Why Travel With Shelley?

Shelley Wiseman, Former Food Editor at Gourmet Magazine, has been traveling all her life and there is nothing she enjoys more than food and travel! “Learning cooking techniques in their place of origin gives you context way beyond the dish itself,” she believes. Shelley, a native of New York City, also grew up in Mexico and Brazil. Her career has taken her from Paris (6 years) and back to her beloved Mexico (9 years) where she opened a French cooking school (Ecole de Cuisine La Place) in Mexico City, to Gourmet Magazine in New York, where culinary trips around the world were a perk of the job. As her own trips have grown, she has partnered with like minded, seasoned organizers and leaders in different locations of interest to ensure participants get a very personal tour. Click here to learn more about Shelley’s travel and culinary experience.

UMBRIA FOOD & WINE TOUR - May 31st - June 8th, 2024. SOLD OUT!

Join Shelley on this small group, exclusive tour to Umbria, Tuscany’s lesser known neighbor, led by Susan Guerra, a wine professional and the owner of Via Del Vino Food and Wine Tours. Susan, who lives in Umbria, will show you the sights that only the locals know and give you a peek into daily life in this beautiful region of Italy. Stay at a 5-Star hotel in the historic center of Perugia, Susan’s adopted hometown. First founded by the Etruscans, Perugia is a beautifully preserved, medieval city where you’ll have shops, museums, cafes, restaurants and Etruscan ruins right at your door. You’ll mingle with locals as you discover this enchanting region that’s remained little changed by the centuries and is far from the usual tourist crowds. Our week in Umbria will feature a selection of food and wine activities including cooking classes, wine tastings, an artisan chocolate experience, truffle hunting with a local family, Perugia’s top-rated food tour plus sightseeing and free time to meander in several of Umbria’s most iconic, and beautiful hill towns.

See our 2024 Umbria itinerary here.

THE FOOD AND CULTURE OF THE LOIRE VALLEY, FRANCE

** We are currently unable to offer dates for another Loire Valley trip **

Groups are limited to 6 or 7 participants

Our September 2023 trip was a huge success, so we can’t wait to get back and do it again. Our charming host. Coral (Coco), will host us at her manor house, La Couture, with 8 lovely rooms with ensuite bathrooms, and take us around to see beautiful chateaux and lovely gardens, especially Chateau du Villandry! We will also visit a truffle farm, a goat cheese farm, and a winery famous for it’s Cremant (sparkling wine), and tour markets, including a weekly flea/antique market. We will have cooking lessons at La Couture with Coral’s mother, Lesley Miles, an artist and accomplished cook of French Cuisine, as well as with two notable chefs, one with a fish restaurant where we will go out on the river to collect the catch of the day, and the other at another charming chateau, Le Rivau. While the days are full, the pace is relaxing, and there is even time to take afternoon swims in the pool at La Couture or sit in their gardens or rest in your room.

See our 2023 itinerary here.