Having several interests must be a lot like having more than one kid. You love them all. I certainly feel that way about travel, art and food. Please don't make me choose just one! And truth to tell, good food has always been an important part of Studio Traveler trips. This next year though we're going one better in offering two trips that focus primarily on culinary experiences: the rescheduled Culinary Portland with Terri Maultsby of think.eat.grow and Culinary Rome with Elizabeth Simari, a young, terrifically organized and fun Rome-based food journalist. Every time Elizabeth is in touch to discuss trip options I just get more psyched. She wrote this week after a weekend trip to a vineyard north of Rome. I have asked her permission to share a snippet. Scroll down below the photos, give it a read and see if it doesn't make you crazy--crazy in a good way. Crazy to go, do, eat and drink!

...I am still looking into truffle hunting, Ostia Antica...etc....On Saturday my husband and I visited the Sergio Mottura winery and we spent the whole afternoon with Mottura himself. It was fabulous. He has a great cantina and makes a spumante wine which is an interesting process to learn about and is practically non-existent in this part of Italy. Anyways I think it is a definite must for us...It will be a matter of deciding what we want to do there. The tour and tasting was great, but they also have a dinner paired with something like 6 of their wines which is also supposed to be exquisite. Take a look at the website.... I think that given the close contact to the winemaker himself that this winery provides, we should definitely go there. Not many other places have that kind of up close and personal experience.

ELIZABETH SIMARI

2016 DESTINATIONS ARE LISTED BELOW OR CAN BE SEEN BY CLICKING HERE.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ELIZABETH SIMARI OR WIKI IMAGES