Colorado Springs Food Tours: Manitou Springs Food Tour

Experience this eclectic town’s most enjoyed culinary flavors in the heart of downtown Manitou Springs! On this fun walking food tour, you will dine and drink at up to six diverse dining destinations in addition to tasting the world famous mineral springs said to have brought health and happiness to visitors for centuries. Gain historical and cultural insights into this magical community at the base of Pikes Peak as your delve into the lively food scene that characterizes it today. This tour also includes a behind-the-scenes tour of a Manitou’s only winery. Alcohol is served to guests 21 and older (substitutes are available for those underage or those who would rather not partake).

Culinary destinations may include:
D’Vine Wine
Goldminers Nuts and Candy
Naturally’s Market and Café
The Olive Tap
P.J.’s Bistro
Pikes Peak Chocolate
Ruffrano’s Hell’s Kitchen Pizza
Sahara Café
Stagecoach Inn

Please be aware before booking your tour that we ask you to arrive 15 minutes prior to the tour start time (5:15pm). The tour will begin promptly at 5:30pm and end at 8:00pm.

Tuesdays, 5:30pm – 8:00pm
Historic Downtown Manitou Springs
$49 per person

More info and reservations

Taste Lebanon: 7-Day Culinary Journey

Food is a wonderful means for one to delve into the soul of a culture and learn more about its people, their customs & traditions. Sitting down and breaking bread with a total stranger is a beautifully unifying and enriching experience. It is our endeavor with this journey, to share this experience with you.

If you’ve always wanted to learn more about Lebanese food and experience first hand what it’s really like to enjoy and make an authentic, lavish, Mediterranean spread then this is the journey for you.

This seven-day culinary journey across Lebanon will leave you with a well-rounded taste of Lebanon through each of its region’s specialties. You will visit six different regions: Beirut, Batroun, Tripoli, the North, Mount Lebanon, and Ba’albeck, savoring each local specialty and learning the process and technique that goes into making that certain dish that each area is renown for.This will be a very personal tour and you will be invited into people’s homes across the country to learn the authentic techniques behind their specialties. This is an opportunity and an authentic experience you would not have traveling on your own.The tour cost includes hotel, breakfast everyday, 5 lunches, 5 dinners, refreshments during the tour, culinary activities, transport to and from the airport as well as all locations on the tour itinerary, visa, and our English speaking services. Our affiliated hotel of choice is the 5 star Regency Palace.

Tour activities depending on season and availability:
Fish your own- boat trip (optional)
Harvest your own- short discussion on local farming
Demonstration on Arabic bread and the extra-thin mountain bread on Saj
Demonstration on sujuk & basterma (Armenian sausage & cured meat)
Demonstration on Kebbeh making (national dish)
Demonstration on baklawa/and or halawet el jebn (Lebanese desserts)
Kitchen Workshop on Lebanese mezza
Visits to Souks- ancient and new
Visit to a seven-story Middle Eastern sweets castle
Visit to a dairy farm
Visit to a butcher & bakery (watch process of sfiha, miniature minced lamb pies, from to start to finish)
Visit to olive groves & olive oil pressing
Visit to a vineyard with wine tasting
Visit to a Arak distillery (Lebanon’s national drink, similar to ouzo and pastis)
Visit to wild za’atar fields
Mouneh demonstrations; kishk, burghul, awarma, etc.

More info and reservations

Pilar Rodriguez Food & Wine Studio: I Love Food & Wine – 5-Day Workshop

In five days, including eight demo cooking classes, you will learn the
fundamentals of cuisine that will allow you to explore and create delicious easy
recipes with all the flavors of Chile – from basic techniques, salads, pasta and rice, fish and seafood, poultry, meats to Chilean recipes for exceptional meals.

In each session we prepare at least 3 dishes with the finest local produce in season, plus dessert, in an approximately 3-hour class. Also includes two specially
selected wines to accompany and taste with each course.

This program also includes a two vineyard tours, where you will learn the
process of vinification in Colchagua Valley and tasting of the most famous wines
this Valley produces. Also visit to local markets, as well as Viña Viu Manent
vineyards that surround the studio through an unforgettable horse ride.

Max: 10 pax, min: 2 pax
Cooking class times:
10:00am- 13:00 pm / 5:00pm-8:00 pm
Winery tours:
12:00 and 3:00 pm

Includes:

• 1 Portfolio with full sets of recipes
• Wine tasting of 16 different wines from Colchagua; 2 wines per class
• 2 winery tours: Viu Manent and other Colchagua Winery
• Transportations between the studio, wineries and local markets
• 1 horse ride at san carlos de cunaco estate
• 1 farmers market visit
• 1 apron

More info and reservations: contacto@pilarrodriguez.com or go here

About Pilar Rodriguez

Pilar attended the prestigious school of Culinary Arts Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. After completing her studies, she worked with the prominent French chef Christian Le Squer at the restaurant Ledoyen, which is awarded three Michelin stars.

However, her professional career began years earlier in the fashion industry, where she served as Marketing Director for Latin America and the Caribbean for Tommy Hilfiger USA for nearly 10 years.  Throughout her life and career, Pilar has lived and traveled around the world, including stints in the United States, Panama and France. These international experiences have given her a deep knowledge of other countries and a genuine empathy for other cultures, which is clearly reflected in her philosophy of life and culinary style. All this, added to her perseverance and passion for anything she undertakes, have combined to make this professional one of the respected chefs of the local and regional Chilean circuit.

Cooking is clearly a life’s calling and has also inspired in Pilar a desire to contribute to the cultural development of her country and region through her work. Her cuisine is committed to including ingredients Chile produces and reflects a philosophy of thoroughness, flexibility and balance, while striving to achieve a harmony of flavors, textures and colors. All this, she does while respecting the origins of each ingredient.

Though what certainly distinguishes Pilar’s career is her great passion for wine, which together with the Chilean terroir are her two inspirations. From her charming beautiful studio in the Colchagua Valley – Food and Wine Studio; she works closely with the Wine and Food Industry, whose mission is to sell and promote the table of Chile to important international markets.

Pilar Rodriguez Food & Wine Studio: Chilean Flavors 3-Hour Cooking Class

In a three hours class, we will prepare a menu of three courses plus a dessert with recipes inspired by what Chile produces, high quality and seasonal ingredients mostly from local farmers. While we cook, we will taste each course with a fantastic selection of wines from Viña Viu Manent.

Max: 10 pax, min: 4 pax
Cooking class times:
10:00am -13:00pm
5:00pm – 8:00pm
Winery tour: 12:00 and 3:00pm
Includes:

• complete set of recipes
• 3 glasses of reserve wine

More info and reservations: contacto@pilarrodriguez.com or go here

About Pilar Rodriguez

Pilar attended the prestigious school of Culinary Arts Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. After completing her studies, she worked with the prominent French chef Christian Le Squer at the restaurant Ledoyen, which is awarded three Michelin stars.

However, her professional career began years earlier in the fashion industry, where she served as Marketing Director for Latin America and the Caribbean for Tommy Hilfiger USA for nearly 10 years.  Throughout her life and career, Pilar has lived and traveled around the world, including stints in the United States, Panama and France. These international experiences have given her a deep knowledge of other countries and a genuine empathy for other cultures, which is clearly reflected in her philosophy of life and culinary style. All this, added to her perseverance and passion for anything she undertakes, have combined to make this professional one of the respected chefs of the local and regional Chilean circuit.

Cooking is clearly a life’s calling and has also inspired in Pilar a desire to contribute to the cultural development of her country and region through her work. Her cuisine is committed to including ingredients Chile produces and reflects a philosophy of thoroughness, flexibility and balance, while striving to achieve a harmony of flavors, textures and colors. All this, she does while respecting the origins of each ingredient.

Though what certainly distinguishes Pilar’s career is her great passion for wine, which together with the Chilean terroir are her two inspirations. From her charming beautiful studio in the Colchagua Valley – Food and Wine Studio; she works closely with the Wine and Food Industry, whose mission is to sell and promote the table of Chile to important international markets.

 

Israel Food Tours: Negev Region – Thriving Desert Agriculture, from Nabataean Times to the Present

Trip Itinerary

·        Pick up from hotel**
·        Drive to the Negev region
·        Tour and cheese tasting at leading Goat Cheese farms in the region.
·        Tour and wine tasting at boutique vineyards in the middle of the desert.
·        Lunch at a boutique vineyard with food typical to the region.
·        Easy walk in Avdat National Park.
·         We will visit ancient Nabataean ruins and discuss ancient Nabataean agricultural technologies.
·        Dinner with a Bedouin family and discussion of Bedouin culinary practices
·        Drive back to hotelOn this tour we will focus on the similarities between thousands of year’s old agricultural practices and modern ones seen today. We will visit a variety of goat cheese farms, boutique vineyards, tour a UNESCO heritage site, and explore the culinary traditions of the Bedouin.

*Itinerary will vary based on the group’s requests and availability of activities.

**Participants must be based in the Tel Aviv area. We will not pick up and drop off participants outside of the Tel Aviv area.

This tour requires a minimum of four participants and is offered upon request.

More info and reservations

Israel Food Tours: Jerusalem and the Ella Valley – Culinary Exploration of the Region

Trip Itinerary

·        Pick up from hotel
·        Drive to Jerusalem
·        Shuk Mahane Yehuda scavenger hunt followed by breakfast
·        Authentic Moroccan food and workshop, vin
·        Tour of ancient agricultural terraces in Sataf – just outside of Jerusalem
·        Tour and wine tasting of a boutique vineyard in the Judean Hills
·        Shopping at Israel’s premier Israeli foods and spices store
·        Drive back to hotel

On this tour we will visit some of the best food sites in the Jerusalem and Ella Valley region. We will start the tour by  finding different foods in the city’s main market and having breakfast. This is followed by an authentic Moroccan lunch where we will help prepare our lunch. A visit to Sataf will demonstrate some of the ancient agricultural practices of the region before we visit one of the newest and most modern vineyards in the country.

*Itinerary will vary based on the group’s requests and availability of activities.
**This tour requires a minimum of four people, and is offered upon request.

More info and reservations

Artisans of Leisure: Wine Tour of New Zealand

(10 Days – Departs Daily on a Private Basis) Hawke’s Bay, Marlborough, Waipara Valley, Central Otago Our New Zealand experts have a passion for the country’s outstanding wines and cuisine. They regularly travel throughout New Zealand, discovering the country’s most interesting people, places and enogastronomic experiences. On this private luxury tour, your expert guides will introduce you to New Zealand’s top wineries, and take you behind the scenes to meet local winemakers and sample delectable farm products. Stay in exclusive luxury lodges, all of which are set in stunning locations and feature gourmet cuisine pairing the best local wines and food. Begin in Hawke’s Bay, the Tuscany of New Zealand, a region of wine, farms, sun and beaches, and home to some of the country’s oldest and most acclaimed wineries. Stay two nights at a historic 19th-century hilltop villa. During private touring with your expert local guide, visit local vineyards with spectacular settings and sample fine Merlot and other varietals from the Gimblett Gravels, the region’s premier terroir. Visit small local food shops and fruit stands to taste locally produced cheeses, preserves, honey and fruit. Perhaps also visit Napier, a town filled with Art Deco architecture. Next, fly to Blenheim, a town surrounded by the vineyards and hills of Marlborough, New Zealand’s largest wine region and producer of some of the world’s most renowned Sauvignon Blanc wines. Spend two nights at a lodge, surrounded by 25 acres of landscaped English gardens. During private touring, visit important wineries and sample Sauvignon Blanc and other varietals from world-renowned winemakers. Transfer with your private driver through the seaside town of Kaikoura and the olive trees, lavender fields and vineyards of Canterbury to a country estate for two nights. En route, stop to sample Pinot Noir, Riesling and other specialties of the Waipara Valley wine region. Spend a day exploring Claremont’s vast ranchlands, see unusual geological formations, and end the day with a gourmet meal of locally produced lamb, venison and other treats. Next, fly to Queenstown, one of New Zealand’s most beautiful towns, set on shimmering Lake Wakatipu. With your private guide, visit Central Otago’s leading wineries to taste excellent Pinot Noir and other varietals. Also, visit Arrowtown, a charming historic village filled with Victorian cottages and excellent restaurants. Transfer along the shore of Lake Wakatipu to a magnificent luxury lodge in a stunning lakefront setting with views of mountains and glacial-fed rivers. Meals at Blanket Bay are also a highlight, with excellent, fresh local products transformed into gourmet creations by leading chefs. Enjoy local touring including a flight excursion to Milford Sound for an unforgettable experience of one of New Zealand’s most iconic landscapes. Itinerary Overview Day 1 Arrive Hawke’s Bay Private transfer to hotel for 2 nights Day 2 Hawke’s Bay Full-day private food and wine tour Day 3 Hawke’s Bay – Blenheim Private transfer to airport for flight to Blenheim. Private transfer to hotel for 2 nights Day 4 Blenheim & Marlborough Full-day food and wine touring of Marlborough Day 5 Blenheim – Canterbury Private tour of Kaikoura and Waipara wineries en route to country estate for 2 nights Day 6 Canterbury Morning private farm tour Day 7 Canterbury – Queenstown – Glenorchy Private tansfer to airport for flight. Private wine and culture tour upon arrival. Transfer to hotel for 3 nights Day 8 Glenorchy Private morning helicopter excursion to Milford Sound Day 9 Glenorchy Morning Dart River safari Day 10 Depart Queenstown Private airport transfer Hotels and Lodges Hawke’s Bay: Greenhill the Lodge Blenheim: Timara Lodge Canterbury: Claremont Estate Glenorchy: Blanket Bay Cost $14,110 Per person (double occupancy)

 More info and reservations

Artisans of Leisure: Food & Wine of Australia

(9 Days – Departs Daily on a Private Basis) Melbourne, Yarra Valley, Adelaide, Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Sydney Australian cuisine was once based solely on the recipes brought by the English settlers, such as roasts, meat pies, sausage and potatoes. Contemporary cooking—some of the best in the world—reflects more recent immigrations with Italian, Greek, Chinese, Vietnamese and other Asian cuisines offering a diversity of cooking ingredients and styles to the mix. Large urban food markets stock a huge range of local foods, such as olive oil, organic vegetables, goat cheese, wood-fired bread and live crabs. For generations, Aborigines prepared meals from foods gathered in the wild. Traditional “bushtucker” cuisine includes kangaroo meat and witchetty grubs (moth larvae) as well as native berries, nuts, seeds and citrus. Many of these ingredients have found their way into the kitchens of contemporary Australian chefs exploring the flavors of the continent. Australian wine has become a worldwide phenomenon in recent years and the country is now one of the top ten wine producers in the world. Wine-growing regions of the Barossa Valley, the Hunter Valley and the Yarra Valley produce some of the world’s best chardonnays, shirazs, pinot noirs and merlots. Australia also has a strong pub culture. This private gourmet adventure includes Australia’s premier wine regions, insider visits to specialty food purveyors, market visits, superb dining, and tours of locations offering the freshest and most creative cuisine in Australia. Itinerary Overview Day 1 Arrive Melbourne Arrival transfer and private city touring Day 2 Melbourne – Yarra Valley Full-day private tour of wineries and villages in Dandenong Ranges wine region Day 3 Yarra Valley Full-day private tour of wineries and specialty food shops in Yarra Valley Day 4 Melbourne – Adelaide Transfer and flight to Adelaide. Afternoon private city touring Day 5 Barossa Valley Full-day private touring in Barossa Valley wine country Day 6 McLaren Vale Full-day private touring of vineyards Day 7 Adelaide – Sydney Transfer and flight to Sydney for two-night stay. Afternoon private city tour Day 8 Sydney Full-day foodies tour of Sydney Day 9 Depart Sydney Private airport transfer Hotels Melbourne: Park Hyatt Melbourne Yarra Valley: Chateau Yering Adelaide: Hilton Adelaide Sydney: Park Hyatt Sydney or Four Seasons Sydney Cost $9,345 Per person (double occupancy)

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Artisans of Leisure: Gourmet Northern Italy

(10 Days – Departs Daily on a Private Basis) Piedmont, Emilia-Romagna, TuscanyThis tour focuses on the superb food and wine of northern Italy, uncovering how geography and history have influenced regional variation. Begin in Piedmont, birthplace of the Slow Food Movement and famous for its truffles, French-influenced cuisine and the world-renowned red wines Barolo, Barbaresco, Barbera and Dolcetto. Spend three nights at a former monastery converted into a charming hotel located in the midst of a picturesque vineyard. During a private tour, visit the beautiful market towns of Asti, known for its sparkling white wine, and Alba, home of the prized white truffle. Drive through the rolling hillside to tour villages such as Barolo, Castiglione Falletto and La Morra and sample the area’s finest wineries. During truffle season, perhaps join a trifulau and his dog on a truffle hunt. One day, enjoy a cooking class at a villa located amidst vineyards and fruit orchards. During leisure time, try some of the regional specialties such as vitello tonnato (veal with anchovy and caper sauce), agnolotti del plin (a delicate, filled pasta), and gianduja(chocolate with hazelnuts) in a variety of forms.Continue with your private driver-guide to Emilia-Romagna, arguably the best-known center of gourmet fare in Italy, and famous for its rich cuisine. Stay in Parma and enjoy a cooking class at the acclaimed Academia Barilla Culinary Center. On a private excursion, visit producers of the region’s celebrated Parmesan cheese, Parma prosciutto, and the traditional balsamic vinegar of Modena. Also enjoy a tour of old-town Parma, including the Piazza del Duomo, site of a magnificent 12 th-century cathedral—featuring Correggio’s exuberant fresco in the dome— and adjacent baptistery. Perhaps stop for a tour of Bolognaen route to Tuscany.Continue to Tuscany, where the enchanting landscapes, superlative art and fine wine combine with the simple yet delicious cuisine to create a harmonious experience. Using a luxury hotel on the River Arno in Florence as your base, one day enjoy a full-day tour that includes favorite “insider” spots in the city, and savor the local products available at the Mercato Centrale. Also take a cooking class at a villa outside of Florence. There will be ample free time to enjoy Florence and its restaurants, shops, museums and other highlights independently. Another day, take a full-day wine, olive oil and cheese-tasting excursion through Tuscany, visiting wine estates in Montalcino and Montepulciano or in the Chianti region, and stopping in historic towns such as Pienza or San Gimignano. Conclude with a night at a beautiful luxury hotel nestled in the Tuscan countryside. Itinerary Overview Day 1 Arrive Milan or Turin Arrival transfer from airport to hotel for 3 nights Day 2 Le Langhe Private half-day tour of Asti. Afternoon cooking class Day 3 Le Langhe Full-day private wine and attractions excursion to Alba and surrounding towns Day 4 Le Langhe – Parma Private transfer to hotel for 2 nights. Afternoon cooking class Day 5 Parma and Modena Full-day culinary excursion Day 6 Parma – Florence Private transfer to hotel for 3 nights, with optional tour of Bologna en route Day 7 Florence Private, full-day tour of Florence Day 8 Florence Half-day cooking class in villa outside of Florence Day 9 Florence – Tuscany Private, full-day food and wine tour of Tuscany. Overnight at countryside retreat Day 10 Depart Italy Private transfer to Rome or Florence airport Hotels Le Langhe: Relais San Maurizio Parma: Sofitel Parma Grand Hotel de la Ville Florence: Hotel Lungarno or Four Seasons Florence Tuscany: Locanda dell’Amorosa Cost $12,375 Per person (double occupancy)

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Vancouver Food Tour: Salt Spring Island Food Tour

Explore BC’s most prized Gulf Island, renown for its spectacular natural scenery, organic wineries and farms, vibrant art culture, and outdoor adventures. On this leisurely tour, indulge in Salt Spring Island’s famed wines, cheeses, mussels, oysters, and much more.

Guests can either meet the guides on the Island, or meet Melody at the docks in Downtown, Vancouver. A float plane will take guests on a picturesque ride and arrive at Salt Spring within half an hour.

Upon gathering the group and dropping off our bags, we’re off to our first delectable destination! We first take a tour of the famed Salt Spring Island Cheese farm, followed by a trip to an artisan baker better known as “The Bread Lady”. Saturday guests are treated to an extra detour to the eclectic Farmer’s Market.

Next, we cruise to Salt Spring’s only organic winery for a tour and a guided wine tasting. Upon deciding your favourite wine, let’s take several carafes onto the patio that over looks the winery. Guests are invited dive into their chef-prepared picnic baskets, filled with organic and local fare.

After the picnic with wine-pairings, we head down to a unique organic farm that supplies the attached restaurant. The farmer shares his strategic techniques to yield an array of produce to feed the entire establishment. We then experience the farmed goods, along with renowned Salt Spring Island Mussels on the airy restaurant patio.

A Salt Spring Island tour is not complete until guests savour freshly shucked Salt Spring oysters while overlooking the waters, and that’s exactly what we’ll do. Our tour wraps up with some squeezing of lemon, grating of fresh horseradish, and a whole lot of slurping.

As we say our farewells, the guides will help guests arrange transportation or accommodations.

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[ Pre-register now: spaces will fill up quickly]

Tour Includes:

• All meals, food, and samplings
• Fun and informative guided tour with transportation
• Drinks: Wine tasting and pairing and 1 pint of Salt Spring Island craft beer
  • Gratuities to your guide are highly appreciated

Time: 12:00 pm – 5:30 pm
Price: $199 CDN per person without flight or $259 CDN per person with flight

Meeting Spot: On Salt Spring Island or Downtown, Vancouver. Exact location provided upon confirmation

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