Welcome to Vino Vagabonds!
Us in El Yunque Rain Forest
We are Jeff Didra and Brittany Asseff; two wine and travel-seeking twenty-somethings who have made it our mission to swirl, sniff, sip and devour our way through as many wine regions in the world as we can.
In 2009 we left the desert sunsets of Tucson, Arizona for the bountiful vines of Napa Valley. We were fortunate to land amazing jobs working with wine in Napa, but after two years we discovered that the same yearning for knowledge and adventure that drew us to California, was pulling us yet again into the wider world of wine and travel.
With that, we decided to combine our love for wine and food with our desire for open-ended travel and embark on a self-proclaimed, world-wide ”Masters program in wine, food and cultures in the grape-growing world.” Why not right?!
Our goal is to travel as long as our glasses are half full and to make a living writing about, photographing and working directly in the wine industry. We want to learn how locals drink their wine, prepare their favorite meals and what role it all plays in their daily lives.
This blog is to document everything as we see, smell and taste it. We hope to encourage others to join us on this journey and discover each place through the wines, recipes and experiences in these pages.
About Jeff
Jeff
Jeff is a self-proclaimed optimist. He tries to see the beauty in all things and positively affect everyone he meets. He is happiest when he is active outdoors, laughing with his friends, discovering new music for his iPod, meeting new people, cooking and of course, drinking a delicious glass of wine.
Jeff’s love affair with wine started while bartending in college. He was able to taste a 1976 Chateau Lafite-Rothschild, and it quite literally changed his life. This was more than just grape juice, it was the earth and smell of Bordeaux; it was 1970′s France in a bottle.
Amazed at how a wine could instantly transport him to vineyards around the world where the grapes were grown, he earned his Sommelier Certification and proceeded to travel the world through each new glass he tried.
It wasn’t until after graduation, that he was able to take his passion abroad and travel to Europe with a backpack and wine key. All the new foods, wines, beers, faces and sights hooked him and he became a life-long traveler.
A few years later, he met Brittany, a travel junkie herself, and his passion for wine soon rubbed off on her. Through Vino Vagabonds, Jeff fulfills both his passions and hopes to share his excitement and knowledge of wine with anyone in need of a Wine Guy.
About Brittany
Brittany
Taking her first trip to Mexico at the ripe-old age of 18, Brittany was hooked on travel (and the Spanish language) from the moment her feet hit the sandy beaches of Puerto Vallarta.
During college she studied Journalism and Spanish and traveled every opportunity she had. She spent holidays in the Cayman Islands, Italy, The British Virgin Islands and fully realized her travel bug after a full month in Puerto Rico.
It wasn’t until she met Jeff though, that she realized her passion for wine. He took her through the world bottle by bottle, and like traveling, it became a life-long passion. As she says, “travel and wine may as well be synonyms.”
Wherever she goes, she can be found running around a nearby park, lying in the sun with a glass of Sauv Blanc or bubbly or with her head buried in the latest Budget Traveler or period novel.
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Lyndsi
October 9, 2011 at 6:01 PM (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Wow! I just started to browse your site tonight and I know I am going to love it. I consider myself a wino but, in reality, I know nothing about wine. I just know I love to sip it and enjoy it with friends! It looks like I’ll be able to learn a thing or two from you guys!
Brittany
October 10, 2011 at 9:24 AM (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Hi Lyndsi!
We’ll keep you updated on some of our favorite finds and hopefully you can check them out and keep learning! Cheers!
Thank you so much and were so glad you enjoy our site! Honestly knowing what you like and what you dont is more than half the battle
Gerard ~ GQ trippin
September 27, 2011 at 10:05 AM (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Love the niche your site serves here. One of my old bosses loved to travel to France just for their champagne alone. Have you visited any wineries in New Zealand yet?
Brittany
September 28, 2011 at 2:37 PM (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Hi Gerard! Im so glad you enjoy our site
We havent made it to New Zealand yet, but its definitely on our list! Any specific suggestions?
Dave
June 3, 2011 at 6:22 PM (UTC -7) Link to this comment
You’ve combined 2 of my passions, travel and wine – cool! I’m involved in a 10 year project in Napa and I’ve run my travel site since 96′ – Which winery(s) did you work at when you lived in Napa ?
~ Dave
Brittany
June 4, 2011 at 12:09 AM (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Hi Dave!
I don’t think it gets much better than wine and travel huh! I really love the idea behind Napa Wine Project. Its one of the most comprehensive guides and info resources for Napa wineries I’ve seen yet.
I worked at Conn Creek Winery and then moved into marketing for Chatterbox Wine Marketing. At Chtterbox I worked on campaigns for many different wineries (Darioush, Chateau Montelena, etc). I read your write up about Conn Creek, wasn’t the blending experience fun?! Jeff worked for Acme Fine Wines in St. Helena and represented about 180 different brands. I think it’s hands down one of the coolest places in Napa!
We’ll defintiely be keeping up with your tastings and travel blog…would you be interested in exchanging links?
Cheers,
Britt and Jeff
Lachlan
April 22, 2011 at 2:24 PM (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Hey guys, great idea for a blog (any excuse hey?)! We love wine too
Great to connect…
Brittany
April 23, 2011 at 3:49 AM (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Thanks! We figured why not combine our two favorite things: wine & travel and see what happens…so far, so good!
We hope to make it to South Africa to check out the wines coming out of there…any suggestions??
KellyandWei
April 4, 2011 at 11:19 PM (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Hello,
Our names are Kelly Bennett and Wei Jia and we founded the international travel website for girls called http://www.girlsgotravel.com. The website is sharing travel articles, female entrepreneurs, and specializing in Chinese and American relations. We feature interviews with female businesses, travel bloggers, and various entities that support enterprise and travel. We would like to invite you to a Q & A via email to be posted on the website. It would be a great honor to have you apart of our project. Please let us know if you are interested.
–
See you there!
Girls Go Travel Team
GirlsGoTravel.com
Brittany
April 5, 2011 at 1:43 PM (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Hi Kelly and Wei,
Thanks so much for checking out our travels! I think the whole premise of your website is amazing and I love that you spotlight strong women from all over the world.
I would be honored to do a Q and A with you and can’t wait to be a part of your project!
janet
January 13, 2011 at 8:39 AM (UTC -7) Link to this comment
you two could not have found better partners in life SALUD
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September 16, 2011 at 10:19 AM (UTC -7) Link to this comment
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December 12, 2010 at 10:44 AM (UTC -7) Link to this comment
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