Archive for the 'Travel' Category

In the same tradition as Mardi Gras— i.e., one last big celebration before Lent for Catholics—Carnaval in Rio de Janiero is about celebrating life through song, dance, and in my case this last week, great wine. I’ve traveled the world and been lucky enough to see some amazing things, but Carnaval, with its sea of singing spectators, its never-ending procession of unimaginably creative floats, and its pulsating, joyful samba soundtrack, should be on the bucket list for anyone with a brain cell and two feet that can move to a beat.

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My last two working trips have taken me from North America across the Pacific to Australia and New Zealand. Figuring I’d at least like to get to and from my destinations, I avoided booking flights on Oceanic Airlines or Ajira Airways, instead flying on Qantas and Air New Zealand.

In the interest of full disclosure, I should point out here that my business-class tickets were provided by the respective wine boards of these two countries, where I had intense schedules of vineyard visits, conferences and seminars lined up for virtually every hour. But regardless of how I got in the front of those planes, once there, I was seriously impressed by the range of vinous offerings.

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Of all the experiences I had on my recent trip to Seattle and Oregon, one theme rang true: the importance of slowing down. Being a New Yorker, I tend to rush from here to there, focusing more on the schedule and less on the moment. I think this transcends a lot of Metropolitan area East Coasters. The truth is, great things can happen when you pause, think, and let the juices flow.

One of the most eye-opening (and hilarious) experiences was on a morning when my friend and I were leaving Portland for an appointment at Scott Paul Wines. We were already running late, but had to taste some real Portland coffee before departing. Locals highly recommended the Portland chain, Stumptown,  so we decided to check it out.

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In our September issue, we’re running a piece on unusual California tasting rooms. This includes everything from the Persian palace setting of Darioush in Napa to the drag tomfoolery of Paso Robles’ Clautiere Vineyard, where donning wigs and silly hats is intended to break down barriers and allow for easy socializing. Whether it’s incredible, cutting-edge architecture or fun themes, many wineries offer personality and, in some cases, a little kitsch. But is this what you want?

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Growing up in northern Michigan, I was certainly no stranger to the concept of outdoor sports. Fishing, hunting, waterskiing, hiking, skiing—it was all around me. I’ll admit though, I was more of an indoor creature—more likely to have my face stuck in a book than chopping wood or ice fishing. So when I traveled to the Finger Lakes in upstate New York last weekend on a wine tasting trip and was told that we’d also be dropping some lines in Cayuga Lake, I was somewhat wary.

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Growing up with a surname that inevitably baffles everyone outside of Poland (I’ve learned to answer to pretty much anything at this point, including “Susan Kossserrrr, huh?”), I know how difficult names and words can frighten even the most worldly Americans.  Perhaps it’s fitting then that some of the wine regions I cover as a taster for Wine Enthusiast are grappling with the same issues I have since I can remember. Emerging areas such as Greece, Hungary and South Africa are keen to put themselves on the domestic map, but often the producer names and/or variety names are so strange or seemingly unknown to the average U.S drinker that they pause for a moment, consider adventure, and move on to grab a tried and true Cabernet or Merlot that doesn’t pose as much of a “risk.”

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I’ve said it again and again…..one of my favorite regional dishes in Europe is a platter of choucroute garnie (garnished sauerkraut), as served in Alsace, France. The difference from choucroute garnie as served in American bistros and brasseries is enormous. Oh, sure, we do fairly well on our shores in keeping up with the kinds of cured meats and sausages that ride on top of the sauerkraut. But where we fall down, time and time again…..is in the sauerkraut itself! Alsatian sauerkraut is remarkably light, almost fluffy–much of which derives from its incredibly thin cut. Forgive my cross-cultural stretch, but choucroute in Alsace seems like angel hair compared to the thick, spaghetti-like sauerkraut we see here. It truly makes all the difference.

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Years ago, while conducting research for my book about gastro-pairing (Red Wine with Fish, Simon & Schuster, 1989),  I stumbled upon a freaky surprise: anchovies were just fine with a fruity, reasonably young red Rioja. And the more I tested the combo, the more the truth became clear: there’s something about the Rioja fruit combined with the normally excellent Rioja acidity that covers the fishiness, cuts through the salt, and leaves your taste buds in more harmony than they should have any right to expect. It offered a pairing alternative to a difficult food that was quite unexpected.

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People who know me know that I love to talk about how we, as a species, have managed to remove ourselves completely from the natural order of things in the wild. Traveling through remote parts of India, Africa and Central America, guides have told me time and again of witless vacationers who have jumped out of jeeps to snap a pride of lions, stuffed a poison dart frog in their pockets, or taken a stick to a deadly pit viper.  Where is their natural alarm? It makes you wonder if that thing called Darwinism is really such a bad idea after all.

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Lucky me. I’m just back from a trip to Germany’s Pfalz region, researching a feature scheduled for the November issue. I don’t want to give away the story, but it got me thinking that whenever I visit a wine region, I look to experience more than just the area’s vinous delights by trying whatever local food specialties I can find. It helps me gain a more complete understanding of the region, and how that region’s wines fit within their local context. To me, it’s also just a natural part of exploring anyplace new.
This trip, asparagus and strawberries were in season.

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