mango – the suite life of travel

All wines are not the same and Ohio wineries are learning how to ferment a wide range of products to create some of the most interesting libations in the state…including A.R. Winery.

I first noticed A. R. Winery while having dinner at Michael Anthony’s at The Inn in Versailles, Ohio. I have to admit, I was drawn to the adorable dog on the label, but when I learned it was a local wine, I was excited to try it. Supporting Ohio wines, I ordered a bottle of the “She Said Yes” a fabulous, semi-sweet wine, which paired quite nicely with the house carbonara. With plenty of time after dinner, I was eager to visit the winery and sample a few more wines.

Entering through the outdoor patio, I was immediately drawn to the winery’s laid-back, country character. Heading straight for the tasting bar, I met Russell, a co-owner of the winery (He is the R in A.R.). Russell is the wine maker and was happy to introduce me to the wines that he produces onsite. With his great sense of humor, I listened as he quickly ran through the highlights of each wine, explaining their distinct characteristics and flavors.

Angie, his lovely wife, was taking orders and serving customers on this busy night. Without missing a beat, she handled each interaction with such grace so I wasn’t surprised to learn she had been a meeting planner prior to opening the winery.

Russell is proud to point out that A.R. Winery is non-traditional as he explained that most of his wines are made from anything but grapes. With his enthusiasm, I couldn’t wait to try some of the interesting combinations he has created. I ordered a wine tasting ($5 for five) and purchased additional samples for $1 per pour thereafter.

Making wine is in Russell’s DNA. His grandfather was a winemaker back in the 1800s. He also knows the flavors that his clientele prefers and focuses on wines that sell in the Ohio region which are fruity and sweet.

Here is the selection of wine that I sampled that evening and a description of each:

Lock, Stock and Berries is a three time silver medal award winner and their most popular wine. Described as “a delicious blend of sweet blackberry, blueberry & red raspberry exploding in a mouthwatering finish. Best Chilled.” has a wonderful sweet smell and a beautiful color. Priced at $12.99 per bottle, it is the perfect summer wine on the deck.

County Fair Caramel Apple won the bronze medal at the 2016 Finger Lakes International Wine Competition. I love the fact that it is made of cider using local apples from Downing Fruit Farms and enjoyed its smooth silky taste. As the description suggests, “Let the sweet caramel & tart apple flavors take you back to the county fair!”. A bottle of this apple wine is available for $13.99.

Bluesberry is a “rich, sweet blueberry wine that has a smooth, bold and jazzy flavor. Pair this wine with your favorite tasty chocolates!” This was my first opportunity to try a blueberry wine, so I was not really sure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised that it was not too tart and had a great balance of blueberry flavor.

OMB “Oh My Berry” is a strawberry wine with a nice, very light taste. Described as “rich, sweet strawberries full of flavor! This light refreshing wine has a pleasing aroma for all to enjoy!” And I couldn’t agree more, who doesn’t absolutely love the smell of fresh strawberries?

Forbidden Apple won both a gold medal and best of class awards at the 2015 Indy International Wine Competition. This wine, incredibly priced at $9.99 per bottle has a “smooth mixture of sweet apples. The taste of sweet cider turned wine will tempt your every taste bud”. I loved the perfect balance of apple and purchased a bottle to enjoy again during the fall season.

The next wine on my list was one of the most innovative of all the selections, Fortunately, there was one bottle left because it was sold out. El Loco Lime is “squeezed from fresh limes, it is a one of a kind wine! Sweet, zesty lime wine with a hint of tartness. If you love margaritas, you will love this wine!” This Bronze Medal Award winner is quite unique and it was recommended that I try it with some salt along the rim and I could have sworn I was drinking a margarita.

The El Nino Tropical will literally take you by storm. When Russell explained that with each sip I would taste a different tropical flavor, I had to admit I was a bit skeptical. Flavors of strawberry, pineapple, mango and papaya burst in tropical harmony and truly “warmed my every taste bud!” This chemical reaction is spectacular. Winning a Silver medal at the 2016 Finger Lakes International Wine Competition, I had to buy a bottle to share with friends.

The next white wine holds a special place in the hearts of Russell and Angie. It was their wedding wine that they labeled “She Said Yes”. This wine is described as a “full bodied, sweet white grape wine with hints of pineapple and tropical! Toast your wedding day with this perfect wine pick!” I can see why she said yes. This is a delicious wine and perfectly priced at $11.99 per bottle.

I absolutely love the catchy names of these wines as well as their flavors. Caught Red-Handed is “a fruity, sweet Fredonia red grape wine. Amazingly flavorful! Pairs well with a variety of fruits and cheeses!” This is a wine for any occasion.

Recently released is A.R. Winery’s Back In Blanc. Made from the Diamond grape, it is a “dry white wine with hints of crisp green apples and lemons.” I found it refreshing and is perfect for an afternoon drink on the porch.

With so many fascinating combinations of wines at A. R. Winery, it is no surprise that coming soon is their peach/peppermint bourbon barrel wine. Bourbon barrel wines seem to be popping up all over the state, so this will be quite a novel blend. I look forward to trying it at its release.

No doubt A. R. Winery caters to their customers and loves to offer unique blends of wine that are sure to please. Their outdoor seating area is fabulous and it is one of the few wineries where Ohio State University sports are televised, which is perfect for those Saturday afternoon football games. They also offer brick oven pizza which only proves A. R. Winery knows how to make their customers happy.

Have you visited A. R. Winery? Which wines did you absolutely love? I would be happy if you would let me know about your experience if you would kindly leave a message in the comments section below. Cheers!

What to See and What to Do:

A. R. Winery
3564 Gordon Landis Road
Arcanum, Ohio 45304
Telephone: 937 417 0565

Please consult the winery’s website for hours of operation.

Where to Stay:

Artist Junction Bed & Breakfast
6100 Routzong Road
Greenville, OH 45331
Telephone: 941 780 2490

Where to Eat:

Maid-Rite Sandwich Shoppe
125 N Broadway Street
Greenville, OH 45331
Telephone: 937 548 9340

Maid-Rite has been serving these amazing loose meat hamburgers since 1934. Their signature beef sandwich, the Maid-Rite is only $2.15 and can be ordered with mustard, pickle and/or onion.

You can’t stop by Maid-Rite without checking out the “gum wall”. For years, people have been depositing their chewed up gum on the wall….so very interesting.

Books to Read:

The secret town: The story of the founding of Arcanum, Ohio, by William Gunder
The Ren Faire at the End of the World, by Josef Matulich

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A gorgeous scene awaited us as our cruise ship docked in the port of St. Maarten, the Dutch side of the island. We were met with an overcast sky and light rain, but by the time we finished breakfast, we had a beautiful day ahead of us.

St. Maarten is a working port, so there are container ships and cargo within reach. A short distance from the dock, signs leading into downtown Philipsburg pointed us in the direction of shops and restaurants. We estimated that the one mile walk would take us about thirty minutes into the center of town.

The dock led us through a shopping area where taxis and tour guide drivers waited to take passengers on excursions throughout the island. Continuing through the commercialized center, we decided to walk into Philipsburg for the day to take in the scenery.

Soon we reached a number of leisure boats anchored in the shallow end of Great Bay Beach. Thick, full palm trees hung over the beach and provided shade along the boardwalk. Strolling along Voorstraat (Front Street) we would soon be arriving into the outskirts of town.

Before reaching the beach, we made a stop at Chez Delphine located on Old Street to try a couple of freshly handmade fruit drinks. I ordered the local Guavaberry while Dave selected the Mango with Pineapple drink, which were fresh and fabulous (but a little pricey…$20 for 2).

We found outdoor seating on a perfectly combed, white sanded beach located across the restaurant. It was the perfect setting for us to enjoy our drinks and relax before entering town.

Strolling along the beach, we came upon two piers, so we walked out, looking back to enjoy the view of the Great Bay Beach and the surrounding area. We learned that we could have taken unlimited rides on the water taxi from the ship for seven dollars. Chair and umbrella rentals were also available for a small fee.

Enjoying the view from the pier, we nearly missed a turtle down below in the beautiful clear Caribbean waters and we took a few moments to watch it swim out into the ocean.

We decided to leave the beach behind and to start exploring the town’s center. Noticing Wathey Square (De Ruyterplein) and the 18th-century courthouse, we enjoyed the West Indian architecture with its delicate gingerbread fretwork.

One of the biggest attractions and the best place for souvenirs was the Guavaberry Island Folk Liqueur. We decided to find a store to purchase a few bottles to take home and also found spices and sugar cane. The store clerk informed us that they export the Old Man Brand to Florida, but we wanted to take some home to share with family and friends.

We were wrapping up the end of our walking tour and began our return back towards the shopping area.

Sint Maarten was the last port on our cruise and we would be staying in San Juan for a couple of days to rest and explore before our flight. We agreed that this was one of the cleanest ports on our itinerary. We enjoyed the small town feel with the option to relax at the beach. The weather cleared up just as we had expected and the temperature ended up in the mid 80’s. Just another beautiful day in paradise!

Working on cruise ships, I was often asked which port of call was my favorite. It was always such a difficult question to answer because each island/port has something different to offer and depending on my mood for that day, I may prefer one over the other for various reasons. Some of the reasons include, the food, the beaches, the locals and the nightlife, just to mention a few. Do you have a favorite port of call? Why? I would love to hear about it in the comments section below! Many thanks for joining me on my tour of Sint Maarten and wishing you Happy Travels!

What to See and What to Do:

Chez Delphine
Philipsburg, Sint Maarten
Telephone: 721 522 2313

I loved the guavaberry smoothie that I tried here! Yum!

Pirates in Paradise
69 C Front Street / Beach Side
Philipsburg, Sint Maarten, 00001 Netherland Antilles
Telephone: 721 999 9999

More delicious frozen cocktails to enjoy inside of the sports bar or the beach bar.

Where to Stay:

Oyster Bay Beach Resort
10 Emerald Merit Road
Sint Maarten
Telephone: 866 978 0212

UPDATE: Oyster Bay Beach Resort was devastated by Hurricane Irma in 2017. The resort will be reopening in June of 2018.

Where to Eat:

Ocean Lounge
45 Boardwalk
Philipsburg, Sint Maarten
Telephone: 721 542 1572

The Ocean Lounge is located in the Holland House Beach Hotel offering a spectacular ocean view. We ordered the Tuna Tataki to start and the Red Snapper with jasmine rice.

L’Escargot Restaurant
96 Front Street
Philipsburg, St. Maartin
Netherlands Antilles
Telephone: 721 542 2483

On a return trip, and with a new boyfriend David, we took the advice of our concierge and made reservations at L’Escargot for French cuisine. We each placed an order for Les Escargots de Bourgogne (snails in butter), while I decided upon the Surf and Turf (lobster and filet mignon), while David was completely satisfied with the La Langouste Thermidor. Of course we shared, and I am still dreaming about the lobster with crabmeat baked in the shell, served with white wine, mushrooms and cheese. It doesn’t get any better than this….oh yes it does, Edith Piaf was playing in the background. Ahhhh…sublime!

What to Eat:

Callaloo – a soup made with fresh greens, onions and okra as well as pork
Codfish Fritters
Conch and Dumplings
Crabmeat-Stuffed Shells (Crab Backs)
Guavaberry Liquer
Johnny Cakes – similar to pancakes but made with cornmeal
Locri – a dish of rice, chicken and a variety of vegetables
St. Maartan Spareribs
Whelk soup – a soup made from saltwater mollusks that are smaller than conch. Usually stewed in coconut milk, additional seasonings are added to give it a unique taste.

What to Read: