Food, Wine, and the Joy of Connection

Because some of our best travel memories happen around a table

There’s something sacred about sharing a meal. Not just the food itself, but the act of slowing down, passing plates, pouring wine, and opening up to each other, to the moment, to the world.

Some of the most meaningful travel memories I’ve ever made didn’t come from a landmark or a luxury hotel. They came from sitting at a table with people I care about. Sometimes friends, sometimes strangers who quickly became more, and savoring something together. A dish we’d never tried. A story that made us laugh. A toast that made us pause.

Food has a way of softening the edges. It invites us to be present, to listen, to share. Wine opens the door to celebration, to connection, to those beautiful in-between moments where we feel most alive.

That’s why culinary travel is so close to my heart. It’s not just about flavor, it’s about the feeling that lingers long after the last bite.

Why Food and Wine Travel Matters

When we travel for food and wine, we’re not chasing luxury, we’re inviting connection. We’re choosing to sit down, share something beautiful, and remember what it feels like to be fully present with others.

Food brings us closer, to the land, to the culture, and to the people at the table.
Wine encourages us to linger, to celebrate, to open up.
Cooking invites us into stories, into homes, into heritage passed down through generations.

These aren’t just meals. They’re moments.
And they often become the ones we remember most.

Here are a few of my favorite experiences that show just how nourishing culinary travel can be. For the body, and for the soul.

Vineyard Dinners That Invite Connection

South Africa’s Stellenbosch
In the heart of South Africa’s winelands, Stellenbosch offers a sense of place that’s both grounded and expansive. Here, I love arranging private dinners at boutique estates where sustainability meets soul, think open-air tables set between the vines, dishes made from ingredients grown just steps away, and a winemaker who tells stories with every pour. You’ll savor everything from Cape Malay spices to locally cured biltong, paired with robust reds and crisp whites, all surrounded by golden mountain light.

Portugal’s Douro Valley
The Douro Valley is one of those rare places that feels timeless. Rolling hills planted with terraces, mirrored by the river below, set the stage for evenings full of elegance and ease. I often arrange sunset tastings followed by multi-course meals in restored quinta farmhouses, where port wine flows freely and the dishes, salt cod, grilled octopus, fig preserves, honor both land and legacy. It’s less about formality and more about feeling: comfort, care, and genuine hospitality.

Market-to-Table Moments That Ground You

Provence, France
In Provence, food is a language of love and time slows with every bite. I often send clients to a local market in Saint-Rémy or Aix-en-Provence, where they shop with a private chef, choosing stone fruit, olives, and wheels of cheese still warm from the maker. Then it's off to a charming farmhouse for a relaxed afternoon cooking in a sun-drenched kitchen. Wine is poured. Hands are flour-dusted. Stories unfold over long wooden tables. It’s slow, sensory, and beautifully real.

Oaxaca, Mexico
In Oaxaca, the market is a pulse. I love arranging private experiences that begin at Mercado Benito Juárez, where clients shop with a local host, gathering chilies, squash blossoms, and fresh masa. Then they head into the hills to cook traditional moles or tlayudas over wood fires, often surrounded by generations of the same family. The food is extraordinary, but it’s the heart of the experience that lingers. The warmth, the hospitality, the deep cultural pride.

Multi-Course Journeys That Reflect Mastery

Kyoto, Japan
Dining in Kyoto is a quiet ceremony. I’ve arranged kaiseki dinners in traditional ryokans, where each course is served with intention—seasonal, minimal, poetic. A single petal in a lacquered bowl. A clear broth that tastes like memory. These meals aren't just eaten—they're experienced. And they leave you with a deep respect for detail, restraint, and the art of honoring the moment.

Lima, Peru
Lima is a city that pulses with culinary passion. For travelers seeking bold flavors and creativity, I curate tasting experiences with chefs leading Peru’s gastronomic revolution. One evening might start with ceviche and end with a pisco tasting beneath string lights on a rooftop terrace. The energy is contagious, the flavors are layered, and the joy of discovery is constant.

California Tables That Surprise You

Napa Valley
Napa is more than its name. It’s the quiet clink of glasses over a garden-to-table meal, the slow walk through the vines before a private tasting, the simplicity of eating something grown right where you’re standing. I help clients access tucked-away wineries and host-led dinners where the pace is peaceful, the wine is personal, and the hospitality feels like home.

Palos Verdes, California
Just beyond Los Angeles, Palos Verdes offers one of my favorite “closer-to-home” surprises. Here, I recommend a private chef-led dinner at a cliffside garden estate overlooking the ocean. Hyper-local ingredients, paired wines, and that Pacific air that makes everything taste better. It’s an ideal girlfriends’ evening or post-retreat wind-down. Familiar, yet elevated. Easy, yet extraordinary.

‍‍‍Who It’s For

• Couples looking to reconnect without rushing
• Families hoping to share culture and create memories across generations
• Girlfriends’ groups seeking laughter, lightness, and a taste of something new
• Solo travelers ready for deep presence and rich, sensory immersion

Whether you’re planning around a milestone or just seeking meaning in the everyday, food-centered travel offers the perfect rhythm.

Why Work With Me

I bring you to the places that feel real.
Not just restaurants with Michelin stars (though I love those too), but kitchens run by grandmothers, vineyards passed down through generations, hosts who welcome you like family.

You’ll get:

• Access to private tastings, hands-on classes, and hidden table experiences
• Pairings with boutique stays that match the mood; intimate, peaceful, authentic
• A curated itinerary with space to linger and savor
• Local guides who love sharing their passion for flavor, history, and hospitality

Let’s Share Something Beautiful

When I think about the moments that stay with me most from my travels, so many of them start at a table. With good food, good wine, and the feeling that everything is just as it should be.

If that’s the kind of memory you’re ready to make, I’d love to help you find the perfect place to begin.