Our Story
Our Story
Read our story to learn more about what we do and why we do it.
A Tale of Wine & Travel
One day in October of 2008, I tasted a Barolo that changed my life. My husband and I were on a trip to Italy, and had spent the last three days of it in the Piemonte region. In the village of Barolo, we sat in a tasting room and tasted some amazing wines. I always loved wine, but something about being there in the place where it was made, with the beautiful views and castles and hills, made me want to learn more about wine.
Then in 2010, I had the chance to spend a month in Tuscany. I was in Siena taking a course on Law and Cultural property with Tulane University, and I decided to extend my trip by spending an extra week in Florence. I visited a lot of wineries around Siena and Florence that June, and came home with the knowledge that I had to get into the wine business.
On August 19, 2011, we opened Roux Wine & Spirits, a wine shop and wine bar. I was in my element. I was Roux Wine and Spiritssurrounded by wine, tasting new wines every day, hosting events and meeting lots of wine lovers from the area. From the beginning, I had a vision, to create a premium wine tasting experience for people who want to explore the world of wine. My vision was to have at least one example of wine from all of the major wine appellations, and I came close. My shop had fans and regulars, those that shared my vision and loved what I was bringing to the area, but ultimately there were not enough of those to keep us afloat, and we closed the shop in 2013.
Picking up the pieces was difficult. We lost a lot of money. We had to keep paying the lease for almost a year after we closed, until a new tenant was able to take over our space. I took six weeks off to go to wine school in Napa, hoping that I would get bright idea for another way to get into the wine business that wouldn’t require as much risk and investment as opening the wine shop did. When I returned, I tried working in wine sales for one of my former distributors. It was not for me. I wanted to be the buyer of the wines, not the seller, and I missed the customer interaction.
It was then I had my idea to start Roux Luxury Travel. I love to travel, and in 2012 I had, along with one of my favorite Italian wine experts, taken a wine trip to Tuscany. Lots of my customers seemed interested in these types of trips, so why not start doing wine trips? In June of 2103 I took and passed my Certified Sommelier exam, and I was excited to plan some trips with my former customers.
Verazzano Wine Tasting in TuscanyOur first official Roux Luxury Travel trip was in July 2014, where I took 8 travelers to Tuscany to explore the wines of the region. I took care of all the details, and organized winery visits, tours and dinners for everyone, and we had a wonderful time. In October of this year, we did another trip, this time on a wine river cruise through Burgundy and Rhone. I also started doing private travel planning for couples looking for a unique vacation.
I love travel, I love wine, and I love creating wonderful experiences. I created them when I had my wine bar, and now I create them on a deeper level when I travel with my clients. I love sharing the places and wines I love with others, and helping them discover the secrets of each wine region. Since starting on my wine journey, I have traveled extensively and am continually experiencing new wine regions and new wines, so I can create wonderful trips for my clients.
At Roux Luxury Travel, I help travelers create unforgettable journeys through the most beautiful and interesting Dinner in Paris with Roux Wine Toursregions of the world. My trips are fun, stress-free, delicious and give my guests an insider’s view into the wine and food culture of the world. Travel teaches us about our role in the larger world by exposing us to different cultures. And the best way to learn about the culture of a foreign country is by experiencing its food and wine.
Roux Luxury Travel is an independently operated affiliate of Largay Travel, and a member of Virtuoso. Virtuoso is an invitation-only network of travel advisors around the world. As a member, I have access to unique and exceptional experiences around the world. That allows me to create travel experiences that you won't find online.
Customer Quotes
“I don't know how they do it, but they got me and my husband way better flights with better seats that I could find on my own.”
Dana Rosen
“The airline cancelled my flight home, and Roux Luxury Travel
was immediately on top of it. I was able to find a way home without any extra cost.”
John Taylor
“We wanted to see historical side of Germany, and they hooked us up with an amazing tour guide who really was a highlight of our trip.”
Jane Smith
“I wanted to go on a seaside journey around the country, and they helped me and my family coordinate cruises to make it happen.”