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June 16, 2008
Debbie:
Maggie and I don't know how to thank you for your assistance
with the plans this past weekend for the wine trail. Our friends
Chey and Cynthia were both 'over the moon' -- everything from
the accomodations, the driver (Fred is great!), the box lunch
(it was SOOO good!) and getting a chance to visit the Hudson
Valley winerys to savor and taste the various wines (we filled
the car trunk with our purchases!) It was a very memorable
weekend, and we can't thank you enough for your help in making
this a special birthday celebration for them both. The only
disappointment was not getting to meet you on the trail --
but maybe next time!
Thank you again for your help!
Cordially,
Ellyn Petersen
Debbie -
We had a fabulous time! Fred the driver was couldn't have
been nicer. The Carriage House at LeFevre was perfect! It
was lovely to be part of the B&B experience but really
enjoyed the privacy of having our own space (not to mention
the extra room). We met some really sweet people over breakfast
and recommended Exclusive Wine Vacations to all. Breakfast
at LeFevre House is kind of on the rich side so we ended up
having our boxed lunches for dinner!
All in all it was a wonderful weekend. Add me to your mailing
list, we'd love to learn about future trips (especially Italy).
Thanks,
Kathleen - Bronx NY 10/2006
Hi Debbie - It was a great trip. Sorry it has taken me so
long to write but I saved this email knowing I would finally
have time.
The car was spectacular, the hotels were exquisite. We saw
some great stuff. I wanted to tell you one thing though. The
hotel (villa) we had for six nights: When we got there at
8pm the woman gave us a room with one double bed. When I went
in the room and saw it I immediately went down stairs and
said there must be some mistake - we need two beds. She said
she didn't have a room with two beds. It was only after I
insisted that she find something that she asked a hotel employee
to vacate a room with 2 beds so we could have it!
I thought you might want to know that. Once we got our room,
the room and the hotel were beautiful. The hotel in Rome was
also beautiful. Thanks for setting up this great vacation
for us!
Jeanne - Pine Bush NY 8/2006
Hi Debbie,
We really loved Chianti and Carla was wonderful & very
accommodating.
She said that there was no wine tasting for the extra day.
I explained
that we were going to pay for it ourselves, but she had no
knowledge of
this. However, she drove us to Sole e Olena in hopes we could
taste
some wine without an appointment. Not only did they see us
for tasting
and a tour, but we met the owner and Matt had his picture
taken with
him. We cannot speak highly enough about Carla!
Palazzo Leopoldo surpassed our expectations! We were upgraded
to a
Junior Suite and Dad and Jenny were upgrade to a one bedroom
suite. The
breakfast buffet was amazing and the coffee to die for. It
was
wonderful to be able to walk around and had great meals in
several of
the restaurants.
We were disappointed in Montelpiciano and would recommend
Monticiano as
the Brunello is made there. We also did not care for Siena
and thought
San Gimignano was a million times better without the crowds
and better
shops.
I brought our pictures to CVS, but need to pick them up in
addition to
the pictures that Jenny took. I will ask Matt if he can load
them on my
computer to send as the countryside is truly the most beautiful
place in
the world.
Thanks for your help and hope all is well.
Regina - Maryland 6/2/2006
Dear Debbie,
It was a really nice trip. We lucked out with the weather.
The Stirling House was very nice - great recommendation. The
wine tour was also very good. Joanne was extremely pleasant.
Thanks for your help,
Lauren - NY 5/19/2006
Hi Debbie,
Thanks so much for arranging the visits...we didn't realize
you had contacted places that were otherwise closed. We went
to Rivendell first and really liked that one because there
was such an extensive selection of wines to choose from. We
did like the Belvedere's
ambiance, but if we do it again, we'll probably go with the
spa...vince wasn't too fond of the no-shower bath tub the
first night. We were able to switch rooms, but the new one
had a shower with old plumbing. Ate dinner at the Terrapin
the first night which was absolutely fabulous! Then we did
the CIA second night. Thanks again...
cathy and vince - MA 4/26/2006
Hi Debbie,
We had the BEST time on our trip. Everything worked out great.
We were met at the airport in Chile after our plane had been
delayed for over 2 hours, and I was impressed that somebody
was still there to pick us up. The weather in both Chile and
Argentina was perfect, it was about 70-80F in Chile and 90-100F
in Argentina. Our guides in both countries were superb. They
always arrived early and it was really nice to have the same
person the whole time we were in the country. Also, the guides
were very flexible in that we told them that we didn't want
to go to too many large wineries and that we would prefer
going to smaller boutique wineries and they both changed our
itineraries for us so that we could go to the smaller wineries.
All of the food we had was great, it was nice not having to
pay for most of the meals in Argentina, it was as if we ate
for free! And Argentina is so cheap to travel in right now,
its great, Chile is the same as the US so we didn't buy as
much there. The whitewater rafting was great, the horseback
riding was fun and the hike was beautiful. All of the vineyards
we went to were great except that after 15 wineries you know
how to make wine and you just want a brief tour and a tasting
but most places the tour would last almost an hour before
the tasting but that's how they do it, its not like going
to CA or NZ. We brought back some great wines and most of
them you can find here so thats good.
Anyway, it was the best vacation that we have ever taken.
It was so relaxing, not having to worry where we were going
and how to get there, which would have been impossible (there
are no road signs in Chile or Argentina). And having a guide
and a driver with us at all times was awesome, especially
because we didn't speak any Spanish.
Thank you very much for putting this trip together for us,
we will definitely go back and next time we are looking for
a great vacation, we will give you a call.
Thanks,
Jennifer and Mark - MA 1/19/2006
Debbie:
Megan and I had a great weekend. Everything was terrific and
your help was greatly appreciated. Lefevre House is very cool.
I would recommend it for the trendy/city types. The breakfasts
were a bit over the top....asparagus soup for breakfast. The
staff was very nice and helpful as well. They even brought
us a bottle of champagne (credit you deserve as well!).
The spa services were good as well. One of the best massages
I've ever had.
The wine tour was terrific. Fred, our driver, was a great
guy. Knew when to talk and when not to. My only issue with
him was his knowledge of the trail itself. It was evident
he didn't drive it often as we had to make several direction
changes. He did bring us to a terrific winery on the Hudson
Trail (Ben Marl) which we enjoyed the most. The views are
fantastic. I would suggest that a trip incorporate that winery
although I know it is difficult because of its location in
relation to the others. The lunch was great as well.
We will be recommending the trip to our friends as it is a
perfect chance to get away from the hectic city life while
enjoying really good wine in some beautiful country.
Thanks again,
Graham - NY 7/20/2005
We look forward to the opportunity to serve you. 845-485-7221
or 877-485-7221
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