Join us March 15-18, 2012 for the First Annual Cancun-Riviera Maya Wine & Food Festival. Alternating yearly between Cancun and the Riviera Maya, we will delight our guests on two great beach and resort destinations.

The Cancun-Riviera Maya Wine & Food Festival 2012 will hold over 30 innovative events for lovers of wine, food, music and culture in Cancun:

Celebrity Chef and Winemaker Dinners
Including two tributes dinners:
One to Mexico, designated by UNESCO as “Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity”
The other to world-celebrated chef Ferran Adrià
Luxury Catamaran Cruise and Private Beach Club Dinner
Join Master Mixologist Junior Merino on a luxurious catamaran cruise followed by a private beach club dinner lunch

Exclusive 90+ Wines and Spirits Tastings
The best wines and spirits from Spain, USA, Mexico, Argentina, and Chile

Exciting Cooking Demonstrations
Given by celebrity chefs from Canada, the USA, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Peru

American Express Gourmet Tasting Village
Walk through our Village and taste signature dishes from some of the best restaurant Chefs, paired with wines and spirits. Delight your palate with gourmet company products including coffees, ice creams, chocolates and more…
Closing Latin Grill Fiesta
Meet the best Argentinian & Brazilian Grill Chefs “Parrilladas” and enjoy a fiesta featuring surprise entertainment and fireworks.

Cancun After-Dark Parties
Sample the best tequilas, vodkas, martinis, tapas and sinful desserts; all while moving to the rhythms created by a top DJ, to take you late into the night

To enhance your personal experience, we are limiting the number of participants at each event, facilitating interaction between guests and celebrity chefs.

Combine the Cancun-Riviera Maya Wine & Food Festival with a travel destination that no other festival can match: World class beaches, awesome Mayan sites, Spanish haciendas and colonial villages, magical underground pools “cenotes”, snorkeling or diving at the world’s second largest barrier reef, high seas fishing, ecological parks and pristine islands, fun adventure tours for all ages, an easily accessible airport, and a wide variety of hotels for all budgets.

The Festival is committed to giving back to our community. The beneficiary for year one is the Ciudad de la Alegria – The City of Joy. We will be supporting its goal to empower disadvantaged children, victims of violence and care for the elderly.

http://www.crmfest.com/

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submitted by: John Lamkin Travel Journalist & Photographer Board Member & Global Membership Chair of the International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association and member of NATJA, ISTW & ITWA
His blog: http://food-wine-travel-writing-gear.com/
His website: http://TravelWritingAndPhotography.com

Love’s Commitment in Wine Country

Authentic Central California weddings at Pomar Junction Vineyard & Winery

(Templeton, CA) Authentic, picturesque, and ideally located, Pomar Junction Vineyard & Winery is the ultimate venue for a genuine Central Coast destination wedding.

Nestled among rolling hills on a 100-acre sustainably-farmed vineyard and olive grove in Templeton, Pomar Junction is a family owned and operated winery that prides itself on hosting magical weddings with a touch of country.

“Pomar Junction is different from your typical Central Coast wedding venue,” says General Manager Matt Merrill. “The property is remote yet accessible, so there’s a true sense of getting away from it all.  Also, we are an estate winery, so bridal couples can plan their ceremony anywhere on the vineyard that they choose, whether that’s on the hill overlooking the vines at sunset or under the giant oak tree by the tasting room.”

One of the most popular options for weddings at Pomar Junction Winery is tractor-pulled gondola rides for guests throughout the vineyard, especially in the summer or fall, when the vines are at their colorful peak.  For the reception, couples often choose to celebrate on the property’s central lawn.  The grand oak tree can be decorated with hanging lanterns or candles for an evening wedding, and a stage is available for the wedding party, DJ, or a live band.  A dance floor can also be constructed for dancing the night away with family and friends.

Bridal couples have the freedom to select the caterer of their choice to use the full-service Pomar Junction kitchen, located in the estate house where the wedding party can dress, relax, and prepare for the big day.  The kitchen or the large oak-pit barbecue also make for an uncomplicated rehearsal dinner on the estate, amid the vines and under the stars.

While Pomar Junction doesn’t provide set-up, they can suggest local caterers, rental shops for tents, chairs, linens, and the like.  The maximum recommended number of guests for a Pomar Junction wedding is between 200 and 250 people.  The cost for use of the venue is $2,500.

Lodging options are plentiful in Templeton, including several bed and breakfasts just a stone’s throw from Pomar Junction.  Less than a mile away lies the Hidden Hills Bed & Breakfast (www.HiddenHillsBB.com), which offers luxurious comfort, a gourmet house-made breakfast, a wrap-around veranda overlooking a peaceful swimming pool, and arrangements for wine tours and private tastings across Central Coast wine country.  Also nearby are the Carriage Vineyards Inn (www.CarriageVineyards.com), and the Bike Lane Inn (www.BikeLaneInn.com) which hosts bike tours to regional wineries.

Owned and operated by the Merrill Family in the Paso Robles AVA, Pomar Junction Vineyard & Winery highlights a legacy of eight generations of Central Coast farming through deeply characterful estate wines.  With a rich heritage of sustainable practices in the vineyard and minimal intervention in the cellar, Pomar Junction guides estate fruit from vine to glass with a narrow focus on purity of flavor and varietal integrity.  The winery name refers to the Merrill Family’s concurrent lineage of railroad engineers as well as to bygone days when the Southern Pacific Railroad was responsible for the development of the picturesque Central Coast.  For more information about Pomar Junction Vineyard & Winery, call (805) 238-9944, or visit www.PomarJunction.com.  The Pomar Junction vineyard and tasting room are located at 5036 S. El Pomar Road in Templeton, CA 93465.

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CONTACT:  Chanae E. Rodriguez
Parker Sanpei & Associates
Chanae@ParkerSanpei.com
                        805.543.2288

New “Wine Flights” Means Air Deals to Sonoma Wine Country, Plus Fly Case of Wine Home Free

Wing Your Way to Sonoma Wine Country

Wing Your Way to Sonoma Wine Country

The next time you wing your way to Sonoma Wine Country, fly direct and you can bring a case of wine home with you for free.

Wine Flights, a joint program of Alaska Airlines and Sonoma County Tourism Bureau, offers travelers an opportunity to visit Sonoma County’s famed wine country with airfare, lodging, and wine specials. Fly directly into Santa Rosa via Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport (STS) and be tasting wine within a half-hour of landing.

For a limited time, travelers can save 10 percent on select Alaska Airlines fares for travel to Sonoma County from anywhere Alaska flies (excluding Mexico and Hawaii). Tickets may be purchased through Feb. 6, with travel through June 9, 2012.　 Taxes, fees, and blackout dates apply.

Lodging, wine, and attractions specials are also available. Travelers can stay at a Landmark Vineyards and have a private tasting with a certified sommelier.

Need a longer retreat? Get the fourth night free at Windrose Romantic Cottages, a bed and breakfast-style vacation rental.

Reduce the stress of traveling at Osmosis Day Spa Sanctuary. Alaska Airlines travelers will receive a free Yucca neck wrap when booking a cedar enzyme bath.

Food and wine pairings, wine tastings, dining specials, and golf packages round out the slate. Enter today to win a Sonoma Wine Country getaway, including airfare. Register to win, or find more information, at www.sonomacounty.com/wineflight.

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Sonoma County, located 30 miles from San Francisco, is America’s premier wine, spa and coastal destination, featuring more than 350 wineries, over 100 organic farms, and 55-plus miles of stunning Pacific coast.

For a free visitors guide or information on hotels, wineries, events, spas, attractions, and dining in Sonoma County, visit www.sonomacounty.com or call (800) 576-6662.

submitted by: John Lamkin Travel Journalist & Photographer Board Member & Global Membership Chair of the International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association and member of NATJA, ISTW & ITWA
His blog: http://food-wine-travel-writing-gear.com/
His website: http://TravelWritingAndPhotography.com

Deadline: February 29, 2012

Creative Nonfiction (www.creativenonfiction.org), in association with Tashmadada (www.tashmadada.com), seeks new essays for a special Australia issue. We¹re looking for a variety of perspectives‹from locals, expats, tourists, or anyone else‹and will consider essays of all forms and focuses as long as Australia¹s landscape, people, and/or culture are prominently featured; the stories are true; and submissions are previously unpublished. Essays must be vivid and dramatic. Writing should combine a strong and compelling narrative with a significant element of research or information, and reach for some universal or deeper meaning. We¹re looking for well-written prose, rich with detail and a distinctive voice. Essays must be 4,000 words maximum and submitted by February 29, 2012. All submissions will be judged by Lee Gutkind (USA) and Leah Kaminsky (AUS), and The Writers Conversation is sponsoring two cash prizes: $6,500 (AUD) for Best Essay -and- $2,500 (AUD) for Best Essay by an Australian Writer There will be only two contest winners, but all submissions will be considered by the judges for inclusion in Creative Nonfiction #46: Australia, which will be launched at the 2012 Melbourne Writers Festival (www.mwf.com.au). For this contest, we are accepting electronic submissions only. To submit, visit: www.creativenonfiction.org

submitted by: John Lamkin Travel Journalist & Photographer Board Member & Global Membership Chair of the International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association and member of NATJA, ISTW & ITWA
His blog: http://food-wine-travel-writing-gear.com/
His website: http://TravelWritingAndPhotography.com