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TRAVEL & SPA: Travel Review
Colorado Wine Country
The countryís newest wine destination? Colorado. Thatís right ñ Grand Junction, Boulder County and Delta County have seen double-digit increases in visitors wanting a wine experience as part of their visit. And the stateís wine industry was buoyed by the fact that USA Todayís Jerry Shriver chose Colorado as one of his top five new wine-producing areas.
Like Savoie in France, Trentino in Italy, Mendoza in Argentina and the Valais in Switzerland, Coloradoís wine region enjoys proximity to ski and alpine recreational activities. The state is also promoting the fact that where grapes grow and wine is made, one also finds fine dining. There are award-winning restaurants in all three regions -- Boulderís Frasca Food & Wine boasts two master sommeliers and in July 2005 earned a Top Ten New Chefs spot in Food & Wine magazine; Delta Countyís Flying Fork in Paonia showcases local and artisan ingredients; and Grand Junctionís Il Bistro Italiano features home-style cuisine of chef Brunella Gualerzi from Emilia-Romagna .
ìWeíre not only one of the fastest-growing wine regions in the country, weíre absolutely one of the most varied and picturesque places you can lift a glass of local wine,î said Doug Caskey, executive director for the Colorado Wine Industry Development Board. So for that summer getaway to Colorado, add a winery trip to the agenda.
For more information, visit The Colorado Tourism Office (www.colorado.com), the Grand Junction Visitor and Convention Bureau (www.visitgrandjunction.com), the Delta County Tourism Cabinet (www.westerncolorado.org), the Boulder Convention and Visitor Bureau (www.bouldercoloradousa.com) and the Colorado Wine Industry Development Board (www.coloradowine.com).
The Ultimate Girls Trip
Cooking Vacations Italy offers a new ladies-only tour. Their Renaissance Women In The Kitchen culinary tour is designed for the independent, single female traveler, who wants the freedom to travel solo, yet appreciates the comfort of a female travel group. Itís perfect for mothers, daughters and grandmothers taking an all-girls trip, or girl friends reuniting for a fun cooking vacation in sunny Italy. The programs are limited to small groups of same-minded independent women, travelers who love to cook, tour, relax and do a little shopping.
The cooking classes feature some of Italy's most talented chefs for hands-on instruction. Classes are kept deliberately small in order to ensure more individual attention for each student and promote a warm and relaxed atmosphere.
In each of the women-only tours, participants also learn about Italy's Renaissance Women and how they shaped the culinary, art, music, culture and fashion scenes. Each participant receives a journal hand-made in Italy for jotting down travel notes, musings and sketches.
For more info, check out the website
http://www.cooking-vacations.com/programs/RW-Positano.html
Big Apple Chocolate Tours
Chocolate fiends visiting New York might be interested in Alexandra Leafís Chocolate Tours of the city. Leaf is a culinary historian and award-winning cookbook author. She leads full and half-day tours offering an opportunity to experience the joys of artisan chocolates in the nationís undisputed capital of fine chocolate. Tours feature traditional European and innovative New American chocolatiers, and wine and chocolate experiences are available too. Leaf knows her stuff. Sheís a chocolate expert who travels the country lecturing on the topic. www.chocolatetoursnyc.com.
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