We have been visiting Burgundy for fifteen years, and although wine has been made here since the first century AD and tradition reigns strong, there is always something new afoot in the original home of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

The Paso Robles AVA (American Viticultural Area) contains over 200 wineries and 26,000 acres of grapevines.

Stimulating endorphins is just as important as resting the body when you're on holiday, and on a recent trip to Jade Mountain on the beautiful island nation of St. Lucia we realized we really can have it all.

Whether you are headed to Napa to check out the "mother ship" of your favorite bottle or to discover a new gem that is mailing list only, it is bound to be a trip full of discoveries.

Visiting the more than 30 wineries in Niagara and Twenty Valley is also a great way to brave the cold.

Burgundy is the birthplace of not just delicious wine and Beef Bourguignon but the grand-pere of all charity wine auctions, The Hospice de Beaune.

At this time of year in the U.S., the sunlight suddenly seems less vibrant, summer fruits give way to root vegetables in farmers markets, and it feels as if the holidays and winter's chill are just around the corner. Don't you wish you could step into a time machine and head back to spring, with the first splash of green and the promise of summer? That's what we've done for the past few winters, while researching our book, "Wines of the Southern Hemisphere," and there really is something special about springtime in the Barossa.

Wine travel is always a voyage of discovery; as much as we like to plan our trips, we sometimes like to ditch the agenda and find out the secrets that a region has to offer. A recent trip to California's Sonoma County gave us everything we have come to expect from wine country: Beautiful vistas of rolling hills covered with grapevines, hand-crafted meals cooked with precision, and glass upon glass of exquisitely made wines.

The high stone medieval walls of this tiny village contain many treasures of their own, such as Entoteca Tognoni, where you can pass an entire afternoon sampling a few glasses of the local wines served with an overfilled board of local salami and prosciutto.