Flavors of France
From a chef's cargo-bike kitchen in Toulouse to a château courtyard in the Loire. You’ll sit at the tables of the chefs, vignerons, and artisans who have been our friends for years.
“Henri at Cheau de Ferrand was the best. This was such an interesting tasting and an amazing lunch!! I loved the Bic(h) story, the venue and the delicious lunch.” - Shaliena U.
→ Loire Valley
Imagine yourself…
Mastering the art of blue-dye craftsmanship, blending wine in Saint-Émilion with a master vigneron, and dining in a château courtyard in the Loire Valley.
From the vines and the cellars, all the way to the table.
Most food tours start at the plate. We start where the food does and follow it the whole way.
The fields
Vines and Cognac country.
The makers
Aging eaux-de-vie at Sabine's distillery.
The hands
At Annette's workshop hand dying indigo.
The history
Cellars beneath the village.
The table
A château courtyard with the owners.
Friends You Haven't Met Yet
Our personal relationships in France open doors to experiences most travelers never have, like a chef sharing the secrets behind local dishes while sample bites cooked for us from his mobile kitchen, a winemaker walking you through family vineyards, or a warm invitation to enjoy lunch with a family in Cognac.
Alex - Toulouse
A trained chef who cooks regional recipes for us on the spot from his cargo-bike kitchen.
Annette - Toulouse
Opens her centuries-old workshop and teaches us the delicate art of blue-dye craftsmanship.
Sabine - Cognac
Shares her distillery’s production method then feeds us a long lunch and a Cognac and chocolate pairing for dessert.
Be fully present. We’ve handled everything else.
✓ 4-5* Boutique Accommodations
✓ Airport meet and greet with private transfers
✓All ground transportation
✓ All meals listed in the itinerary
✓ Wine tastings and select alcoholic beverages with most meals
✓ All activities, experiences, tours, and sightseeing
✓ All taxes and tips for all drivers, guides, restaurants, and more
✓ 24/7 Tour Host
Exclusions: mandatory travel insurance, international airfare, hotel incidentals, and premium alcoholic beverages.
Just 6 – 12 travelers — small enough to fit inside a family kitchen.
"This was so much more than a food and wine tour."
"We did enjoy good food and wine everywhere, but it was the visits to crafspeople of all types that makde it special for me."
"What a fabulous way to see some unique locations in France."
"The food experiences were over-the-top. This was my 3rd trip with The Table Less Traveled, and I'm already planning the next one."
Flavors of France
Bienvenue en France
A private driver brings you from the airport to our hotel. We kick things off with a wine bar tour to celebrate the French apéro tradition. We'll taste rare southwest varietals like Négrette and Mauzac with a certified French Wine Scholar.
A chef, a cargo bike, and the Pink City
Our friend Alex is a trained chef who doesn’t buy pre-made food from vendors so he cooks regional recipes for us on the spot from his cargo bike-slash-kitchen as we walk the historic center. The evening is yours to explore the Pink City.
Indigo hands and a hands-on kitchen
We step into a centuries-old workshop with Annette to master the delicate art of blue-dye craftsmanship. In the evening, a hands-on cooking class in classic regional dishes.
Village Life
On our way to Saint-Émilion, we spend the day in the small village of Bazas, known for its cattle and foie gras production. We'll visit a farm and have lunch with the owner. After some free time exploring, we arrive to Saint-Émilion and spend the evening together.
Learning to blend, not just taste
An exclusive tour and tasting at Château de Ferrand, where we learn the art of wine blending and then sit down to an exquisite lunch. After a free afternoon, we gather together at one of our favorite chateau's for a dinner with a local winemaker.
Eaux-de-vie, a long lunch, and chocolate
On the way to the Loire Valley we stop in Cognac country. In a historic distillery, our friend Sabine walks us through the production method, then hosts a leisurely lunch on her property and we finish with a Cognac and chocolate pairing.
Châteaux and da Vinci
We explore the rolling hills where grand châteaux meet lush vineyards and then Clos Lucé, the final home of Leonardo da Vinci. The day ends with a relaxed village dinner.
A family atelier and a château farewell
We step into a family-run atelier where handcrafted wallpaper comes to life, each design a testament to time-honored craftsmanship. We watch the artisans at work, then close the journey with a private château farewell dinner.
À bientôt
An optional group breakfast before we say goodbye, with a private driver and transfer arranged for your next adventure.
Our itinerary is always evolving as we coordinate with our friends in France around their schedules. Consider it a vivid preview of what travel with us feels like.
Let's start with a conversation.
Whether you're wondering about the group dynamic, the activity level, or exactly what happens on day 7 — we're here. We'll reply within 24 hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
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This trip is moderately active: expect walking tours of up to 4 hours, cobblestone streets and uneven terrain, stairs, and extended periods of standing during markets and cooking classes. Travelers who are comfortable with a full, active day and reasonably long stretches on their feet will feel most at home on this itinerary.
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Our France trips are capped at 6–12 travelers, the same small-group size we use across every Table Less Traveled destination. It's what lets us book a private cargo-bike food tour with a local chef or a farewell dinner inside a château.
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Flavors of France is a 9-day, 8-night small-group culinary journey from Toulouse through Saint-Émilion to the Loire Valley. It's designed to be as close to all-inclusive as possible, so you can focus on the food, wine, and stories instead of logistics. Your trip price includes:
Hand-picked 4–5-star boutique hotels in Toulouse, Saint-Émilion, and the Loire Valley.
An airport meet-and-greet with private transfers.
All ground transportation throughout the trip.
All meals listed in the itinerary: breakfast daily, plus most lunches and dinners.
Wine tastings, plus select alcoholic drinks with most meals.
All activities, tours, and experiences. Highlights include:
An apéro wine bar tour with a certified French Wine Scholar.
A Toulouse food tour with a chef who cooks from his cargo-bike kitchen.
An indigo blue-dye workshop.
A hands-on French cooking class with wine pairings.
An underground cellar tour and a château dinner with the owners in Saint-Émilion.
A wine-blending experience at Château de Ferrand.
A cognac and chocolate pairing at a historic distillery.
A visit to Clos Lucé, Leonardo da Vinci's final home.
A private château farewell dinner.
All taxes and tips for drivers, guides, and restaurants.
A tour host available 24/7 throughout the trip.
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The France trip is 9 days, with our upcoming departure set for May 8 - 16, 2027.
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$12,000 per person based on double occupancy
$14,000 per person based on single occupancyPricing covers accommodations, most meals, cooking classes and market experiences with local hosts, in-country transportation, and a dedicated trip host.
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Flavors of France takes you through three of France's most delicious regions. You'll begin in Toulouse, the "Pink City" of the southwest. Next comes Saint-Émilion in Bordeaux wine country. On the way north you'll stop in Cognac country for a cognac and chocolate pairing. The trip ends in the Loire Valley.
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Food is the heart of every day on Flavors of France. You'll take a Toulouse food tour with a chef cooking from his cargo-bike kitchen and a hands-on French cooking class with wine pairings. You'll dine with château owners in Saint-Émilion and enjoy a cognac and chocolate pairing at a historic distillery. In the Loire Valley there's a mushroom and wine tasting, and the trip ends with a private château farewell dinner. Cheese, wine, and the stories behind classic French dishes run through the whole journey.
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Place a deposit for your trip. Because our groups are capped at 12 travelers, France departures tend to fill up well before the trip date, so we recommend reaching out as soon as you know you're interested.