Food & wine tours
small groups, local experience

Just got back from this group’s tour. We can say enough about the owner’s ability to get our small group to private artisanal tastings, amazing markets and local special meals and wonderful settings. Had the best time. My husband and i were wowed by the experiences, and all our packed local salts, spreads, wine, and ceramics made it home safely.

Smadar

Our trip to tuscany was truly a vacation. Every day was a unique and fulfilling experience on none stop food, wine and site seeing. The villa and Valter, our host, chef and tour guide made it even more special. I would recommend this to anyone wanting to experience Italy.

David and I can’t begin to tell you what a trip of a lifetimethe trip to Provence was for us. You took care of everything down to the slightest detail. All we had to do is show up and enjoy!!!! All the people that were involved were exceptional!!! The people, the wine, the food and places we visited were tops!!!!!!! We highly recommend the trip and also highly recommend you to everyone. We feel like family.

Smadar, what a wonderful trip!  You really have put together the best of Provence.  I don’t think I’m speaking just for myself when I say we loved the Bastide.  Our tour guide was the best.  She loves her region so much, and that came accross in all that she did to show us Provence. We are all still talking about the wonderful experience of lunch at Lolo’s, lunch in Les Halles in Avignon, dinner in the butcher shop, cooking with David, etc. etc.  Can you tell that we enjoyed the food?  The travels to the hill towns, the Sunday market, Cassis . . . . everything was special.

I’m so glad we found you and Food N’ Wine Vacations.

Our trip was fabulous and our tour guide was the very best.  She was vivacious, showed her love for all things in Provence – the people, the history, and of course, the food and wine.  This was no cookie cutter trip – we felt like we were the only tourists wherever we went.  I would recommend this trip to all my friends.

We are excited to put on paper how much we loved our “Food and Wine”vacation to Provence. From the moment we found your site on the internet and spoke with you, everything was handled so efficiently and professionally. You were always concerned with our particular needs and requests and you went out of your way to accommodate us.

Our week in Provence was awesome and everything went like clockwork. We loved our guide.  We enjoyed all the towns and villages you chose for us to visit.  The restaurants, the lunch picnics our cooking classes with chef Philippe  were all amazing and the food delicious.

We look forward to another one of your trips in the near future.

Everything was amazing! Definitely a trip of a lifetime (so far!) The villa was absolutely beautiful. We cooked and ate so much amazing food and wine. It was certainly a packed itinerary, but Dan and I really enjoyed getting to see so much in such a short amount of time.  Our chef/guide was an absolute treasure. He made the experience priceless! The weather was perfect. It rained one day, but it was the day we went to the market in Pistoia and came back to the villa to make lunch and lounge all day so it really didn’t interfere with anything.

The other couple on the trip couldn’t have been better. They were a great couple from New Hampshire.

Dan and I are actually going to try to make a couple of the dishes from our trip for dinner tonight!

We had a marvelous time in Italy!  Tuscany was our favorite part of the trip—the food and wine tour.  We enjoyed every minute of it from staying at the villa and sharing great times with all of the other people to our daily adventures touring the wineries, having fantastic lunches, visiting the villages and learning about their history to the cooking classes.  We could not have asked for more!

Thanks to you and Ben for making it a memorable trip of a lifetime!

Hope to see you again in the future!

Sincerely,

Smadar, We had the trip of a lifetime.  Paolo and the family were absolutely wonderful.   Each day was a new and exciting.  Thank you so much for providing us such a beautiful experience.  I will send you a link with photos. Thank you again.

Just got back from this group’s tour. We can say enough about the owner’s ability to get our small group to private artisanal tastings, amazing markets and local special meals and wonderful settings. Had the best time. My husband and i were wowed by the experiences, and all our packed local salts, spreads, wine, and ceramics made it home safely.

We all had a wonderful time on the wine tour.  Our guide was excellent and really knew her stuff.  I would say that we liked the second winery much better than the first, but I think for comparisons sake it was good to see the smaller one and then the castle one.  We did not get back to the villa until 6:30 that evening so I would certainly say that we all got our money’s worth.  WE appreciated the walking tour of Castellina and we saw the Etruscan tombs as well.  Thanks so much for arranging this for me and I would definitely use your company again.  Everything went off without a “hitch”.

Many, many thanks,

Dear Sam,

Just a note to tell you how much we enjoyed our trip to Tuscany. The Villa was beautiful and the food was excellent. The hosts at the villa couldn’t have been nicer. We loved the wine tours and Paolo was an outstanding tour guide. Having the opportunity to be part of two cooking classes also made us feel that we were experiencing the real Tuscany. We also very much enjoyed our side trip to Cinque Terra. Thank you for all your help and for organizing  the trip. It was a pleasure to meet you.

We were delighted to meet you as well – so glad your trip coincided with ours. I’m happy to share some feedback – could go on and on and on, but won’t do that to you 🙂

Our entire experience, from first contact with you helping me to decide between Provence or Tuscany, through all of the planning, and then certainly, our amazing trip to Provence, was above and beyond expectations.

Everyone in my family agrees that our trip could not have been better – the personalized itinerary, the excellent accommodations, the foods, wine and beautiful scenery, and certainly, having Claire as our private guide for the week. Time went all too quickly – it was very hard to leave Provence – we would do it all over again without hesitation.

Thank you so much for helping to create very special experiences and memories that will last a lifetime for my family. I look forward to planning a trip to Tuscany with you – we’ll be back!
Again, thank you, and please pass on our very big thank you to Claire!!

Hi Smadar,

We had a fantastic time! Champagne was very nice – the lunch was delicious,  the champagne very tasty (we both purchased a bottle to take home), the guide friendly and knowledgeable,  and the group we were with quite fun.

Bordeaux was amazing the chef and the driver were so friendly and accomodating and the itinerary was much more than we even imagined.  Both Laura and I had thought before the trip that we were getting to do quite a bit,  but the experience itself was even better (like the walking tour of Bordeaux – we didn’t know prior to arriving that was on the schedule,  but we were so pleased with the tour). All the chateaux we visited were beautiful, the wine fantastic and the food (especially the food from the cooking classes) delicious. What really pushed this holiday over the top for me though was the chef and the driver (who besides driving us, was full of information and used our camera to get pictures everywhere we went, so Laura and I could enjoy the tours without worrying about getting pictures).

I would definitely recommend this trip to friends and colleagues (and in fact already have). If this is indicative of your other tours, I can’t wait to go on more!

Cheers,

I just got back from Umbria, Italy. We were a group of friends celebrating our 50th birthdays.
The trip was very well organized with attention to details. I can definitely say it was a trip of a lifetime. We truly experienced Italy in a most authentic way.
We got to visit many places that were less touristy and off the beaten path, which was amazing, small family-owned farms, wineries and of course fantastic restaurants that were not full of tourists. So we really got the feel of an Italian experience.
The day tours were filled with beautiful sites, we got to experience 2 great festivals as well, one was the flower festival in Spello, which words cannot even begin to describe. The other was a medieval festival where the whole town was transformed to that period of time.

When we chose Umbria, most of us had never really heard of it. But it turned out to be one of the most beautiful areas I had ever visited in Italy. I would definitely recommend it.
The only negative thing I can say about this trip was that it was too short !
I will definitely be going back there.
Thank you Food N’ Wine Vacations for organizing the best trip ever !!

We want to thank Sam for creating such a unique and wonderful vacation experience to Tuscany for us and our two friends. We had an amazing time and it far exceeded our expectations. We stayed at the magnificent Villa in Chianti. Our hosts did everything to make us feel welcome and at home. Jada’s cooking of traditional Tuscan dishes were delicious. We spent a week experiencing the region including Florence, Chianti, Pisa, Lucca, Siena, San Gimignano, Montalcino, and Montepulciano with its wonderful and unique history, wineries, restaurants, and points of interest.  Each day was full of different adventures and surprises. The tour guide was extremely knowledgeable about the history of the region and made it fun by allowing us to experience it as a local would. It would have been very difficult to create such a special itinerary on our own. We highly recommend Food & Wine Vacations.  Thank you for a terrific time!

We took the Culinary Paradise tour in Italy and it was magical. Our guide was perfectly fluent in English, warm, and knowledgeable. We visited out of the way places such as the gorgeous Sibillini Mountains and Bevagna, enjoying the feel of the small medieval towns. Going on a truffle hunt, learning to make pasta (we’ve since made it at home!), and dining outdoors on a farm were among the many wonderful experiences. The delicious food was plentiful—almost endless. (But so healthy I only gained one pound on the trip.) I think my most memorable meal was at a restaurant where there was no menu—we just ate whatever the owner’s mother felt like cooking that night, which I think ended up being eight courses. There were also plenty of vegetarian dishes with fresh produce. A truly authentic experience. Thank you!

if you have Tuscany on your bucket list, this has to be one of the best vacations you could chose – it was one of the best we have ever taken. It offers a great balance of sightseeing and culinary activities.  One is treated as a special guest by the gracious staff and experiences the Tuscan lifestyle at a more relaxing pace and informative level offered by the small group size.  Also praiseworthy are the lovely accommodations, the pleasant and leisurely travels through picturesque Tuscan countryside, excellent food and fun-filled hands on cooking sessions.  Indeed it does deliver on the promise to “make you feel as if you were staying in a home of good friends” and to provide an “unforgettable experience of REAL Tuscany”.

My Family and I had the absolute pleasure of exploring Umbria in September. The trip was beyond amazing. Food and Wine vacations offered us an extraordinary opportunity to actually experience Umbria without being “tourists”. Everything was planned perfectly. Our accommodations were magnificent. We were blessed with such an amazing Guide. Luc’s passion and adoration for Umbria made our trip perfect. She treated us as her friends, rather than her clients. The people we met were so passionate about their land and culture and eager to share their food, wine and traditions with us. Everything was a highlight. The truffle hunt and lunch at Stefano’s restaurant was something we will never forget. We even had the amazing opportunity to spend time with his Family watching them made homemade ricotta and pecorino cheese…at their home! 

Our afternoons at the organic farm and the Winery, cooking with our hosts, was just wonderful. 

Driving to the hilltop town of Casteluccio was indescribable…just amazing beauty. 

Our day in  Orvieto was a favorite…lunch at Cantina Foresi and then gelato in the square on a outstanding sunny day…blue skies, warm sun and gelato…

The food in Umbria…delectable. We never ordered from a menu… each Chef prepared their specialties for us and everything was divine!

Everything about our trip was magnificent!  Such amazing memories.

Thank you Food and Wine Vacations for EXCEEDING our expectations.

I can say on my behalf that you were a pleasure to work with.  You were on top of every detail and returned all calls and emails promptly.

Your company is definitely one that I will use again and will let my colleagues at Tzell know of your exception service for a client looking for a Villa as well as a trip with Food and Wine.

Thank you again for all your assistance in making this a special vacation for my clients.

We had a wonderful week in Provence!  Mar was such a great guide.  She kept us busy everyday, taking us places and telling us things we would never have experienced had we not been on the tour.  I really felt more like a local and not so much like a tourist.  The week was a wonderful combination of food, wine and exploration and I felt that I had certainly gotten a lot for my money.  I will definitely consider another tour with Food N’ Wine Vacations and will highly recommend it to friends.

Thanks for your attention to detail – you should be really proud of your company and the services your provide.

Thank you Sam for such a beautiful trip. My mom and I had the best time ever. We will remember it forever. Thanks again. By the way, what is the name of that palace we stayed at in Umbria? I want to mention it in social media but don’t know the name of it. also I attached a short video of the pictures we took. They came out great there are a couple of you in there they came out super cute too! thanks again

Dearest Sam, on behalf of our group I would like to tell you how much we enjoyed our day with Salvatore! From the soccer chant singing fish monger to the last limoncello, from the Andrea Bocelliand-like singing on the ride up to the tearful goodbyes (not to mention the food. Mangia, mangia!) absolutely fabulous experience! Grazie!

We enjoyed Amalfi very much.

The Residenza was lovely – our room was large, the balcony overlooked the town, it was air conditioned and the breakfast was tasty and diverse.

The town was fantastic, as were all the cities.  The food, the scenes, the wine, the history . . .

Your guides, Christina and Gianni were personable and knowledgable.  We enjoyed our day on Capri/AnaCapri and the tour of Pompeii was so much better than trying to figure it out on our own.  Great stories and interesting facts.

Sal was the icing on the cake.  What a character!  Il mio cugeni Nuovo.  He was the perfect person to drive us through the windy switchbacks and cliffs of the coast.  We got our share of Nino d’Angelo, but we are fans, now.  Thoroughly enjoyed visiting the fish monger (I even gutted an aliche) with him.  The day at La casa di Sal on his balcony will not soon be forgotten.  Evita and he prepared a fantastic meal.

The winery was historic and quaint.  were lovely hosts with excellent food and wine.

Thank you for arranging this tour.

We had a wonderful time!  The accommodations were superb, Francois was terrific, and our fellow tour members became instant friends.  The choice of vineyards was outstanding–we experienced the spectrum from a small, family-owned, organic vineyard to a large, corporate-owned, prestigious one.  The lunches, settings and food, were amazing  and the one at Phelan Segur was one of the highlights of our trip.

Our time in Bourgogne was absolutely perfect!  First of all, the house is simply lovely- so beautiful. We were lucky with near perfect weather and enjoyed the beautiful gardens and views. louis and Fabrizio were so welcoming and attentive to our every need.  Jean took us on our day tours which were perfectly balanced (just like a Grand Cru!) in terms of history, education, natural beauty and, of course, tastings!  It really was a “locals” experience, as we were treated to completely unique people and places off of the beaten path.  The wine makers obviously have great respect for Louis and they made us feel so welcome.  Beaune is an absolutely delightful town – perfect in every way: GREAT food and wine, adorable little streets with gorgeous old architecture, friendly and welcoming people and just enough to do! We simply had the best time- a wonderful, mother daughter experience!

You made this so easy for us- all we had to do was show up, and everything that you arranged was perfectly suited to us! And when we were fearful that the train strike might affect us, you were there for us despite it being the middle of the night! Thank you, again, Food n Wine Vacations! We are ready to book our next adventure with you!

Dear sam, this was such a fun trip. The food was to die for, the wine tasting spot in Santorini is unforgettable. We loved loved cooking at katarin’s home and the food tour around Naxos. So happy that the weather was good and we were able to have dinner under the stars. Well done!

Sam, i wanted to send you a note to let you know that my mom and i had a trip of a lifetime. The different activities, places, and hotels way exceeded our expectations. We could have not known about these places and experienced these activities without your local contacts. Every day was like a new adventure. Thank you so much! we are waiting for your Greece trip!

My Sicilian experience was extraordinary and one I will n ever forget.  Thank you for such an exciting itinerary executed to perfection.  Hopefully I will be able to schedule another trip with you in the future.

We loved the trip.  Our hotels in Sarlat and Bordeaux were great and the town of Sarlat was the perfect place to base our travels in the Dordogne.  Both Jean and Franc were great tour guides.  Jean knows history and Franc certainly knows wines.  You are to be commended for finding such excellent locals.  And you are also to be commended for adding the Dordogne to our itinerary since that was not part of the original plans.  We were amazed at the chateaux in Bordeaux that you lined up for us.  I have been telling our friends about visiting so many world renowned wineries but some of my personal favorites were the less famous ones.  I guess of all of the things that we did on the trip my personal favorite was the visit to Cap Ferret and the amazing lunch by the sea.  The beautiful weather that day certainly helped.
 Our group made 3 trips:  Provence, Umbria, and Bordeaux.  All have been wonderful.

I am so thankful I took the Tuscany wine tour adventure with you!! It was a trip of a lifetime! Priceless memories!
I will always be grateful!