The Traveling Mamas feel really lucky today to have the award-winning, wine-writing goddess Natalie MacLean with us sharing her experiences as a traveling mama. Natalie is the author of the book Red, White and Drunk All Over. It doesn’t matter if you are new to the wine world or a seasoned wine drinker, you will likely enjoy Natalie’s entertaining book that takes readers on a fun journey “from grape to glass.” If you would like to learn more about wine, sign up for Natalie’s free newsletter Nat Decants (what a cute name!). I learn something every issue. Thank you for joining us, Natalie!

1. You travel throughout your fabulous book Red, White and Drunk All Over as a sommelier experiencing the world of wine. Have you always been a traveler?

Yes, I’ve always loved travel, something I inherited from my mother. As a child, we’d travel together every March break and summer vacation. She was a school teacher, and single parent, so we’d use our holidays to visit various places across North America and other countries.

2. How do you keep in touch with your son while you are on the road, especially with time changes?

I didn’t travel much until he turned four. Since then, in the last five years, I’ve taken two major trips a year and we keep in touch by phone and e-mail. (He now writes his own e-mails to me.) While I was away, my husband would show our son where on the globe I was and he’d get a kick out of asking me if I’d eaten breakfast yet and what time was it and were there many toy stores in the area.

3. Do you have any advice for other moms who travel for work?

I think it’s ideal when you can blend working from home, which is what I do most of the time when I’m writing, and occasional travel when your children are young. Even though I miss my son and husband when I’m away, it’s also a wonderful way to reinvigorate my own sense of self and independence, and then to come home to them refreshed.

4. What is your favorite family destination? How about romantic?

My favorite family destination is Turks and Caicos: beautiful beaches, warm, not too crowded. It has everything we want: quiet spaces to read and relax, and a pool and beach for my son Rian (plus an endless supply of chicken nuggets).

For most romantic, I think of particular restaurants rather than cities because for me, romance is linked to great food and wine. So I recall the wonderful, romantic meals I’ve shared with my husband in Napa, New York and our own backyard with the barbecue.

5. Finally, all four of us Traveling Mamas love wine so we have to ask, what is your favorite wine to drink when just hanging out with the girls?

I love wines that aren’t too alcoholic so that you can sip on a few glasses over the evening without getting tanked. German Riesling and Oregon pinot noir are among my favorites in this style: great conversation wine.