And so it begins…

My intent with this blog is to provide a fairly practical guide to the world of wines and travel.  I’ve been fortunate through my work and vacations to see many beautiful places in this world, and I have a passion for planning trips.  I’ve also found myself immersed in the wonderful world of wines over the years, and love to share not only my wines, but also my experiences with both friends I have, and with friends I have yet to meet.  I hope you all find this blog not only informative, but also worthy of sharing with your friends for them to enjoy, as well.

A little about myself.  My name is Steve Ruegg (pronounced like reeg).  I was born and raised in the small town of Walworth, in Southeastern Wisconsin – in the beautiful Lake Geneva (or Geneva Lake as it is officially called) area.  I’ve also lived in Minnesota (twice), Florida, Northern California, Missouri (both sides of the state), and I now live in Austin, Texas. I’m a die-hard Green Bay Packer fan (and owner), and also a huge St. Louis Cardinals fan.

So… what makes me “qualified” to write a travel and wine blog??? Well, I think I’ve got some great stories and experiences that I can share, that might help someone to decide where to go on that dream vacation, or to help you find some good new wines to try, and places to go wine tasting.  Throughout this blog, I’ll talk about places I’ve been to (U.S., Brazil, much of Europe, Japan, China, South Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Egypt, etc…) in my travels, and wineries I’ve visited, wine tours I’ve taken, and wines that I drink. I hope to give travel tips, talk about types of travel (cruise, drive, trains, and flying), how to plan travel, how to pair wines with food, etc., in as practical a way as I can.  If I like a place or a wine, I’ll say that.  If I don’t like it, I’ll also say that.  I’ll never recommend something I don’t like, but that doesn’t mean that you might not like it.

I hope you’ll feel free to ask questions, suggest topics, (gently) criticize, and most importantly, be supportive.  I always welcome suggestions for new wineries and wines to try, and new places to visit.  Pass this on to your friends, to wineries, etc.

Feel free to leave a comment below, and to subscribe on the left, so you get notified of new posts.

Also, feel free to email me privately at: stevestastingsandtravel@gmail.com.

Lastly… grab a glass of wine, and ENJOY!!!