Enough Already! It’s Time to Plan a “Masterful” Wine Journey
My husband and I have become weary of this past year’s stay at home lifestyle. Two of the casualties of this time have been our wine cellar, and our waistlines. Perhaps you feel the same? It’s time to start planning your escape….and an opportunity to restock the cellar.
Christopher Cree began his career in the wine trade in 1979 when he took a year off from his studies to travel through various wine regions. One year became many and since then he has worked in virtually every facet of the wine trade including retail, wholesale, import, restaurant, and as an educator. Chris is New Jersey’s only Master of Wine, and one of only 53 MWs in the country.
Recently Chris, after years of planning, founded The Cree Wine Company. His goal is to offer wine lovers of all types a better way to experience, taste, and purchase wine. Inspired by Chris’s many visits to wine regions around the world, tasting and learning along the way, the Cree Wine Company aims to recreate those experiences in a casual setting where guests can expand their knowledge and appreciation of wine, all while having fun and enjoying a glass (or two!).
I have had the pleasure of becoming great friends with both Chris and his wife Kathy. We first met at a parents’ event at Delbarton School, when our boys were still “underfoot”. Our love of wine, travel, and particularly having fun brought us together. When you have the opportunity to drink wine with Chris, you are instantly taken in with his wine knowledge. You are also entranced by his stories. Each wine that he opens has a wonderful narrative behind the label, and this is what makes the experience of wine tasting and hanging out with Chris priceless.
Yes, we cannot go to Burgundy yet-but it’s never too late to start planning ahead. Chris and I have sat down a few times and discussed blending our specialties into a wine travel journey that would provide a small group with access to vineyards and vintners that are not usually accessible to the typical tour companies. Chris’s relationships, built over many years of being in the wine business would open these “cellar doors”. Our aim is to provide a relaxed trip that will educate the traveler, allow for ease of purchasing these hard to obtain regional wines, and of course involve drinking, eating, immersive culture, and most importantly, having fun.
Our suggested region to begin is Burgundy, France, which just happens to be Chris’s favorite, as well as mine! We are hopeful to take a couple of groups over in May, 2022. The journey, in addition to the wine experience, will feature excellent hotel options in Beaune, wonderful tour guides, drivers, and chefs who will assist in making each journey tailored to the small group.
So, open up a bottle of Domaine Denis Mortet Marsanny Les Longeroies (one of Cree Wine Co’s offerings), start dreaming of Beaune, Mersault, Cluny…. Before you know, it will be next year and you will be wandering the vineyards of Burgundy, with your closest friends…..and the Crees and McLaughlins, of course.
If you want to know more about our plans, or if you want to sign on your group….click on the “Let’s Plan a Trip” link on the top menu and reach out!
