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.
Read moreStockholm's 19 Glas wine bar fuses brilliant dishes with inspired wine pairings in Sweden's capital
The buildings are each their own hue of yellow, orange, or red as we walk up the narrow stone streets into Gamla Stan, Stockholm's old town on a small island in the heart of the Swedish capital. It is eight o'clock in the evening, but the rooftops throw shadows upon the ground from the nearly-midnight sun overhead in late May as we turn the corner down from the cathedral and step through the door at Stora Nygatan 19, the aptly named -- and quite delicious -- 19 Glas restaurant and wine bar.
Read moreSummer is for Sangría. Try our recipes, or visit your favorite terrace.
The sun is moving across the sky, reflecting brightly on wispy clouds as sea air drifts through my window. Whether taking summertime in from the waterfront, the city terrace, or a porch in the countryside (I plan to do all three in the next six days), we suggest you do so with a glass of sangría -- you know, the delicious red wine cocktail that makes every beautiful day even better -- in your hand. We originally published Meghan's recipes for red and sparkling sangría last year, and think we'll make an annual tradition of sharing them with you. Enjoy!
Read moreReview: Turkish Airlines Lounge, Washington-Dulles Airport (IAD) via Priority Pass is a true gem
I wrote last month about How to get and use Priority Pass lounges to find peace, quiet, (free) wine, and food at the airport, drawing on recent positive experiences in Göteborg, Lisbon, Boston, and London. Meghan and I recently spent a few hours in our absolute favorite of the Priority Pass lounges we've been to thus far, the Turkish Airlines lounge at Washington-Dulles International Airport (IAD). In a sentence, "it was convenient, stylish, tasty, and popular".
Read moreRevisiting Spain's excellent Elias Mora wines with our friends at Joselito in Washington, DC
Laughter and happy conversation fill this room of polished marbled tables and glasses, twinkling as the light of the long day's evening sun refracts through their sparkling contents. This is a party whose blend of elegance and warmly familiar charm could only have been the work of Javier and Christiana, proprietors at Washington, DC's Joselito - Casa de Comidas, our hosts for the evening. We've come to try a lineup of wine from Bodegas Elias Mora, a lovely winery that we visited in Spain's Toro region
Read moreRed, white, blue, sparkling, and rosé: Celebrate the Fourth of July with these five all-American wines
In celebration of Independence Day in the United States, our monthly wine pick lineup for July is all American, featuring red, white and blue, plus sparkling (fireworks!) and rosé (because why not)! This lineup very purposefully aims for diversity across America's many excellent wine regions, highlighting some interesting options in what American winemaking has to offer. We hope you'll seek these out (or others like them) wherever you are in the world this month. Cheers!
Read moreIs it time to sunset your Citi Prestige credit card?
There was a time when the Citi Prestige was my absolute favorite of the premium credit cards that give you a ton of value on travel. Citi announced changes last year that greatly devalued the card's benefits while leaving the hefty $450 annual fee in place. The last of those changes take effect in July 2017, and - sadly - I wonder if it is time to cancel this once-great card. Here's what you should consider if you're thinking of cancelling yours.
Read moreVirginia's Blue Valley Vineyard and Winery is made for celebration, summertime or any time
Twinkling filament lights hang on strands spanning the high-lofted ceiling, filling the arches and other last spaces not awash with sunlight from the glass wall of windows framing the sweeping vista of blue sky meeting grey mountain as if it were a painting hung to brighten the hall where we are sipping our wine. A din of revelry echoes through the bright and modern space, heralding what we suspect are at least three separate weddings-to-be, whose parties have come to celebrate today.
Read moreHow to enjoy a day in Valladolid when visiting Spain's Toro and Ribera del Duero wine regions
Valladolid has long been on my list of venerable old cities to visit. One evening is not nearly enough, but it's what we had to work with as we ventured from the Toro to Ribera del Duero wine regions. Yes, Valladolid is particularly well situated as an operating base for wine drinkers. Here's how to get the most of your day there.
Read moreReview: British Airways, Economy Class aboard Boeing 787 Dreamliner, London to Baltimore
Though the Boeing 787 Dreamliner airplane has been in service for several years, the chance to fly on one had eluded me until my recent flight from London to Baltimore, Maryland. This was the type of route that the Dreamliner was built for -- "long and thin" they call it -- i.e. long distance routes flown by fewer people (so lower demand). The Dreamliner can actually fly far longer than this, though it's easy to see why this airplane is a big part of long-haul air travel's future between all but the biggest cities. If you have a choice between taking a trip on the Dreamliner versus any other plane, choose the Dreamliner.
Read moreIn Spain's Méntrida region, idyllic Bodegas Arrayán is making fantastic wine, available worldwide
We drove about twenty minutes from the small Spanish town of La Torre de Esteban Hambrán, to vineyards in the media alta -- middle elevations -- on winding dirt roads surrounded by lush green countryside where we understand hunting deer and other game goes hand-in-hand with tending vineyards. It was winter then, when lonely rows of clipped vines stretch down the gently sloping hills on into the horizon. Here at Bodegas Arrayán winery in Spain's Méntrida wine region, we walk from barrel to barrel, tank to tank, stopping at each to sample the now-aging vintages.
Read moreExploring Portugal's Manz Wines with our friends at Slate Wine Bar in Washington, DC
This Portuguese Wine Dinner featured wines from Manz Winery near the Atlantic coast outside of Lisbon, and food pairings from Danny Lledó, Slate’s Chef and Sommelier. Manz is a small, boutique winery in Portugal's Lisboa wine region, about six miles from the ocean. To quote their representative, Raul Silva, Manz believes “good wine is marked by wanting to open a second bottle.” They aim for minerality and freshness in all their wines, especially in their Jampal grape varietal.
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