About Wine, Dine + Travel
Wine, Dine + Travel Magazine is an independent travel publication created for curious travelers who believe the best way to understand a destination is through its people, culture, history, food and wine.
Since its founding, Wine, Dine + Travel Magazine has taken readers around the world — from great cities and celebrated wine regions to small villages, historic neighborhoods, islands, cruise ports and places well beyond the usual tourist trail. Our writers and photographers bring a personal perspective to every journey, sharing not only where they went, but what they discovered along the way.
Today, the magazine continues to combine in-depth travel storytelling, photography, food and wine, cultural experiences and practical inspiration for travelers who still believe the journey matters as much as the destination.
Our Founders — Ron James & Mary Hellman James
Ron James is the founder of Wine, Dine + Travel Magazine and a nationally award-winning print and online journalist, author, graphic designer, television producer and radio personality. A native Californian, Ron’s nationally syndicated wine, food and travel columns have appeared in newspapers and magazines around the world. His lifelong interest in travel, food, wine and storytelling became the foundation for Wine, Dine + Travel Magazine.
Mary Hellman James is an award-winning San Diego journalist and editor whose career at The San Diego Union-Tribune spanned 29 years. During her tenure, she served as Arts Editor, Fashion Editor, Books Editor and Home & Garden Editor. Together, Ron and Mary helped shape Wine, Dine + Travel into a publication built around strong writing, thoughtful editing, photography and firsthand travel experiences.
Ron and Mary are also co-authors of The Multimedia Casebook.
Their vision and dedication guided Wine, Dine + Travel for more than a decade and established the editorial foundation the magazine continues to build upon today.
Publisher & Editor — Mike James
Mike James is the publisher and editor of Wine, Dine + Travel Magazine, continuing the publication founded by his brother Ron James and Mary Hellman James.
Mike is a travel writer, photographer, digital media producer and longtime traveler whose journeys have taken him throughout Europe, Asia, Latin America and beyond. His approach to travel has always centered on experiencing destinations at street level — exploring neighborhoods, local food and drink, history, culture and the people who give a place its character.
Before taking the helm at Wine, Dine + Travel, Mike worked extensively in online publishing, digital media and marketing, including producing and managing online content for San Diego Magazine and the University of San Diego.
He is also the founder of Gringo in Paradise, through which he has organized and led food, wine and cultural tours in Baja California and other destinations.
As publisher, Mike is expanding Wine, Dine + Travel beyond the digital magazine with new online stories, photography, video and destination coverage while maintaining the independent spirit and storytelling traditions established by Ron and Mary.
Our Contributors
One of the great strengths of Wine, Dine + Travel Magazine is the remarkable group of writers, photographers, journalists and seasoned travelers who contribute to every issue.
Our contributors bring an impressive range of professional experience to the magazine. Among them are award-winning journalists, editors, authors, photographers and communications professionals whose work has appeared in respected newspapers, magazines and other publications. Just as important, they are experienced travelers with a genuine curiosity about the world and the people who inhabit it.
They don’t simply write about places they’ve visited. They bring a journalist’s eye, a traveler’s curiosity and their own personal perspective to every story. Whether exploring a great city, discovering a small village, tasting wine with a winemaker or sharing a meal with locals, our contributors tell stories grounded in firsthand experience.
Their diverse voices, experience and enthusiasm are an essential part of what makes Wine, Dine + Travel Magazine what it is.
Our Philosophy
We travel because there is always another story to discover.
Sometimes that story is found at a celebrated restaurant or vineyard. Other times it is in a neighborhood café, a crowded market, a centuries-old church, a conversation with a stranger or a meal we never expected to remember.
Wine, Dine + Travel is about those experiences.
We hope our stories encourage you not simply to visit the world, but to slow down, explore it and enjoy the journey.