Wine Tasting and Wine Paring Dinners at Secrets Sanctuary Cap Cana!

One of the Sweet Secrets at Secrets Sanctuary Cap Cana is the Wine Tasting and the Wine Paring Dinners that they have!

David Barreiro Canda who is the Food and Beverage Director along with Pascal Messier who is the Executive Chef at Secrets Sanctuary Cap Cana have come up with these great Events!

David held a Wine Tasting while I was there last week that I was lucky enough to attend and found very informative and interesting. The guests who attended ranged from novice like myself to experts and all in between!

The Wine Tasting Event is listed in the SUNdial Newsletter that you receive each evening at Turn Down Service so make sure to check so you don’t miss it or ask at Concierge to see when it will be when you are visiting the resort. The Wine Pairing dinner is usually a day or two after the Wine Tasting and by invitation, again you can ask at concierge.

Setting up for the Wine Tasting Event in front of Casa Bella in the afternoon

David included four wines in the tasting and printed information for us to take away with us. I enjoyed that part because the pamphlet was very informative along with Davids sharing I learned a lot about the wines and the history and what to look for when tasting.

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It was a lovely afternoon activity for sure!

When I first arrived at Secrets Sanctuary Cap Cana David had prepared a Wine Pairing Dinner for me

It will give you an idea of what a Wine Pairing Dinner will include!

It was a wonderful meal and all the wines were very good!

This free photo slideshow personalized with Smilebox

I recommend the Wine Tasting and the Wine Paring Dinner for sure while you are visiting Secrets Sanctuary Cap Cana!

Kudos To David and to Pascal for all of the AMazing Things they are doing there!

More Dreams and Secrets Thoughts today …

So where did I leave off…from this morning? We had just visited the NEW NOW and SECRETS!

AND I was about to tell you about DREAMS Punta Cana! Oh I love it there! I remember when it was SUNsational SUNscape The Beach! Its been so great to see it and their AMazing Staff grow and become the AMazing DREAM TEAM they have become!

It truly is like coming home to me! And I always learn new and wonderful things each trip! This time a couple of things stand out to me! One is that when you book Preferred Club you now have the option of Ala Carte Dining at the Oceana Restaurant LOVE THIS!!! The View is GREAT! But the menu even better! Coca the food and beverage Manager and Vanessa the Preferred Club Manager and their teams truly hit it out of the ball park! I had breakfast at Oceana each day I was there!

One of the other things that made me smile was “The CHEFS Garden” that Florian Monnier their Resident manager shared with me! AND the DUCKS POND and Running Path! I never knew of them! At the entrance of the hotel you can walk down the driveway and to the right you will see what you may have missed on your way in…I know I missed it! They are creating a CHEF Garden in which they will grow all fresh herbs and spices and good things for the Meals at Dreams Punta cana!

Just across from the Chefs Garden is a lovely idillac setting of the pond a lovely garden and trees and the Ducks! Florian is hoping to get a swan or two there also! AND a Bench because it truly is someplace you want to linger…there is even a little bridge that goes across…Can’t wait to share some of the pics with you!

Well…its getting close for me to head on home…so I had bettr close this post and sign off and out… Will continue more either tonight or tomorrow…because you know we love to share SWEEET DREAMS AND SECRETS!

Hugs,
bb/mt
and the leopard boys!

Dreams can come TRUE and Secrets are to be shared and so much more.

Recently back from another AMazing AMResorts Trip! Visited all of the Dreams, Secrets, Zoetry and the newest brand NOW while there from April 5th to 19th. The Trip was named “The Divine Dominican Tour” and it truly was.

Today I am back at work and wishing “THE DREAM” and the Divine Dominican Tour was still going on! But alas, reality peeks into my life and “The Leopardo Boys” and I are back in “B’more” doing laundry and remember all the Sweet Memories this trip brought!

Since I am at work and don’t have access to my pics…I thought that perhaps I would share some of the thoughts of the trip…sans pictures…then do individual blog posts on each exciting resort and the many things that caught my heart at each later when at home with the Pictures and Videos so you will get the “full blown” effect on why each resort is so special to me and so many others!

The Divine Dominican Tour started as a DREAM TOUR way back in January when I started to plan it and I had contacted my friends at each resort and the Director to see if the dates would work for them…Then I designed a tee shirt to go with the tour…I love doing that for each trip I take and then when the trip is finished I have a great rememberance of the love and fun that was had on that particular trip! The shirts are always a HIT when I arrive the Teams love to see them and we all have a good laugh!

Another thing that goes into the preparation of any of the Trips is getting “The Bergers”…for those of you who don’t know we always like to take down “The Berger Cookies” a sweet treat that is famous and made here in B’more! Mi Familia in Mexico, The Dominican Republic and Jamaica LOVE THEM! And “Mama Leoparod” always likes to bring them! This trip…since we were visiting so many resorts required some planning… 50 boxes of the large and 50 boxes of the smaller 2 packs were ordered but alas a glitch popped in and plan b had to take affect…my original order was shorted and I had to go to another source to make up the quantity…but nothing will stop Mama Leopardo on her quest to feed the cookies to those I love! LOL! A last minute stop on the way to the airport to get just a few more boxes of BERGERS made it happen!

Then there were the addition to some new members of “Mi Leopardo Familia”…this trip Leopardo Laptop and I also took LeoPADo the new Ipad 2 all decked out in his leopard skin from Decal Gal and the lovely LeoPODo the 4th Gen Ipod who takes pics and can post LIVE FROM …REALLY LIVE!!! The boys all played nice together on this trip and LeoPADo stepped in BIG TIME when our dear Leopardo had a case of “YIKES I’m FROZEN”

While we were at Dreams LaRomana poor Leopardo got a case of FREEZE….That is when LeoPADo really stepped in posting blogs and pics…thank heavens for LeoPADo. AND BIG HUGS and KUDOS to “Dr. Leonardo” was the IT Guru who fixed him and saved the day! Kudos and Hugs to Dr. Leonardo all the LEOS were rocking and the Divine Dominican Tour rocked on from there thanks to the Genius of Dr. Leonardo!

Lets get back on track…The Divine Dominican Tour started when we landed in Punta Cana and headed to our very first stop…Dreams Palm Beach!

Ah…Dreams Palm Beach so close to the airport and such a SWEET DREAM TOO! The DREAM TEAM there really does ROCK! I love the layout there it is so easy and convenient to get around and the beach there is one of the nicest with calm water that is safe and fun for kids and grown ups alike! And always something fun going on around the resort..that is where the SUNdial Newsletter comes in handy!

After Dreams Palm Beach the Leopardo Boys and I headed down the road a little further to visit the two newest additions to the AMResorts Brands! NOW Larimar and SECRETS Royal Beach! These are two great properties that will be on line starting on May 1st and are they ever GREAT!

The Location is great! Wait til you see the pics… I got to meet the team of both NOW Larimar and SECRETS Royal Beach and to stay at NOW Larimar for one night and tour both to capture pics and meet the teams. The will be offering the “Unlimited Luxury” that both the NOW and SECRETS brands re both known for. Even though my time there was brief I got the feeling that these additions are going to be great and yet another AMazing AMResorts choice for vacationers coming to Punta Cana.

http://www.nowresorts.com/larimar/

http://www.secretsresorts.com/royalbeach/index.asp

Already up are lots of great info on their websites… you can check out their links above!

Another great way to catch up on any of the news is to check out the FaceBook Fanpages and the Blogs of each of the resorts! Here is a fun link that I use often to do just that…all of the brands and links to their fun info right here in one great place!

http://www.amresorts.com/connect.html

Well…like I said I am at work right now…so I will continue with more about the Divine Dominican Tour a little later…

So much more to tell…there was Dreams Punta Cana, Zoetry Agua and Secrets Sanctuary Cap Cana…

Til later!
Hugs,
bb/mt
and the Leopardo Boys!

Secrets Sanctuary Cap Cana…where the SECRETS are OH SO SWEET!

Good Morning Blogoshpere! The Leopardo Boys and I arrived here at Secrets Sanctuary Can Cana yesterday and have been posting on their FaceBook Fanpages..

http://www.facebook.com/SecretsSanctuary

You can check out the pics here:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/fbx/?set=a.10150222886742184.350698.590977183

Right now we are heading to the Spa…its quite SPA-tastic, already have some pics of it in the above album….

Make sure to follow us on our AMazing Adventure here at Secrets Sanctuary Cap Cana!

Hugs
bb/mt
and the leopardo boys

Dreams LaRomana and New Culinary Delights with Chef Pastor

While I have been at Dreams LaRomana its been my pleasure to meet and get to know The Newest Member of the DREAM TEAM Chef Pastor who is the Executive Chef here! And WOW What a great addition to the DREAM TEAM!

Originally from Spain where he was schooled he has worked in the Caribbean for quite some time and is a genius at creating the most delicious dishes with the most simple of ingredients! His passion for flavor and good food is evident when he starts to describe the dishes as he presents them and tells a bit about what, why and how he made that in itself was a great added experience to dining at Seaside Grill for a few Lunches and Dinners while I was here!

One of his favorite Chefs is the renowned Gordon Ramsey who he admires and enjoys watching on TV when he can…and other of his favorite passions is “FootBall” aka Soccer! He lights up when discussing Soccer Matches! He loves interacting with guests! Often I would see him mingling with guests and sharing his passion of both Culinary and sports!

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Meeting Chef Pastor here at Dreams La Romana was a real treat! He has many wonderful things in store for the guests and will be putting his special touches on each of the menus and dining venues at the resort.

Meeting and getting to know Chef Pastor was one of the TREATS of my stay here at Dreams LaRomana! He has many treats in store for the guests here…TASTY TREATS!

Dreams LaRomana where Sweet Dreams come true!

Good Morning from Dreams La Romana! The Leeopardo Boys and I arrived here yesterday and were welcomed HOME by the Dream TEAM!

It’s always great to come back here because this is were our AMazing AMResorts Adventures began many years ago when the ares RT was named SUNscape Casa del Mar and I used to call it SUNscape Casa del MARvelous! And still there are so many wonderful Friends and family still here!

The Leopard Boys and I were so touched at all of the special Leopardo touches they arranged for us from the arrival with the drink tray covered in leopard to our bedroom decorated in leopard and a leopard birthday cake…it touched our heart…we just love the DREAM TEAM!!!

There was a wonderful surprise B’day party for me on the beach last night with my FAV dinner if CHIVO! We had so much fun and many laughs!

The one “sad” thing is that Leopardo laptop seems to be frozen and won’t start so we are going down now to have him checked by a computer guru! Thank goodness LeoPADo has stepped in and is helping out but LeoPADo and I are learning together how to play nice…so be patient if you donta see as many pics and long post…we will get it together because Sweet Dreams LaRomana MUST be shared. And make sure to check my Facebook and the Dreams LaRomana fan page for more pics too

Hugs!
bb/mt
And the Leopardo Boys

Zoetry Agua Punta Cana Wine Pairing Dinner

ZOETRY Agua Punta Cana…truly is where LIFE, ART and ZEN meet to make ZENsational MAGIC!

Last night I was invited to the Wine Tasting Dinner…that was so very AMazing!

Luis Fitch who is the Manager here at Zoetry Agua Punta Cana happens to be a renowned Chef and True Culinary Genius! AND he also happens to be a very passionate about wines and pairing them with food! Last nights Wine Pairing Dinner was tribute to his talents and a very pleasant affair! It is something that is going to be a regular feature and something I recommend to guests who are coming to the resort. You can contact Cristina who is the Manager of Entertainment or Guest Services to see what day it is going to be and make reservations. Normally 18 to 30 people can be accommodated to enjoy this very special night!

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Last night Sr. Fitch Served 4 wines paired with 4 delicious courses and explained the wines and why he had chosen them… It made for a very interesting and fun evening! The guests at the table ranged from novices like my self to wine experts who shared along the way and learned from Sr. Fitch and his vast knowledge. In the beginning of the evening we were all given a menu and info on the wines were we could jot notes down as we went along and enjoyed.

The first was a Sherry Tio Pepe Palomino Fino Xeres from Spain that we enjoyed with Crostini with Tapenade and Shrimp! it was so very tasty!

Second came the Filet of Grouper with Sun Dried Tomato Pesto that Sr. Fitch chose to pair with Sauvigonon Blanc Sun 35 from Chile, another GREAT Choice and DELICIOUS!

After came Certified Angus Beef Ribeye in 3 Pepper Sauce that was paired with Merlot Santa Rita Reserva and was absolutely PERFECT in every way!

To top the evening off was a Chocalte mouse that Sr. Fitch prepared and paired with Sparkling Wine Chandon Rose from Mendoza Argentina.

The evening was spectacular! The Guests truly enjoyed the Wines, Food and Learning more from Sr. Luis Fitch with his presentation on each wine as the evening progressed. During the evening he used a presentation he had prepared explaining each wine via his computer sharing with us about the wine and the region it came from!

As a novice I learned a lot and the Experts that were there learned things they had not known before and we enjoyed a delicious array of food along the way!

And at the end of the evening we were treated to some lovely Dominican Music Played by the “Strolling Musicians” that are here at Zoetry Agua Punta Cana! A lovely end to a lovely evening.

Remember if you are coming to Zoetry Agua Punta Cana to check and see if you can get a seat at the Wine Pairing Dinner that is going to be a regular feature here.

In closing I want to mention that Sr. Fitch is the Manager and having met and spoken with him while I have been here his passion goes beyond Culinary Experience and Wine, it carries over to caring for the satisfaction of his guests and the detail of every aspect of the resort and making the guest experience truly both Memorable and Magical!

HUGS!
bb/mt
and the Leopardo Boys!

The countdown is on…

The countdown is on….

A special thanks to my Dear Dear Friend Emily for her kind words about me! Spreading the LOVE is so easy and Emily does it so very well! Rock on My Dear Friend and thank you my love for your kind words about me!

HUGS!
bb/mt

Zoetry Agua…truly where LIFE, ART and ZEN meet to make MAGIC!

LOVE LOVE LOVE Zoetry Agua! This truly is where LIFE, ART and ZEN meet to make MAGIC! Each and every moment of this visit has been MAGICAL!

I was very excited to be coming back again…and even more excited as each day of this visit unfolded and I could see the changes that have taken place since my last visit…and that are taking place each and every day that I am here! Magical is the word to explain it…truly!

There is just something about Zoetry Agua Punta Cana that embraces you like a warm and friendly hug from the time that you step into the lobby and every moment there after during your stay…. The staff here is so friendly and goes out of their way to make your wishes their goals…always doing everything they can to make sure that you their guest has the finest and most memorable experience!

Every aspect of the resort is MAGICAL! I love the layout…how everything is so easily reached by a short walk…very comfortable and easy… I love the way the resort twinkles at night…the lighting on the pathways is a magical fairyland…From Sunrise to Sunset to the Magic of Twilight and Evening…you feel the warm and MAGICAL embrace of Zoetry!

You know I coined the phrase….Zoetry where LIFE, ART and ZEN meet and make MAGIC! And it was inspired because of the feeling that exists here at Zoetry Agua that truly represents the Zoetry Brand!

The Location and the Beach are MAGICAL and afford you the ZEN Moments that you are looking for!

The menus and the food at each dining experience are both Magical and Memorable! Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner and all of the in between moments are gourmet and DELICIOUS! Every Morsel and Moment dining here truly has been MAGICAL!

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Yesterday…I was inspired by Zoetry Agua and the Word ZENsational became coined! Zoetry Agua Punta Cana and its TEAM headed by Sr Luis Fitch is ZENsational!

The Leoopardo Boys and I will carry it in our hearts FOREVER!

We hope that you have seen our posts over on FaceBook:

http://www.facebook.com/ZoetryAguaPuntaCana

And the pics we have posted there!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?id=590977183&aid=349150

Today is our last full day here and we will be sad to go…but will have Zoetry Agua Punta Cana in our hearts ALWAYS!

Hugs,
bb/mt
and the Leopardo Boys!

ZENsational Zoetry Agua Punta Cana…LOVING IT

Arrived yesterday afternoon and had a delicious lunch with Sr. fetch the Manager. The grilled seafood platter ROCKS,,,, it includes lobster…my FAV!

Typing this from my iPad so will share more a bit later when I,m on my netbook as I don’t have all of my features.

But wanted to check in and let everyone know Zoetry Agua is GREAT and the leopard boys and I are LOVING IT HERE!

More later
Hugs
bb/mt
And the leopardo boys