In Search of Flavor – Details, episodes & analysis

Episode Timestamps:

01:09 From Academia to Wine Writing

05:55 Evolution of Wine at Food & Wine Magazine

13:19 The Inspiration Behind 'The World in a Wine Glass'

21:08 Understanding Sustainable Wine Terminology

38:13 How He Chose the Wine Producers in ‘The World in a Wine Glass'

42:01 The Human Element & Storytelling in Winemaking

46:42 Exploring Emerging Wine Regions around the world (ie not Italy or France)

59:11 The Future of Wine and Its Challenges

01:02:04 Finding and Enjoying Affordable Quality Wines, some tips!

Resources: 

Get Ray's book, 'The World in a Wine Glass'. 
 

Instagram: 

https://www.instagram.com/rayisle/
 

Websites:

https://www.foodandwine.com/author/ray-isle

https://rayisle.com/

You can learn more about Liz Caskey Culinary & Wine Experiences and the trips we offer in food, wine, culture, design & beyond at www.lizcaskey.com 

You can also sign up for our free weekly newsletter announcing new episodes, wine recommendations, travel intel, and much more. Sign up here: https://lizcaskey.myflodesk.com/ 

In this solo episode, Liz shares about navigating an uncertain life moment and confronting that fear of the unknown. How can travel sharpen these life skills on the road and at home? We dig into that in this episode. Travel provides the ultimate opportunity to get out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself. From immersing yourself in a new culture and language to confronting travel hassles, ‘scary’ adventure activities that awaken bravery, or swallowing your ego to become a student again and learn a new skill, the willingness to be vulnerable and adopt a growth mindset is key. We also discuss how travel sharpens your people skills, makes you more present, and helps you cultivate embracing change and uncertainty when it inevitably comes your way. 

You can learn more about Liz Caskey Culinary & Wine Experiences and the trips we offer in food, wine, culture, design & beyond at www.lizcaskey.com 

You can also sign up for our free weekly newsletter announcing new episodes, wine recommendations, travel intel, and much more. Sign up here: https://lizcaskey.myflodesk.com/ 

Timestamps:

1:17 - Liz’s ‘Three Pillars’ of successful trip planning (for any trip)

3:26 - Coming to visit Napa in different seasons: winter, spring, summer, fall

8:33 - Travel planner hacks on where to base in Napa, the best airports for easy access, and the valley’s unique geography to consider

16:44 - How to structure your trip (& wine tastings) to Napa like a pro

21:24 - Final key strategy to keep in mind for a successful trip

Resources:

Instagram: @lccwe, @lizcaskey77   

Website: www.lizcaskey.com

You can learn more about Liz Caskey Culinary & Wine Experiences and the trips we offer in food, wine, culture, design & beyond at www.lizcaskey.com 

You can also sign up for our free weekly newsletter announcing new episodes, wine recommendations, travel intel, and much more. Sign up here: https://lizcaskey.myflodesk.com/ 

In the show:

-The origins and history of astrology in history and present day

- How astrology's decline during the Inquisition and revival during the Renaissance led to its divide from astronomy.

-How to use astrology as a tool on your life journey through knowing your sign–and even for those in your life like friends, family, and colleagues.

Timestamps for each sign:

- 19:48 Aries (March 21st to April 19th)

- 24:26 Taurus (April 20th to May 20th)

- 26:25 Gemini (May 21st to June 20th)

- 28:08 Cancer (June 21st to July 22nd)

- 30:56 Leo (July 23rd to August 22nd)

- 33:38 Virgo (August 23rd to September 22nd)

- 36:39 Libra (September 23rd to October 22nd)

- 39:49 Scorpio (October 23rd to November 21st)

- 44:37 Sagittarius (November 22nd to December 21st)

- 48:17 Capricorn (December 22nd to January 19th)

- 51:18 Aquarius (January 20th to February 18th)

- 57:47 Pisces (February 19th to March 20th)

- 1:01:47 Importance of Sun, Moon, and Rising Signs in Birth Charts

- A discussion of how to navigate Mercury Retrograde–what it is, isn’t and how to work with the snafus and backwards energy 3x per year

-A short round-up of one of the best places to stargaze in the world–the Atacama Desert! Liz shares a few tips for planning a trip and traveling.

Resources:

Instagram: @tarotbytashi

Website: www.tarotbytashi.com

You can learn more about Liz Caskey Culinary & Wine Experiences and the trips we offer in food, wine, culture, design & beyond at www.lizcaskey.com 

You can also sign up for our free weekly newsletter announcing new episodes, wine recommendations, travel intel, and much more. Sign up here: https://lizcaskey.myflodesk.com/ 

In this episode we cover:

-The wine revolution in Chile and how Rodrigo started exploring the wine in  Burgundy, France

-His definition of terroir and how that relates to growing grapes and winemaking

-The journey and a 10-year search to identify the perfect site to plant his vineyard in the rainy south of Chile–a place where nobody had planted vines before.

-Understanding the climatic conditions in the south and their impact on wine production, and how ultimately these translate into Trapi’s unique wines

-Why Trapi’s wines are vegan, sustainable, and have incredibly low sulfates

-His future plans in the US market and the legacy he hopes to leave the Chilean wine industry

Resources:

Instagram: @trapidelbueno

Order Trapi's wines

You can learn more about Liz Caskey Culinary & Wine Experiences and the trips we offer in food, wine, culture, design & beyond at www.lizcaskey.com 

You can also sign up for our free weekly newsletter announcing new episodes, wine recommendations, travel intel, and much more. Sign up here: https://lizcaskey.myflodesk.com/ 

Nestled at the feet of the towering Andes Mountains with more than 320 days of sunshine each year, Mendoza is a region defined by wine, much the way Bordeaux or Napa is. After all, it’s the world’s fourth largest wine producing region. Mendoza, however, is more than vineyards and wine cellars. It’s a place that feels like a last frontier where the Andes and the intensity of the sun is woven into every expression. With over 150,000 hectares of vineyards and hundreds of wineries, tucked away in the heart of Pedriel in the Lujan de Cuyo district is Cavas Wine Lodge, a Relais & Chateaux property founded by Cecilia Diaz Chuit and her husband Martin Rigal  in 2005. The first luxury ‘wine lodge’ in Mendoza, Cavas came to life through their relentless vision, passion, and persistence. Their presence and personal touch as owners, too, is the secret sauce that makes this property so magical–and sustainable in time. Maybe you have stayed in Cavas, or perhaps it’s on your list to check out, in this interview, Cecilia will take you behind the scenes of Cavas--it's a bit like visiting a hotelier friend in Mendoza. Grab your 'vinito' and let’s go.

In this episode we talk about:

• How Cecilia’s upbringing lead her into travel and a career as a hotelier and entrepreneur
• Mendoza in the early 2000s and how it has grown up as a wine region
• How she and her husband found Cavas stunning location (vineyards! Andes! Minimalist architecture!) and why Argentine wine country geographically looks so different than other wine regions
• What the secret is to really running a successful hotel
• Anecdotes on life in Mendoza, Argentinian culture and love for the “asado”

Resources:

Instagram: @cavaswinelodge

Website: www.cavaswinelodge.com

You can learn more about Liz Caskey Culinary & Wine Experiences and the trips we offer in food, wine, culture, design & beyond at www.lizcaskey.com 

You can also sign up for our free weekly newsletter announcing new episodes, wine recommendations, travel intel, and much more. Sign up here: https://lizcaskey.myflodesk.com/ 

With Caribbean and Pacific coastlines, rain forests, jungles, great valleys and rivers flowing from the Andes Mountains, desert, and fog forests, Colombia is a country with deep regionality and distinct food, culture and customs. As the country exports more and more talent in music, innovation, art, design, fashion, and now food, today we are going to introduce you to a brilliant tastemaker, chef, and food stylist, Mariana Velásquezz, a native of Bogotá. She’s spent the past two decades residing in New York and cooking in restaurant kitchens, food styling, and writing/collaborating  on cookbooks and published her own cookbook called Colombiana, which she says brings it all full circle. Mariana shares why Colombia's culinary philosophy means ‘more is more’ and the inherent joy and generosity present in its cuisine, and culture, which anyone traveling to the region will immediately savor.

In this episode we talk about:

• Mariana’s childhood memories of her grandmothers and the strong women in her family who modeled for her how to ‘dress’ a table.
• How she followed her passion in food abroad, honed her skills and eventually meshed her love of aesthetics into food styling.
• The diversity of Colombian cuisine, understanding its pillars, and how to make Colombian cuisine translatable at home.
• Her cookbook creation journey, the challenge faced when the pandemic hit, and how she pivoted.
• The stories behind the recipes and why she featured whole menus evocative of different regions of the country with hosting tips, suggestions for setting the scene, and playlists.
• Just to whet your appetite: here are a few examples of delicious dishes from Colombiana: empanadas (need we say more)... Cuchuco de Papaya y Camarón Tostado (Spicy Papaya and Charred Shrimp Gazpacho); Lomito de Cerdo al Tamarindo y Menta (Tamarind Pork Tenderloin with Mint). 

Resources:

Instagram: MarianaVelasquezV

Website: www.marianavelasquez.com

Casa Velasquez HostingWare: https://www.casavelasquez.co/

You can learn more about Liz Caskey Culinary & Wine Experiences and the trips we offer in food, wine, culture, design & beyond at www.lizcaskey.com 

You can also sign up for our free weekly newsletter announcing new episodes, wine recommendations, travel intel, and much more. Sign up here: https://lizcaskey.myflodesk.com/ 

• If you are considering traveling to Chile in 2022, it’s a great time to start planning as the country has the most complete and aggressive vaccination in South America (over 85% of the adult population is fully vaccinated and there is now zero cases in Patagonia!). Contact us to plan your trip
• In Episode 22, we talk a little about the possible forecast for travel in South America in 2022, although the pandemic is always a moving target Listen here.

You can learn more about Liz Caskey Culinary & Wine Experiences and the trips we offer in food, wine, culture, design & beyond at www.lizcaskey.com 

You can also sign up for our free weekly newsletter announcing new episodes, wine recommendations, travel intel, and much more. Sign up here: https://lizcaskey.myflodesk.com/ 

If you missed Episode 22 on travel in South America, we highly recommend it. Listen here.

Explore our destinations in South America

Contact us to plan your trip

You can learn more about Liz Caskey Culinary & Wine Experiences and the trips we offer in food, wine, culture, design & beyond at www.lizcaskey.com 

You can also sign up for our free weekly newsletter announcing new episodes, wine recommendations, travel intel, and much more. Sign up here: https://lizcaskey.myflodesk.com/ 

In this episode we talk about: 

• Rodrigo’s background and why a summer job in a restaurant was the beginning of his curiosity about wine.
• The uncanny timing of an unwanted thesis on organic agriculture opened the door to lifelong learning and working with biodynamic agriculture.
• A glimpse into the world of wine in Chile in the early 2000s, and then mid-2010s, as he worked with trailblazers Matetic Vineyards and Veramonte.
• His fascination, and love affair, with California, brought him to LA, then Mendocino, Sonoma, and finally landed him in Napa.
• The importance and influence of key biodynamic mentors in his life like Alvaro Espinoza and Alan York shaped his path.
• His knack for coming into wine projects and transforming them, with biodynamic viticulture, to finer wines.
• Chile & California’s geographical similarities from coastline to weather, and even soil. Culture is another story, though.

Resources:

Matetic Vineyards (Chile)

Benzinger Winery (Napa)

Veramonte Winery (Chile)

Quintessa Winery (Napa)

Follow Rodrigo on Instagram

You can learn more about Liz Caskey Culinary & Wine Experiences and the trips we offer in food, wine, culture, design & beyond at www.lizcaskey.com 

You can also sign up for our free weekly newsletter announcing new episodes, wine recommendations, travel intel, and much more. Sign up here: https://lizcaskey.myflodesk.com/