Perfect 2 day itinerary for Lake Como. What to see and do for 48 hours in Verenna and Bellagio.
Read MoreBest restaurants and bars in Lake Como: Bellagio and Varenna
Good view, food, and drink options in Lake Como. Review of restaurants in Bellagio and Varenna
Read MoreLuxury wine experiences in Napa and Sonoma
Napa and Sonoma wine experiences can vary anywhere from casual bar tastings to upscale sit-down tasting with food pairing. While I love looking for high quality experiences at a good price, luxury Napa experiences are one of the best ways to celebrate special occasions or treat yourself to a nice trip! Here are list of wineries that offer more private and luxury tasting experiences for $100-200.
Theorem
Started by a couple from Texas, the property is a combination of modern architecture and historical structures. So many unique design elements throughout and the wines are amazing, with Thomas Rivers Brown as their consulting wine maker. Great Sauvignon Blanc and various reds like Cab, Syrah, and Bordeaux style blends
Lokoya
Tasting experience here is luxurious, fun, educational and delicious! They produce Cabernet from 4 distinct mountain appellations in Napa and you get to do a side by side tasting. Property and the view is amazing, not to mention the house made snack pairing!
Promontory
Driving and walking in to the property feels like a museum! From the gate to the welcome area with the view of Harlan vineyards where they serve Dom Perignon as a welcome Champagne. You get to do barrel tasting then sit down for a tasting flight of their Cabernet Sauvignons.
Repris
This one might be a bit hidden on the mountain of Sonoma but it’s well worth the drive! The view from the Sonoma side is amazing and they take you on a ATV ride to taste wines looking at the vineyards. After the ride, you sit down with an amazing Charcuterie board to taste through their Bordeaux style red wines.
Best rooftop bars in Milan with a Duomo view
Rooftop bars are always one of my favorite activities when I’m traveling. You always get a nice view of the city and what’s better than a glass of your favorite drink?! Especially if you are traveling in a city like Milan with an iconic Duomo. I visited as many rooftop bars in Milan with a Duomo view and here’s my honest opinion of all of them!
𝗕𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 (IMHO) – Terrazza Aperol: Lots of creative spritz options, can’t go wrong! We got lucky with the table but note that there was a line to get in by the time we left so expect the place to get busy
𝗕𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 – Signorvino: This is actually a wine shop chain, where you can purchase any bottle and open it there. Fair prices on Italian wines and Champagnes. They also have a variety wines available by the glass. Rear view of the Duomo, could be a bit covered depending on your table.
𝗕𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘇𝗮 – Pino in Duomo: Located right on the plaza. Primarily a restaurant and requires food purchase. Enjoyed the spicy seafood pasta!
𝗩𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝘂𝗽 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲 – La Rinascente Rooftop is a good option if you want a close up view from the rooftop. Top of the Duomo is right next to you. Located on top of the shopping mall, a bit hectic but there are a few different restaurant/bar sections to choose from.
𝗕𝗼𝗻𝘂𝘀: View of the central station with AMAZING creative cocktails @excelsiorhotelgallia rooftop bar
Best places to eat and drink in Florence
Florence is a super fun city, I feel like it’s just the right size that’s small enough to walk everywhere but also big enough to have lots of things to see, eat, and drink. Here are some places I’ve enjoyed during my last trip.
Where to drink
Enoteca Pitti Gola e Cantina - Located right in front of Palazzo Pitti with a nice view outside. Great wine selection and fun wine flights with various older vintages. Food was great too!
Signorvino Firenze - Wine shop/bar with a great view of the Ponte Vecchio. Make sure to reserve in advance for the patio table. Long lists of wines by the glass.
Rasputin - Fun speakeasy with creative and delicious cocktails
View on Art Rooftop Cocktail Bar - Rooftop bar with the view of duomo
Best restaurants
Osteria dell'Enoteca - Affiliated with Enoteca Pitti Gola e Cantina so great wine selection. No official wine menu but you work with the Somm to pick a bottle from their selection! Known for steak.
Osteria Tripperia Il Magazzino - Fun tripe dishes if you are up for it! Tripe ragu pasta and tripe in tomato sauce were both delicious.
La Buchetta Food & Wine Restaurant - We skipped the more famous Osteria Dall'Oste and went here instead for steak. Felt cozier and the steak did not disappoint especially with a bottle of Brunello di Montalcino.
ANTICA FRIGGITORIA DELL'ALBERO - Napoli style pizza to-go spot for under 10 euro! Recommend if you are in the area
Others
Todo Modo - had this book store/wine shop bookmarked but never made it
Wine windows
See the full detailed post about best wine windows in Florence here.
See more wine travel on Instagram
Best wineries to visit in Hemel-en-Aarde, Hermanus
Hemel-en-Aarde is slightly further from Stellenbosch or Franschhoek from Cape Town but well worth the visit especially if you like Pinot Noir and Chardonnays. Here’s the list of producers and wineries worth visiting in Hemel-en-Aarde:
Hamilton Russell Vineyards
Historical estate and winery that basically pioneered the wine industry in the area. Adorable tasting cottage area where you can taste their Burgundy inspired Chardonnay and Pinot Noirs. They only make 1 bottling of each (vs. multiple vineyard bottling), wines have a good balance of fruit, dark, and spicy elements.
Bouchard Finlayson
Another historical winery where Peter Bouchard from Burgundy partnered with Peter Finlayson. Their wines reflect old world style in a new world soil and it was a treat to taste through their Chardonnays and Pinots. Overall felt like their wines were the most similar to Burgundy style wines.
Ataraxia Wines
Such a cute spot on top of the hill, in an old white chapel. Super fun “black” Chardonnays and different Chardonnays and Pinots made from whole cluster and de-stemmed methods.
Storm Wines
I didn’t get to actually visit but had a couple different bottles of their wines at restaurants and enjoyed them! Would have loved to visit to taste their full lineup
Creation Wines
Casual spot where you can have breakfast or lunch along with wine tasting. You can actually pick a taster pour for any wines on their list so it’s all personalized for your taste. Nice view of the vineyards!
Hermanus, which is the main town near Hemel-en-Aarde wine region was the most adorable town to stay in. Highly recommend the trip from Cape Town! Read more about wine country trip from Cape Town here or see my Instagram highlights here.
Best wineries to visit in Franschhoek
Franschhoek is a lovely “French Corner” in the Cape Winelands with ~50 different wineries. Here are some of the best and recommended wineries depending on what you are looking for.
Unique wine experience
Grande Provence: wine Blending experience
Wine tram: Not exactly a single winery but you can hop on and off at several wineries in the area
Great Wines
Lynx: Refreshing whites and rosés
Anthonij Rupert: Good Bordeaux blends and sparkling
Leeu Estates: Good Bordeaux blend
Wineries for lunch
Grande Provence: Oyster station!
La motte: Lovely patio and food
Haute Cabrière: Personally haven’t been but was told to have great views and food
Most Instagramable Wineries
La motte: As the name suggests, lovely ground that feels like part of a castle.
Le Lude: White interior of the dining room is unique and fun
Leeu Estates: The ground with artwork, interior, and the view is amazing
See more wineries and wine travel tips @fine.vining
Wine travel guide to Cape Town, South Africa - Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, Hermanus
I recently traveled to a beautiful wine region near South Africa, Cape Town. Often referred as Cape Winelands, there are several wine regions within 1-2 hours drive from Cape Town. This was my second visit to the area and while Franscchoek and Stellenbosch are the most well-known area, my favorite part of the trip was Hermanus. I recommend spending at least 2-3 nights in each town to visit wineries in the area, relax at the pool with vineyard views, and check out a few different restaurants.
Stellenbosch and Franschhoek are only ~30minutes away by car so you can technically pick one and do day trips. We opted to stay in both for change in scenery: staying walking distance to the main street in Franschhoek while doing a more resort style vineyard stay in Stellenbosch. Here are quick notes about each region:
Franschhoek
Franschhoek means “French corner” and it is such a cute wine town. You can even see lavender fields while driving around! You can typically find various red blends, whites like Chenin Blancs, and traditional method sparkling wines here.
Try the famous wine tram that stops by a number of wineries in the area.
Try more remote wineries that are not on the wine tram route. They tend to be more quite and small vs. large wineries on the tram route. Ubers are readily available in the area.
Walk around the cute main town. The main street and town is very walkable and you can find cute restaurants, shops, and wine bars.
Stellenbosch
Certain areas in Stellenbosch is high in elevation with visible mountain ranges around the town. You can find similar wine varietals as Franschhoek. If Franschhoek is like a little French town, you can feel more Dutch influence in this town.
Stay at a vineyard hotel. We had beautiful view of the mountain and vineyards with infinity pool.
Lots of wineries in the area have amazing view due to the mountain range!
It’s a college town and there are more restaurant options in the main town compared to Franschhoek.
Hermanus (Hemel-en-Aarde)
Hermanus is a coastal town and considered a cooler region, producing varietals like Pinot Noir and Chardonnays.
Take a day trip to Hemel-an-Aarde, wine region famous for Pinots and Chardonnays.
Go whale watching. During the season (early JUNE to end of NOVEMBER), Hermanus is considered the best place to watch whales from the land!
Hermanus town is artsy and super cute. I loved taking morning walks around the town exploring small alleys.
Enjoy amazing seafood at any of the restaurants with a view. Most of the town is surrounded by the coast and there are many restaurants with a direct view of the ocean!
Follow @fine.vining on Instagram and stay tuned for more detailed guide on where to eat, drink, and stay!
Where to go wine tasting in Tuscany: Montalcino wineries
Tuscany is a dream destination, not only for wine lovers but for anyone dreaming of picturesque vineyard hills and cypress trees. If you are planning a wine focused trip to Tuscany, Montalcino might be on top of your list as the birthplace of Brunello di Montalcino, one of Italy's most celebrated red wines.
I recently spent two nights exploring wineries and restaurants, and did a lot of research to visit mix of wineries that are small and big. Here’s the list of wineries with good wines and views:
Winery in an ancient Castle: Castello Tricerchi
Working winery is part of the family castle from 1441 located on top of the hill with an amazing view.
Historical family winery: Conti Costanti
Constanti family was the first to call red wines “Brunello” along with other producers in Montalcino in 1800s.
Most unique: NostraVita
Small family owned winery with lots of arts and unique museum like elements throughout the property. Amazing view.
Picturesque ground: Le Prata
Boutique winery and a hotel with a quintessential Tuscany building and ground.
Best tour and cellar: Argiano
One of the biggest wineries I’ve visited. Impressive cellar tour including their own wines along with a private collection of world class wines.
Other wineries I didn’t get to visit
I didn’t personally get to visit but have heard great things or got to taste them throughout the trip: Le Chiuse, Castel Giocondo, Tenuta Le Potazzine, Casanova di Neri, Uccelliera
Discover Florence's Best Wine Windows: A complete guide and review of 7 different wine windows
Florence is such a charming Italian city with amazing food and drinks. Tucked away in its narrow alleys and quaint corners are the cherished wine windows—portals to a delightful sip of local culture. The historical “Buchetta del Vino” (little wine doors) started back in 1600s to safely sell food and wine during the plague. There were 100+ of them but only a handful of them operate now all over the city.
When I found out there are more than one operating window, I had to try all of them. I ended up trying 7 out of 8 and thought each of them had their own charm. Here’s the summary of the ones I tried.
Babae: Window with the most wine selection. Most places have red, white, and prosecco but Babae also has orange wine! This might be the most well-known window.
Osteria San Fiorenzo Close to Bascilica of Santa Croce. There was a Christmas market in the plaza when we went. Has outdoor seating.
Ristorante Pietra Bianca They had a variety of spritz and cocktails on the menu. Their bell was the most fun to ring. Has outdoor seating.
Cantina de pucci Close to Duomo, friendly staff. You can sit and drink on their outdoor patio.
Il Latini Enjoyed their Prosecco! Not a huge difference, but was €6 a glass compared to €7 or €8 at others.
Osteria Belle Donne Pretty flower decoration. Make sure to knock hard 🤣
Fiaschetteria Fantappie Doubles as a wine shop, you can make a longer wine stop out of it. Didn’t see an official menu but I think you have a bit more wine choices here if you order inside and receive from the window. Has outdoor seating. Super friendly and gave us the wine map that started this tour of wine windows.
A few of them had outdoor seatings where you can sit and drink. You have to return your glasses or you can get them in a to-go cup. Note that wine selections are limited (you are not choosing between a Barolo or BDM), think house wines by the glass at restaurants. But all wines I’ve tried were decent and you can always opt for an Aperol Spritz! The only places with a very short line were Babae and Osteria Belle Donne, but there were just 1 or 2 other groups (I went in November). Wines cost €6-8 and spritz are usually ~€8-10. If you are in Florence and walking around the city, you will most likely find one nearby so definitely stop by!