Also, a breakdown of who did what and where everything came from!

By Michelle E. Biggerstaff

1. WHERE. Choose your destination. This can be a long-dreamed-of trip to Paris, a relaxing trip to familiar Caribbean beach, or an exotic, up-and-coming locale, like India.

2. WHEN. Select a time that suits your personal schedule or the best time for your destination. For instance, you may choose an off-season date to save money or a certain time of year to enjoy an event, such as a birthday, a museum show or a festival.

3. BUDGET. Know how much you can spend on the trip. If consulting with a travel agent, he or she should be able to get you as much of what you want and stay on-budget. Some pros can even get hidden extras, such as backstage tours at Broadway shows, free meals at your hotel or discounted tickets to historic monuments.

4. REQUIREMENTS. Inquire about the need for passports or visas on your trip. You may not only need such documents, but some places have time requirements for them as well – meaning, you may need to have had a valid passport for six months before traveling, or have at least that long remaining on your passport to be admitted to your destination.

5. PRECAUTIONS. Travel insurance is a must-have for peace of mind. Safety advice varies by location, so check official websites for travel alerts. Know the laws, customs and traditions of your destination to avoid saying or doing the wrong thing. Check on currency exchange rates, if applicable, to budget for spending money. A big pro tip: put luggage tags inside your bags – as well as outside, so if the exterior ones go missing, your bags can still be identified and returned to you.

Local travel agents are a wealth of information and can score a great deal for you! But, if you’re fiercely independent and do-it-yourself is your way, we have some suggestions for you.

• Kayak.com: Looking for the best price on a flight? You’ll want to type kayak.com into your web browser. Why? By plugging in your desired travel time and airport location, you can get prices from every major airline with the exception of Southwest Airlines. (You’ll want to check them out separately at southwest.com. Want a double check to make sure you’re seeing the best deal? You can opt to see pop-up windows that will show you the prices of those other popular discount sites like Expedia, Travelocity, Priceline and more.

• Travelzoo.com: Do you enjoy traveling here, there and everywhere? Sign up for travelzoo.com’s weekly Top 20 enewsletter. In it, you get links to hot hotel and flight savings, cheap entertainment tickets, and even restaurant deals – and it’s all FREE!

• TripAdvisor.com: Apprehensive about trying new accommodations or an eatery? Don’t be. On TripAdvisor.com, everyday travelers like you and I can rate and review spots they visit and even post pictures to accompany their review. You’ll be able to hear – and see – firsthand what others have to say about that hot spot you’re dying to know more about.

Want to do something other than the usual humdrum dinner and a movie or roses and chocolate this Valentine’s Day? Here are some tips on how to show that special someone in your love some love:

For Him

• Signature scent. Spend an afternoon smelling some come-hither colognes; pick a special fragrance for him and let him know how much you love it.

• Mood music. Does he have his go-to artists but never spends money on himself? Pick up a few cds he can pop in his car stereo. It’s sure to put him in a good mood – and to make him think of you each time he tunes in.

• Whip it up. His favorite meal, that is. Spend some time in the kitchen cooking up a dish sure to please his palate. Trick him and tell him to pick you up for an evening out and then unveil your surprise!

For Her

• Pamper package. Pull together her favorite little luxuries – bubble bath, lotions and the like, and present her with a gift she can enjoy even beyond Valentine’s Day.

• Picture it. Frame a photo of the two of you that has special meaning for you both. Or maybe a memento from a special moment you shared together, like a ticket to a baseball game or a program from a Broadway show. She’ll love the gift and that you held on to the keepsake.

• Get away. Plan a trip to visit a new locale. You’ll both enjoy new sights and sounds, and will make new memories together you can treasure for years to come.

Ben Franco, owner of winedown, reviewed the 5 S’s of wine tasting to get us started. They included:

1. See your wine.

2. Swirl. (You should see Ben swirl a glass of wine – totally impressive!)

3. Sniff or smell. (Seriously, get your nose right in there.)

4. Sip. (and feel free to swirl again in your mouth)

5. Savor. (think about what you are experiencing… in my mind, the best part! )

Then the fun began! Here’s the rundown (or what you may have missed out on). Seriously, if they have another class like it, stop what you are doing and call to sign up – it is that good! Just reading the descriptions below is a delight. Just imagine how good it would be to actually taste these items! We tasted six delicious wines and six mouth-watering mini cupcakes. Ahh, memories!

1. Wine: VIURA, MARQUES DE CACERES, SATINELA ‘ 10 (Rioja, Spain)

Cupcake: FRESH CITRUS CUPCAKE WITH ORANGE FLOWER WATER BUTTERCREAM

The wine starting everything off was fun, fresh and fruity. Once paired with the delightful citrus cupcake served, it just got better as you sipped! I especially loved the cupcake’s icing, like “wish I could lick the bowl” love. If I was hosting a bridal or baby shower, this cupcake would be a must-have menu item to serve!

2. Wine: BRACHETTO, ALASIA ’09 (Piemonte Italy)

Cupcake: WILD STRAWBERRY TAHITIAN VANILLA CUPCAKE

The wine, a red sweet wine that reminded me of a rose, was very nice and pretty to look at (remember one of the S’s in wine tasting is ‘See’ the wine). This wine was a beauty with a bit of a perfumed bouquet. It is low in alcohol which is nice because it gives you an opportunity to enjoy it. We learned it would be great with turkey. You’ve heard of Christmas in July – I may need to plan a “Thanksgiving in February” dinner party just to serve this wine. The complementing strawberry cupcake screamed fresh, like “you forgot there is snow on the ground fresh.” The center of the cupcake was filled with fresh strawberries that were reduced with a wine and jam glaze. A crowd pleaser!

3. Wine: MERLOT, BOMMARITO, WHITEHALL LANE ’09 (Napa Valley, CA)

Cupcake: 60 % DARK CHOCOLATE CUPCAKE WITH MERLOT BLACKBERRIES & ORANGE

This ripe and rich merlot was 92% Merlot and 8% Syrah, oak-aged with flavors of spice, vanilla, caramel and ripe berries bursting from the glass . Paired nicely with the rich dark intense crunchy chewy cupcake served alongside it. The center of this beautiful looking cupcake included merlot in the ganache, like lava in the cupcake, topped with a wine soaked blackberry rolled in sugar. Note to self: try soaking fruit in wine!

4. Wine: SHIRAZ – VIOGNIER, DOM. TERLATO & CHAPOUTIER ’09 (Victoria, Australia)

Cupcake: ALMOND-SPICE CUPCAKE WITH SHIRAZ RASPBERRIES

This spicy Australian Shiraz is 95% shiraz and 5% viognier. The viognier, a white wine, is added to darken the color. Who knew? This wine is not oak-aged, but rather micro-oxygenated, which ages the wine at a slow rate that the wine maker can control. Can you tell I was paying attention? The wine had what we lovingly learned was a “barnyard funk” smell, but somehow we didn’t mind, especially when pairing it with the spice cupcake. This wine cake was made with an almond paste, including a raspberry layer topped with a glazed raspberry in wine.

5. Wine: PINOTAGE, KEN FORRESTER PETIT ’09 (Western Cape, South Africa)

Cupcake: CHIPOTLE & CHERRY GANACHE CUPCAKE

This classic Pinotage is made from a hybrid grape – Pinot Noir and Cinsaut create the Pinotage grape, which is the signature grape of South Africa. The wine smells like barbeque potato chips – REALLY! I am dying to try it with pizza, as barbeque chips are my chips of choice with pizza. I think I may end up loving this wine with pizza. I know I love this wine already with the cupcake served! It was by far the most moist chocolate cupcake I have ever had in my whole life. Made with rehydrated cherries with wine and chipotle and dusted with gold – this cupcake had serious bling! A definite favorite at the table and a favorite of John’s, the mastermind behind these delicacies.

6. Wine: PORT, SANDEMAN FOUNDERS RESERVE RUBY PORTO

Cupcake: Chocolate – HAZLENUT CRUNCH

This was a ruby port. Port is a fortified wine enhanced with a natural spirit to make it last a long, long time. Finer tawny ports can and are aged upward of 30 years. I must admit, I wouldn’t be able to wait that long! This ruby port had raisins and hazelnuts on the nose, which was an obvious complement to the chocolate-hazelnut crunch cupcake served. The hazelnut puree in the middle was like pure Nutella with a touch of sea salt just melting in your mouth.

Wow, just thinking about the experience makes me want to enjoy it all over again! Want to know when the next wine event is at winedown, then make sure you are on their email mailing list! Sign up at www.winedowncafe.net. You won’t be sorry!

Now, where is that corkscrew…

By Marian Wolbers

The secret to making great wedding memories…

The Crowne Plaza has 265 rooms, and a gathering there can involve 700 people. But Chef Tim, who thrives on creative challenges, has no problem with that. Not content to cater a breakfast buffet with eggs, sausage and bacon, he and his staff will design a menu that might also include brisket, scrapple kabobs on beds of corned beef, cinnamon swirl French toast, and apple fritters—homemade, of course.

“We do the same thing with weddings,” says Poole. “We love putting together a sit-down dinner—because it’s memorable.” (Memorable, it turns out, is one of the hotelier’s favorite words.) The most important meal in a young couple’s life, he believes, should be nothing less than completely delicious, completely worth remembering.

“Would I have my wedding here? Absolutely!” one twenty-something said over dinner. “Wedding food is important.”

To make sure all goes well, the staff relies on a secret ingredient: The Wave.

Chef Tim explains The Wave, which basically describes how the whole wait-staff and kitchen staff work together, much as an ocean wave crests and recedes. They prepare, cook, serve, pour, clear, clean and serve up course after course, thanks to a well-ordered, shared system of responsibility.

“Every plate is exactly the same. Everybody has one thing they have to do. That’s The Wave,” he says.

The result? Happy diners, happy memories.

The wines have it…

Ice-bathing on display are white wines with enticing labels like:

•Barefoot’s Moscato (California) “Best Buy Wine Enthusiasts Sept. 2010”

•Martin Codax’s Albarino 2009 (Spain)

•Bonterra Vineyards’ Rousanne 2008, made with organic grapes (Mendocino County, CA), and

•Alamos’ Torrontes 2010 Catena (Argentina).

A Bonterra Zinfandel and other reds are also basking nearby, with such labels as:

•Apothic Red 2009 (California)

•Louis M. Martini’s Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 (Napa Valley), a favorite amongst wine bloggers

•Montes’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 (Chile)

All reasonable, tasty, well chosen for Prime Steak and Wine’s entrees. Other wines, beer, and a full menu of mixed drinks are also available.

It’s the small things that make a difference sometimes. Take this for instance:

After a Tuesday afternoon visit to a dentist on Penn Avenue in Wyomissing with my son (Riley, 6), we stopped in for a well-deserved treat at Best  of Berks-winner Café Harmony. He had some chocolate ice cream (yes, even though
it was just about the first day of winter) and I warmed up the dreary day with a Chai Stinger.

But I think what we both enjoyed most was what we call the “Window of Wishes.” At the counter seating spot on the right side as you exit, you could grab a Post-It note in white, pink or green, scribble a wish and hand it to the lady working the counter, who would later stick it on the window for all to see.

From “I wish I could meet Justin Bieber,” to “I wish for more wishes,” and “I wish for happiness for everyone,” the small notes sure did put a big smile on our face as we read them. What a fun idea!

Café Harmony, 616 Penn Ave., West Reading, 610.378.9001, cafeharmony.us