Provence Food & Wine Tour - June 1-8, 2024 - 6 spots left!

Join Keli and Marilee Bramhall of Iola Wines for a gourmet food and wine tour in magical Provence.

Our home for the week will be Mas de Velorgues, a luxury 9-bedroom villa near L'isle Sur la Sorgue.

Enjoy a week visiting charming villages and markets, indulging in delicious meals prepared by our private chef and in local restaurants, all paired (by Marilee) with some of the best wines France has to offer.

We'll get our "gourmet fix" at local markets as we sample our way through stalls featuring top purveyors of local produce, artisan breads and pastries, and enough cured meats and cheeses to make even the most experienced gourmet swoon with pleasure.

With Marilee as our guide, we'll dedicate two unforgettable days to exploring and learning about the remarkable wines of the region. We'll learn about the wines of Provence and their ancient history, venture into vineyards, and visit and taste with organic wine producers carefully curated by Marilee herself. You'll meet passionate winemakers and savor their wines during a leisurely wine and cheese picnic.

As the sun sets, we'll gather at our enchanting villa for a special winemaker's dinner. Join us as we dine with the winemaker, for an evening of culinary brilliance where we'll sample all of her wines with an exquisitely paired meal prepared by our private chef. (This experience is conditional based on wine maker availability)

Join us on this epicurean escape, a trip that will transport you to the heart of Provence's gastronomic paradise.

Tour Cost

$3,950 per person (Standard Room - 6 standard rooms available, double occupancy. Some rooms can be converted into twin beds)
$4,250 per person (Premium suite, double occupancy)

A $500 per person deposit holds your spot.*

Balance is due March 1, 2024.

Tour Highlights (a full itinerary will be provided 90 days prior to departure)

	Two days of wine tasting with our personal sommelier Marilee Bramhall.
	A visit to the Roman city of Nimes where we'll enjoy a walking tour and visit the market hall to buy incredients for a picnic by the Pont du Gard, the ancient Roman acqueduct and Unesco World Heritage Site.
	We'll walk the Ocher Trail, the "Sentier des Ocres" and in Roussillon, eplore the village and have lunch. On our way back to the villa, we'll stop in the pristine village of Gordes, home to the most expensive cappuccino in Provence!
	The Sunday market in Isle sur la Sorgue and the Wednesday market in Saint Remy are not to be missed. We'll visit these markets filled with cheese, sausage, paella, seasonal fruit and vegetables, clothing, linens, and antiques. You'll be sure to find a few treasures to remind you of your wonderful time in Provence.
	One evening our private chef will guide us through cooking a traditional Provancal meal. This hands-on experience is always a favorite!

What's Included

• Ground transportation to and from l'Ilsle sur la Sorgue and Avignon TGV train station.
• Charming Double-occupancy Rooms with king or queen beds (all with en-suite bathrooms).
• 7 breakfasts featuring fresh pastries and fruit, 4 lunches, and 7 dinners including local wines. Some evening meals will be prepared by our personal chef, some will be enjoyed at local eateries, and a few will be prepared by our group.
• All field trips and ground transportation.
• All cooking classes and winery tours.

About Your Guides

Keli Sim DeRitis is an artist, entrepreneur, enthusiastic traveler, and cookbook author. After many years working as a graphic designer, a life-changing trip to Italy in 2000 led to a new career. Keli founded Poggi Bonsi, an Italian-themed kitchen store in 2001. Owning the shop required extensive travel through Italy and France to source products and cultivate partnerships. Along the way Keli learned to prepare regional specialties from both home cooks and professional chefs. Keli has been teaching cooking classes and organizing tours to the European countryside since 2014. She closed her beloved kitchen business in 2017 to focus on leading tours and sharing the unique history and culinary traditions of areas off the tourist track. Keli is the mother of two adult sons who both love to cook and travel ... she lives in Seattle with her husband and their two dogs Dante and Remi.

Marilee Bramhall, wine educator and founder of Iola Wines, vividly remembers her first sip of wine; a left bank Bordeaux which paired perfectly with a wonderful dinner prepared by her Dad. That single sip led to a lifetime of curiosity and wonder. After nearly a decade in the WA and CA wine industry Marilee began her study of old-world wines. Since then, she has completed, with the Highest Honors, the certifications for French Wine Scholar and Italian Wine Scholar. She has completed WSET L3 with Merit and is an Approved Instructor for the Wine Scholar Guild's French Wine Scholar program. In addition, Marilee has completed programs with the Bureau Interprofessionel des Vins De Bourgogne in Beaune, France: A Masterclass for Wine Educators and a Five-Day Bourgogne Wines Intensive Masterclass in Bourgogne, France. Marilee sources and direct imports organic wines from top women winemakers in France and Italy for the online wine shop and wine clubs at iolawines.com.  Marilee lives in Seattle with her husband Christopher.