The day kicked off early at 10 a.m. with tours of the property, including exclusive bottling line demonstrations. Guests are able to get a behind-the-scenes peek at how wine gets bottled from start to finish, all while sampling wine directly from the barrel as well as tasting delicious current releases.

B Cellars Winery specializes in unique Napa Valley blends, producing creatively interpreted wine inspired by old-world blending traditions but crafted for the modern wine drinker.

Vivanista’s

Top 10 Reasons to come to Wine, Women & Shoes

1. Gather your best pals and spend a summer afternoon enjoying popular wines, shopping stylish fashions, and learning about the impactful work that PPSD is doing in your community.
2. David Eigenberg (Steve Brady from Sex and the City) in action on stage!
3. Moulin Rouge inspired Fashion show by Cake Plate, shoes by Kate Spade.
4. Sample over 50 Napa and Sonoma wines.
5. Charismatic Shoe Guys sporting silver trays of featured shoes.
6. A chance to win a “Key to the Closet” full of outfits, shoes, jewelry, personal shopping appointment, and much more!
7. Taste foods from over 20 famous Napa restaurants.
8. Peruse our Parisian-style marketplace with over 10 retailers selling designer shoes, handbags, and jewelry—a portion of sales will benefit PPSD.
9. Enjoy the romantic and unique historic barrel room at Hall Winery.
10. Support PPSD! Providing 161,000 client visits each year throughout 16 health centers in Northern California.

Planned Parenthood helps build healthy communities by providing life-saving cancer screenings, birth control, STD testing and treatment, along with many other health care services at low to no cost to individuals and families. Last year’s Wine, Women & Shoes raised over $200K for PPSD and the “fund-a-need” raised $60 k that supported the purchase of 2 new cervical cancer screening machines. Every day we supply women with the most sophisticated instrument in medicine: accurate information, which can help them make the best decisions about their health.

By the time we arrive back in Barcelona we feel quite European. We eat pork for breakfast, dinner at 11 PM, nap frequently, and now have our own apartment. Andres, as if he weren’t fabulous enough, loves to cook AND his specialty is paella. We hit the Mercado de Boqueria and buy an array of produce, meats, seafood, condiments and spices and stock up the kitchen.

The next five days are spent working (Hotel Arts is divine, a true urban resort, the Neri ideal for those wanting a more authentic Barcelona experience), playing (BBQ’s with locals thanks to friends Jo and Eric) and trying to figure out how to live here each summer. We’re entirely smitten with Spain, the people, the lifestyle, the food, the culture, the atmosphere… So perhaps there will be another installment from the road in 2010, stay tuned!

Another disclosure: We went to Oviedo solely because it was featured in Vicky Cristina Barcelona, possibly one the greatest movies produced. Andres and I have crushes on both Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz (and are thrilled they’re procreating). Our Hotel de la Reconquista (visited in the flick) is sensational, an 18^th century parador with antique wood furnishings, ornate tapestries, massive oil paintings depicting Spanish royalty, carved wood sculptures of cherubs, and wrought-iron lamps hanging throughout the rambling property. We keep discovering new courtyards and secret stairways and barely want to leave to explore. But leave we do, and head to San Francisco Park, replete with rose bushes and fountains; but the highlight is the elderly men exercising on the outdoor gym equipment. I envision them meeting here daily, twisting and swinging on the archaic equipment. After a quick game of table tennis, we’re off to Old Town with quaint cobblestone streets, beautiful cathedrals and…more wine. The scourge of dating a sommelier.

We read of these 9^th Century Pre-Romanesque churches just outside the city and after our usual routine (start with directions from the hotel, get lost, Garmin it, get lost again, ask someone on the street, find ourselves lost, ask another person with decidedly better English, locate street signs with cryptic icons, lost, retrace our steps, re-locate the signs, find monument) we find the churches. Set up on a slope, the view is idyllic, bathed in the afternoon golden light. Andres and I plop ourselves down in front of Santa Maria del Naranco and feast on a picnic of chorizo, jamon iberico, manchego, blue cheese, a baguette, plums and a full-bodied tempranillo. This is as close as one can get to travel perfection.

San Sebastian is a stylish seaside town in the Basque region of Spain on the Northern coast known for its cutting-edge gastronomy and sandy beaches. A favorite of Queen Maria Cristina, the only five-star hotel in town bears her name. Built in 1912, this belle époque stunner is set in a dramatic location at the end of a quay with the waves crashing from every direction, breaking on huge boulders and mesmerizing to behold. While much of the hotel can be described as flamboyant bordering on fussy, some of the rooms have wrap-around terraces and all have exquisite bathrooms. They are starting renovation of upper level rooms this fall to update and simplify this classic beauty in stages.

This town is graceful, with elegant architecture, happening beaches, a charming old quarter, chic boutiques and best of all, so many little restaurant-bars featuring inexpensive wines by the glass and scrumptious pinxtos, the Basque version of tapas. These bars have a few seats, some areas for standing and the goods out on display. Grab a plate and select some nibbles: grilled octopus, crab in puff pastry, baked Brie and sun dried tomato drizzled with lavender-infused honey on toasty bit… And these are just the traditional options. Many modern takes on pinxtos abound at sleek establishments, taking cue from Adrian Feria at El Bulli, incorporating avant-garde ingredients like savory sorbets and froth. Unafraid to combine seemingly dissimilar textures and flavors, these chefs experiment with dishes like scallops paired with a dollop of avocado foam and tiny scoop of anise gelato. Everything is (nearly) bite-sized and you wander from bar to bar, eating and drinking until satiated. I became addicted to these deep purple sangria slushies, apparently sent straight from heaven. You’re convinced they have no alcohol until after the second, when you’re inexplicably gobbling up anchovies, things with mayonnaise or other less delectable items. We finished off our first night of gourmet ramblings with a bottle of wine on the beach at sunset.

One of the most excellent attributes of San Sebastian is how compact this city is, entirely walkable. Early one morning we walked up Monte Urgull to the fortress complete with an enormous statue of Jesus, antique canons and to-die-for sea views. Plus some exercise to burn off all the pork products and queso we’d been eating for over a week now. Have I mentioned the daily meat menu?

We walked from the Old Quarter along the promenade, past Playa de la Concha, stopping at Mirmar Palace, and then meandering all the way down to Ondarreta beach and to the stirring Eduardo Chillida Wind Combs sculptures as the very end. These massive twisted metal artworks, icons of San Sebastian, dominate the huge boulders and are accentuated by the crashing waves. We spent the rest of the afternoon at the beach; me topless and Andres in his Hugo Boss Euro swim shorts a la Daniel Craig in Casino Royale. Viva España!

I’ve been to many of the top wine regions of the world: Mendoza in Argentina, Franschhoek in South Africa, California hotspots from Healdsburg to Paso Robles, and Rioja is as idyllic and panoramic as they come. Spread between three areas, Rioja Alta, Rioja Baja and Rioja Alavesa, there is much ground to cover to see all that the region has to offer. Besides world-class wineries, there are picturesque medieval towns, Michelin-starred restaurants and glorious vistas throughout this part of Spain.

We spent two nights at the Parador de Santa Domingo de la Calzada, in the town of the same name. This tiny town is wonderful for ambling and we happened upon a street festival with puppets, characters on stilts and comedic relief by hammed-up buffoons. Welcome to summer in Spain. Our hotel, a 12th century structure, once a hospital for pilgrims on the way to Santiago de Compostela, features a main hall with stone Gothic arches, gorgeous heavy antique wood furnishings, spacious rooms with marble bathrooms and French doors opening out on the plaza. Not for every client as luxury is not a word I’d use to describe it, but authentic and historic.

We spent the next few days visiting all types of wineries:  historic, private, modern, isolated, ivy-covered, sleek, lavender-surrounded, famous-architect-designed, cold and corporate…and found the best of the best. We perused ancient walled towns (Laguardia is exceptional), discovered restaurant gems, tiny patisseries, charcuteries and wine shops (hey, somebody has to do it). We’ve customized expert trips for wine connoisseurs and gourmands alike, details can be obtained by contacting me directly for a proposal; escorted trips with Andres and his partner Michael will be offered next summer.

The highlight of our visit was a stay at the outstanding Marques de Riscal hotel. A Starwood property designed by Frank Gehry, this hotel has put Rioja on the map for the luxury traveler. Situated in the delightful town of Elciego, this contemporary tour de force of curvaceous gold and pink titanium is not only the preeminent hotel in Rioja, it is truly one of the most unique and lavish in the country. There are two wings, the Gehry Wing, which, if you are an architecture buff (which account for a huge percentage of visits annually) is a must. You’re right in the rolling mass of metal, and each room arcs to mimic the waves. The rooms are significantly smaller than the Spa Wing rooms, which appear bland and boxy after the Gehry counterparts, but are quite large and have views of the structure and the town with charming cathedral and/or vineyards sightings. The bathrooms are standard for both, enormous and spectacular with black marble and granite, huge tubs and separate glassed-in shower.

We ate at Bistro 1860, the casual restaurant as the fine dining option was closed, and the tasting menu was indeed tasty, but nothing fabulous. Magnificent wine list, we ordered a bottle of Marques de Murrieta Ygay 2000, which was positively luscious. We drank port with a couple we met up in the library, where guests can smoke cigars, relax on the terrace and play chess. Michelin-starred Executive Chef Francis Paniego runs both restaurants, and while we weren’t bowled over by dinner, breakfast the next morning was decadent and more than compensated.

In the lower level, the award-winning Caudalie Spa is striking, with black granite and flourishes of red. Besides the gym, indoor pool, and hammam, they offer traditional massages and wine therapies, their most popular being the detoxifying vino bath. They even offer a weeklong detox program with intense treatments, popular with starlets preparing to walk the red carpet. After a week of a practically all-meat and wine diet, I’m ready to enroll.

Although we get to the Barcelona airport the next morning with an hour to spare, we arrive in Bilbao, but our luggage does not. We are told by the smiling Vueling ground representative that our bags will arrive around 5:30 PM that night and will be delivered to us…on Monday. It’s Saturday. They see nothing wrong with this logic. We are no longer praising Vueling. In fact no client of mine will ever be flying this airline (not that the national carrier Iberia is a plush option). Anyways, our only option is to linger around Bilbao for the next six hours and get the baggage ourselves. We pick up our car and head to the Guggenheim for a dose of culture.

I’m totally prepared. Besides being a Virgo and obsessively organized, this is my job. I have my brand-new Garmin GPS, pre-loaded Europe software, printed directions from Google Maps, my iPhone GPS and a Michelin map. You see, I’m in charge of navigation. I don’t know how to drive stick, and as the automatic cars were almost 800 Euro more, Andres, thankfully adept and willing, has offered to be the designated driver the entire trip. I put on my acupressure motion-sickness bands (not ideal – the navigatress gets carsick) and get ready to lead us. Certainly we can’t get lost with all this groundwork and technological gadgetry. I am wrong. We barely make it out of the parking garage. Barely into Bilbao proper. We change Garmin voices three times (Australian guy ‘Lee’ is too difficult to understand, British ‘Daniel’ is just annoying) and settle on ‘American English Samantha’. We somehow make it to the

Guggenheim mainly using signs within the city, not the trusty GPS and certainly not the directions (I’m too nauseous to look at the map inset closely). No sooner do we park then Andres realizes he doesn’t know how to put the car in reverse. Truly. It won’t slide into gear. I’m calling the concierge to cancel our wine tasting that afternoon, ever conscious of the ridiculous AT&T charges I’m incurring, and Andres is flagging down strangers, one of which gets in the vehicle and shows us how to put it in reverse (FYI: push down first). We feel oddly triumphant…our first hurdle! Surpassed!

Bilbao is a pretty city on the Nervión River traversed by a graceful bridge designed by architect Santiago Calatrava and capped by the masterpiece Guggenheim museum by the venerable Frank Gehry. A pool of water surrounds the dramatic undulating sculptural façade of titanium and steel and the back entrance is ‘guarded’ by a Louise Bourgeois Spider, a larger version than that formerly by the Ferry Building in San Francisco.

Inside, the monumental Richard Serra rolled-steel environments are serene and enveloping, and the Cai Guo-Qiang installation in the entry consisting of real cars pierced by light tubes and suspended from floor to ceiling is visually dazzling. But by far the most arresting exhibit, also by Qiang, features dozens of life-size clay figures of peasants in various poses, all paying tribute to their feudal lord. Influenced by Mao Zedong’s Red China during the Cultural Revolution of 1966-76, these sculptures, frozen in various poses are haunting, literally crumbling before our eyes as the clay disintegrates throughout the exhibit’s duration.

Outside children dance around playfully timed fountains and visitors admire Puppy by Jeff Koons, a gigantic floral sculpture of a West Highland terrier. Since we have many hours to kill, we enjoy a picnic and a nap in the sun on the lawn of the museum. Returning to the car, we note an almost-flat front tire. After numerous attempts to find a gas station via Garmin, we drive back to the airport, fingers crossed for no blowout, and retrieve our baggage and exchange the car. Another hurdle – bravo! Again we’re off, onto the Rioja wine region, much later than expected but still in high spirits. Even when we get lost. Again.

I could chronicle every driving conundrum, but there are many. Once we learned to manage Samantha, the Garmin was essentially a lifesaver. I do not recommend renting one while traveling for any extended period, as they are so inexpensive now the cost of leasing from a car agency is nearly the same as buying. Plus you generally can’t reserve one if you pickup and return the car to different locations. GPS systems have come so far from the early days (I recall no satellite reception in France in 2005, heck no reception in Manhattan once in 2006) and I cannot recommend them more highly. And while I’ve only used Garmins, I have heard from experienced GPS users (not just the teenager working at Best Buy) that Garmin is the best brand.

I should also add, Andres’ extreme driving skills, enviable patience and omnipresent sense of humor ensured we never bickered (about directions) and made it to where we needed to be. All with only a rudimentary knowledge of Spanish for the both of us. Well done…

The Syrah grape is incredibly adaptable thanks to its hardy nature, its resistance to diseases and its ability to produce well under different climates.

Historically there are two theories about the origins of this noble grape variety; the most popular version traces it back to the Middle East to one of the earliest wine producing regions recorded in history, the city of Shiraz in Iran. Shiraz = Syrah!!

What is well documented is that the Syrah grape already flourished in the Rhone Valley of France before the Roman days, but how it got there is also left to a lot of speculation.

The propagation of the grape to America and Australia is easier to track, since records have been well kept by wine aficionados of our times. But no matter where it is grown, Syrah is bound to impress with its exotic aromas, bold flavors and powerful structure.

The power of these wines is not to be underestimated as they can easily overwhelm lighter dishes, but they will absolutely enhance the flavors of dishes prepared with olives, rosemary and thyme.

The very best pairings for them are meat dishes, especially game.

To this day, it is hard to find wines with the complexity and intensity of the wines produced in the Northern slopes of the Rhone River Valley anywhere else in the world.

The most famous Northern Rhône appellation producing limited quantities of seriously long-lived wines is Hermitage, an area the size of a large Bordeaux estate, just to put it into perspective.

Hermitage was one of France’s most famous wines in the 18th and 19th centuries when the name alone brought in higher prices than any wine except first growth Bordeaux. (Some Bordeaux wines were strengthened by the addition of some Hermitage until the mid 19th century). Hermitage is a hill of heat retaining granite and a steep southern exposure.

Other famous areas in the Rhone Valley dedicated to Syrah include Cote Rotie, Crozes-Hermitage, Saint-Joseph and Cornas.

When tasting Northern Rhone’s red wines, one will be fascinated by the array of exotic aromas they possess; from violets to smoked meats, from spiced plums to tar and bacon fat, from bitter greens to the famous rusticity of “barnyard” (from Brettanomyces yeast).

By the early 1800s a few cuttings of Syrah proved to be well suited to the Australian climate, when it flourished in the Sydney Botanical Gardens. A few years later Shiraz could be found in the Hunter Valley due to its geographical proximity to Sydney, and later on in the areas surrounding the city of Adelaide, especially in the Barossa Valley.

In France, Syrah can be recognized by its peppery and meaty aromas, high acidity and firm structure; however Australia completely disregarded this parameter and produced the flashiest and juiciest wines ever made from this grape variety. Stylistic variations can be found depending of the specific climate where it grows. Believe it or not, Australia has cool-climate wine growing regions such as Victoria and Margaret River.

When planted in California in the late 1980s by a loosely affiliate group of California producers named “The Rhone Rangers”, Syrah found a new home and a legion of wine-drinkers craving something other than the usual Cabernet and Chardonnay widely produced here. These growers made sure not to use the often confused Petite Sirah when blending. Their choice of grapes used to soften the power of Syrah were: Grenache and Mourvedre (Mataro).

Petite Sirah was later discovered by DNA testing to be unrelated to Syrah. Some even suggested that the name was actually applied to a mixture of grapes in the same vineyard producing dark and robust wines, and not to a single grape variety.

[Photo from istockphoto.com]

After avoiding any bicycle calamities until the very end (Andres flipped off during a curb-jump attempt in front of the Dylan), we are on our way to the airport for our evening flight to Barcelona. We fly Vueling, a quasi-Spanish JetBlue, and have a terrific experience on this cool and comfortable airline, including the in-flight magazine sponsored by Pacha nightclub, located on the island of Ibiza.

We land late and are famished. After dropping our bags at the Grand Hotel Central (boutique hotel, only one with a pool in or near Barri Gotic and El Born) and head to the only restaurant open at 2:00 AM on a Thursday night – what can only be described as a Spanish Denny’s. Despite the cigarette smoke and lingering grease smell, we have a pretty decent meal and bottle of Rioja, feeling like we’re truly on vacation.

The next day we meet up with my friend, Pablo, who’s been living with his wife and three kids in Barcelona since 2006. A veteran of the San Francisco restaurant industry (he co-owned Thirsty Bear in SOMA and then opened Pinxto’s in the Mission), he and Emma moved back to Spain and started an apartment rental agency, which is now booming, with offices spread throughout Spain as well as Buenos Aires and Lisbon. Pablo takes us to his ultimate tapas bar, Paco Meralgo. This unassuming joint in Eixample serves some of the finest food we have the entire trip.

The beef carpaccio on thin wafers of toasted bread is divine, as are the baby clams and croqueteas, lightly fried dumplings of whipped potato, cheese and ham. Paired with a bottle of Muga Blanco, this is an ideal entry into the gastronomy of Spain.

We whirl around town like locals, stopping at Pablo’s favorite wine shop for some samples of the latest and greatest, then stop in on his choice bar in El Born where we sip rosé al fresco in front of the church of Santa Maria del Mar. We run into more old friends from San Francisco who have since moved to Barcelona, including Robby who owns two popular restaurants. We relax at his latest, La Luna, with vaulted stone ceilings and sexy vibe and drink Veuve ‘til the wee hours (he scorns cava). It is a devine time. The rest of the details are hazy, but suffice it to say we are back at the hotel and packing at 4:00 AM, dreading our 7:00 AM departure. We are now officially on Spain time, eating late, drinking even later and looking forward to our next siesta.

Amsterdam is lovely. Overlook the red-light district, seedy hash bars, sex shops and tourist restaurants and you’ll see the gorgeous meandering canals, picturesque bridges, stunning 17^th century homes, tulips and hundreds of folks going about their day on bicycle. First, I must describe the Dylan Hotel on Keizersgracht canal. Founded in 1612, this gorgeous building was originally a theatre, then a Catholic poorhouse, then a bakery. The black-painted brick exterior welcomes you into to a wood-paneled lounge with fireplace, chic little bar and beautiful courtyard. Breakfast is served in the converted bakery kitchen; the industrial ovens still line the brick sidewalls. It’s elegant, sexy and hip while still retaining a classic style and warmth.

There are six different room types based on color scheme, décor and location: Loft and Kimono are in the newer wing, most with canal views; Klassbols, La Carmona, Manhattan and Garden rooms are in the main house and face the courtyard. We stayed in a large, sunny, white-on-beige Loft room on the top floor featuring a flawless view over the canal. We avail ourselves of the huge bathtub and Moulton Brown amenities, incredibly appreciated, as we have no luggage hence toiletries of our own. Our bags arrive hours earlier than planned (hooray United!), and conveniently right after our nap. We skedaddle off to explore, take photos and get some food. Trip is splendid so far.

One of my favorite things to do is visit hotels. I love hotels. I love staying in them, having drinks at their bars, dining in restaurants, relaxing in lounges, using the facilities (I know all the best hotel bathrooms in Manhattan from The Pierre at Central Park to The Greenwich in Tribeca) and performing site inspections. Sometimes I arrange appointments in advance, many times I just drop in, guerrilla-style. I opted for the latter in Amsterdam. I haven’t been to the city in three years and some new properties have opened, others recently renovated (sadly others in need of). Day two we take our bikes out and spin to all the best hotels in the city. The Amstel, the grande dame, is still exquisite and ornate with Delft ceramics, still-life paintings, toile wallpaper, and the Riverside: a sun-filled lounge where you can enjoy high tea. Built in 1867 by a famous doctor as a well-appointed mansion where his patients could convalesce, everything was created so extravagantly that he ran out of money and the two other proposed wings were never made.  Unfortunately the location isn’t ideal as it’s a bit of a hike to get to any desirable area and the ongoing construction makes walking (and biking) a slightly harrowing experience. The other hotels visited were sub-par and therefore I will not recommend them to clients or readers.

We spend most our time in the Jordaan neighborhood, just Northwest of the Dylan. It’s filled with sharp boutiques, wine bars, cute restaurants and gourmet markets. It’s a real local area and we note there are no tourists, and blissfully no coffee shops or falafel vendors. One adorable restaurant we visited is La Oliva, a tapas spot with an impressive wine list. After a bottle of white we decide to get gourmet deli sandwiches and eat alongside a quiet canal, watching boats and ducks go past.

We didn’t get to any museums on this visit, the Anne Frank House, Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh museums are all musts for first-timers (or old-timers) to Amsterdam. The city is infused with the spirit of Rembrandt; one can imagine top-hatted men in black sporting moustaches and neck ruffles, walking along the canals, and some of the most famous Van Gogh paintings are found in this city.