Articles by traveleatlove

The blogger behind Travel Eat Love, I am a marketing communications professional by day and a lover of all things food, travel, and wine related the rest of the time. I am looking to combine my love of writing and social media with all of my other passions to share great reviews, recipes, and experiences with you!

Add this Rosé to your Summer Wine List

April 28, 2017 in Tasting Room Series, wine by traveleatlove | No comments

While we enjoy rosé year-round in our house and definitely sipped pink wine on our recent California trip, there is something about cracking open that first bottle of rosé when spring finally arrives in Boston.

We marked that occasion with a sample bottle I had recently received from Spanish DO Utiel Requena. More information on this region is at the end of my blog post.

This Aula Bobal Rosado wine is from Bodegas Coviñas and is 100% Bobal. Bobal is a dark-skinned grape that is native to Utiel Requena.

The first thing I loved about this wine was the color, of course. I love all things pink, and the vibrant color of this wine and the pretty label are just lovely additions to a summer dining table. This would be a perfect wine for a wedding or baby shower. I am picturing baskets and baskets of bottles of beautiful pink wine. . .

We opened this wine right after a long walk, and I was glad I had it chilled. It is perfect (at least for me) right out of the fridge, cool and refreshing. This is definitely not a shrinking violet of rosé wines. I would go as far as to say that it is bold and bright, with notes of strawberry and watermelon, not sweet and not super acidic, just really fresh and balanced but also with a richness about it, if that makes any sense. While this is the perfect addition to your summer wine list, it’s a rosé you could easily drink in the winter; it definitely has structure and flavor with a bit of oomph!

It’s also the perfect grilling companion. We had spice and citrus marinated chicken thighs with grilled mushrooms and peppers, and while the wine’s freshness and fruity notes went with the citrus and peppers really well, that bit of boldness it has made it a match for the stronger flavors of the mushrooms and meat. It was the perfect spring dinner!

Utiel and Requena’s winemaking culture prides itself on tradition with over 2700 years of history. Archaeological digs in this region have proven that the production of wine and its commercialization have continued uninterrupted since the beginning of the Iberian age until present day. Bobal is the signature grape of this area. Utiel-Requena includes 9 municipalities where you can find a range of micro-climes that help to make different kinds of wines to express the unique terroir found in the region.

This wine was provided to me as a review sample. All opinions are my own.

Tags: blogging, grilling, rose, Rosé season, rose wine, spring, wine, wine blog, wine lover, wine tasting

A Puerto Rico Getaway

April 25, 2017 in Cocktails, Food, Travel by traveleatlove | 5 comments

Welcome to paradise! We made our now annual visit to Luquillo, Puerto Rico last month, and it was as perfect as we remembered.

Read all about last year’s trip to Puerto Rico here:

Colorful Old San Juan

Luquillo’s Kiosks

Outdoor Adventures in Puerto Rico

Luquillo, Puerto Rico, A Tropical Paradise

We had a shorter amount of time for travel this year, so we decided to stay in Luquillo, with no plans other than sitting on the beach and swimming. The Luquillo Sunrise Beach Inn was a perfect, beachy home base. I didn’t take many photos, but we loved our incredibly clean and comfy room, especially the balcony and the sound of the crashing waves.

Breakfast was free and delicious (coconut cream stuffed French toast!), as was WiFi, and the location really couldn’t be beat for our purposes. The staff was friendly and warm, and the office had beach towels, boogie boards for rent, as well as stuff like beers and snacks for sale. They provided us with a ton of information and recommendations on the area and generally made us feel right at home.

Views on views on views

Despite the comfy-ness of our bed, I slept as poorly as I always do, which meant I got to capture that famous Luquillo sunrise. Just me, the waves, and the rising sun at 5:50 am. . .

Being up early meant I had time to get work done before our day truly started. Try as I might to take days off, I just can’t seem to. It was nice to get out of the way and to mostly have the whole day ahead for relaxing. Luquillo Beach

Our days in Luquillo basically looked like this. We sunbathed (with loads of SPF), drank cheap local beers and fresh coconut water, swam, rode waves on our rented boogie boards, and that’s about it.

Boardriders Luquillo

We spent the rest of our time primarily at Boardriders, which was one of our favorite places on our last trip. Between the great cocktails, delicious food, and stunning views, plus laid back music and a bohemian vibe, Boardriders is right up my alley, and I miss it a ton!

Banana pancakes and a BLT Benedict for brunch, accompanied by just a few passionfruit mimosas. . . We also chowed down on some of the best ribs we’ve ever had, along with tuna bites and multiple tuna poke bowls. Every bite we have eaten in Boardriders has been phenomenal.

poke bowl

We also enjoyed plenty of rum drinks, live music, beautiful sunsets, people-watching in this sleepy seaside community, and of course, the below gorgeousness.

I love Puerto Rico!

We ventured out of our little neighborhood briefly one evening to go to the kiosks, where we had great food and terrible service at Terruno. It was one of our favorites last year, and we actually kind of regretted not going to Boardriders instead!

We didn’t plan on going to El Yunque Rainforest again, but after a few days of a ton of sun, heading into a dense, dark forest was just the thing we needed. We stopped at a beautiful new juice bar, Degree 18, which was near the road to the rainforest, and we hydrated with fresh fruit and veggie smoothies. . . with maybe just a touch of Don Q rum. . .

We absolutely loved this little gem, cats and dog and great music making it a lovely place to spend a sunny Monday morning!

El Yunque was cool and fresh and dim, quenching our sun-baked skin and leaving us once again in awe of its beauty. What a beautiful world we live in!

We had the best time in Luquillo. It’s an easy JetBlue flight from Boston to San Juan, with a 45 minute drive after, all on quick main highways. For us, it’s the perfect place to relax and reconnect, but with all of the activities in the area and some calm beaches, it’s also great for families.

Until next time, Puerto Rico. . . we love you!

Tags: blogger, Food, hotels, island time, Luquillo, Puerto Rico, Travel, travel blog, travel blogger

Sunny Days in San Francisco

April 20, 2017 in Travel by traveleatlove | 3 comments

It’s apparently been raining a whole lot in Northern California this year, which is good, because after years of drought, they most certainly need it! For eight glorious days in March, however, the sun came out and warmed our faces and our souls and made me want to move there all over again.

For the San Francisco portion of our trip, we stayed at the Hotel Zetta, which we completely loved. It was well-situated South of Market Street and offered modern and quirky accommodations that were pristinely clean and comfortable while being really fun to take in.

Hotel Zetta is definitely a place to play, with their play room, bar, graffiti-marked stairwells, and whimsy everywhere, but it was also a place to get work done. I absolutely loved the desk and chair in our room and worked about eight hours a day before exploring. The food and wine was great. (I wrote about my dining experience at The Cavalier here.) Best of all, the hospitality and service were second-to-none. We received such a warm welcome and lovely interactions with staff throughout our stay; this hotel would definitely be top of our list for our next trip to San Francisco.

As you do, I spent most of my time in San Francisco walking all over the city, up and down its famous hills, along the sea, and on the beach.

The Ferry Building is always a must visit, and wine and cocktails at Hog Island Oyster were a nice way to refresh after our flight on our first day.

Hog Island Oyster

On my biggest walking day, I wandered the stunning beauty that is Ocean Beach; seriously don’t miss this expanse of sand and waves if you visit San Francisco. I set some intentions for the year while breathing in salty air, and then set off to explore Golden Gate Park.

You could easily spend days wandering around and experiencing Golden Gate Park; I only had a few hours, but I loved every step.

Golden Gate Park

I started at the Dutch Windmill and made my way to the Bison Paddock and into the Conservatory of Flowers.

The Conservatory, with its greenery and humidity and just that amazing green smell was one of my favorite places in the park.

And when I got to the butterfly room, I think I was more excited than the children there. Butterflies are just pure magic. They were flying and fluttering all over!

From flower-filled meadows to hidden paths, to waterfalls, ponds filled with miniature sailboats, and so much more, Golden Gate Park is such an incredible oasis in the city and a place I will return again and again when we visit San Francisco.

And speaking of places I visit again and again, Pier 39, while incredibly touristy, is a spot I always make a point of getting to; you can’t watch those sea lions without laughing with pure delight. They are adorable and hilarious!

The foggy views of Alcatraz weren’t too bad either!

There is so much to do and see in San Francisco, and plenty of outdoors activities; with the fine weather being outside was an amazing respite from New England winter!

Read all about our recent California travels:

Eating My Way Around San Francisco

The Mendocino Coast

Heritage House Resort

Find all of my travel blog posts, including Sonoma and Napa trips

Tags: California, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, Travel, travel blog

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