Jun 23
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3 Reasons Why You Should Get Global Entry

By Taste Vacations, Travel Tips One Comment

I live in the suburbs of Chicago where my home airports are O’Hare and Midway… which happen to be some of the worst ranking airports in the country. Lucky me!  As some of you might have seen back in May, here is an example of just how long the lines were for the TSA check point at Midway airport. (Please pardon the expletives, but I’d probably be saying the same thing if I were him!)

Video courtesy of: Sean H.

Fortunately for me though, I applied and received Global Entry last year and have been able to avoid some of the chaos. If you are planning on traveling internationally more than once in the next five years, it’s worth the $100 application fee to reap the benefits of Global Entry status. Here’s why:

    1. Save time and hassle. When you receive Global Entry status, you are automatically given TSA Pre-Check “Trusted Traveler” status as well. This means potentially skipping mile-long lines or hassling with your belt, shoes, and computer to get through security. And that’s not just for international flights, Trusted Traveler status also includes domestic flights so no matter where you are traveling to from the U.S., you have the chance to save yourself some time and frustration. Though you should be aware that having Trusted Traveler status does not automatically let you jump the line every time, but it does significantly improve the odds of being selected for the TSA Pre-Check line.
    2. Get through U.S. Immigration and Customs much faster. As your plane approaches the familiar skies of the United States, you can sit back and relax while your fellow passengers are filling out their blue customs forms.  Then once off your plane, you can skip the processing line and head straight for one of the Global Entry kiosks.  This is where you’ll scan your passport, get your photo taken, scan your fingerprints, and answer a few customs questions via the touch screen of the kiosk. You will get a printed receipt and head to the baggage carousel to pick up your luggage. You then get to skip the next line of people waiting to recheck their luggage by heading to the Global Entry-specific queue, hand them your printed receipt and luggage, show them your passport, and continue on your way.  I can’t tell you what a welcome sight the short Global Entry lines are (if there are even any lines) once you’ve made your third transfer on an overnight flight back to the U.S. from South America.
    3. Get through other countries’ Immigration and Customs faster. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection has partnered with a number of countries to help better facilitate travel for those that are considered “Trusted Travelers.”  Each of the countries listed below has slightly different arrangements so make sure to double check before you go:
    • Australia
    • Canada
    • Germany
    • Mexico
    • Netherlands
    • New Zealand
    • Republic of Korea
    • United Kingdom

To check what the arrangements are for each country, we recommend visiting U.S. Customs and Border Protection website.

 If these benefits appeal to you, you can apply by first visiting the Global Entry website and creating your GOES account. From there, you will be provided instructions on the next steps in the application process.  Take note that you’ll want to do this well in advance of your next international trip as it may take a few months to get your application approved and your interview scheduled, depending on your location.

Jun 17
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How to do a proper tapas crawl

How to Do a Proper Tapas Crawl

By Food, Taste Vacations No Comments

As many people know, tapas are popular Spanish dining style made up of a variety of hot and cold dishes that combine to make a full meal. In Spain, it is not uncommon to gather a group of friends together and go out on a tapas bar crawl, much like a regular bar crawl, where you visit several tapas bars in one night, ordering a different dish and drink at each one.

Taste Vacations’ guide, Jenny Siddall, is a Brit living in the beautiful wine region of Rioja, Spain.  She’s not only an expert in wine, but she can also tell you how to organize your own proper tapas crawl. Check out her tips below:

Stand and eat at the bar. 
The general rule is to have one tapa and one drink and then to move on to the next bar. Tapas is not a seated, comfortable affair but rather a mobile feast!

Be adventurous.
A tapas crawl is a great way to try different wines and tasty morsels, so don’t be timid! It’s a perfect time to try a dish you’ve never had before.

Ask your server what their specialty is. 
Each tapas bar has its own speciality, whether that be Jamón Iberico, wild mushrooms, stuffed peppers, anchovies or seafood.  Some tapas are freshly cooked for you and others are displayed on the bar top.

A good team strategy is essential. 
Nominate someone to be the banker. This person will order and pay while the rest of the team helps pass out the drinks and looks for an open spot a the bar to eat your tapas.  Typically, you will pay after you have finished eating.  How the barman remembers what you have had is the biggest mystery to me! You may want to ask if you can pay right after you’ve ordered to make it simpler and so that you can leave whenever you’ve finished your tapa.

Not only are tapas crawls a great way to try new things, but they are also a fun way to experience the Spanish culture and nightlife. ¡Buen provecho!

Join us on the Spain Food & Wine Tour

 

Jun 07
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Zephyr Introduces New Beer Marketing & Tourism Conference

By Beer, Taste Vacations 2 Comments

Today we at Taste Vacations and Zephyr Adventures announced a brand-new Beer Marketing & Tourism Conference, which will take place March 28-30, 2017 in Asheville, North Carolina.

As you might or might not know, Zephyr has two sides to its business: tours (here at Taste Vacations and with our sister company Zephyr Adventures) and conferences (run by Zephyr Conferences). The BMTC is our seventh and newest conference.

Why does this interest you as a traveler with Taste Vacations? Simply because it reflects our growing connection to the craft beer industry, which will lead to new and better active beer tours in the future.

The BMTC is an industry conference and we think it is timely. Craft beer has been absolutely exploding in the US and now throughout the world. In fact, the growth has been so impressive many breweries simply sell out of their product without doing much marketing.

But there are now over 4,400 breweries in the United States with more coming online every single day. This results in competition – for tap room visitors which are oh so important to small breweries and for shelf space, which is not growing to keep up with beer production. Hence, marketing and tourism are becoming increasingly important.

As the organizer of the conference, we at Zephyr have the great pleasure of interacting with many of these breweries and those connections (and friendships) allow us to provide you with special experiences on our beer tours.

Want to see? Come join our Belgium Beer Tour or, coming soon, a beer tour in Colorado.

May 25
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WHO MAKES IT BEST? A CEVICHE COMPARISON

Who Makes It Best? A Ceviche Comparison

By Food No Comments

The origin of ceviche has been much debated. Though most historians would agree that the seafood salad dish is from Peru, rather than Ecuador, it is unclear how it came about in the land of the Incas. One theory suggests that the Spanish brought it over along with their European citrus fruits like limes. Another theory is that Polynesian travelers brought over their tradition of marinating fish in citrus fruit juices in pre-Columbian times. And yet another suggests that ceviche was invented for a great Incan emperor so that he could still eat fresh fish while living in Cuzco by having it marinated in juices before being carried via relay runners to his throne.

Regardless of where it originated, it has certainly spread throughout Latin America picking up little variations depending on the most popular seafood in the local area and other culinary customs. Each country, of course, claims to have the best ceviche.

Peruvian Ceviche consists of fresh fish placed in Peruvian lemon juice (highly acidic green lemons) for only a few minutes and served with onions, garlic, and Peruvian chillies. It is often served with sweet potato or plantain chips.

Ecuadorian Ceviche is typically made with a tangy tomato sauce with lime and salt and often includes shrimp as the main type of seafood. It is usually served in a bowl with toasted corn kernels or plantain chips.

Costa Rica Ceviche is composed of fresh seafood, bell peppers, onions, vinegar, and lime juice and often includes white sea bass as the main type of seafood.

Mexican Ceviche can be served “wet” or “dry” where the “dry” is just the contents drained of the excess juices. It usually consists mainly of shrimp and tilapia and is typically served with tortilla chips or inside tacos.

There are, of course, other variations of ceviche that can be found just about anywhere fresh fish and seafood are caught directly from the water. Though there is no clear winner as to which country has the best ceviche, we try to make it a habit to taste test this delicious dish whenever we have the chance.

May 16
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How to do a blind wine tasting

How to Do a Proper Blind Wine Tasting

By Wine No Comments

Blind wine tastings can be a fun way to test and hone your ability to determine the varietal, region, vintage and producer by using only your senses. Our expert wine guide, Jenny Siddall, has been studying for her WSET Level 4 diploma and has conducted many a blind wine tasting to help her prepare for her exams. We asked Jenny to share her thought on how to set up a proper blind wine tasting.

“In wine tasting, practice is key and it is possible to improve your tasting technique the more you taste.”

To set up a proper blind tasting for 6 wines, you´ll need to either number your wine glasses from 1 to 6 or alternatively make yourself a numbered place mat using a piece of white paper, draw 6 circles and number them 1 to 6 and place the glasses over the circles. Cover all 6 bottles with a paper bag or aluminium foil to disguise them and number them 1 to 6. Pour a small tasting sample into each glass, pouring the wine number 1 into glass 1 and so on.

It´s fun to pick wines that have some common theme, whether it be grape variety (choose Sauvignon Blancs from different countries), Sparkling wines from different countries (Champagne, Prosecco, Cava, New World Sparkling), or wines with different levels of ageing in oak barrels. Rioja is a perfect candidate for trying this one out! If you’re having a wine tasting party, you can easily ask each of your guests to bring a bottle that follows your selected theme.

There are a few key things to focus on to give you clues about the identity of the wine. Firstly, what color is the wine? And the how intense is that color? Secondly, what type of aromas does it have? There are three types of aromas – primary aromas (from the grape), secondary aromas (from the winemaking), and tertiary aromas (the time the wine spent in a barrel or bottle ageing). The primary aromas are the ones that can help you guess the grape variety. Other clues that can be helpful are to decide if the wine is dry, off-dry, medium dry, medium sweet or sweet. Does it have high / low acidity or high / low alcohol?

It´s a bit like playing detective and piecing the jigsaw pieces together to make up the bigger picture. Many grape varieties have a distinctive hallmark but don´t be disheartened if you don´t guess the correct wine. It really is very difficult. The fun is comparing how wines differ and more importantly finding out which ones you like. The most expensive and oldest wine is not necessarily the best!