Ari's Picks

Take a Terrifically Tasty Trip to France

A week of enjoying the food and wine of Lyon and the Jura awaits

a view of a table in France covered with blue and white checkered plates, each with oysters

If you’re one of the many folks I know who’s thinking about heading out for some significant overseas travel to try to make up for the last few years, this Zingerman’s Food Tour to France might just be the ticket. Not only is it an amazing culinary destination, the tour next year happens at pretty much the perfect time of year to go to France—the final days of May and the first few of June, when the weather is nice, but not too hot, and before the height of the tourist season begins!

Of all the tours on our docket, this is the one that Kristie Brablec, Managing Partner of Zingerman’s Food Tours, is currently most excited about. Why?

Lyon is the heart of gastronomy in France, started by the mothers of Lyon (this is a story we could tell in itself); many people don’t know that the gastronomy movement in Lyon was born from women. From Françoise Fillioux to Eugénie Brazier, the history is deep with women leading the kitchen. Paul Bocuse is the most well-known, of course, but still, he was trained by Eugénie Brazier, and sadly this is often overlooked. Eugénie was also the first person ever awarded 6 Michelin stars—three at each of her restaurants, and this dates back to 1933—a true female powerhouse in the culinary world, and it all started in Lyon.

The region is home of Comté, one of the finest cheeses produced in the world. Secondly, it’s home to one of my favorite wine regions worldwide. This region is often missed and very rarely traveled. It’s difficult to gain access to this region for various reasons. Outside of serious wine nerds, tourism is very limited in this area, even to the French. The Jura is the smallest wine region in France. Less than 500 producers spread across 80 kilometers of vineyards, covering four wine Appellations.

Lyon could be to France what Bologna is to Italy—a gastronomic wonderland that’s loaded with luscious cheese, wine, world-class cured meats, lots of good eating, and plenty of additional art and culture to boot. The city has shown up regularly on the New York Times’ list of “52 Places to Go.” The Comté-Jura region is, for me, even more special. I love the mountains and I love mountain cheese, and the Jura has the best of both! Comté cheese has long been one of my favorites, and the little-known Vin Jaune of the region is very much the perfect fortified wine you want to accompany it! Sipping on the latter, nibbling on some well-aged bits of Comté on a beautiful spring evening, and watching the sunset over mountain peaks sure sounds pretty superb.

If you’re ready to spend a week traveling, tasting, and creating lifelong memories, give some thought to signing up for this trip with Kristie. If you’re looking for skillfully guided travel, incredible food, wine, people, history, and culture, this superfine food tour will pay big dividends! You will still be sharing stories from it ten years from now when we are finishing our 2032 vision!

Reserve your spot!

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