In A Nutshell //

Overall, the food was great. The sauces, however, are very different. When you order lasagna, it’s not what you get from Grandma Bonnie, okay? They have a whole different set of tomatoes (which make their caprese undeniably the best caprese salad I’ve ever had!), so just don’t expect the same taste as US. My go-to was always a margarita pizza.

Something to keep in mind about Rome is that there is literally zero breakfast. You can start eating pizza or pasta with your coffee and that is about it. You aren’t going to find a sausage-pancake-eggs-toast situation (pretty much) anywhere.

You know, I didn’t do my research here and it came back to bite me. Table wine in Rome is not what you would expect. You see, they leave out a lot of the sulfates and stuff that makes our wine thicker and heartier (that’s what I like) and so to me it was a bit.. watery. It was rare I liked a wine in the touristy part of Rome. Just be careful and really find a varietal that you know you’ll like. When your palate is used to US wines.. it’s a bit of a shocker.

We found most of what we were looking for on Airbnb. It was definitely a super walkable city. You definitely do not want to be far enough way from the action that you’d need a cab. Cabs are super expensive and it is all in the same general vicinity, so just make sure to stay close. Also, most of these places DO NOT have elevators.. so if you brought huge suitcases, you are out of luck.

Gray & Dudley is Southern Cuisine with lovely cocktails, surrounded by contemporary art.   Close to broadway.  This chic spot in Downtown Printer’s Alley is spacious, quiet, and peaceful.  It’s a great way to start your Nashville sightseeing before you take on the craziness of Broadway.

Henley at the Kimpton Aertson is GORGEOUS. From fried biscuit pieces to dilly deviled eggs to a stellar omelet, the Henley’s brunch menu next level. They are also known for their cocktails (checkout the Bloody!) The Henley is attached to the Kimpton Aertson in Midtown.

The Noelle Nashville is a beast on it’s own, but oh my- the food down in Makeready will seal the deal. Make sure to get the Printer’s Plate, The L+L Burger, or Avocado Toast. Our favorite was the omelette!

The City Winery Nashville should be your next stop for brunch food and cocktails. There’s nothing like chowing down with wide views of the downtown Nashville skyline. You will be blown away by this brunch menu! Next level avocado toast and fried chicken biscuits. The charcuterie is also on point.

For wine, I highly recommend doing the full Wine & Food Pairing at Belle Meade Winery (out in the country.) The Somm was fully knowledgeable and the pairings were incredible. Natchez Hills wine was also enjoyable, but don’t be mistaken- their tasting room is not at the Hermitage you are thinking so make sure you check the address. Speaking of the Hermitage, high tea there was next level. Arrington is a ways outside the city but worth a go. City Winery was more “commercial,” and less boutique.

For cocktails, I’d stop at the Hidden Bar in the Noelle Nashville, the Patterson House (a speakeasy) in Midtown, or the L27 Rooftop at the Westin.

All of these hotels are stellar. They are not ranked in any particular order. Just find your vibe!

1 - Rated #4 Best Hotel in Nashville by U.S. News & World Report, the Kimpton Aertson Hotel breathes life, innovation, and artistry into its guests; a true testament to the heart of Nashville’s culture and lively spirit. View full blog.

2 - The 21c Museum Hotel Nashville (built in 1900’s booming Nashville) has been reimagined and revitalized with charming wood floors, high ceilings, modern furnishings, and contemporary art scattered throughout the hotel. View full blog.

3 -The Thompson Nashville is a luxury boutique hotel & the perfect choice if you like things original, creative, and funky. It’s a modern take on vintage charm; you know, still floor-to-ceiling windows and gorgeous hardwood floors, but the artwork is very intentional and 60’s chic. If Victoria Beckham visited Nashville, she would stay here. View full blog.

4 - Imagine a young entrepreneur who is wise for her age and sophisticated beyond her years. The Noelle Nashville speaks to her name; she is cultured, refined, and poised. View full blog.

You would never know that this small town has such insane dining. Some of my favorites were:

Hattaway's on Alder - It was busy, but perfect sized portions. I had duck and bought a bottle of Rioja - a Spanish Tempranillo. The celery salad was a must-have-again.

The Sunset Terrace Wine Pairing Dinner at The Marcus Whitman Hotel was also next level. They don’t do many of these events per year so definitely sign up for their mailing list if you want to build your trip around the dinner time like I did. They had spectacular pairings and views of downtown.

Brasserie Four - This was definitely my vibe and my favorite. The oysters were fresh and they had mouth-watering champagne cocktails. The steak frites were highly recommended and did not disappoint.

If you like full bodied reds, spice, minerality, and tannin… you have come to the right place. Beautiful blends of Cab, Cab Franc, Syrah, and more. Here are my top picks for Walla Walla Wine Tasting:

Walla Walla Vitners is revered, on the top of every list for WW wines. Saviah Cellars has lots of shade, sunflowers, and stunning flavors. Sleight of Hand is different, fun, music-inspired and original. Pepper Bridge - has luxury vibes, gorgeous views, kind and knowledgeable staff. Lagana Cellars - is downtown, hometown boutique vibes. Basel Cellars Estate Winery - has a breathtaking chateau you can “rent out” for ~$3800 a night. Va Piano has a Tuscan inspired villa, intentional wines, and a lovely staff.

There’s no way to really know Walla Walla without knowing its rich history, and a big part of that history starts right in the center at the Marcus Whitman Hotel.  It has drawn celebrities, presidents, and is a stunning beauty in historic downtown Walla Walla with a classic style.

You can walk anywhere. Dozens of tasting rooms are right outside of your door. You are also only about 10 minutes from tons of other stunning vineyards and tasting rooms in wine country.

View the Full Extended Blog on the Marcus Whitman Hotel Here

Let’s talk about their restaurant, Litchfields. They had a spectacular beet salad and they also had a great selection of food but it wasn’t overwhelming. The waiter knew a generous amount about the wine I chose, despite their lengthy list to choose from.  I was highly impressed.

The cocktails were original & chic. The whisky choice was on point. The meat was cooked exactly to order! This place has kind of a rustic, southwestern vibe throughout the restaurant with a touch of boho (which I love).

If you venture to Scottsdale, stop at The Original Chop Shop downtown. Their Menu is healthy and the juices are next level.

It's not always easy to find a great restaurant with excellent wine pairings & a stellar selection to choose from.   The Wigwam had a bar open until midnight which was nice (with food!) They had lovely pools and WOW, the aesthetics… on point! It felt homey, not resorty.

When venturing around the city, I found some other gems. Wrigley Mansion had a stellar afternoon tea (make a res reallll far in advance) that was off the charts. Make a res here.

If you end up in Tempe, stop at House of Tricks. The wine selection is off the charts and the service was BOMB. I asked for the waiter’s recs and they were all spot on.

For four days, The Wigwam was my home and it was nothing short of an oasis. The campus was beautiful & the beds were comfy! At the end of the day, I was highly impressed with the quality. They even gave me a “spa” moment and I got a massage! 

I also loved the ambiance.  I'd highly recommend you stay at the Wigwam, enjoy some wine + pool time, a little heat, and play some golf!

Read Chelsea’s Full Personal Blog on The Wigwam

Most of our “eating” happened at the Bella Collina, but we did venture out downtown for some karaoke AND a great meal. I highly recommend The Blue Goat, downtown Amity. Stellar wine pairing and excellent food.

Also, their cocktails are to die for.

As for Bella Collina (our chic new bnb), there was a happy hour that featured an extended, spectacular charcuterie and local wines.  The perfect way to jump start your wine tasting adventures.  Breakfast is served in courses! The place is furnished in a homey, welcoming, northwesty way. The staff also was willing to recommend various tours for your stay.  More on the full blog.

What I love about Amity in general is that it is a little off the beaten path. You may think all of Wine Country is, but honestly, McMinnville is beaten quite a bit. People from out of town are going to go for the Willamette Valley honkers, not the one-offs. Here ye, here ye. Give thee, Amity.

My four Amity-area winery picks are (currently) such:

Keeler Estate Vineyard - an organic, biodynamic vineyard (hard to find & you should look into it. It’s realllll hard to get this standing. Think; the CPA of Wine Accountants)

Bjornson Vineyard - It’s got A STELLAR rosé worth buying (great price too) and indoor/outdoor seating. Very spacious.

Bethel Heights - Honestly, my favorite wine in Eola-Amity Hills area. The windows bring in the light of the vineyard, the staff knows every SINGLE thing about the wine, and it’s a very chic venue.

Failla - Homey, earthy, wedding venue status. The interior design is a vibe. Highly recommend stopping in.

Where to stay in Amity? Well. I vote for a big honkin’ brand new - Bed & Breakfast.

Bella Collina is right smack dab in the center of Oregon Wine Country.  Amity is a small town doing BIG things.  When I arrived, I was greeted and showed to my room by the manager (each room with special lock codes).  Each room has a theme from a different part of Pacific Northwest Wine Country, which is a nice touch.  I always appreciate originality and individuality.  I loved that each room was different instead of a carbon cookie-cutter hotel situation.  The owners designed and build the "mini mansion" so that every single room would have a great view the rolling hills of wine country.

The owners were on site, enjoying wine with us.  You could tell it was their passion project and they were hosting because they love people and love wine.  Make a reservation or see more from Bella Collina here.

BTW. There may or may not be a karaoke bar downtown. Don’t ask! I won’t tell. ;)

Listen, I’m not a full blown foodie and this blog is not about food; it’s about wine. Therefore, I’m not going to go on and on about the sushi place I GrubHubbed last night. This is about the best places in Portland to get some vino. Here are my top choices for wine & wine pairings in Portland:

The Porter Hotel’s Restaurant, Terrane, has an earthy, luxe Portland aura.    It’s dynamic, I mean, if you’re feeling dangerous—head up to the Xport Lounge, ya know? But otherwise, you could be doing business over wine OR just having an *upscale* date night. Listen.. enjoying wine is about so much more than the taste.  It's about the environment, the history, the vintage, the pairing, and... the person you share it with. More on the blog here.

I am going to take this moment to personally apologize for the thousand+ hours I’ve spent spilling my heart out to Joe at The Portland Wine Bar, making him my forever-therapist. Okay, well, since you brought it up.

The PWB - The Number One place I recommend travellers to visit when coming into Portland is (dun dun dun) The Portland Wine Bar. Although the aesthetic is not “classic hipster”… it is much more homey and they care more about wine than big plants and Mumford and Sons.

Okay, sue me- but I’m a city girl. Although I write country music and wish that my pastor dad had really raised me in his Battleground “church country”… I still get off on a little CITY time, you know? I need the hustle and bustle. This blog will be never ending and quite hard to narrow down, as 95% of my wining and dining has been… in Portland, Oregon. I’ve had the opportunity to stay at quite a few places downtown P-town, so I’ll give you my faves.

Hotel Monaco is my Kimpton Dream. I’ve stayed at a few of their collection across the US and man, this one takes the cake. The wallpaper is some sort of bird print. The carpet clashes with the chairs on purpose (yet somehow magically works) and I AM HERE FOR IT. Make a res here. Also, it is in the heart of the shopping area, two blocks from the waterfront, AND has a sweet restaurant/bar attached to it. Did I mention the Houston Rockets stay there when they are in town? ;) *wink!

The Porter Hotel had me stay the night and it was NO joke. It was the Portland dream. The style is modern, but not “cheesy” Miami-wannabe modern… it’s just like Restoration Hardware met West Elm on Match.com and hit it off.  Curio Collection Hotels are where it's at.

We kicked off the adventure at an outdoor concert at Brice Station Vineyards.  Their catch phrase is “wine with altitude, not attitude,” which is cute. It was a lovely outdoor space with glass pours for sale and well as fresh baked pie.

I’d say the best food though, was at Alchemy; a lovely restaurant that wasn’t overcrowded and had great local wine choices.

Favorite wine stops in Arnold included:

Tanner Vineyards (LOVED the 2015 Barbera)

Jazz Cellars (LOVED the 2012 Zinfandel)

Allegorie was also a crowd favorite. (Came home with several of these bottles!

Night caps are typically A MUST and you can visit The Lube Room Saloon for this.  They actually had a great selection of beer and wine for a saloon that has outdoor bar sports.

People often disappear to Napa & Sonoma for a wine excursion, but there’s another smaller duo on the rise in Northern California, just Southeast of Sacramento; that’s Arnold & Murphys.  Two small wine loving towns with cute, walkable downtown tasting rooms & stellar bites as well.  We spent most of our time around town, but also drove up to Lake Alpine and hopped on a canoe for the day, which was lovely. 

We stayed at a quaint Airbnb in Snowshoe Springs, just minutes away from all the action.