Belle France Cuisine/Wine Tour

Belle France Cuisine & Knitting Tour – September 20-27, 2010

We are excited to announce that, due to increasing interest in the knitting classes, we have expanded the Cuisine/Knitting Tour to include a full schedule of knitting instruction with world-renowned knitter Miriam Tegels. Miriam holds the Guiness Book record as the World's Fastest Knitter, having knit 118 stitches in one minute on August 26, 2006. While she will most certainly be sharing some of her speed-knitting techniques, guaranteed to increase your own speed and proficiency, Miriam will structure her classes to appeal to knitters of all skill levels.

Miriam Tegels is a warm and engaging person, inspired teacher, and generous soul, and we are most proud to have her as our instructor for the 2010 tour.

Do you love to knit, while your friend's or partner's passion is cuisine and wine? If so, this combined tour could meet your needs perfectly. With the cooking and knitting classes held concurrently, you will both have ample opportunity to pursue your respective interests, while still sharing lots of time together during the group activities and day trips.

See Itinerary below

Have you ever dreamed of rising early on market day and, with woven basket in hand, perusing the stalls of some of the most vibrant farmer's markets in the South of France? Sheer heaven! What could be better for the food-obsessed amongst us -- being able to select heavenly fromages de pays or handpicked olives, glistening poisson, hours-fresh from the Mediterranean, or creamy violet aubergines, then returning to the well-equipped kitchen of our delightful Chateau d'Agel and chop, mince, sear, and flambée our way to culinary nirvana!

The Belle France Cuisine/Wine Tours will indulge you with sensory delights found only in this very special corner of France: a melting pot of Spanish, rural French, Italian, and North African traditions blended to perfection. We will spotlight regional/local ingredients and wines as we guide you through the very best of the markets, help you prepare Languedoc specialties, and inspire you to create healthful Mediterranean dishes that will easily translate to your home kitchen.

Cuisine Tour Complete Itinerary & Tour Details (PDF) - Download Now!

Discover the Art of Mediterranean Cuisine with Belle France Tours

• Cooking Classes at Chateau d'Agel, South of France. Uncover the best regional olive oils, artisan cheeses, wines, and epicurean bounty from the Languedoc region of Mediterranean France.  During three afternoon classes, we'll use our market finds to create vibrantly flavored dishes for resplendent meals at our lovely chateau. 
• Tartines to Tapenades: Prepare quick-to-make, savory beginnings to your meals, such as: Fresh Olive/Lemon Spread (Tapenade aux Citron), Roasted Red Peppers with Goat Cheese and Wild Herbs, (Poivrons Rôti aux Chèvre et les Herbes Sauvages), or a family recipe - Grilled Country Bread with White Beans & Sage (Tartine aux Haricots Blancs façon Grandmère).
• Perfect Pastries & Desserts: Practice classic French techniques with a modern twist: from Pâte à Choux to the best Tarte aux Champignon crust, incorporating organic ingredients such as whole grain flours and agave.
• French Vegetarian: Mediterranean cooking is all about the abundance of garden and sea – broaden your knowledge as we learn market-fresh ideas for meatless first courses and entrées such as Smoked Trout and Grilled Heirloom Potatoes in Lemon Oil or Arugula-Spelt Pasta with House-Made Arugula Oil, Roasted Jaune Flamme Tomatoes, and Picholine Olives.
• Saveur Languedoc: Acquaint yourself with Languedoc herbs and flavorings that will liven up your home-cooked meals and create impressive flavor combos: Fruit & Herbal vinegars & Savory Oils; Dry Spice Rubs & Pastes; and Flower-scented Infusions, eg, Rose Geranium Crème Anglais or Herbes de la Garrigue, a blend of wild herbs.  Introduce yourself to new ingredients -- recipes created just for these classes use super-foods such as spelt, quinoa, nuts and agave to update Southern French specialties.

Sample Dinner Menus

The surrounding countryside is brimming with all we need to create the most flavorful meals you'll ever eat – from the local olive oil mill just down the road to our friends who produce AOC wine in the foothills of the Black Mountains.  Languedoc is a gastronomic paradise that will inspire you to elevate your cooking to a whole new level – satisfying, filled with flavor and easy to recreate in your own home kitchens.  Take a look at some of the sample menus from our past and future tours.

Dîner sous les Étoiles -- Mediterranean Supper under the Stars  

Hands-On Culinary Instruction and Inspiration

Learn the secrets of cooking Southern French style with our relaxed, informative classes taught by Kristeen Griffin-Grimes.  Kristeen has been a creatively passionate home cook since the age of eleven when she began learning Cajun favorites from her New Orleans-born mother Yvonne. Trained as musician and artist, and with over 30 years teaching experience including: Herbology, Vegetarian Cooking and Home Arts (Preserving the Harvest, Organic Vegetable Gardening), Kristeen's best-selling knitting book, Belle France Knits, was published in 2009. You will immediately feel welcomed into her well-equipped kitchen at Belle France's beautiful lodgings, Chateau d'Agel, as Kristeen shares her love of the French terroir with our guests. For a behind-the-scenes look into the Languedoc's culinary heritage, we have arranged visits to the inspiring workrooms of local artisans producing award-winning olive oils, goat cheese, and biodynamic wines.

Itinerary – Seven Days/Seven Nights

Belle France Cuisine & Knitting Tour Complete Itinerary & Tour Details (PDF) - Download Now!

(Note: We will be updating the detailed PDF itinerary (above) in the near future to incorporate the knitting segment of the tour. Below is an outline of the week's activities).

Monday
Arrival at Montpellier Airport
2:00 – 5:00 Relax & settle in at Chateau d'Agel
5:00 – Apertif de Maison & Welcome from Belle France staff
7:00 – Dinner at local restaurant

Tuesday
8:00 – 9:00 - Petit Dejeuner (Breakfast), with brief introduction to the region & outline of the week ahead
9:00 – 12:00
       Knitting Group: Knitting class with Miriam Tegels
       Cooking Group: Visit to local organic olive oil mill
12:30 – 1:30 - Entire Group: Lunch at local restaurant
1:30 - 3:30 - Entire Group: Visit to Minerve, listed as one of the Most Beautiful Villages of France (Plus Beaux Villages de France). Lunch in Minerve.
4:00 – 6:00 – Relax at the Chateau
6:00 – 7:00 - Wine Tasting at Chateau, hosted by Wendy Gedney, owner of The Wine Wise Company, which leads numerous wine tasting tours in the Languedoc region
7:00 – Dinner at Chateau, prepared by Belle France staff

Wednesday
8:00 – 9:00 – Petit Dejeuner
9:00 - Entire Group: Depart for Collioure, a picturesque fishing village on Le Côte Vermeille close to Spain
10:30 – 12:00 – Market in tree-shaded village park
12:00 – 1:00 - Lunch at restaurant of your choice
1:00 - 5:00 Afternoon in Collioure, with time to wander the shop-lined streets, swim, visit local museums, and more
7:00 – Dinner at regional restaurant

Thursday
7:00 – 8:00 Early Petit Dejeuner
8:00 – Entire Group: Depart for Agde
9:00 – 12:00 – Market morning in Agde; gather ingredients for the evening's repas (dinner)
12:00 – 1:00 – Lunch at riverside café in Agde
2:00 – 5:00
       Cooking Group: Cooking class at Chateau, as you help prepare the evening's dinner
       Knitting Group: Knitting Class with Miriam Tegels
5:00 – 6:30 – Relax by the pool, explore village of Agel
7:00 – Candlelight Dinner at Chateau

Friday
8:00 – 9:00- Petit Dejeuner
9:00 – 12:00
        Knitting Group: Knitting Class with Miriam Tegels
       Cooking Group: Wine & Food Pairings: Dining French-Style
12:30 – 1:30 Lunch at the Chateau
1:30 – 4:00 spend the afternoon relaxing at the Chateau
4:00 – 11:00 – Visit to La Vigneronne, Faugeres. Hosts & our dear friends Christian & Regine will give us a deluxe wine tasting in their wine cave, followed by a truly memorable dinner

Saturday
Entire Group: Today is a day we will spend together exploring Montpellier, known as "The Paris of the South"
8:00 – 9:00 – Petit Dejeuner
10:00 – Depart for Montpellier
11:30 – Arrive in Montpellier
12:30 – Lunch at La Saleya brasserie
1:30 – 5:00 – Spend the afternoon wandering the cobbled streets of old Montpellier, stopping for coffee & croissant at one of the many sidewalk cafes; time to shop along Le Rue de L'Ancien Courrier, visit museums, & more
7:00 – Dinner at Le Cote Bleu, Bouzigues

Sunday
Today there are no formal classes for either group. Since it's our last day, the pace will be relaxed. After our petit dejeuner, we will visit the market at St Chinian. (Optional)
12:00 – 1:00 - Brunch at regional restaurant in St Chinian
2:00 – 6:00 - Relax at Chateau
7:00 – Au Revoir dinner under the stars at the Chateau

Monday
Breakfast & Departure

How To Register For a Belle France Tour

Registering for a tour is easy. We accept payment by check, PayPal, or all major credit cards.

Simply complete the Tour Registration Forms and send them to us with your $500 deposit to confirm your participation in your chosen Tour.

• PayPal: make your deposit online via our Shopping Cart (www.shop.frenchgirltours.com).
• Credit Card: please call us ( or 206-948-6495) or mail us your credit card information on the Regitration Form.
• Installment Plan: After your initial deposit is made, we also offer a convenient six month installment plan - - contact us for details ( or 206-948-6495) or frenchgirlknits@yahoo.com.
• Balance of payment is due no later than 90 days prior to tour departure date. You will receive an invoice/payment form to complete 2 weeks prior to your payment due date.

For more information, contact:
Belle France Tours
Kristeen Griffin-Grimes & Phil Grimes
frenchgirlknits@yahoo.com
206-948-6495