France: Food, Wine, and History in Southwestern France
June 20 – 28
The French southwest around Bordeaux and the Dordogne provides a glimpse of an unvarnished, rustic France — from the robust red wines of Bordeaux to the oysters of Arcachon to the goat cheeses of Rocamadour, France’s southwest has conquered many a spirit.
Two Vassar professors helped to design this tour to explore the concept of terroir — the relationship between the geology and soil of a food product’s origin and the flavors and smells that product contains. It helps explain what gives a Bordeaux wine its unique characteristics, or what separates a true French champagne from an Italian sparkling wine.
The journey takes you through the area’s unspoiled scenery, while sampling delectable fruits of nature. Rambling around the back roads and charming villages of southwestern France, the tour will bring you to high-tech vineyards and simple dairy farms, along with lovely orchards and high-end producers of foie gras. You will learn what makes a food’s provenance unique, all the while fine tuning your epicurean credentials during rustic lunches, fine dinners, and an abundance of tastings and samplings.
Not to be overlooked are the beautiful towns, sites, and monuments you will encounter along the way — places like Bergerac, Rocamadour, Sarlat-le-Caneda, and Cahors. The tour features comfortable first-class hotels and well-chosen restaurants, many specially arranged visits, and a careful balance between activities and free time.
Price: from $3,995 per person, double occupancy