If you live in Spain, you may have noticed that your drinking habits have changed. You and your friends are drinking less Spanish wine! Who is taking up the slack? Those of us living in other parts of the universe are actually drinking more wines from Spain because they have gotten better. Holding Tightly onto Tradition The […]
Older is Better. Moscato d’Asti Sparkles in Italy
Moscato d’Asti (DOCG) is part of the Moscato family…a close member of the Moscato family, but not a twin. Moscato d’Asti is made from the Muscat Blanc a Petits Grains strain of grapes, a petite berry varietal that ripens early, producing a wide range of wine styles from light, dry, slightly sweet and sparkling to […]
Guardian of Italian Luxury: Lust not Love
I was recently asked what I would buy with my lottery winnings (should I be so lucky) if real estate, yachts, and airplanes were not allowed. My thoughts immediately turned to Italian luxury fashion, fixtures, furniture, and experiences (including wine, spirits, and travel). Italy is at the head of the line in the highly competitive […]
Barolo Wine Auction: €600,000 for Barolo in a Barrel
Sometimes an event is just an event, and sometimes (when I am lucky) the event turns into a wonderful Saturday afternoon experience that is good by doing good. Recently, I was invited to the Barolo en primeur at Il Gattopardo (with a Zoom simulcast from Grinzane Cavor Castle in Piedmont, Italy). The event was also […]
Drink More Wine. Help to Grow the World Economy
The year was 2020, and I, among others, spent US$326.6 billion on wine. Thanks to the pandemic, we wine drinkers are finding solace by drinking more wine, pushing revenue to a projected US $434.6 billion by 2027, representing an increase of 4.3 percent between 2020-2027. Dessert wines (i.e., Sauternes/France; Tokaji Aszú/Hungary; Muscat/Italy) are a growing category […]
Rum is your Brain Food, Alcohol, and New York Lifestyle
Rum could be placed in a FOOD group, after all – it is made entirely from sugar cane elements; it might even be considered a dessert, because it is sweet. However, it is a spirit and placed among alcoholic beverages with unique advantages that include antibacterial properties, and it has been recommended to treat strep […]
Is Medical Tourism Safe?
At first blush, Medical tourism seems like a good idea. Travel to Thailand, UAE, or Germany – and while exploring the culture, food, wines and shops, make a stop at a local hospital for a tummy tuck, a kidney transplant or a hip replacement. What is Medical Tourism? Medical tourism (also known as health tourism, medical […]
Tourism will flourish: thanks to forgetfulness
Is the ability to forget the key to bringing back tourism? It is no secret that crises can severely affect travelers perception of whether a destination is worthy of a visit. So how do executives make would-be tourists forget the painful memories of 2020? Or are the travelers just as eager to ffile those memories […]
Airplanes: Part of the COVID-19 Problem
Since the beginning of COVID-19, many people have stopped flying! Why? The reasons are multiple and complex. Business travel has declined thanks to Zoom and other remote meeting options. International restrictions on American passports has put a crimp in leisure travel, and 24/7 media coverage of the virus and its spread has convinced us that the […]
Tourism in a Time of Chaos
Chaos Theory Chaos is a term used to describe the world when nothing makes sense; when 2+2 does not equal 4, leaving us completely and totally confused. Sometimes the “butterfly effect” is used to explain the phenomenon: the idea is that the flapping of a butterfly’s wings in Argentina could cause a tornado in Texas […]