Owner and Winemaker Marco Montez has something really great happening at his Travessia Urban Winery on Purchase Street in charming downtown New Bedford, Massachusetts. Here Marco blends Old World instincts honed in his Portuguese family's Penada vineyard and winery with new world creativity in in the heart of one of America's most under appreciated wine making regions.
Read moreWine:Thirty Flight's definitive guide to St. Thomas
We've spent the last several weeks highlighting various aspects of the great experience that is travel to St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) through several posts each discussing a different element of travel to a great place. St. Thomas is an absolutely beautiful place. The rum is tasty, the people friendly, the weather delightful, and the scenery absolutely gorgeous.
Read moreGreat wine from four places that haven't been on your list of favorites... until now
We're looking at four places in the world that make absolutely exceptional wine, but that you may not have tried. Explore them in person if you can, or just confidently choose them the next time you're staring down a purchasing decision!
Read moreScratching the surface on value, perks, and getting through the door of airline club lounges
Airline club lounges are part of the ecosystem around which many frequent travelers construct their routine. They really change the airport experience, offering a quieter and more comfortable respite from the bustling gate areas. Today we're breaking down the basics.
Read moreComparing two St. Thomas resorts: Marriott Frenchman's Reef and Bolongo Bay Beach Resort
We're taking two St. Thomas resort hotel situations head-to-head in a comparison on nine counts, not steering you in one direction or another here, rather encouraging you to read and pick the one that best suits your personality and travel tastes!
Read moreBest of April: Try these five red wines that pair excellently with food
Today we bring you our top five wines from last month, April 2016. As always, our mission here is to sample some specific wine and discuss our reasons for choosing it, but also to point you in the direction of finding that wine to try yourself, or to find similar wines that you might enjoy.
Read moreLike a fine wine: Appreciating the Boeing 757 airplane in the twilight of its long career
You've most likely flown on this plane, and might readily recognize it as seeming to go on for days (its dimensions -- long like a larger plane, narrow like a smaller one -- create the illusion of extreme overall length) and seeming to be rather high off the ground when parked. You might also recognize that the main boarding door is positioned about a third of the way from the plane's nose, just in front of the wing.
Read moreDay tripping by ferry from St. Thomas to Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands
The United States Virgin Islands (of which the St. Thomas city of Charlotte Amalie is the capital) is shockingly close to the British Virgin Islands ("BVI" or simply "Virgin Islands" as the British call them, of which Road Town is the capital). The border between these two territories seems in fact to be the closest the two closest of allies come to one another geographically.
Read moreSeeking sangria on Tortola and St. Thomas, two Caribbean islands that love rum
We've set out to find the best sangrias to write home about from the Virgin Islands. We begin with a word to the wise: don't walk into a bar expecting to find sangria. Wine isn't a hot commodity down here, and no matter where you get it, it's probably going to have a splash of rum thrown in for good measure, making for a distinctly island take on this classically refreshing Spanish favorite.
Read moreFive easy, unexpected, delicious wine and cheese pairings to try when hosting friends
Wine and cheese are sadly often thought of as the domain of the snooty, flavor combinations out of reach of the typical social host. Our mission here is to help you figure out how with the help of the staff at The Vineyard wine shop in McLean, VA. We've selected five generic pairing combinations, and have made specific wine recommendations with each. The idea here is to get you pointed in the right direction so that similar wines available at your local wine shop will do nicely.
Read moreDining and (occasionally) wining in downtown Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
Situated in the central harbor of St. Thomas, Charlotte Amalie is the island chain's largest city and capitol of the United States Virgin Islands territory. The nearby resorts could make for an all-inclusive vacation in and of themselves, but we're big believers that those who confine themselves to a resort miss the best food and most interesting experiences.
Read moreOn flying to St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, from the Lower 48
Checking in from the main cabin extra seats on a Boeing 757-200 airplane en route from Charlotte, NC to St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The sea is sparkling blue below, and a smattering of clouds hang like powdered sugar in the otherwise clear sky below, stretched out far as the eye can take in.
Read moreBest one for you: Breaking down the strengths and weaknesses of America's largest airlines
What if you travel anywhere from every couple months to several times a month, and live in a city where you have several major airline options? Congratulations if that sounds like you, because you're in the happy situation of getting to choose the airline that best suits your needs and tastes.
Read moreVirginia's Delaplane Cellars is an indisputably world class winery
We are impressed by a number of Virginia's vineyards and wineries. But among the impressive stand out what we'd consider to be world class: the elite few whose wine we'd consider when choosing from the very best in our collection, who have really driven Virginia's emergence as a (under appreciated) wine making region to be reckoned with. Delaplane Cellars is one of them.
Read moreOur top five wines this month are an all-American lineup
Though we didn't set out with the intention of an all-American top five wines list, when we'd compared the month's tasting notes, that's exactly what we had. While this month's "Best of" includes two amazing Oregon wines from standout winemakers, we also find ourselves enjoying two entries from the "they make wine there?" category: a white from Cochise County, Arizona and a red from Arrington, Tennessee.
Read moreNashville "Music City" greatness and a newfound penchant for wine
Nashville manages to simultaneously seem both larger and smaller than it really is. It occupies that big range of American cities that are home to less than one million but more than half a million residents, a skyline dominated by tall buildings, yet everywhere a neighborhood. Tennessee isn't known for its wine, but you get the sense that this city's musical spirit breeds an inkling for experimentation.
Read morePlanes, Trains, and Automobiles escape from the (albeit majestic) Northeast winter
Never let airline incompetence, frozen pipes, loss of heat, a police incident in your hotel, cancelled flights, driving from Boston and New York City in a blizzard, or a surprise Amtrak train ride from NYC to Washington DC when your car just can't go any further stand in your way of a good time!
Read moreHouse (Wine) Hunters: LAN Rioja Crianza 2011 is outstanding!
Your personal house wine is a great idea because it allows you to spend a bit less on wine by serving something that is better than its price, use some discretion when serving guests who aren't as picky (or whose tastes not as sophisticated), and avoid blowing an expensive high end wine for that "last bottle" when friends are over.
Read moreBest of February: Wine and food bring the world together
Most striking about this "best of" are the vastly different wine and food cultures that managed to get represented on our top five list. Be advised, it's possible that you've never seen Napa, Lebanon, Massachusetts, Portugal, Burgundy, Australia, and West Virginia coherently discussed in so few paragraphs.
Read moreHow (and why) to choose your preferred airline
A go-to airline helps you make decisions that maximize your return on travel experience in terms of rewards, deals, benefits, and perks. Staying consistent with one or a few airlines also helps you get to know your preferred carriers' quirks. Comfort and familiarity mean you spend less time panicked at the airport, and more time sipping wine.
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