Hopefully, you’ve glanced through our “About” page to get a better idea of what we are all about and what I intend to accomplish with this site.

My main objective is to give you:

• Vacation recommendations to satisfy your quest for fine foods, wines, luxury and lessons – be it on land or sea…

Fields of Heather in Provence

So far, I’ve given you information on the fantastic offerings by Globus Journeys and the Culinary Arts Center on board Holland America’s ships in addition to a few other posts about using a tour company for your culinary adventures, travel insurance, and the advantage of using me as your “personal travel adviser.”

This is my first of many articles about a culinary tour company that does nothing but culinary tours. They don’t float a boat nor do they offer a million other options for tours other than culinary tours. If you haven’t heard of them before, you’ll know all about them and what they have to offer as you read on….

Tour de Forks

Tour de Forks, located in New York City, presents luxury epicurean adventures to Italy, France, and Australia. Beginning in 2009, they will add tours to South India and Turkey as well as Montreal, Canada and New Orleans, Louisiana.

Now in their fifth year, their tours focus on providing guests with an insider’s experience that captures the essence of the cuisine, the people, and the culture of a destination. Their groups are small, relaxed and fun. They offer superb food, attention to detail, and seamless personalized service. They do this by both partnering with other culinary professionals and designing their own itineraries.

Tour de Forks offer small, escorted tours led by culinary experts. They provide culinary experiences such as cooking classes, tours of markets, demonstrations by local producers, wine tastings, meetings with famous chefs and tasting meals at restaurants. They also include cultural and historical sites, hotels and ground transport. Needless to say, they have many satisfied clients as a result.

What follows is but a sampling of the many choices offered by Tour de Forks:

Now until March 2010 – A Taste of Tasmania

View from Strathlyn Restaurant

“It is a land of cream and honey – thick King Island dairy cream and honey from the leatherwood trees. The crayfish are as big as cats, the mountain streams so pure that the women come to collect the water like modern-day Rebeccas at the well.” Victoria Mather, Tatler Magazine

The island of Tasmania – is one of Australia’s best kept secrets. This unique region offers dramatic mountain peaks, waterfalls, abundant native wildlife, fields of lavender and is becoming increasingly known for their production of premium wines, cheeses, honey and other culinary specialties.

Begin your tour in Launceston with winemaker, Natalie Fryar for sparkling wine tastings at the Jansz winery in Pipers Brook. Afterwards, Chef Daniel Alps will prepare lunch at his restaurant Strathlynn, overlooking the Tamar River.

Travel east to the award winning Tarraleah Lodge and experience the best trout fishing on the island. Once you have caught one, the chef will show you how to prepare it.

Complete your culinary discovery at the Barilla Bay Oyster Farm and enjoy a tour and tasting of fresh oysters overlooking the spectacular Barilla Bay.

Whether you are a foodie that loves adventure, or an adventurer that loves food – we offer you a vacation of a lifetime.

Taste of Tasmania
Cost: $1,830 per person based on twin share until 31 March 2010

Price Includes:
2 nights in a Deluxe Room at the Red Feather Inn with continental breakfast; 2 nights in a Harbour View Room at the Henry Jones Art Hotel with full breakfast; 2 nights at the new Tarraleah Lodge, in a luxury lodge room, which includes selected pre-dinner drinks, four course gourmet dinner, cooked to order breakfast and light signature lunch; 7 days mid size car rental with Hertz

Not Included:
International and domestic airfares; excess baggage charges; airport arrival and departure taxes; travel insurance; meals, wines, or sightseeing not included in itinerary; personal expenses such as laundry and communication charges; gratuities, email/fax/telephone charges, and hotel minibar.

Wineglass Bay, Freycinet

In case you are of the mind that an epicurean adventure in Australia might be just about “shrimp on the bar-b” – au contrair. Although there is shrimp, the wealth of seafood is amazing; plump oysters, abalone, and as writer Victoria Mather of Tatler Magazine vividly describes, “crayfish as big as cats”.

The U.S. Dollar is strong in Australia, making a vacation there a great value. Air fares have never been lower. Delta debuts a new trans-Pacific flight (linking LA and Sydney) on July 1, 2009.

Here’s what some folks have to say about Tour de Forks

I would love to help you plan a foodie’s vacation to the island of Tasmania with Tour de Forks.

I’m but a phone call away at 931-484-8228. If you prefer Email Me and I’ll get right back to you.

Want to know more about Tour de Forks? Go here and read all about them. But – please don’t forget who introduced you to these great people!

thanks for your time…enjoy your day!

elaine