Back in November (2021) I had the pleasure of having my own, personal foodie “experience”, at the San Antonio Airport. Not every experience needs to be “Big” or planned out. Sometimes you can just walk in to it. As long as you are open to trying new things, a multitude of experiences are waiting for you. The wine today is a particular stand out. Something my mouth won’t soon forget. Would it be this good, if I took it home with me? I don’t know, but would love to find out and share this with my husband.
I am on a work trip to my home town of San Antonio, Texas. A culinary destination in its own right. Sure, I have my usuals. My “must-haves” when I touch down in San Antonio. Bill Miller’s “poor boy” brisket sandwich,
Mexican food (puffy tacos to be exact),
and Blanco BBQ’s Chicken Fried Steak (it’s legendary… and if it isn’t, it should be!).
Today, I am at the Airport on my way back to the East Coast. I had about 3-hours to kill, so I had to make a very tough decision. Mexican food or Vino Volo? Yep, you guessed it, Vino Volo it is! I ordered the “Blockbuster Red” flight. A little pricey but, it had some very promising offerings of Bordeaux style blends. I started with an Opus One, then on to a Brio 2015 Red Blend…but the Cornell Vineyards 2014 Cab Sav was the true stand out here!
First of all, I can not believe that this is a Sonoma wine. My brain just refuses to accept that fact. The complexity, the mouthfeel, the way I can taste the earth and the age of the vines is just transformative. Not that I’m a wine snob or an expert in any way, but wow. Coming off a recent trip to Bordeaux, France this wine takes me back. Which is one of the primary things that connects me to the food and wine experience. It is the ability to be transported back to a memory or to another place with a simple bite or a sip.
Secondly, I am so happy Vino Volo made it through the pandemic shut down. This place is a haven for weary travelers who just want a bit a good jazz “chill” music in the background, fantastic wine options, and a decent food pairing to round out a rigorous travel and work schedule. Today is just an ordinary day in the life of THIS road warrior and I can’t wait to get home!
Growing up in San Antonio, Texas, I can say this airport has been a labor of love to fly in and out of. Don’t get me wrong, it has been AWESOME having an international airport in my backyard…quite literally in my backyard, since I grew up about 5-minutes down the road! But that’s another story. What used to be a small, 2-terminal airport is now a HUGE, multi-terminal behemoth. The one thing this airport has never skimped on is the variety of food choices. Thank goodness Vino Volo landed here too! If you have never been to a Vino Volo, well then… you probably aren’t reading my blog, because you don’t like food and wine…and you don’t even know better! Also, if you actually haven’t been in one of these yet and have about 20-30 minutes to chill, then I definitely recommend stopping in. You can even buy bottles to take home with you. Just don’t try to crack one open on a flight…speaking from personal experience, that is a bad thing!
Also, YES! My husband did get to try to the wine. Most of it made it back!
The Food Guru: Food, Travel, Photography = Life 