Where Wine Meets Story

Wine Travel, Classes, & Consulting

Join the Fieldnotes Travel & Wine Circle

Receive occasional notes on wine, regional food, and archaeology (mostly in Italy and the Balkans) — along with early access to small-group journeys and private experiences.

A woman with shoulder-length wavy brown hair, smiling, wearing a tan jacket over a white shirt, standing outdoors with blurred green foliage background.

Story behind the glass

Wine is more than what is in the glass — it is history, landscape, and the enduring relationship between people and place.

I founded Fieldnotes Wine to offer meaningful ways to learn about wine through culture, archaeology, and regional food. With a PhD in Archaeology from Stanford and years spent living and researching across Europe — from heritage landscapes in Albania to vineyards in Italy and France — I approach wine as a living expression of history.

Today I offer online and in-person group classes, private tastings, and intimate annual wine travel experiences based in Italy. These small-group journeys invite guests to engage at their own pace: to sip and relax in beautiful settings, share meals with producers, and explore ancient sites — or, for those who wish, to step more fully into vineyard and cellar life and experience the rhythms of wine firsthand. Each experience deepens wine knowledge while creating a lasting connection to place.

Fieldnotes Wine is about traveling thoughtfully — and experiencing wine with meaning.
— Dana Phelps, Founder

Wine Travel, Classes, & Storytelling

  • Two dark glass bottles with cork stoppers placed on a wooden barrel outdoors, with green foliage and a cloudy sky in the background.

    Wine, History & Gastronomy Travel Experiences

    I design intimate wine travel experiences in Italy, my home base, weaving together wine, regional food, and archaeology to reveal the deeper story of place. Through small-group and private journeys, we move from ancient landscapes and historic sites to vineyards, family kitchens, and local tables. Drawing on my background in anthropology and long experience in Italy, I offer meaningful access and rich context — not just tastings or meals, but true understanding. Guests gain deeper wine knowledge, cultural insight, and a lasting connection to Italy’s past and present.

  • Four glasses of different colored wine on a wooden barrel, from left to right: white, rosé, red, and black.

    Wine Education & Tastings

    Curated classes and private tastings that bring wine to life through approachable education and rich cultural context. Whether it’s an intimate gathering, a team event, or a virtual session, I create experiences that deepen understanding, spark conversation, and leave guests feeling connected—to each other, and to every glass they pour.

  • Ruins of an old stone church or monastery with large arched windows and a garden with rows of young plants in the foreground.

    Heritage Research & Storytelling

    I bring my background in archaeology, cultural heritage, and anthropology to help wineries, importers, and wine-focused businesses uncover and share the deeper stories of their regions and traditions. Together, we create authentic narratives that strengthen your brand, connect with your audience, and celebrate the soul of your wines.

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Three people walking through a vineyard on a sunny day.
Person pouring white wine into glass at a table with several glasses of red wine, with other people smiling and socializing in the background.
Top-down view of two people sitting at a round wooden table with various bottles of wine and a glass of red wine in the center. One person is reaching for a bottle on the right, and the other is holding a glass of red wine.
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