Spirits Traveler

Whether you are looking for celebratory drinks, gifts, or just ideas for the future – Valentine’s Day is just around the corner – you’ve come to the right place. Reds for Your Table… I’m not a big red wine drinker, but I’ve learned to recognized what makes a good red. Sometimes I even find one that I really want on my own dinner table. I found two that fit that category this month: George Dubceuf Beaujolais Nouveau 2015 This wine is a meal in a glass. You’ll get the spice in the front and the fruit in the back, while it’s rich and jammy throughout. You could pair this with just about anything, but I prefer to sip and savor. Best of all, it’s under $15! Masciarelli Marina Cvetic Montepulciano d ‘Abruzza DOC I love to cook Italian food and I’m always in search for that Italian wine that will complement the meal. I opened a bottle of this Montepulciano (an Italian grape) and it worked perfectly with my Baked Ziti and Italian meatballs. It’s not too dry and full of f

Whether you are doing shopping for yourself or someone on your holiday list, you can’t go wrong with these items I’ve fallen for lately. SCOTTeVEST I’ve heard a lot about this travel friendly company, but I never imagined just how good they were until I got one of my own. I chose the Sterling Jacket , which also converts to a vest. It’s form fitting and flattering, with an amazing array of pockets so you can secure everything from your water bottle to your keys to your passport. I also happen to love the Boysenberry color. SCOTTeVEST is the perfect gift for travelers, and I also suggest you pick up one of your own. Check for specials on their website . Pistachio Chewy Bites One of the things you should stock your SCOTTeVEST with is a package of Setton Farms Pistachio Chewy Bites. These delicious snacks are also nutritious. A packet of two – which is about the size of an average protein bar – has 7 grams of protein, and only 8 grams of sugar, with low glycemic a

First and foremost, I’d like to give a shout out to Tishbi Winery for a most memorable experience on my recent trip to Israel. If you make it to the Tel Aviv area this place is worth a trip for both the wine and food, but you don’t have to go there to experience the wine as it is exported. You can’t go wrong with anything here, but the Brut Sparkling and Viognier are my favorites. Donnafugata One of the most memorable things I ever did was to spend a weekend in a cottage in the middle of a vineyard. It was on the property of Donnafugata in Pantelleria , Italy. During those three days, and in the following days at their Marsala winery, I was able to taste and enjoy many Donnafugata wines. I recently received some of Donnafugata's latest vintages and they are even better than ever. They are also still readily available in the U.S. so pick up… Sedara -A bit of fruit and a bit of spice make this red, made mostly with Nero d’Avola grapes, easy to pair with an

It’s that time of year when a chill starts to come into the air. What better way to warm up than with a glass of something tasty. Here are some of my recent finds. Walnut Street Winery Shanle Tropical Breeze This small winery in the suburb of Rochester, Illinois, went big, using grapes from all over the world and then blending the raw grapes into their own products. I’ve only tried one so far and it’s a winner. The Shanle Wines Tropical Breeze is an ideal viognier, easy drinking with light citrus and tropical notes. Baglio Di Pianetto Ficiligno Viognier This viognier from Sicily is quite different than the Shanle. It’s not quite as sweet and easier drinking, with hints of kiwi and lemon. Vigna di Pettineo Also from Sicily are two wines for those who want drier reds. Vigna di Pettineo Nero d’Avola is an excellent choice with strong chocolate flavors. It’s got a Chianti-like taste, dry, but fruity. Vigna di Pittineo also has a Sedara which is well done, but

GoMacro Bars Having a few nutrition bars in my bag and carry-on is essential to my trips. I don’t want to always be relying on expensive, and often unhealthy, snacks. The problem is that most of these bars have chocolate in or on them. While chocolate is one of my favorite things to eat, it also melts all over everything when the weather is warm. GoMacro Bars come in a dozen different non-chocolate flavors. They are also vegan and gluten-free. The minis – which are a decent size – are only 100 calories and have just 5-6 grams of sugar. My favorites are banana + almond butter and sesame butter + dates, but, honestly, I have enjoyed every single one. You can purchase GoMacro bars here WildKin Kids Luggage These Wildkin Kids backpacks are fun and practical for kids to travel with (or bring to school). They are durable and clean easily. These twins, whom I travel with often, really enjoyed them and were ready to get them packed. You can find Wildkin Kids backpack

The rain has finally stopped in the Midwest and the temperatures have started to soar. Summer is definitely here. With the season has come a lot of products I don’t usually get. So, pull up a chair and get ready to take some notes! Timi & Leslie Bag When I was first asked if I wanted a sample of the Timi & Leslie diaper bags – used by many celebrities – I was quick to turn it down. Then, on the PR rep’s urging, I took a look at the bags on the site and I was sold. They are beautiful and functional as both diaper bags and travel bags. I recently took my Hannah Pastel bag on my Croatia trip and I loved it. It has a separate zippered sac and clutch purse, and lots of pockets. I loved the outside pockets for my water bottle and cell phone. For those of you that actually need a diaper bag, it also has a changing pad, an insulated bottle tote, and a stroller strap. Pick up your own Timi & Leslie bag here . I love the lilac and navy. InsectLogic Natural

I had quite an unusual mix of products to write about this month, from wine and spirits to make-up and clothing. I even had a little nose spray with some big benefits. Uncommon Vodka by Deep Eddy Deep Eddy Vodka sent me a bottle of their straight stuff (smooth and fruitier than most plain vodkas) and a mix of some slightly different flavors. I have to admit, in this world filled with flavored vodkas, I was quite impressed with these offerings. They also run only about $20 a bottle. Deep Eddy Cranberry Vodka What a great idea? After all, we put cranberry in vodka. It was my favorite – not too tart, not too sweet. After we were done tasting, I put some club soda in it and enjoyed an easy cocktail. Deep Eddy Sweet Tea Vodka This was totally unexpected. We all agreed that it wasn’t at all sweet, but it had more tea flavor than any tea vodka we’d ever had. Perfect for the tea – not sweet tea – lover. Deep Eddy Ruby Red Vodka I have to plead citrus allergy so I