Wine Travel: Exploring Bordeaux

We're not just in the wine business, we're all about the wine experience. Whether you want to bike ride through Napa Valley or go truffle hunting in Italy, we'll make it happen. One of our favorite destinations is Bordeaux, and for good reason. The region is packed with priceless chateaux's, intriguing vineyards and a history that will leave you searching for more. Seems we're not the only ones who love Bordeaux. 

We recently organized a personal trip for Davis and his wife to explore the finer things in the French countryside. Here's what they had to say:

The Bordeaux, France trip was four days and four nights, and we spared no expense making sure Davis and his travel companions were well looked after.

"I have always wanted to visit Bordeaux because of the quality of wines, history and legendary Chateau’s.  This was our first trip."

Having never been before, Davis turned to Destination Cellars to help him create the wine experience of a lifetime.

"While Destination Cellars provided a menu of options, we wanted a balance of Chateau visits, education, site seeing and relaxation.  We got it all and then some. Even if you wanted to invest your own time with your wine contacts and suppliers, it would be close to impossible to duplicate the high quality complete package that Destination Cellars delivers to you."

We love connecting our customers with our winery partners. What we love more is surprising our customers with that one moment that takes their breath away.

"Our lunch and dinners in the Chateau’s were spectacular and something we will remember for ever!  From Chateau Corbin, Siran to Pichon Baron, it was amazing to dine with the current generation, learn about the hundreds of years of history, family dynamics and their current operations.  Everything was planned to a "t"...transportation, tastings, meals, hotel....you just showed up and enjoyed."

Interested in a wine trip? Let us help! Tell us where you want to go and your must-dos and we'll put together a wine trip you'll never forget.

Congratulations to the 2011 Winery and Alliance Partners

At Destination Cellars, we recognize not only the importance of good wine, but the importance of working with great wineries and partners. That's why we're pleased to announce the recipients of the third annual Winery and Alliance Partner of the Year awards.

"Recognizing our winery and alliance partners is something I've come to look forward to every year," said David Keuhner, founder and CEO, Destination Cellars. "Having quality and trusted partnerships has shaped who we are today and it is a joy to be able to acknowledge them with these awards."

The following partners are recognized for their standard of partner excellence in 2011:

International Winery Partner of the Year: Castello di Volpaia. Castello di Volpaia is located in the medieval village of Volpaia, famous for having the highest elevation of all of the wineries in the Chianti area of Italy. Under the guidance of owners Carlo and Giovannella Mascheroni Stianti, they've found a project that, even though reaching international status, is deeply rooted in local traditions.

"We love being able to introduce members of Destination Cellars to our vineyard," said owner Carlo Mascheroni Stianti. "Being able to bring curious wine-lovers to Volpaia and the unique wineries here is a great opportunity for us to share our community with people who otherwise wouldn't be able to experience it."

National Winery Partner of the Year - Hourglass. After his father lost his Zinfandel vineyard to phylloxera, Hourglass owner Jeff Smith learned that the property's unique location would be perfect for producing Cabernets. Completed in 2009 and under the direction of winemaker Bob Foley, Hourglass Cabernets represent a cutting-edge, modern Napa Valley winemaking style that is decidedly simple, with elegantly modern architectural influences.

"At Hourglass, we pride ourselves in giving our visitors unique wine experiences, which is why we align so well with the Destination Cellars brand," said Jeff Smith, owner. "We feel so fortunate to have found David Keuhner and his staff. They have helped us drive our mission forward and together, we will strive to bring the world of wine to members for years to come."

Learn more about Hourglass wines.

New Winery Partner of the Year - Tamber Bey. Tamber Bey is renowned for its 100% estate-grown Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Chardonnay. With estate vineyards in the Oakville and Yountville appellations, these Napa Valley cool-climate grapes are designated for the Tamber Bey signature wines.

"We're proud to be accepting this award for new winery partner of the year," said owner Barry Waitte. "With so many amazing new winemakers emerging every year, we're honored to be selected. Working with Destination Cellars has been a joy to work with and we're looking forward to many more years of partnership."

Learn more about Tamber Bey wines.

Alliance Partner of the Year - YPO (Young Presidents' Organization). YPO is a not-for-profit, global network of young chief executives connected around the shared mission of becoming Better Leaders Through Education and Idea Exchange(TM). Founded in 1950, YPO today provides 19,000 peers and their families in 110 countries with access to unique experiences, world-class resources, alliances with top learning institutions, and specialized Networks that help them enhance their business, community and personal leadership. Altogether, YPO member-run companies employ more than 16 million people around the world and generate US$6 trillion in annual revenues.

"This has been an incredible opportunity for us," said Brad Scott, YPO wine network strategic alliance chair. "Our members have greatly enjoyed being able to have access to the best wineries and wine experts in the world. We are privileged to be recognized with this award by a brand that so closely supports our mission of commitment to quality and leadership within their market."

At Destination Cellars, we're proud to work with these 2011 winery and alliance partners, as well as all the wineries in our repertoire.

Wine Tours: Exploring Napa Valley

We're letting our clients do the talking this week! At Destination Cellars, we pride ourselves not only on our wine offerings, but on our ability to create exclusive wine trips for our clients.

Suzanne and her husband Edward recently took a wine trip to Napa Valley, organized by Destination Cellars, and their experience is simply worth telling in their own words.

"We were in Napa Valley for a week for our honeymoon. We stayed at the guest house at Tamber Bey. We chose Napa Valley because we both enjoy wine and wanted to explore different vineyards and learn more about the wine making process and the wine regions of California."

Having worked with Destination Cellars before, Suzanne and Edward turned to us to help plan their romantic trip in Napa.

"We relied on the expertise and relationships that Destination Cellars has built. There are over 300 vineyards in Napa Valley alone so it can be overwhelming to know which ones to visit."

We started by asking the couple what they most wanted to do and what their ideal Napa trip would consist of, then we put together a one-of-a-kind itinerary.

"Destination Cellars customized our trip by recommending high quality ‘boutique’ vineyards. It was important to us to explore new labels and vineyards. In addition, through Destination Cellars we had superb contacts at each location. Someone was there to greet us, tour us and talk informatively about their wine."

But it's more than just wine on our wine trips. We want each one of our clients to experience that one moment that makes them say "we'll never forget this trip"...

"Our guesthouse at Tamber Bey will be a treasured memory forever. The minute we pulled up I said ‘I’m not leaving’. It was situated right next to the vineyard where they grow their Cabernet Sauvignon grapes – then the next day we had lunch with the vineyard owners and sampled the Cabernet grown right outside our door!"

The Napa wine experience didn't end there for Suzanne and Edward. The best part about touring new vineyards is bringing the wine home so you have a lasting memory.

"We bought enough wine to last for years but we just couldn’t resist all the delicious wines made by some incredible vineyards. We would absolutely book with Destination Cellars again. They planned a better trip than I could have ever done on my own. We have our sights on an Italy wine trip!"

Interested in a wine trip? Let us help! Tell us where you want to go and your must-dos and we'll put together a wine trip you'll never forget.

Napa Valley Wine Tours

It's no secret we are passionate about wine and travel. Our wine trips take you beyond the barrel room, and into the heart of the vineyards where you'll have the exclusive opportunity to sit and learn from the vintners themselves. Combine that experience with the overall food and dining events we'll put together for you, and you've got the trip of a lifetime. But you don't want to hear about it from us… We let our clients do the talking!

Daniel and his wife recently booked a trip to Napa with Destination Cellars for three days. The California-based couple had been to Napa before with other couples, but they were looking for something unique on their next trip.

"DC helped us immensely with pre-trip planning from dining (the incredibly hard to book private room at the French Laundry) to outdoor experiences (a bike trip through the vineyards of Napa). Getting us an exclusive private reception at Fantesca was quite notable."

At Destination Cellars, we aim to provide the extraordinary, but to us, it's more than just making dinner reservations. During Daniel's trip, we made the impossible happen.

"[Destination Cellars sommelier] Sean and Chef Sarah Heller were brought in to our home for a wine dinner. While we knew it would be spectacular, the presentation was out of this world. We dined al fresco in candlelight on a deck overlooking the Napa valley. Sean and Sarah pulled off a truly first rate dining experience that was the talk of the trip (and post-trip)."

Daniel didn't leave the trip empty-handed. He tells us he went home with quite a few bottles of Fantesca special reserve. As for the future?

"Destination Cellars is a trusted partner in our wine travels," said Daniel. "We would love to do Tuscany in style, and will certainly call upon Destination Cellars to help us plan it."

And we have just the trip in mind...

Learn more about Fantesca: