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With bold fruit sourced from Santa Lucia Highlands, the 2010 Mer Soleil Chardonnay presents an ambitious, classic California Chardonnay – a rich, creamy style with big, ripe fruit that ranges from zesty citrus to succulent pineapple and toasted coconut (thanks to the heady, focused influence of French oak).

The acidity is bright and engaging rounding out the creamy textures and spotlighting the fruit while making for exceptional food pairing partnerships.  Well-balanced, well-priced, and perfect for pairing with lobster tail, crab cakes, or poultry picks served with cream or butter-based sauces, the 2010 Mer Soleil rocks out with remarkable symmetry and fine-tuned balance – another wine delight from the Wagner Family.

Chardonnay is the everyday wine pairing answer to lobster.  Whether it’s lobster bisque, grilled lobster tail drenched in butter, or a decadent lobster souffle, Chardonnay antes up a complementary richness, often with creamy oak-induced textures, and its own butter-appeal due to the tandem influences of oak and malolactic fermentation.

If you happen to be a part of the ABC club (Anything But Chardonnay), then don’t worry, there are still plenty of tasty wine pairing options that go easy on the oak and full throttle on the fruit that bring out the best in a lobster-themed dish.  Check out our top wine recommendations for pairing with lobster here.

Image Courtesy of Getty Images / Stone

Simply put, The Point is bound to be one of the most deluxe hotel stays of your life.

This lakeside lodge in upstate New York’s Adirondacks was built by William Avery Rockefeller as his Great Camp estate.

Today, The Point is an extraordinarily high-end Relais & Châteaux getaway with only 11 rooms, all with stone fireplaces and lake panoramas.

Most guests fly in on private jets. Then they revel in The Point’s food, drink, and four-season recreation. Which are all-inclusively priced and simply spectacular.

The Point is a benchmark experience.

Picture yourself living the life at The Point >>

Photos from top: The Boathouse and Morningside, rooms at ©The Point. Dinner menu with black truffle appetizer; connoisseurs’ open wine bar; The Point’s entrance at dusk. ©Karen Tina Harrison.

The 2007 Smith-Madrone Cabernet Sauvignon comes from grapes that have been dry-farmed from nearly 40 year old estate vines at 1,800 feet of elevation on Napa’s Spring Mountain.  These grapes have had to work to thrive and the result is intensity, depth, and concentration, pledging pure palate pleasure. From dense black fruit to cedar, spice and smoke the nose exudes mesmerizing depth and welcomes complete engagement.

Well-integrated tannins promise structure now and maturity for the next decade or more.  On the palate there’s a supple synergy born of fruit and acidity, balance and structure.

If you are looking to “Wow” Dad with a top notch Napa Valley Cab this Father’s Day from one of Napa’s most authentic, rugged all-American, smaller-production wineries then this is it!

Granted, Maui, Hawaii is off the beaten path. And that’s one of its many charms.

So if you can’t make it to the 32nd Annual Kapalua Wine & Food Festival, I understand.

This epicurean extravaganza kicks off tonight, June 6th, and runs through Sunday. Many pleasures await.

The festival’s home is The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua (seen here), a gracious resort with glorious golf, beach, spa, and dining. You could say that every day you spend here is a festival.

Luxury travel has its perks.

• See what tix you can still get for the Kapalua Wine & Food Festival >>
• Pleased to introduce you to The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua >>
• The hotel brand that inspired the very word Ritz >>
• Why other hotel brands aspire to Ritz-Carlton’s spectacular service >>

Photos: Kapalua Wine & Food Festival and the main pool, both at ©The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua.

Lodi’s wine region, located at the foot of the Sierra Foothills between Sacramento and Stockton, has been growing grapes for well over a century.  Fourth and fifth generation winegrape growing families have maintained deep roots and strong ties to the region and the wine, but it’s only been in the last decade or two that regionally-inspired wines have made their mark with Lodi grapes.

Historically, many of California’s most prominent wine producers have sourced grapes from Lodi to make their wines, but these days the grapes find themselves serving as active ambassadors for the local terroir while still pursuing work in many of California’s most popular labels.  Many of Lodi’s top wines are crafted from family-owned, boutique wineries with an added emphasis on sustainability, via the Lodi Rules for sustainable winegrowing.

As an up and coming wine country destination, the Lodi wine region welcomes visitors to experience the scenic wine trails, annual wine-themed festivals and events, along with downtown Lodi sights and sips.  Wineries themselves are eager to share their story and their wines, with the estate owners often pouring for guests between vineyard duties and various pauses in production schedules.

Learn more about the Lodi wine scene:

Lodi Wine Region Overview

Top Pick Lodi Wine Recommendations

Wine Country Travel: Lodi, CA

Images courtesy of Dale Goff Photography

When it comes to weddings, bubbles often come to mind first.  Wedding celebrations and lofty toasts call for Champagne and other sparkling wine delights, yet pairing reception wine with everything from formal dinners to heavy hors d’oeuvres takes some palate planning.

Whether it’s budget friendly or high-end wine splurges to mark the big day, there are plenty of vinous prospects to serve.  For budget-friendly bubbles look to Spain’s Cava or Italy’s Prosecco, both offer solid food-pairing versatility and pack high quality to price ratios.  Looking for more info? Check out our Wedding Wine Guide.

Image Courtesy of Getty Images / Digital Vision

The 2009 Corvus Cuvee highlights the best of Bordeaux – Washington-style – with 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, and 8% each of Petit Verdot and Cab Franc.  Expect engaging aromatics to the tune of bold cherry, tobacco, and warm spice on the nose.

The palate profile promises ripe, well-managed plum and cherry fruit, with juicy acidity, firm tannin, and exceptional balance and integration.  This Washington red delivers considerable value and versatility for summer’s favorite grilled delights.

California’s Napa Valley furnishes fabulous fun any time of year. Here, you’ll savor the USA’s most beloved wines and many of the country’s best restaurants and resorts.

Napa Valley has it all. And from July 12 to 21, it has Napa Festival del Sole.

Inaugurated in 2006, this tasteful festival has become a summer must for visitors who love great wine, food, and the performing arts.

In other words, luxury travelers.

• What you’ll miss if you don’t make it to Napa Festival del Sole >>



• All the delicious reasons that Napa Valley is an ongoing luxury travel legend >>

Top two photos: Castello Amorosa dinner and concert at Festival del Sole ©Tom Sullivan. Sunrise over Napa ©Vi Bottaro. Coveted table at Chef Tom Keller’s The French Laundry ©Deborah Jones.