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Take it someplace nice and show it a good time

Posted: Jul 20, 2011 11:00am ET

It’s vacation time in America. France gets the hell out of Dodge in August, but here in the States, July is the month most of us wander off into the hinterland of adventure and sunburn.

For the believers out there—can I get an amen, somebody?—wine has to be part of the vacation-planning process. Let the scoffers drink Coke.

There’s a particular math when it comes to wine and vacation. The formula for how much wine you need to take with you is directly related to the extravagance and location of the trip. If you’re taking a villa in Tuscany or touring Bordeaux, then why schlep a bottle?

On the other hand, there are vacations that require mass quantities of wine, for example, if camping is involved or Disneyland is on the itinerary. (You can’t shuffle off to Burgundy every summer.)

I’ve learned to choose carefully the wines I bring on vacation. It’s all about location. A few years ago, we found a spot right on the water in Kailua-Kona in Hawaii, and I brought along a few wines from the cellar. One was a 15-year-old Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon. We grilled steaks and the wine drank beautifully but, looking down on the beach as the sun faded, I just wasn’t in the mood for Cabernet. The fit wasn’t right.

On the other hand, if it’s February and the snow in Lake Tahoe is up to my clavicle, you won’t find many whites or rosés in my wine stash.

I’ve never been the type to organize my vacations exclusively around wine. I’ve toured France with the best of them, but I’ll take palm trees and blue water any time. So for me, wine is a significant part of a vacation but seldom the focus.

This year, we’re wandering along the California Central Coast, so I’ll take only a few bottles as backup. There are just too many good wineries to discover, too many wine-savvy restaurants in Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo and points south to do otherwise.

So what’s your wine plan for this year’s vacation? Do you take wine along or prefer buying as you go?

Member comments 15 comment(s)

Mark Lyon — Sonoma, CA; USA — July 20, 2011 12:35pm ET

My partner and I went to Santa Fe, but shipped the wine rather than carrying it thru as checked luggage. He loves Cabernet Franc, so it was the 1998 Cheval Blanc for him. My uncle loves Cherryblock, so it was the 2001 Vintage. Grilled Tenderloin at his patio looking at the beautiful mountain with cool breezes. I'm very indulgent with wine for others while on vacation. However, restaurant lists for outstanding wine tends to be pricey. So I go for the best wines between $50 to $100 on their list w/ a som's help.

Philip A Chauche — Germantown, MD — July 20, 2011 12:54pm ET

I'm more likely to bring wine back on the trip than I am to bring more than a night's worth from the outset. If it's a repeat trip, I'm already familiar with what's available, and particularly if I can't get it easily at home. If it's a new place, I'm eager to try the local wine that's often well-paired with the local food.

John Wilen — Texas — July 20, 2011 1:55pm ET

Always take my own wine. Top choices: every good cab or blend I have in 375mls which includes Quintessa, Switchback Ridge, Darioush, Pahlmeyer, Ramey, etc. Half bottles are generally easier.

Mark Horowitz — Brooklyn, USA — July 20, 2011 2:44pm ET

Much of our travel is to France to visit several of our French friends. We always bring along a few bottles of prized US wines. Suffice it to say that the "Judgement of Paris" remains true to this day: the French love anything American, with wine being no exception. We pack the wine in bubble wrap and place it strategically in our luggage. Never had a problem. During a recent visit to Montpellier, our hosts loved a Kosta Browne Pinot Noir, a Chateau Montelena Cabernet, a Fielding Hills Syrah and a Merry Edwards Sauvignon Blanc. As we opened each wine, our hosts enjoyed hearing a bit about each winemaker and about how American wine collectors obtain limited-release wines.

Mary Jane Phillips — Farmington Hills, MI — July 20, 2011 3:04pm ET

Wow, and I thought I was alone in bringing or shipping wines for vacation. It's a given when we rent a summer house with the family in northern MI. But....my favorite story is that when my girlfriends and I take our annual trip to Napa, we rent a house and go to all the "off the beaten track" wineries. Thanks so much to my wine merchant, as he arranges private tastings with winemakers, often from barrel, etc. I always ship a case of French and Italian wines for a break from the Napa Big Boys. As you know, corkage at restaurants is widely accepted, so we always share with the staff, and of course order a few bottles of the local beauties. "Coals to Newcastle" ????, sure, but variety is the spice of life, no?
Cheers,
Mary Jane

Stephen Symchych — Boston, MA — July 20, 2011 3:43pm ET

Most places I go for vacation will either have wine locally, or won't be that conducive to drinking any.

One partial exception was a number of years we would do a Christmas charter of a boat in the Virgin Islands. I found the trick to making that work was to choose the wines the previous summer. A constant mix of 80-degree sun, lotions, salt spray, and afternoons full of Gatorade will affect one's palate. Wines that are too dry or lacking in fruit won't translate very well.

Kabinetts or Spatleses, cru Beaujolais, and younger Rhones (more of the St. Joseph level than actual Hermitage) provided sufficient pleasure over dinner in the boat's inevitable small glasses. Occasionally we'd slip in a top-drawer Valpolicella or Ribera del Duero for variety. Red Burgundy wasn't out of the question, but we'd keep it just on the near side of maturity, so it would have a better chance of standing up to the galley food.

Brian Loring — Lompoc, CA — July 20, 2011 5:07pm ET

Like Mark, my vacation each year takes me to Europe. Always Spain, plus a side trip to France, or Italy, or somewhere else fun. While most of the wine I consume is local stuff, I do bring along some of our wine, as well as other prized Cali stuff to share with my Old World Pals :)

Tim Fish — Santa Rosa, CA — July 20, 2011 9:23pm ET

Thanks for all the comments everyone. Sounds like I'm not alone in taking wine seriously on vacation. I've shipped a few cases in my day and it's always good to expose friends in other countries to CA wine. I know I love it, likewise.

Peg and I are making our way down the coast as I write. (Kids, please don't burn down the house!?!) So far we're drinking Tablas Creek 09 Cotes de Tablas and I picked up a bottle of Hearst Ranch 09 3 Sisters Cuvee from 15 Degrees C for dinner. Look forward to trying it.

As for Brian, Europe every summer? Dude, you are overpaid! (Ha!)

Mark Horowitz — Brooklyn, USA — July 21, 2011 8:53am ET

Brian: Next year, we'll bring a few of your (wicked good) Pinots.

Whit Thompson — Rochester, NY — July 21, 2011 9:22am ET

Over the years, I've always treated our annual Nantucket trip as an extended "Open that Bottle" opportunity. Since we take our car over to the island, there's always a case of the best juice we need to open (usually with some bottle age) stowed away and ready to be enjoyed on the porch. Food pairings become somewhat secondary, with the exception of a couple of big CA chards for the inevitable Lobster & Chowder Night. Last year, it was the '05 Ridge Santa Cruz Mountains Chardonnay and the '04 Sbragia Family Gamble Ranch Chardonnay.

This year, however, a trip to Kansas (next week, actually) to see my in-laws is on the books. More specifically, a trip to Kansas with temperatures eclipsing 100 degrees every day we're scheduled to be there. Since our trips to Kansas involve hours in the car to see family and friends spread out all over the state, I'm only packing one or two bottles from our own collection. The plan is to open them before they have a chance to cook, and then rely on the retail options and restaurant lists in Kansas City where we'll spend our last few days. Show me to the nearest steakhouse, please.

Brian Loring — Lompoc, CA — July 22, 2011 12:29pm ET

Tim - I'm only able to do it due to a whole lot of frequent flyer miles! And hotel bonus points :) My life isn't quite like the movie "Up in the Air", but it does seem like it sometimes.

Paul Perivolaris — London, Canada — July 22, 2011 1:27pm ET

I only bring wine when we are renting a 'kitchen included' site. Sometimes (especially with a little one around) we don't really like to go out every night any more so preparing a meal is actually easier. I'm really a wine AND food together lover so I tend to choose a bottle for every different meal I wish to cook whilst away! I think we all have a few go to meals with a few appropriate wines to match (e.g steak frites (bordeax or aussie shir), citrus sauced fish (new zealand sav.blanc), spicey saucy ribs (cote du rhone) and maybe a nice red pasta with a chianti)!

Tablas Creek Vineyard — Paso Robles, CA — July 22, 2011 4:18pm ET

Thanks, Tim, for taking our 2009 Cotes along for the ride. Let us know what you've been drinking it with!
Thanks,
-Jason

Guy Brouillette — Boulder, CO — July 25, 2011 2:45pm ET

We spend many weekends in the mountains of Colorado year around and I always bring a stash of wine. My choices depend on who is joining us, what the menu looks like and how adventurous we plan to be. You will always find a few Pinot’s, Cabernet’s or blends and a smattering of whites depending on the season. Heck, even if we are off to a wedding for the weekend I bring my wine along… I was never a boy scout, but I do believe in being prepared!

John Reeves — USA — July 25, 2011 3:37pm ET

Any of you all get bottle shock in the wine from the trip, or do you get to rest the wine for some days before opening ?

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