Wohoo! Spring break is here and if you miss that feeling of carefree abandon and going on a road trip...then read on my friends. Frankly, I think many of us in our college years were too busy prepp
Continue Reading →About Linda Kissam

Linda Kissam is a professional travel, food, and wine writer based in the winters out of Southern California condo and on a Grand Banks boat in the summers in Seattle, WA. She is the current president of The International Food Wine and Travel Writers Association. She specializes in easy, breezy destination stories sharing her favorite things about the places she visits. As she sips with the winemaker, dines with the chef, or shops with the gift concierge, she dishes out insights on the fabulous, the famous and the unforgettable. Whether riding the rails in Europe, cruising the San Juan or Gulf Islands, cruising on the Douro River, or being pampered at luxurious spas and resort, she is investigating the local buzz to provide her readers with tips on what to buy and what to try.
Linda loves finding and sharing what makes each place she visits so special. Her time spent as a publicist for a well-known wine region taught her it’s the story behind the product and the experience of the place that makes the trip memorable. She never knows if "the story" will end up being based on finding the perfect latté, ordering Pommes Frites with Parsley Butter in a small French bistro, searching for an Internet café in Sicily, or attending a wine seminar aboard a cruise ship. She never travels without a notebook, camera and a great pair of Brighton flats. She has an addiction to personable people, interesting wines, gourmet coffee, fabulous chocolate and spicy foods. Anyone who knows her will tell you that she loves traveling anywhere, by any means, and is somewhat obsessive about jewelry and a good taco.
Linda is now on the road sipping wine, dipping into eternity pools, piloting narrow boats in England, and concentrating on finding the best experiences for her readers. Using fractured French, Spanglish and a good sense of humor she is on the hunt for the perfect cruise, the best winery, the unbelievable purse, the sexiest pair of shoes, a beautiful bangle or two and the best travel experiences possible – be it local in So-Cal, Washington state or thousands of miles away in any direction. Some people find it a crazy lifestyle; she likes to think of it as amazing opportunities.
Articles by Linda Kissam
I like the fact I get to meet a lot of different winemakers. They’re creative types, focused on crafting beautiful wines. They come in all shapes and sizes of course. They’re young, they’re old
Continue Reading →You like wine tasting? Are you up for a little adventure? I bet you love a deal. Can I package all this for you into a rustic vineyard romantic getaway? Yup! Read on.
I know you often
Continue Reading →Hey aficionados ~ as you know wine prices are down, quality is up, and retailers are offering some tremendous buys. I like wines of all kinds. I see great buys often. However…you know you have a
Continue Reading →I really love a bottle of wine that is not only good, but has a story behind it too. That’s why it’s such a treat to introduce you to Gioia Wines and owner/winemaker Teri Love. Gioia is one of t
Continue Reading →It may just be the event planner in me, but I L-O-V-E- anything with a cool theme. So it’s not going to come as a surprise to anyone that I want to introduce you to Continue Reading →
Time moves on, seasons change, and it’s seems inevitable that winemakers will come and go. So it is that David Raffaele, formerly part of the winemaking team at Maurice Car'rie and Van Roekel Vine
Continue Reading →It’s really cool when I get to spend some quality time with a really smart winemaker. Such was the case when I sat down with Etienne Cowper, winemaker for Continue Reading →
With spring in full swing and summertime in our collective sightline, I am pretty sure we’re all chomping at the bit for some time off to relax and renew. Since we still have a few weeks left to go
Continue Reading →Looking for some high seas adventure with a decidedly gourmet food and wine focus? Then check out the Schooner Stephen Taber fo
Continue Reading →I am always on the lookout for unique up-and-coming wine regions that present an interesting story and a 2-7 day destination of food, wine, and fun. For heaven sakes, there must be a wine-life bey
Continue Reading →Did you know there is an award-winning, 2,500 case winery in Laguna Beach, California? I do now, and so should you. Continue Reading →
You‘ve probably heard the term “small lot wines” and took a guess that it refers to wine produced in limited quantities. You would of course be right, but there’s more to it than that. A small lot
Continue Reading →I love Sauvignon Blanc in all its forms, but I especially enjoy the New Zealand style. So when marketing rep Catherine Seda recently sent me a sample of the Continue Reading →
Like most wine regions, there’s always a favorite or more publicized area of a state’s wine region. For Washington State it’s been Eastern Washington. Well…Ok, and fine….but in my quest to find th
Continue Reading →You have to love a wine tasting adventure that is nestled between a national forest and the sparkly Pacific Ocean. A destination that doesn’t get the proper respect it deserves yet continues to st
Continue Reading →I have a tale of two cities to share with you today. This is a tale of a city by the sea and at the same time a city that stretches into gentle foothills and rugged mountains. A city whose reputat
Continue Reading →I have a tale of two cities to share with you. This is a tale of a city by the sea and at the same time a city that stretches into gentle foothills and rugged mountains. A city whose reputation is
Continue Reading →I love visiting emerging wine regions with small lot, family-owned wineries that just don’t seem to get the press they deserve. So it came to be that my friend Ginger and I left fast paced So Cal
Continue Reading →Nova Scotia is so much more than I expected. It’s a delight to the senses, a city that speaks to the soul. I went there to learn about the wines, and came home with a wider appreciation of their d
Continue Reading →Ooh, ooh, ooh how I love discovering underappreciated wine regions. The next best one just might be (it certainly gets my vote) Santa Barbara County’s Santa Rita Hills. Located about 30
Continue Reading →I tend to go on overload when I walk into a wine store if I don’t have a “buy” list. Yes it can be fun to whirl and twirl my way through racks and racks of wine, but in the end I
Continue Reading →There are all types of getaways. The choices are limitless…from big adventure to soft adventure, romantic to family, glamping to camping. The key to getting it right is understan
Continue Reading →So what do you get when you take a handful of diverse people like chefs, photographers, investment bankers, hippies, actors, financiers, studio drummers, brew masters, wine importers, e
Continue Reading →I really like the whole group hug kind of wine tasting experience. Getting together with a group of peers and friends to taste and discuss 6 wines has its special moments of give and take, ed
Continue Reading →I love Spanish wines, so I was delighted when I received several wines from a PR Company representing a variety of wines from the northern region of the Spanish wine DO (Denomination of Origin) Continue Reading →
While in the Czech Republic last week, I kept hearing about a special Czech wine that is only offered in the fall. It’s so popular that it’s the only official wine sold at the Zno
Continue Reading →Well…I am impressed. America’s first wine country not only boasts some solid wines, but also has its very own state grape glass – the Riedal Crystal Norton Wine Glass. Hard
Continue Reading →One of the treats of visiting the Far Out Wineries group in Paso Robles, CA Wine Country is finding that one very sp
Continue Reading →I am finding that coming together with a group of fellow wine buffs is a creative way to really understand wine. A group atmosphere offers the opportunity to share opinions and conclusions, s
Continue Reading →Today’s casino is a rich tapestry of poker, entertainment, food and wine. There’s a seductive aurora that greets you at the door, staying with you until you retrieve your car from
Continue Reading →I love exploring destinations that don’t always get the media attention they deserve. Places that include all the amenities and adventure a traveler could want, but done in a style that
Continue Reading →I receive a ton of email every day; offers for this, suggestions for that, questions on all sorts of topics. So it’s not uncommon for me to face off with my computer each morning fortif
Continue Reading →Looking for a truly unique pre or post-Christmas getaway in a magical setting? Is it innovative cuisine, a romantic hotel, Christmas activities, and amazing Napa Valley premium wines that are on yo
Continue Reading →I am thinking as a confirmed chocoholic there’s not much you can give me that I haven’t had “something like it” before. After all I’ve spent the majority of my life ch
Continue Reading →It feels like Christmas at my house every few weeks or so with new wine shipments arriving for my review. I was especially thrilled to see 4 wines from Dunning Vineyards arrive last month: th
Continue Reading →I never really understood Champagne until I had the really good stuff. Like most people, I tasted wine at weddings, New Year's Eve galas, and retirement parties… but just didn't get what the fuss w
Continue Reading →Meet Janis Denner owner of Pelletiere Estate
I generally meet vintners and winemakers at their place of business. We sip the wine, we talk shop and we walk the vineyards. When an i
Continue Reading →While I have tasted many types of sparkling wines over the years, I have always been fascinated with Cava wines. There is just something about the affordability, quality and versatility of Cava th
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