Then there were online DIY travel agencies. Now there's a hyrbid of the two. Recently a few travel sites have surfaced offering agent-planned itineraries based on travel seeker specifications. The catch: agents/agencies bid for your business.
Should we save to splurge, or splurge to save? Luxury travel or budget travel? Or Both?
Both
Each trip we take tends to be different; each has a varied trip style. Saving to splurge or splurging to save are both good strategies---assuming you're not overextending yourself financially to do so. One strategy propels the other. Saving isn't that much of a sacrifice either, it still means you can travel by doing things like camp, stay overnight in a close-to-home destination or day trip. Then you've saved, enjoyed yourself in the process and get to splurge.
How
Travel credit card: you book the entire Maldives trip on your travel credit card, which gives you enough points/dollars to pay for a night or two at a hotel on a weekend getaway.
Trip Journal takes the travel diary to the next level. Share your travel experiences with your friends and family, or just keep track of it yourself! With the Trip Journal iPhone App you can easily document your travel experiences and automatically track your itinerary in real time, while on vaca.
Trip Journal App Details