Archive for the 'Wining & Dining at 30,000ft' Category
(Chronologically Listed)
New Year, New Itineraries…
Another New Years has come and gone; now replaced by old man winters icy grip and the doldrums of winter. The past few weeks have been down right miserable for many in the United States, especially those of us in the Northeast. We’ve suffered through 2 ½ weeks of miserable cold which finally broke this past Saturday and provided us with a much needed 40 degree heat wave. I for one was ready to throw on my shorts, set a lawn chair up outside and enjoy some frozen tropical drinks!
When its cold like this, I look to look ahead to the warmer months of boating and BBQ’s and I also like reviewing my upcoming travel plans so I can figure out where I will be in the world this year. One of the trips I am really looking forward to is Santa Barbara, California in March. My wife and I will be traveling across country to visit family in beautiful Santa Barbara. I have been to California several times, but never to Santa Barbara.
Santa Barbara bills itself as “The American Riviera,” it is located on the pacific coast nestled between the Santa Ynez Mountains and is approximately an hour north of Los Angeles and 3 hours south of San Francisco. The land was originally settled by ancestors of the Chumash Indians who were then followed by the first Europeans who were Spanish missionaries that arrived 1782. Following the Mexican-American war Santa Barbara and the rest of California became part of the expanding United States.
For wine enthusiasts, you will remember that Santa Barbara is where the movie “Sideways’ was filmed. In the movie “Sideways,” (Miles) Paul Giamatti and (Jack) Thomas Haden Church take a wine tasting road trip to salute Jack’s final days as a bachelor. You can even plan a trip to follow the exact route that “Miles and Jack” took on their journey by visiting:
http://www.santabarbaraca.com/docs/forms/FinalSideways09-web2.pdf
For those not wanting to follow the exact footsteps of “Miles and Jack,” Santa Barbara County offers 3 American Viticultural Areas (AVA’s) which host a large number of wineries. The AVA’s are broken down as follows:
Santa Maria Valley- This is the northernmost AVA and was the first to gain that distinction. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are the two main varietals that come from this region.
Santa Ynez Valley- This AVA is an east/west corridor that runs from the cooler coastal climates to the warmer inland climate. Because of its climate range there are several varietals that do well in this region including Pinot Noir, Cabernet and Merlot. The latter being Miles’s “favorite” choice in the movie “Sideways”!
Sta Rita Hills- This area is actually located within the Santa Ynez Valley. The Santa Barbara county wine website states that “A typical day in Sta Rita Hills starts with marine layer clouds and fog, which burn off by 10am; there are then two or three hours of calm sunshine until the on-shore winds pick up, cooling things down again. This maritime influence, combined with the sedimentary soils with patches of limestone is the perfect place to grow the appellation’s hallmark Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.”
Aside from the 3 sanctioned AVA’s, there is also the Los Alamos region, which is also looking to one day become a federal sanctioned AVA.
Los Alamos- Located between the Santa Maria Valley and Santa Ynez Valley, this region produces a wide variety of varietals due to its complex climate and soil composition.
For more information on Santa Barbara County’s wine region visit:
http://www.sbcountywines.com/SBC.html
As we trudge our way through the rest of January and February I will be looking forward to and planning our trip to Santa Barbara. Be sure to check back in late March as I will be doing a write up on all the wineries we visit.
For more information about Santa Barbara you can visit:
http://www.santabarbaraca.gov/
http://www.santabarbaraca.com/
If you decide to go to Santa Barbara County you can fly into Santa Barbara Airport or Los Angeles International Airport which is about an hour south. If you are within the state of California you can also take Amtrak which has a stop in Santa Barbara city or take a drive on U.S. 101 which bisects the city of Santa Barbara.
Until next time, Salude!
Published by admin on January 17th, 2010 | Filed under Wining & Dining at 30,000ft | Comment now »Island Summer Nights……
Pondering the week’s adventure ahead of me while crammed into my American Airlines economy seat, the last thing on my mind was wine. No, I was dreaming of white sand beaches, turquoise waters, warm tropical breezes and gently swaying palm trees. I had just under an hour to go until touch down in beautiful St. Lucia, West Indies. The week prior, in fact I’d say the last 6 months prior to the trip had been a complete blur. I was preparing for my wedding and this trip was our honeymoon.
As anyone who as ever planned a wedding can attest, the stress involved seems to peak around the last month and a half to month before the actual event. That is when you realize that all the procrastinating you have done has finally caught up with you and oh by the way; the final payments to the DJ, photographer, florist, etc, all are due. So, with the wedding ceremony complete and the reception a huge hit, it was now off to St. Lucia for a much needed honeymoon.
As we approached the island of St. Lucia, I was amazed at the mountainous landscape of the island and the deep blue ocean waters surrounding it. I had been to the Caribbean before, but never this far south. As a frame of reference, St. Lucia is approximately 1,300 miles south of Miami. It is one of the Windward Islands and is located within a chain of other Eastern Caribbean islands. Its closest neighbors are Martinique which is 21 miles to the north and Barbados which is 90 miles to the southeast. St. Lucia is 27 miles long and 14 miles wide with a combination of high mountains, forests, low lying lands and beaches. A central mountain range runs the length of the island, with peaks ranging between 1,000 and 3,145 feet. The two towering volcanic cones on the southwest coast, Gros Piton (797m) and Petit Piton (750m) are one of the Caribbean’s most famous landmarks.
Landing at Hewennora International Airport in Vieux Fort takes you back to a time when air travel was simpler. Passengers disembark down air stairs and then walk across the tarmac to the open air customs queue. Once you have checked in with customs and received the proper stamps, it’s off to grab your bags and look for a taxi. Fortunately for us, we were staying at the Sandals Grande St. Lucian resort in Gros Islet, so they had already arranged for the transfers to and from the airport.
The ride from the airport to the Grande St. Lucian took just over an hour and a half. It took us through small seaside villages on the Atlantic Coast, up over the central mountain range and rain forest and finally through the capital of Castries on the Caribbean Coast and on into Gros Islet. Sandals Grande St. Lucian is located on Rodney Bay on a man made causeway which was built in the 1970’s to connect the mainland with Pigeon Island.
Sandals has three resorts on St. Lucia, The Regency, The Halcyon Beach and the Grande. The Grande is the largest of the three resorts, but by staying at any one you have access to the other three via the daily shuttles that run in between each of the resorts. Arriving after our hour and a half ride to the Grande, we were assisted by the concierge service for our check in and in no time found ourselves in our Honeymoon swim up room. The concierge had placed a chilled bottle of champagne in the room so we immediately popped the cork and toasted to surviving the long taxi ride to the resort. Champagne consumed, it was time to find something to eat. If you have ever been to an all inclusive resort, you know that there are plenty of food options to choose from. Being new to the resort, we decided to make it easy and stop at the first restaurant we came too which ended up being the Bayside Grill.
This is where wine came into the picture, while preparing to order a couple frosty tropical drinks; the hostess informed us that Sandals resorts had recently partnered with Beringer Vineyards to provide premium house wines and higher end wines found on the Managers and Chairman’s wine lists which are available for purchase. Aside from partnering with Beringer they also started an innovative educational program – the Platinum Wine Certification by Beringer. Restaurant and bar staff undergo this certified training program to give them more tools and information about wine. This new certification program aims to greatly enhance the wine experience for resort guests. For house wines, Sandals offers Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay under the Beringer Stone Cellars label. For Managers or Chairman’s the offerings are even greater. So we decided to forgo the tropical drinks for the evening and try the Beringer Stone Cellar Chardonnay.
As I stated earlier, you may not think of wine when you are traveling to the Caribbean, but you should. Many resorts have developed wine programs and offerings in an effort to “raise the bar when it comes to luxury,” as the Sandals site states. Wine offerings at resorts have become just as important as the size and number of pools offered, or the location of a beach in relation to a resort.
For the remainder of the week we bummed around the resort partaking in free flowing tropical drinks during the day and the Beringer Stone Cellar offerings during the evening. We also took in the local sights through the many tour offerings provided by Sandals. Like all good trips, this one ended too soon. After 8 days on the island it was time to brave another taxi ride back to the airport and the 5 and a half hour flight (including layover in Miami) back home.
If you are planning on taking a trip to St. Lucia, there are several things that you can do while on the island:
Take a land or sea tour to Soufriere where you can visit the Caribbean’s only drive in volcano. When you take the sea tour you will travel from Castries harbor on a catamaran down the coast past Anse La Raye a quaint fishing village and into Soufriere passing under the majestic Pitons, Gros and Petit. In Soufriere you visit the volcano and visit the Diamond Botanical Gardens. Following lunch, you board the catamaran again for a trip back up the coast where you stop in at Marigot Harbor to take in the scenery.
You can visit the rainforest and zip line through the tops of the trees, rent ATV’s or even take a horseback ride.
Check out the following sites for more information on tours and resorts:
St. Lucia Island Website- http://www.stlucia.org/default.asp
Sandals Web Site- http://www.sandals.com
Until next month Salude!!
Deep in the Heart of Texas…Wine Country???
Our second post with wining and dinning at 30,000ft and already I have decided to change it up a bit. As I sit here writing this “currently cruising at 38,000ft with 3 hours and 20 minutes left, sunny skies and temperature of 80 at our destination” my thoughts drift back to the great week I just spent in San Antonio, Texas. When you think of San Antonio or even Texas for that matter, wine is probably not what first comes to mind. For me it was the Alamo, texmex and great BBQ.
We arrived in San Antonio late Friday night a few days ahead of a conference. I always like to travel at least a day in advance so I can get settled and check out the local scenery, especially if I have not been to that particular area before. I had Saturday and most of Sunday to do a little exploring so following a stop at the Alamo, we decided to take a ride outside of the city. I asked the bell hop where we could go to see “real south Texas,” I really have no idea what “real south Texas” would be, but I was looking for something other than the hustle of the city and I was also looking for some good BBQ!
He recommended that I take a ride to Fredericksburg, Texas, which is a quaint city 70 miles northwest of San Antonio. The trip was only supposed to take around an hour, so with the best of intentions we set out on our journey. Approximately 15 miles outside of San Antonio on I-10 we were at a stand still. The digital sign read severe delays ahead and there was no sign of any type of a progress towards Fredericksburg. I decided to get off I-10 and attempt to reset the GPS in an effort to get around the traffic. After 20 minutes of intense negotiation, I had failed to convince the GPS that there actually was another way than I-10. Failure accepted, I decided on another approach a $5.00 map of Texas courtesy of CVS.
I took my “vintage” navigation device, spread it out on the hood of the rental car and planned my diversion around the parking lot on I-10. The only significant road that I could make out that ran parallel to I-10 was 16 which would take me up to 46 and back onto I-10 above the traffic jam. It was a 30 mile detour, but I was on a mission. The ride along 16 and 46 allowed me to see the “real south Texas.” There was a lot of open space, 70 mph speed limit and plenty of huge ranches. Finally, we met up with I-10 and headed toward 87 north, through the town of Comfort, Texas and after approximately 20 more miles of wide open land and ranches we arrived in Fredericksburg.
After driving around we finally found a parking spot on a side street and proceeded to walk around. Main Street Fredericksburg is very wide and lined with many different shops and restaurants. The sole reason for taking the drive to Fredericksburg was to find some great southern BBQ, so we set out to locate the best of the best. The bell hop back at the hotel had stated that there were many good BBQ restaurants. Unfortunately, after walking the whole street, it was looking like I would have to trade my BBQ ribs for Weiner schnitzel instead. As the Fredericksburg Chamber of commerce website states, “The German families that settled Fredericksburg were proud of their education and culture. That spirit endures to the Fredericksburg of today.” http://www.fredericksburg-texas.com/External/WCPages/
Instead of BBQ, you will find mostly German potato salad, bratwurst and other German specialties. Another thing you will find in Fredericksburg is wine tasting rooms. We stopped at several tasting rooms that promoted Texas wines. Call me naive, but tasting wine never crossed my mind as I planned our road trip. If you visit the Fredericksburg Chamber of commerce page listed above, there is a brief history on the Texas wine industry. The history states that Texas wine making predates California wine making. Who knew Texas even had a wine industry?!! The history goes onto to state that “Texas is the country’s fifth-leading wine-producing state in the nation and is home to more than 54 wineries that produce over one million gallons of wine.”
Some of the wineries located in the Fredericksburg area include:
Bell Mountain Vineyards http://www.bellmountainwine.com
Chisholm Trail Winery http://www.chisholmtrailwinery.com
Fredericksburg Winery http://www.fbgwinery.com
Grape Creek Vineyards http://www.grapecreek.com
For a more complete list visit: http://www.fredericksburg-texas.com/WineriesVineyards
After wining our way along the main street, I was overjoyed to see the most amazing site. A little BBQ stand located right next to the World War II museum, I promptly ordered a plate full of ribs and sat back to enjoy the scenery.
If you are planning a trip to Fredericksburg check out the following sites for more information:
Fredericksburg Chamber of Commerce www.fredericksburg-texas.com
Fredericksburg Food and Wine Fest http://www.fbgfoodandwinefest.com/
Fredericksburg Texas http://www.fredericksburgtexas.info/
Following the BBQ, we piled back in the car and headed back to the Alamo City. No delays this time and in just over an hour we were back at the hotel and headed for the Riverwalk. I would definitely recommend visiting Fredericksburg the next time you are in San Antonio, it’s a great day trip or even spend the night in one of their many bed and breakfasts.
As I sit here condensed in my economy seat I am reminded of my last posting which listed the Continental Airlines wine list. I wrote that on flights “lasting over 3.5 hours there you can pair any above selection with a hot meal at lunch/dinner.” I feel it beneficial to inform you that on flights over 3.5 hours between Newark Airport and San Antonio your hot/meal dinner consists of a salad, turkey hotdog in a croissant and small Kit Kat bar. If you can find a wine on their list that pairs well with a turkey hotdog wrapped in croissant, more power to you. Until next time, salude!!
Published by admin on September 24th, 2009 | Filed under Wining & Dining at 30,000ft | Comment now »Wining and Dining at 30,000 ft
Welcome to our new blog called Wining and Dining at 30,000 ft. In this blog we will take a look into the world of wine and food on commercial airlines. Each month (or sooner is I have time) we will cover a commercial airline and review what wine and dining options are available. Airlines generally offer different selections depending on their destination in the world.
With that in mind, we will begin our review with North American domestic carriers. I may throw in an international carrier once in a while so readers can compare how different the services can be. With all that said, please sit back, place your tray tables down, your seats back, pour a glass of wine and let’s takeoff…
If you travel a lot like I do, you know the misery involved with the whole process. Trying to pack 25 pounds of clothes into a duffle bag to avoid the checked bag fees, arriving at the airport 3 hours early to stand in a 2 hour security line, being forced to throw out your toiletries because they could be used to hide bomb making materials, delays longer than the actual length of the flight, the wonderful selection of food items for sale on board, the list goes on and on. Ready to head out on your next vacation yet?
With the cutbacks at airlines and the obstacle course we are all forced to go through to get to our aircraft, it’s hard to find anything pleasant about an airline trip. However, if you look hard enough, and if you are in the right class of service, there are still some amenities left over from the bygone era of aviation.
In this months Wining and Dining at 30,000ft we are going to take a look at Continental Airlines. Continental is one of the few remaining domestic airlines that still offers free food in the main cabin.
While many airlines have switched to purchase on board offerings, Continental has managed to maintain this amenity at no cost to the economy passenger. However, beer, wine and other alcoholic drinks will cost you $5.00 in the economy cabin. In the main cabin Continental offers the following selections:
Ch Vieux Parc Corbieres 2004*
Fisheye Merlot
Fisheye Chardonnay
Jean-Louis Cuvee Blanc de Blancs Brut (sparkling wine)*
Louis Montillier Chardonnay 2005*
UMA Shiraz
UMA Chardonnay
* On international flights, Continental may substitute regional specialties for the regular beverage selections.
Food pairing in the main cabin is fairly simple and is based upon the length of the flight. For flights less than one hour you will be provided with just a beverage option. If your flight lasts 1 hour to 1.5 hours, you can expect to pair any selection above with either a bag of nuts or pretzels. For flights lasting 2 to 3.5 hours you can expect to pair any selection above with a snack at non meal times and a sandwich hot/cold at lunch/dinner. For flights lasting over 3.5 hours there you can pair any above selection with a hot meal at lunch/dinner.
In the first class cabin, the selection of wines and meal choices is fairly extensive. Below you will find the current wine selections for Continentals BusinessFirst class:
Champagne/Sparkling Wine
Charles de Fère Jean-Louis Brut, Blanc de Blanc NV
Heidsieck Monopole Blue Top
J.P. Chenet Brut
White Wine
New World
A to Z Chardonnay 2007
Laetitia Pinot Blanc
St. Supery Sauvignon Blanc 2007
French
Bouchard Pere Et Fils St Veran
Château Toumillion
Domaine LaRoche Chablis
German
Schloss Reinhart Shaussen “Fountain Blue” Riesling 2007
Italian
Barberani Vallesanta 2007
Moletto Pinot Grigio
Red Wine
New World
Cline Cellars Ancient Vines Zinfandel 2007
Rock Bare Shiraz 2006
Rodney Strong Pinot Noir 2005
French
Domain de Beaurengard Cotes Du Rhone 2006
Ogier Vacqueyras Rhone 2007
French Bordeaux
Château LaGrange Lussac 2006
Château D’Argadens 2005
Château Loudenne 2004
Château LaGrange Lussac 2006
Italian
Straccali Chianti 2003
Portuguese
Dom Martinho
Ferreira Grand Red Douro 2003
South American
Telteca Anta Malbec
Spanish
Miguel Torres Sangre de Toro 2003
Port
Dow’s Fine White Port
Quinta do Noval
Again, meal selections are based upon the length of the flight. For first class flights under 1 hour, you will be provided with just a beverage option. If your flight lasts 1 hour to 1.5 hours, you can expect to pair any selection above with either a bag of nuts or pretzels. On flights lasting 1.5 hours and up, a full meal will be offered. As an example of what you may find, we will take a look at the menu for a September 2009 flight between Newark Liberty International, NJ and London Heathrow. This flight departs at 10pm and the dinner menu is as follows:
TO BEGIN
Warm roasted nuts with your preferred cocktail or beverage
HOT APPETIZER CART
A demitasse of seafood bisque with lump crabmeat
accompanied by mini beef Wellington
and a tandoori chicken skewer with ancho chili sauce
Salad and warm breads
Fresh seasonal greens and frisée with sliced tomato, red onion,
corn and a Kalamata olive
Your choice of Cabernet Sauvignon vinaigrette
or Parmesan peppercorn dressing
Freshly baked garlic bread and assorted rolls with butter
MAIN COURSES
The Chef’s Selection
Grilled Sterling Silver™ New York sirloin steak with pepper rub
and herb glaze, sautéed spinach, roesti potatoes and a piquillo
pepper filled with stewed eggplant and fresh mozzarella cheese
Seared Breast of Chicken
Filled with fontina cheese and spinach, accompanied by Port
wine sauce, creamy polenta, broccolini and carrots
Seared Turbot
With extra virgin olive oil, parslied potatoes and braised fennel,
served over tomato and olive ragoût and fine green beans
Pasta Bowl
Crescent-shaped pasta with truffle and potato filling, creamy
mushroom sauce, caramelized onion and truffle butter,
grilled fresh green asparagus, topped with roasted red tomato
and freshly grated Parmesan cheese
FRUIT AND CHEESE CART
Select American and imported cheeses, grapes, assorted
gourmet crackers and bread, served with Port wine
DESSERT CART
Edy’s Classic Grand vanilla ice cream with choice of toppings
or an assortment of petite pastries
Fresh Brew® gourmet roasted regular and decaffeinated coffee
made exclusively for Continental Airlines or tea with your
choice of milk or lemon
If you visit the Continental Airlines web site at www.continental.com and click on the Travel Information link it will take you to the BusinessFirst Dining page where you can look at Continental’s wine list and menus based on destinations. Airlines will often change menus with each season and may change on a monthly basis. If you travel a lot be sure to check their web sites often to insure you are up to date on the current wine and food offerings.
Well, our Wining and Dining experience at 30,000ft is nearing an end. I hope you have enjoyed the trip, please bring your tray table up, seat back forward and buckle your safety belt in preparation for landing. Until next month, salude!
