Author: Elaine Schoch

Elaine Schoch is an award-winning travel writer, wine judge, American Wine Specialist and certified by the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET II). At Carpe Travel she shares wine travel destination guides for ALL WINE LOVERS – from novices to experienced pros – to help them plan their wine adventures, arming them with insider tips, must-visit spots, and things to see and do beyond the vines.
I want to be in an Octopuses Garden…at the Monterey Bay Aquarium
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I want to be in an Octopuses Garden…at the Monterey Bay Aquarium

Earlier this month I was invited to visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium to preview the new Tentacles: The Astounding Lives of Octopuses, Squid and Cuttlefish exhibit before it opened to the public. This exhibit is the largest open exhibit of the cephalopod family anywhere in the world AND is the first of its kind. It…

Things to do in Beaumont TX: Gator Country
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Things to do in Beaumont TX: Gator Country

Imagine a teacher looking outside the window at the playground before recess to check the weather and instead of seeing cumulonimbus or cirrus clouds she sees an alligator. A REALLY BIG GATOR. Who’s she gonna call? Gator 911. Yes, it’s not a joke, there really is a Gator 911 and this really happened, or so…

Wine on a Plane: World’s Best In-Flight Wine Lists

Wine on a Plane: World’s Best In-Flight Wine Lists

Did you know airlines are judged on their inflight wine selections? I didn’t but I do love having wine on a plane. Not only are they “judged” on the wine selections but they’re given an award for their list of wine. The annual Business Traveller’s Cellars in the Sky awards, which recognizes the best business and…

A Winemakers Tale: Adam Campbell, Elk Cove Vineyards
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A Winemakers Tale: Adam Campbell, Elk Cove Vineyards

Welcome to this month’s edition of A Winemakers Tale where I feature interviews with winemakers from different wine regions around the world. Seeing as I’m still feeding (or rather sipping) my mild obsession with Oregon wine country I have discovered yet another AMAZING Pinot Noir to grace my dinner table. It seemed only fitting to try and interview its…

A Winemakers Tale: Alexandrine Roy, Winemaker for Phelps Creek Vineyards & Domaine Marc Roy
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A Winemakers Tale: Alexandrine Roy, Winemaker for Phelps Creek Vineyards & Domaine Marc Roy

Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are two of my favorite summer wines. This summer I discovered two new favorites from Phelps Creek Vineyards in the Oregon wine country. I  recently had the privilege to interview its winemaker, Alexandrine Roy who brings a bit of old world to new world winemaking. Alexandrine is a fourth-generation winemaker at Domaine Marc Roy in the village of…

Sometimes a Souvenir Can Be Much More Than Just a Souvenir

Sometimes a Souvenir Can Be Much More Than Just a Souvenir

It wasn’t just any courtroom. It was a Russian courtroom, in Chita, Siberia – The City of Exiles. The famed city in Russia where prominent intellectuals, including the Decembrist and many more were exiled. A “closed city” that foreigners and many Russian citizens weren’t allowed to visit until the collapse of the Soviet Union. I…

Travel Inspiration: The more people who travel, the better the world is
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Travel Inspiration: The more people who travel, the better the world is

My kids teach me a lot. Sometimes I think they teach me more than I will ever be able to teach them…especially when it comes to life. Children don’t filter themselves, their thoughts or what they loudly blurt out in a crowded airplane or elevator. They live life without filters and have this built-in tolerance…

Vacation Unplugged: How to unplug and enjoy your vacation
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Vacation Unplugged: How to unplug and enjoy your vacation

“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.”  If you’re one of the ‘50% of U.S. travelers expected to leave unused vacation days on the table this year’ I’m talking to you. When I was working in an office for someone else and had two weeks of vacation to use, I used it….

Proudest Travel Accomplishment: A scared little girl taught me we can conquer the world
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Proudest Travel Accomplishment: A scared little girl taught me we can conquer the world

I was recently asked what my proudest accomplishment was that I achieved while traveling. I had never really thought about that. My first thought, getting over my fears and just traveling. I mean, that’s pretty big, right? But when I stopped to really think about it there is one instance that has given me the…

Vacation Home Security: New Rules in Today’s Digital World
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Vacation Home Security: New Rules in Today’s Digital World

According to the FBI the summer months of July and August have the highest rates of burglaries, usually about a 10 percent increase over other times of the year. Why? Simple, summer vacation. However, with the increased usage of social medi and sharing our whereabouts all day, every day – including our travel schedules – we…

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Napa Valley: Charles Krug Winery – 150 years in the making

The last of my Mondavi visits this trip to the Napa Valley was to Charles Krug Wineryin St. Helena. There are still more Mondavi family wineries to visit next time though…I had not realized how excited I was to visit Charles Krug Winery until we were driving down the long, olive tree lined driveway to…

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Napa Valley: Opus One

I’m mildly obsessed with Robert Mondavi and his family’s story in the Napa Valley. The Mondavi family really helped shape what the Napa Valley wine industry is today by introducing higher quality wine making equipment and techniques to the area. They also put the Napa Valley on the wine map for the rest of the wine world through strategic…

Golden City Brewery: The second largest brewery in Golden…

Golden City Brewery: The second largest brewery in Golden…

If you’ve been to Golden, Colorado then you have more than likely toured Coors Brewery – or at least seen it – but have you checked out the second largest brewery in Golden? If you haven’t hit Golden City Brewery then you’re missing out.  On Friday and Saturday afternoons the beer garden is crowed with…