Page 15 - Boca Club News - January '21

Boca Club News, Page 15
Dining and Travel:

When It’s Time to Travel Again…

One Place You Don’t Want to Miss!

By Alan Serinsky of Bocaire. The other revelation was that the word “rugged” doesn’t lions, birds and, of course, whales will keep your interest
Hungry Al has been the Dining define expedition. Now, expedition travel can be classified both on the ship and off. The cold sterile landscape within
Out columnist for Boca Club as luxury adventures. the channels will mesmerize you as the sun rays cast an
News since our earliest issues, The Beginning. illuminating shine on the brilliant white, snowy glacier.
offering his expert perspective Since we were traveling very far from home, it always This is, visually, simply heaven on earth.
on current food trends, and makes sense to me to see everything I can in a particular As for your time on board, Seabourn and its top-notch
guiding readers through local part of the world. Rather than doing a shorter version (8-12 expedition crew made this adventure seem like “a-walk-in-
restaurant choices. As owner of days) of an Antarctica expedition, we opted to see more of the-park” as they expertly educate and guide you each day
Concierge Travel Consultants for the past five years—now South America. with a very informative lecture.
re-named AWAY Travel—Alan and his staff bring 25 years of The only way to get to Antarctica is by ship, so we The End.
personal travel experience to an exclusive clientele looking needed an itinerary that worked for our travel expectations. We no sooner closed our trip visiting the Falkland Islands
for luxury travel planning. With the current mandated Thankfully, Seabourn, a very small luxury ship line, had when we ran into COVID-19 uncertainty. The good news
slowdown in local restaurant activity, Alan is devoting some the perfect ports of call. Our journey began in Chile and is, no one in Antarctica had the coronavirus, and we all had
of his columns to the subject of Travel. proceeded to Patagonia, and southward to our crossing from been together for two weeks away from other human contact
the mainland to Antarctica. intervention.
My Antarctica Expedition--An Adventure of a Lifetime! With an extended visit to Chile, we were able to visit The bad news was the timing. On March 15th the
Every summer my wife and I make our yearly decision some of the finest wineries to tantalize our lips with great Argentinean government closed its ports to any cruise ship,
as to which international destination we’d like to plan for Malbec and Cabernets. Our private guide whisked us away including our own. Our next plan was to venture to Uruguay
the coming year. The timing is important and the reasons each day treading the countryside as locals, allowing enough and hope for the best. Our arrival the following morning
are good. First, if you’re going on a cruise, especially on time to immerse ourselves into the culture and cuisine of fared no differently. Turned away again; the captain waited
a long one, a good cabin selection is essential. Secondly, this great country. instructions from the States.
there are many logistics and variables that have to be started With enough port stops on the way to our distant Thankfully, someone within Seabourn had the right
early; transportation is a good example. continent, we couldn’t be more content to awaken each connections to our State Department. Argentina was
Since we have been many places via cruise and land, morning to see how the day unfolded. convinced to open its border for us to disembark and head
we wanted something outside the norm. When I suggested The Middle. straight to the airport.
Antarctica “outside,” it took on a whole new meaning. Once we arrived in the city of Ushuaia, the most southern Now that’s some ending!
This is not an easy place to get to. Just the thought city in South America, our vessel was ready to make the Home Sweet Home.
of going on an expedition seemed exciting, yet we were crossing of the Drake Channel. This is considered one of Now that I’ve been home for ten months without
slightly apprehensive. However, the more we researched the roughest seas in the world. OK…don’t let this scare you traveling a mile, the many photos of my Antarctica
our destination the more eager we became about going. off. There’s a saying that you’ll learn once you board the expedition helped me realize what a wonderful world we
There were a few discoveries we hadn’t anticipated. ship. It goes like this: “It could be the Drake shake or the live in. Sure, it’s been a few tough months, but the future is
One is that an expedition trip is not just for the young and Drake lake.” Fortunately, for us it was a lake both coming bright and travel will soon begin again. For us, we wouldn’t
strong. Our adventure was a mix of all age demographics and going. Everyone was prepared regardless, with the hesitate to experience another expedition. Maybe this time
and abilities. Of course, mobility is necessary because there necessary seasickness remedies. the Arctic Circle or the Galapagos.
is some walking on uneven terrain and navigating while Antarctica is a natural wonder to behold. For animal Travel will be huge again soon and I have already started
getting in and out of zodiac boats. lovers, you’ll be in dreamland. The penguins, seals, sea planning on getting away. Maybe you should, too.
Grape Expectations: My New Year’s Resolution

By Ed Wolfarth, who moved to South in the past. Over the past few years, Ed has turned his hobby we’ll ask our server to choose a wine for us. This, too,
Florida after retiring with his wife, of wine collecting into a way of continuing his passion for has its inherent problems. Many wait staff have little wine
Vicki, as Professor of Sports Sciences writing, and has written on the subject for publications. knowledge, or may have “hidden” agendas. But if you are
& Physical Education at both Queens As a self-proclaimed “wine snob,” he has collaborated on willing to step out of your comfort zone and try something
College and Hofstra University. He many wine lists for private clubs and a few restaurants. Ed different, trial and error and self-discovery will lead you
is a nationally ranked senior tennis can be reached at wolfarthe@msn.com to some terrific wines at affordable prices. And that, my
player and long-time USPTA Elite Too often we settle for the comfortable choice: That friends, is our new year’s resolution.
Teaching Professional. Ed has written name brand of wine or that Pinot Grigio has become the Lately, I find myself perusing the on-line wine lists of
many educational and tennis articles default choice of many consumers. Or at a restaurant, restaurants I’m about to attend. Since I don’t know many
of these wines, I do a bit of research to look for value and
interesting wines I need to try.
Archive GAlleries ask our servers since vintage variation is another important
While many wine lists do not include vintages, I always
factor in choosing a wine. I have found some upscale steak
restaurants switching vintages on their expensive Cabs--an
unfortunate restaurant practice. In this instance it helps to
carry a pocket vintage chart. You usually can’t go wrong
Pays higher Prices for fine art - antiques - Jewelry choosing a reliable producer from a good vintage year.

Another consideration is to trust a local wine merchant.
Here in Florida, I found that the personnel at the Wine
• Oil Paintings • sterling silver • antique jewelry Wave in Delray are knowledgeable and extremely helpful.
Recently, Jeremiah recommended a $15 Chianti that would
• Oriental rugs • Objects OF art • MOdern jewelry rival any $40 Brunello, IMHO. Since then, I’ve tried many
• Fine Furniture • sculPtures • watches of their staff’s recommendations and have never been
• POrcelain • clOcks • cOstuMe jewelry disappointed.
Allow me to suggest a few wines, producers and vintages
you need to try next time you are imbibing. Remember, this
we also Purchase anything decorative or collectible is your New Year’s resolution!
New Zealand wines. Most of us know about their

Sauvignon Blancs. In the early 1960s, Cloudy Bay put
• servicing • in FlOrida New Zealand on the world’s wine map. Now there are
dozens of excellent producers, including Dog Point, Villa
• snOwbirds • new yOrk Maria, Starborough and, most notably, the ubiquitous Kim
• new jersey Crawford, that give you that distinctive “grapefruit” taste.
Besides the above mentioned, New Zealand is home
to some excellent Pinot Noirs. While red Burgundies are
call now for a free consultation, no obligation more expensive and often unreliable, and California Pinots
tend to be made in a style that suggests more is better---
more alcohol, more fruit, etc.---I prefer Pinot from either
Oregon or New Zealand. Look for Craggy Range, Amisfield,
cash courteous and Nobilo Icon. Remember the names Otago Valley and
Martinborough.
Payments in home Single vineyard Beaujolais – yes, Beaujolais! Not the

uPon request mr. JosePh 561-498-7536 service nouveau type that comes out every third week of November
Grape Expectations on page 16