Situated on Sweden's east coast, Stockholm is a city of islands perforated and interconnected by canals that ultimately flow to the Baltic Sea. Its maritime informs its aesthetic, a city whose urban geography reflects its national flag: brightly colored buildings atop a sea of beautiful blue. It's a gem of a European capital, ever as charming, historic, and regal as those to the south; cool in May, and connected to the sea as few others are. This is our weekend guide.
Read moreWhat are your favorite local things to do on quick escapes from Washington, DC?
But I'd love to hear from others: What are your favorite things to do when escaping Washington, DC? We'll say within a two to three hour drive. Wine or not. Comment, Facebook, Twitter, e-mail away!
Read moreWhy does Delta Airlines sponsor the Washington Nationals, in a city where it has no hub?
Why does Delta Airlines appear to be operating the baseball park equivalent of an airport lounge inside of Nationals Park, in a city (Washington, DC) where it is the only "big four" airline without a hub?
Read moreTransition to autumn wine drinking with our Top Five wine tasting lineup for September
Casual wine drinkers, aficionados, and beginners alike: Each month we expose you to new things, educating and diversifying your palate with a lineup of our monthly wine picks. We're sharing some of the best we've tried in the last month so that you can seek them out and bring them to dinner this month. It's 64 degrees Fahrenheit (that's 18 degrees to you much more worldly Celsius-loving folk) outside on Cape Cod as I write this, a far cry from the summer months that brought us but one red (a Tempranillo from Texas) out of fifteen bottles shared in our June, July, and August tastings. Yes, like Pinot Noir grown far enough north (or south) to "cross the cranberry line", our September lineup has us looking to autumn and the cooler temperatures ahead. Cheers!
Read moreGoodbye, linen and Vinho Verde. Today I wear red pants for the last time this year.
There will be no more linen this year. Last night's wine, Vinho Verde, will perhaps linger -- there isn't a rule for that -- but it won't be long now before we trade in the $6.99 summer spritz for Garnacha and Cabernet Franc. Meanwhile, these red pants are about to spend the rest of 2017 in a drawer.
Read moreAdvice for frequent business and pleasure travelers that I wish I'd been given years ago
I'm looking towards next week, the eleventh (and final) straight week during which I will have flown somewhere for either business or pleasure. It's actually been a great run, at the end of which I find myself reflecting on the lessons I've learned since a new job served as my first foray into the world of frequent travel about ten years ago. I've traveled often since I was a kid, but in recent years I've picked up five notions that help me to still keep travel fun. This is the advice I'd give to adventure seekers and business travelers taking to the skies on a more regular basis.
Read moreThree fabulous restaurants for your journey through Spain's Toro, Ribera del Duero, and Rioja
The chef sat at our table and asked us if we had brought the wine. We had just walked through the door into what appeared to be a small local place fronting a charming yet luxurious dining room in the back. Yes, we had the wine; a blessing, for the meal that was to come had been paired specially not just for any bottle, but for this bottle. Our host grinned. So at El Chivo, in the tiny Spanish village of Morales de Toro, began the one of the most spectacular three days' of lunches that Meghan or I have ever experienced.
Read moreI drink, and I know things. Actually reviewing the Game of Thrones Paso Robles red wine blend.
With an average of 10.1 million viewers each week and 38 Primetime Emmy Awards, Game of Thrones is one of the most successful TV series ever. Anyone who has watched the show has seen the copious amounts of wine drinking, leading to such lines as Tyrion’s “That’s what I do: I drink and I know things.” It’s also led to the creation of branded wines designed “to match the strength of the characters and the terrain of their kingdoms.”
Read moreCelebrate Pinot Noir Day with some of the world's most diverse, versatile, and ubiquitous wines
August 18 marks the "official" celebration of one of my favorite wines: Pinot Noir, whose diversity, versatility, and ubiquity make it one of my favorite wines. Let's explore this.
Read moreA vacation ruined before it began: Lessons on getting too creative with your travel itinerary
The popular travel blog One Mile at a Time published this piece last month, I’m Not Sure What To Make Of This Travel Horror Story, that recounted a sad incident in which a couple was turned back to check-in, missing their entire vacation due to "travel document" issues. Let's seize this moment to highlight the perils of getting too creative with your travel itinerary. This is particularly relevant to those of us who frequent off the beaten path places such as (ahem) wine country...
Read moreOur August top five lineup of rosé and white wines could not be more refreshing
Casual wine drinkers, aficionados, and beginners alike: Each month we expose you to new things, educating and diversifying your palate with a lineup of our monthly wine picks. We're sharing some of the best we've tried in the last month so that you can seek them out and bring them to dinner this month. We're celebrating our last gasp of the high summer season with a lineup of five bottles that gush refreshing (two rosé and three white), a worthy followup to our all-white June lineup and our red, white, blue, sparkling, and rosé July lineup. Cheers!
Read moreGlass of wine in hand, sun setting over the harbor: The Red Inn is the best of Provincetown, MA
A haven for all seasons in a town that lives for summer, The Red Inn in Provincetown, Massachusetts -- on Cape Cod -- remains one our favorite places anywhere to draw down a bottle of wine alongside some of the most exquisitely prepared dinners we've ever experienced.
Read moreEarn Delta SkyMiles for your upcoming journey via Airbnb stays and Lyft rides
Creative point and mile-earning partnerships have been a neat development in travel the last several years. Delta Airlines has quietly given new ways to earn to those of us looking for that next flight to our favorite city or wine region. I've been really happy to pick up some extra miles with Delta via their newish partnerships with Lyft and Airbnb. Spend a dollar, earn a mile. Here's how to do it.
Read moreCelebrate Albariño Day with these great bottles, perfect for summer yet versatile for the whole year
We've long been admirers of the Albariño grape varietal, perhaps most famous for the wines it produces -- floral and characterized by peach and apricot fruit notes -- in the Rías Baixas region of Galicia, near the Atlantic Ocean in the northwest of Spain. August 1 is International Albariño Day, so we've asked our wine writer friends to share some of their favorites with us. Both delicious and unique, we hope you will seek these and other Albarinños out all week, every week, and all summer.
Read moreSign up for the American Cellars wine club, earn 6500 bonus United MileagePlus miles
Meghan recently received a note in conjunction with her United Airlines MileagePlus account inviting her to earn 6,500 bonus miles by signing up for the American Cellars Wine Club through Vinesse Wines. While I am a big skeptic of online wine clubs, I am also a big fan of airline miles, so at a risk of $41.95 I signed up to try the introductory offer with an open mind. Consider doing so yourself if the notion of six bottles of wine plus 6,500 United miles in exchange for $41.95 of your hard earned money seems appealing.
Read moreUS to Europe for the weekend, with only one day off at work? Yes, absolutely!
I had always wanted to try a weekend trip to Europe; doable, in theory, originating from home on the east coast of the United States. Mind you I am not talking about a turn and burn, a trip just for the fun of flying or with a meeting or dinner in the middle, but an actually meaningful weekend trip to Europe. You can do it too, like this...
Read moreWashington National Airport is getting an entirely new concourse, and it looks gorgeous
I am beyond excited to see this moving forward. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) in Arlington, Virginia -- just across the river from Washington, DC -- is beginning $1 billion in renovations that will see an entirely new concourse added in addition to completely revamped ticketing and security facilities allowing passengers to move freely between concourses without having to pass back out of security. The artist renderings are gorgeous. Locals and anyone who has ever flown in from smaller cities featuring small commuter planes know what a big deal this is.
Read moreHouse (Wine) Hunters: One red each from France, Italy, and Spain that perform well above their price
We’ve tasted three great house reds that perform better than their price. We love this particular lineup because it features one bottle from three of Europe's great winemaking countries of France, Italy, and Spain.
Read moreAn evening in Burgos, the gem of a city astride Spain's Ribera del Duero and Rioja wine regions
We drove east from Valladolid, through the small towns of Peñafiel and Roa, the even smaller town of Gumiel del Mercado and its Bodegas Arrocal winery, entering the city of Burgos just after dark. The streets were alive with activity as we drove towards the center of the old city and its cathedral this Wednesday evening. This is how to spend a most worthy evening and a day here.
Read moreWinner (American Airlines) and loser (American Express) from Monday's DC travel calamity
It was starting to look as if 2017 would finally be the year that I skipped my annual calamitous experience traveling from Boston to Washington, DC. Not to be. This past Monday night, a hazardous material incident shut down the FAA control center handling traffic into all three DC-area airports. I was rebooked on seven different flights in a fifteen hour period -- though really appreciated every last friendly American Airlines employee who helped me on my way -- spent the night in Boston, and was utterly failed by my American Express Platinum card.
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