It might surprise many travelers to learn
that many of the restaurants earning the best reviews from the New
York Times and other top U.S. culinary authorities are in Europe.
From Comme Chez Soi in Brussels to Sjomagasinet in Goteborg,
Sweden, these establishments are so enticing as to draw visitors
from across the Atlantic and around the world.
While Americans
may not hop on a plane just to eat well, travel agents can use
cooking classes, commissionable packages and culinary fairs as
icing on the cake for clients already Europe-bound.
Wine lovers can
explore top wineries in France and Italy on tours from French Wine
Explorers.
The itineraries
are designed by Lauriann Greene-Sollin and Jean-Pierre Sollin, two
sommeliers who use their connections to give tour participants
insider access to local European vintners.
The tour operator
also creates customized itineraries led by expert
guides.
While traditional
wine destinations such as Bordeaux remain popular, Greene-Sollin,
French Wine Explorers' president, said she has noticed a trend
toward guests staying at wineries.
To that end, the
company offers stays in the historic Chateau Pichon Longueville,
one of the most famous castles in Bordeaux.
"Guests are also
more interested in adding a short wine tour onto a trip to Paris,
and we're able to help with private wine tours in any of the French
wine regions," Greene-Sollin said.
Noting an uptick
in demand for wine touring in Spain, Portugal and Italy, the
company also offers programs in regions such as Tuscany, Piedmont,
Rioja, Ribera del Duero and Porto.
The operator pays
agents 8% commission.
All this service
comes with a price: Rates range from $3,995 to $5,595 per person,
double, land-only.
But Bobby Zur, a
travel agent with Franklin Lakes, N.J.-based Travel Artistry, said
the accommodations, transportation and services of a wine expert on
a customized tour that he booked "were clearly worth every penny to
the client."
Gourmet travel
can also cross over into other niches, 
including adventure travel,
thanks to products such as Country Walkers' Tuscany and Umbria
walking tours.
"We recently
incorporated cooking classes into several Italian tours when we
created some of our Women's Adventures," said Kat Lane, Country
Walkers' tour manager. "Our intent was to accommodate some of the
common interests among an increasing number of women
travelers."
The popularity of
cooking programs is on the rise, according to Janet Amateau, a chef
specializing in Sephardic Jewish cooking who offers commissionable
cooking classes in Spain. That's partly because they offer an
interactive, participatory experience for travelers who want to do
more than sightsee while on vacation.
"Food is not only
unique to countries and regions but to the individual chefs who
prepare it," said Amateau. "That's the reason it's so much fun to
take a single class while you're away or an entire culinary
vacation."
The concept of
learning to cook while on vacation is not new. The venerable Hotel
Cipriani, an Orient-Express property in Venice, has been offering
classes for years, thanks to Natale Rusconi, the hotel's general
manager. Guest chefs have included Julia Child and James
Beard.
Guest chefs on
tap for 2007 are Michel Roux of Le Gavroche in London and
Massimiliano Alajmo of Le Calandre in Rubano Padova,
Italy.
Another
Orient-Express hotel, the Villa San Michele in the Italian hillside
town of Fiesole near Florence, offers a cooking school, set to
begin its fourth year.
Guests choose
from several classes, including the Symphony of Pasta course and
the Children's Cookery School for kids ages 8 to 14. Prices for
weeklong courses range from less than $1,000 to more than $7,000
per person.
Barcelona, which
already lures visitors with its modern architecture and lively
waterfront, pulls in chocoholics with its Chocolate Fair, held
annually in October. The event drew 35,000 visitors in
2005.
Visitors are also
encouraged to take time to visit the city's chocolate museum, the
Museu de la Xocolata, where they can learn about the origins and
development of chocolate.
To contact reporter Felicity Long, send e-mail to [email protected].