🍷 Episode Show Notes

Sip & Tell: Wine, Travel & Connection with Maria “The Wine Blonde” Valetta

Wine doesn’t have to feel intimidating—and this episode proves it. 🍇✈️

In this conversation, Cheryl sits down with Maria Valetta, better known as Maria The Wine Blonde, to talk about wine as a gateway to travel, culture, connection, and unforgettable experiences.

Maria is a certified sommelier, global traveler, Vegas food-and-wine insider, published author, and wine educator known for making wine approachable, fun, and unintimidating. Together, we sip, swirl, and explore how wine can help us slow down, connect more deeply, and quite literally travel the world through a glass.

During the episode, we taste wines from Master the World, a woman-owned company offering curated blind-tasting kits that allow you to explore global wine regions without committing to full bottles—perfect for learning, experimenting, and entertaining at home.

🥂 What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• How to taste wine confidently (look, sniff, swirl, sip—no snobbery required)
• How to tell if a wine is “off” and what to do at a restaurant
• Why dry Riesling deserves a second look
• Common food & wine pairing myths—debunked
• Why sauce matters more than protein when pairing wine
• How to talk to a sommelier without feeling awkward
• Maria’s favorite wine regions around the world
• Underrated wine destinations most travelers overlook
• Why wine is one of the most powerful connectors of people, place, and memory

🌍 Wine Regions Discussed

• Douro Valley, Portugal
• Bordeaux & Saint-Émilion, France
• Rioja & Galicia, Spain
• Piemonte (Barolo & Barbaresco), Italy
• Walla Walla Valley, Washington
• Greece (Assyrtiko & indigenous varietals)
• England (emerging sparkling wine regions)

🍇 Connect with Maria

Follow Maria for wine education, travel inspiration, and effortless entertaining tips:
👉 Instagram: @mariathewineblonde

🧭 Companion Blog: Discover Lesser-Known Wine Regions

Love uncovering places beyond the usual wine routes?
Cheryl’s companion blog dives into lesser-known wine regions around the world—perfect for travelers looking for authentic, uncrowded, experience-driven destinations:
👉 https://nostalgictravelco.com/multigenerational-family-vacation-blog/

✈️ Ready to Plan Your Own Wine or Culinary Adventure?

If this episode has you dreaming of vineyard views, tapas crawls, and immersive food-and-wine travel, Nostalgic Travel would love to help you craft a journey that’s as meaningful as it is delicious.

🍷 Drink what you love.
🌍 Travel with intention.
💬 Share this episode with a fellow wine or travel lover—and don’t forget to subscribe.

Cheers! 🥂

Travel Trends 2026: Asia’s Luxury Boom & the Train Renaissance

Travel isn’t just bouncing back — it’s being rerouted.

In this Travel Trends update, we explore two powerful shifts shaping how people are traveling heading into 2026. Long-haul confidence is returning with a surge in interest across the Asia-Pacific region, while closer to the ground, train travel is stepping into the spotlight as a smarter, more seamless alternative to short-haul flights.

Together, these trends reveal a traveler who values ease, experience, and intention over speed alone.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why Asia-Pacific is now the fastest-growing travel market in the world
• How luxury travel in Asia has grown over 90% since 2022
• Why Asia is redefining modern luxury travel through culture, design, and precision service
• The shift away from traditional Western luxury destinations
• What today’s affluent travelers really want from high-value travel experiences
• Why train travel is replacing short-haul flights across Europe and beyond
• How airlines and rail companies are coordinating instead of competing
• What air + rail partnerships mean for seamless trip planning
• How luxury train travel is shaping a new definition of slow, intentional travel

Why this matters:

These trends aren’t just about where people are going — they’re about how and why they travel. Asia-Pacific is setting the global standard for experience-driven luxury, while trains are reshaping mobility by prioritizing comfort, connectivity, and city-center access. Together, they point to a future where thoughtful planning matters more than ever.

Final takeaway:

The future of travel isn’t air or rail — it’s air and rail.
And luxury isn’t about showing — it’s about feeling.

If one of these trends sparked an idea for your next trip, let’s turn that inspiration into a plan.

👉 Subscribe to Cheryl’s Travel Blueprint for more travel trends, insights, and meaningful travel conversations.
👉 Share this episode with someone who loves staying ahead of where travel is headed.

Thanks for listening — and I’ll see you in the next one.

Custom Travel Is the New Luxury: Inside Avanti Destinations with Gina Bang

What does custom travel really mean—and why is it becoming the new definition of luxury?

In this episode of Cheryl’s Travel Blueprint, Cheryl sits down with Gina Bang, Sales & Marketing Manager at Avanti Destinations, to explore how personalized, immersive travel experiences are reshaping the way we see the world.

With over 22 years at Avanti and more than 40 years of company experience behind her, Gina shares insider insights into how custom itineraries are designed, how travelers can avoid overcrowded destinations, and why meaningful connections—not checklists—are the heart of unforgettable travel.

This conversation is a must-listen for travelers who want to go deeper, travel more intentionally, and create journeys that truly reflect who they are.

✨ What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why custom travel is the new luxury—and what that really means
• How independent travel helps combat overtourism
• The rise of blended trips (study abroad drop-offs, destination weddings, business + leisure, pre/post cruises)
• How Avanti partners with travel advisors behind the scenes
• What makes a destination a good fit for sustainable, immersive travel
• Trending destinations for 2025–2026
• Lesser-known destinations travelers often overlook
• Why meeting people and embracing the unexpected makes travel transformative

🌍 Destinations Discussed

• Europe (Italy, Spain, France, Ireland, UK, Germany, Greece)
• Japan & Thailand
• Australia, New Zealand & Fiji
• Iceland
• Vietnam
• Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, Chile & Argentina
• Singapore

🧭 Key Themes

• Customization over cookie-cutter itineraries
• Sustainability and responsible tourism
• Cultural immersion and authenticity
• Small-group and private travel experiences
• Travel as connection, not consumption

✈️ Notable Takeaways

From Aboriginal cultural partnerships in Australia to food tours that open doors to local life, Gina explains how thoughtful travel design creates deeper understanding and lasting memories.

📌 Resources & Links

• Learn more about Avanti Destinations: https://www.avantidestinations.com
• Interested in planning a custom trip? Reach out to Cheryl for personalized travel planning

🔔 Stay Connected

If you loved this episode, don’t forget to subscribe to Cheryl’s Travel Blueprint for weekly conversations with destination experts, travel insiders, and industry leaders.

Have a destination or travel style you’re curious about?
✨ Cheryl would love to help you bring your travel vision to life.