Vin et Chocolat
An onboard tasting event. Luxurious French Valrhona chocolates with different wines. Consider the following pairings.
1) Sauvignon Blanc w/ milk chocolate. A surprise to us all. Yum!
2) Merlot w/ Caraibe dark chocolate 60% cacao
3) Cab/Cab Franc/Merlot blend w/ Guanaja 70% cacao
4) Chateau Vignot / St Emilion Grand Cru w/ Guanaja 70% cacao

Which do you think you would like?

For more delicious details, contact:
Jacintha Perera, culinary escape artist
Gourmet Getaways, a division of
www.IslandGetawaysTravel.com
916.897.9597

Market Fresh
On the walk into the village, we discovered it was market day.

Pecheur
I was surprised to see a fresh fish vendor at the farmers market. She had a specialized vehicle for transporting & displaying her perishable goods. Note the pop up side panel on her truck transforms into an awning.

Local Flavors
Question: Does anyone know/recognize what these edible slabs are?
Hint: it is a regional specialty available in different flavors.

Cash & Carry
Answer: Nougat
Made in the area & sold by the gram. Yes, measured in metric & very popular. I noticed this young man was doing a brisk business.

For more delicious details, contact:
Jacintha Perera, culinary escape artist
Gourmet Getaways, a division of
www.IslandGetawaysTravel.com
916.897.9597

Chateau de Grignan
It’s a short drive to the village of Grignan. Built during the 15th & 16th centuries, the hilltop castle is an excellent example of Renaissance architecture. It contains a collection of Louis XII furniture & Aubusson tapestries.

Follow the Trail
Our guide walked us through the maze of narrow streets toward the castle.

Uphill!
The steep route to the top can be an imposing sight. It’s going to be a workout in both directions.
Several people chose to explore the village or shop in the market instead.

View from the Terrace
If you continue to the top, you’ll be rewarded with great views. On a clear day, you can see the Vivarais mountains in the the Ardeche from the castle terrace. I noticed a life size garden maze (see the swirled hedges?) in the foreground & full size modern soccer field in the midground.

For more delicious details, contact:
Jacintha Perera, culinary escape artist
Gourmet Getaways, a division of
www.IslandGetawaysTravel.com
916.897.9597

Going to the Dogs
Let me introduce Ariel & Belle, a couple of specially trained, hard-working canines. Let’s see what they do so well . . .

Truffle Hunters
These beauties work with their handler, at the Ayme Truffle Farm in Grignan, to detect the prized black & white truffles, hidden just below the surface.

Buried Treasure
VIDEO: Truffle hunters, Ariel & Belle on the job, in their orchards in Provence, actively searching for the valuable nuggets. They are French so they naturally respond to commands en francais 🙂

Gourmet Gold
The fruit of their labor: a fresh seasonal black truffle, which we are about to sample, after the live demonstration, inside the farmhouse.

Taste Treat
Thinly shaved black truffle drizzled with white truffle oil & extra virgin olive oil on toast points. The hors d’oeuvres literally flew off the plates. Served with glasses of local wine, of course.

For more delicious details, contact:
Jacintha Perera, culinary escape artist
Gourmet Getaways, a division of
www.IslandGetawaysTravel.com
916.897.9597

Steel, Oak & Glass
Viticulturist Alberic Mazoyer spoke to us about their production using modern stainless steel tanks & old-fashioned oak barrels. You can see pallets of bottled wine behind him, wrapped & ready to ship locally.

Wine Cellar
Monsieur Mazoyer escorted us through the private reserve room on the way to the tasting room to sample their regional wines.

For more delicious details, contact:
Jacintha Perera, culinary escape artist
Gourmet Getaways, a division of
www.IslandGetawaysTravel.com
916.897.9597

Cotes du Rhone
Continuing to sail south, a drive through the country & we are now in the village of Cornas, home to small wineries such as this one owned by Alain Voge. It’s tucked away down a narrow side street so you would need directions or  a guide to show you the way there.

Walk in the Vines
We were led around the back in to the vineyards where the village of Cornas, with its prominent church steeple, served as a beautiful backdrop for our discussion.

New Crop
We were seeing spring’s first green growth on the bottom of these antique vines that have grown here for generations.

Young Buds
The promise of things to come. By summer, there would be full lush foliage & finally a harvest of fruit in the fall. All of this before the wine making process can even begin.

For more delicious details, contact:
Jacintha Perera, culinary escape artist
Gourmet Getaways, a division of
www.IslandGetawaysTravel.com
916.897.9597

Romancing the Stone
Back down at ground level in the Old Quarter of Vienne, we walked over to the Abbey St Pierre, now a small archaeological museum which houses a surprising collection of local Roman artifacts.

Pottery Barn
Amphorae are containers of a distinct size & shape, used in ancient times, to store & transport both liquids & dry goods, commonly used for wine.

For more delicious details, contact:
Jacintha Perera, culinary escape artist
Gourmet Getaways, a division of
www.IslandGetawaysTravel.com
916.897.9597

Toy Train to the Top
You can take a tiny train from the center to the top of the town for a bird’s eye view.

Jazz Festival
The view from the top down. There is an annual music festival held her in Vienne in July in the Roman amphitheater. Imagine it filled with music & music lovers!

Bird’s Eye View
The panoramic view from the top of Vienne overlooking the Rhone River Valley.

For more delicious details, contact:
Jacintha Perera, culinary escape artist
Gourmet Getaways, a division of
www.IslandGetawaysTravel.com
916.897.9597

Roman Roots
Sailing farther south, we arrive at the Roman town of Vienne. This was a large surburban settlement during the age of Julius Caesar & later the capital of Burgundy.

The Temple of Augustus & Livia
Originally erected by Emperor Claudius, this building has a colorful history having been repurposed & rebuilt several times over the centuries. It was even converted into a church in the 5th century & secularized during the French Revolution. Your guide has all the details.

For more delicious details, contact:
Jacintha Perera, culinary escape artist
Gourmet Getaways, a division of
www.IslandGetawaysTravel.com
916.897.9597

We are literally in the vineyards at Domaine de la Logere winery in Beaujolais country between the Burgundy & Rhone wine regions.
Our host, viticulturist, Pascal Gayot, discusses the specific terrior of his winery – all the environmental factors impacting the growth &  production of wine. He spoke to us in French, while our guide, Marion (to his right), translated into English through her audio unit.

Sips & Nibbles
Monsieur Gayot escorted us inside the winery for tastings & more informal discussion. While this region is famous for Beaujolais Nouveau, it also produces Chadonnay Beaujolais Blanc, sparkling Blanc de Blancs & even rose.

a Votre Sante
We sampled a red, a white & also a rose wine. With local sausages, cheese & bread, of course. All this & it’s only 10 o’clock in the morning. Bottles were available for sale, conveniently boxed & ready to go!

For more delicious details, contact:
Jacintha Perera, culinary escape artist
Gourmet Getaways, a division of
www.IslandGetawaysTravel.com
916.897.9597