Drink Up, Chow Down

Mexican tequila and mezcal may receive most of the acclaim - but there's plenty of great wine coming out of Mexico, too. I recently spent time in Valle de Guadalupe and can't recommend it highly enough. About two to three hours drive from San Diego, the region is exceptionally tourist-friendly with generally good roads (although a 4X4 vehicle is recommended for some of the harder-to-reach spots, and in bad weather.) Most of the larger wineries offer public tastings, but there are plenty of small boutiques where an appointment is essential. (There are over 100 wineries in the valley — and that number grows impressively every year.) If you're planning your itinerary, here are some notable standouts in the area that I loved. To drink: Vena Cava - the wines are good and the location is fabulous. (They built the winery into a cave with a boat as a roof...) Lechuza - this is my absolute favorite in the area. Spectacular wines made with care, passion and elegance.

Wine tourism is a thing. As a write this, I'm en route to Valle de Guadalupe to sample some of Mexico's finest. (Wine. Not tequila. Although there may be some tequila involved...) The fabulous Snooth.com asked some of their wine bloggers (including me) to write about their favorite wine travel destinations. Although I'm also partial to the spectacular Cape, the mighty Bordeaux and the always-surprising Paso Robles regions, I wrote about my visit to the magical Champagne area. Check out my take on it, and the regions other wine writers chose, here.  Cheers, wine lovers! Don't forget to tweet me your favorite wine travel destinations  @LAWineGal . Tasting at Krug Champagne

Wine and candy pairings aren't just for Halloween or Valentine's Day, (although that's usually when they're discussed.) The fabulous Snooth.com asked a number of their wine bloggers (including me) for their favorite boozy pairings. How did we do? Time for some sugar-coated research... Check out my Heath bar and Sauternes pairing,  as well as the other fun submissions - here. Cheers!