Given that 16th-century Jesuit missionaries cultivated the first grapevines of Chile’s Colchagua Valley, it seems right to bunk up at one of their former haciendas when visiting the region. Such is the allure of Residencia Histórica de Marchihue (from $200/night), an 18th-century estate transformed by its new owners into a 22-room hotel.

Set in the small town of Marchihue, a 40-minute drive from the region’s hub of Santa Cruz, the Residencia feels utterly remote (especially when trying to find it after dark). Once there, guests will discover a serene little sanctum, guarded by towering eucalyptus, rose bushes, and fruit trees. From a large garden, the amiable, talented young chef Pablo Galvez culls many of his ingredients (the hotel raises hens, ducks, and chickens as well). Read the rest of this post »

With vineyard land in Napa Valley growing ever more scarce and expensive, vintners are increasingly specializing in Cabernet Sauvignon, the grape best suited to the valley and one with an exceptional track record. For most wineries, their Cab defines them—but not all Cabs are created equal. Luckily, in Napa this big red is made well at every price point; you just have to know where to look. These bottles have national distribution, so you can find them back home, too.

Villa Mt. Eden, Grand Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2005, $17
This is a great gateway Cabernet: It’s relatively soft and smooth and more like Merlot than some—perfect for Cab beginners. It has fig and berry flavors and just a touch of the charming bell pepper taste characteristic of this grape.

Beaulieu Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon, Rutherford 2005, $30
Founded in 1900, the historic Beaulieu Vineyard impresses with this lovely wine at a very reasonable price. There’s a dusting of licorice flavor, along with the classic Cab note of cherry. Its slightly chewy texture means that it pairs nicely with grilled meats.

Chappellet Winery, Signature Cabernet, Sauvignon Napa, Valley 2006, $42
Chappellet isn’t as well known as some Napa wineries, especially on the East Coast. But this family-owned operation should be at the forefront of any Cab lover’s mind. Sweet fruit is the focus, with blackberry and plum tastes accented by dark chocolate.

Rubicon Estate, Rubicon, Rutherford 2005, $145
When filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola bought the Inglenook estate (and rebranded it Rubicon), many doubted that he and his team could craft wines worthy of its legacy. But their flagship wine—a big, brooding beauty—shows that value can apply even to a wine that’s fairly pricey. It’s good now and will taste even better in five years. Don’t rush it.

From the Summer 2009 issue of Sherman’s Travel magazine

Set amid a striking natural harbor and backdropped by imposing jade-colored mountains, Asia’s hyper-vertical metropolis commands attention from any angle, at all hours. But Hong Kong’s famed views are perhaps best savored over the city’s equally celebrated cuisine.

For a quintessentially scenic lunch, ascend Victoria Peak by tram for dim sum at Tien Yi in the renovated Peak Tower shopping complex. With its lofty panoramas of Hong Kong and the surrounding islands, this restaurant is a must, especially for those accustomed to eating their barbecued pork buns and shrimp dumplings in gaudy Chinatown banquet rooms. Ask to sit next to a window overlooking Victoria Harbour, and you’ll understand why the restaurant’s name means “the pinnacle of the world.” Read the rest of this post »

Visitors to Anguilla’s upscale CuisinArt Resort & Spa can expect some novel perks. First, there’s the island-influenced French fare from the new chef, Daniel Le Guenan, whose resume includes a stint at Alain Ducasse’s legendary Saint-Tropez outpost of Spoon. Second, the revamped spa has 16 fresh treatment rooms (7 with outdoor showers) and even a men’s club (bestowing lavish hot-towel shaves). But the pièce de resistance is the resort’s new indoor Healing Waters Pool. Filled with saltwater warmed to body temperature, the pool is best sampled via the unique 80-minute Anguillan Water Journey ($250), which pairs a sea salt scrub and rinse with a 50-minute waterimmersed massage. Consider staying at CuisinArt in the summer, when beachfront junior suites cost $395/night (versus the peak-season high of $920/night). 

From the April/May 2009 issue of Sherman’s Travel magazine.

If you’ve watched Gordon Ramsay’s cutthroat competition show Hell’s Kitchen, currently in its fifth season on Fox, you know the celebrity chef has a knack for pissing people off. Last summer, a public falling out between Ramsay – the only three-Michelin-star chef in London – and his protégé Marcus Wareing prompted The Berkeley hotel to change the name of its Ramsay-affiliated restaurant Pétrus. Now called Marcus Wareing at The Berkeley, the restaurant may have lost its association with Ramsay and gained a rather unoriginal name, but the fact that nothing else has changed – not the chef, his team, the elegant simplicity of the deep purple décor and circle motif, nor its two-Michelin-star rating – means that it still ranks as one of London’s top dining spots. Expect modern European cuisine with dishes like poached Scottish lobster with braised trotters and vanilla butter and roasted Cumbrian lamb with green olives, fennel, and smoked lamb bacon. Pétrus, meanwhile, is due to reopen (minus chef Wareing, of course) in a new, as yet undisclosed, London location later this year.

Visit our London Travel Guide for more London restaurant recommendations!

While downing a cold Guinness yesterday, in preparation for St. Patrick’s day of course, I was inspired to write about my second favorite hobby besides travel . . . beer. Now I’m not a raging alcoholic and I don’t need 12 steps (at least I don’t think I do) – I just deeply appreciate an icy cold adult beverage, whether it be an exotic lager from a far away land or a strikingly good stout made in a local brewery. One of the best ways to sample (or chug) some suds is by checking out a beer festival. Read on to discover five noteworthy brew cities and their big booze events. Cheers – and may the luck of the Irish be with you! Read the rest of this post »

As part of an ongoing effort to get Louisiana back on its feet post-Katrina, the state tourism board has crafted seven “culinary trails” to encourage visitors to taste their way through the diverse state. The suggested itineraries – each intended to fill a three-day visit – are not just lists of popular eateries but rather an eclectic collection of hole-in-the-wall cafés and upscale restaurants, food festivals and farm stands, bakeries and seafood joints. The Creole Fusion Trail reveals the best po’ boy in the Big Easy; Red River Riches offers a stop at a picturesque pecan orchard near Natchitoches; and Capital Cuisine recommends pairing a tasty crawfish pirogue (crawfish étouffée in a pastry crust) with a mint julep at a 149-year-old mansion outside Baton Rouge.

From the Feb/March 2009 issue of Sherman’s Travel magazine.

The new Four Seasons Seattle, which opened this November, has a lot going for it, including a prime location near the newly renovated Seattle Art Museum, clear views of Puget Sound, and on the ground floor, the first downtown location of Fran’s Chocolates. For more than 20 years, Fran Bigelow, a Seattle native, has satisfied many a sweet tooth — among them, those of Barack and Michelle Obama (he favors the smoked salt caramels in milk chocolate, while she prefers the dark chocolate variety). Read the rest of this post »