Our winning blend!

In June I was honored to be invited by Atout France (French Tourist Office) to explore the Vallee de la Gastronomie. I flew to Paris where I spent one night at a charming hotel just steps from the Louvre. The next morning I joined an intimate group of 11 + me, makes 12 and we boarded a bus headed south. The Vallee de la Gastronomie is a gourmet travel router from Dijon to Marseilles crossing the 3 beautiful regions of Burgundy, Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes, and Provence. We arrived for our first night at a Relais & Chateaux property Relais Bernard Loiseau renowned for their Michelin 2 star restaurant and extensive hydro-spa. He had dinner and toured the wine cellar. The next day we stopped in Dijon where we toured Cite Internationale de la Gastronomie et du Vin. I of course purchased some mustard. We enjoyed lunch in Puligny-Montrachet at Olivier Leflaive where we met the owner of this prestigious wine growing estate. We overnighted in the charming town of Tournus located on the Saone River. We toured the well preserved abbey and walked the cobblestone streets down to the river. Our next stop in Burgundy was in the Macon Valley. We hiked the Rock of Solutre where enjoyed a picnic on the rock complete with wine. Then enjoyed e-bikes through the vineyards and lovely villages of Pouilly-Fuisse. Later that afternoon we toured the new Cite des Climats et vin de Bourgogne in Macon where we spent the night. Next stop was the culinary capital of Lyon where we attended a workshop with chef Joseph Viola (Daniel et Denise restaurant) who is the award winning master of pate en croute. We of course tasted the creation over glasses of wine. Then to work off some of our calories we did a walking tour of Lyon and explored the secret traboule. Lyon has 20 Michelin starred restaurants at last count, but they also have numerous bouchons (identified by the sign outside) where you can enjoy traditional food. We enjoyed a relaxing boat ride on the Rhone and enjoyed the sunshine. We enjoyed a delicious dinner at a typical cafe du terroir. The restaurant had a private dining area in the stone cellar. Early the next day we continued south to Tain l'Hermitage to stop at Cite du Chocolat Valrhona where we tried our hand at making chocolate truffles. Lunch was at the Maison Chapoutier vineyard followed by a snack at the Relais and Chateau hotel Maison Pic. Last stop of the afternoon were the lavender fields on La Drome and our overnight was at an historic castle hotel Chateau des Oliviers de Salettes. Our dinner there was a picnic overlooking their lavender fields and olive groves. Amazing memory to cherish! Next was a wine creation workshop in Suze-la-Rousse at the University of Wine. Our blend won the contest that day. It was June 21 so we named our vintage Summer Solstice. The afternoon we toured the chateau in Grignan and we overnighted at a charming hotel there which has 1 star Michelin restaurant where we enjoyed dinner. Continuing south we visited the town of Nyons in the rain (known for its olive oils) and then lunch was a picnic on a working fishing boat off the coast of Le Grau du Roi. The skies opened up and we were drenched. It was almost Gilligan's Island II!! We overnighted in Arles where our hotel was directly in front of the Roman arena. Our official trip ended in Marseilles where I bid the group adieu. I stayed on for 2 days to explore Marseilles and Aix en Provence on my own. In Aix I enjoyed a perfume workshop where I created my signature scent which I brought back as a very personal souvenir which will evoke memories of my trip, each time I wear it.