Day One

Welcome to France! You’re about to be whisked off to Paradise, from Charles de Gaulle airport to Domaine de Courances, on the grounds of Château de Courances. Fifty kilometers outside the city, this historic retreat offers the ultimate escape from daily life with its spectacular estate and French gardens, featuring Versailles-like fountains fed by natural springs. Settle into your new home — a renovated gîte — on the grounds, then kick off your shoes and meander down a mossy path into a veritable painting made of flowers. 

Today is all about tranquility, including a chef-prepared lunch made with produce from Courances’ certified organic vegetable garden (run by the château’s Countess Valentine de Ganay), and a walking tour of the grounds led by the park administrator Patrick Deedes. The day ends in the gardens with a charming Parisian restauranteur / Burgundy winemaker. He’ll lead us through a tasting of his regional wines.  A warm welcome dinner follows.

All you need to do today is unpack, relax, and sip Champagne. You’re at a cheese spa. And yes, there is a professional masseuse available.

Day Two

After breakfast, open your notebook and prepare to learn (and taste!) the difference between a Brie and a Camembert, not to mention a Coulommiers. You’re staying in the heart of Brie country, so get ready to explore the most exquisite bloomy cheeses that France has to offer. Chris & Laura, along with a local guest affineur, Ian from Raw Cheese Power, will treat you to a decadent tasting that includes special pairings, including local honeys and jams, plus tips on serving and storing delicate cheeses so that you can recreate a similar experience at home.

After lunch, we travel down the road to tour the Chateau De Fontainebleau, the residence of 34 kings and two emperors over eight centuries. Now as a UNESCO site, it has 1500 rooms, extensive gardens, and is the largest chateau in France. We return to Courances for a relaxing aperitif, a chef prepared dinner at the Foulerie. The Foulerie is a 17th century hemp mill, located in the stunning gardens of Courances. It’s a wonderfully authentic and refined setting for many of our events and meals.

Day Three

Today is all about peering into the cheesemaking process and meeting the neighbors. We’ll depart after breakfast for a drive through the idyllic countryside to visit an artisan cheesemaker/affineur. After learning about making and maturing cheeses, we’ll eat lunch back at Courances where the resident flock of sheep (whose milk is used to make cheese) will be ready for a stroll.

Enjoy time this afternoon with the chateau beekeeper and learning the art of honey making. Meet Laura & Chris in the La Foulerie garden for a leisurely apéritif of cheese and champagnes followed by dinner and beautiful musical entertainment. If the weather permits, we’ll have a concert in the garden.

Day Four

Imagine yourself entertaining at home with a French cheese board inspired by this trip. Don your apron and prepare for a leisurely day with a casual lunch between sessions. You’ll get all the tips and practice you need today as you build a photo-worthy cheese board with Chris & Laura in the garden and cook with our two private chefs in the kitchen. We’ll break into two groups after breakfast so that you’ll have both a morning workshop and afternoon workshop with the undivided attention of your instructors.

We’ll join Patrick for a tour highlight, an inside peak of the interior of Chateau Courances. The Chateau, originally built in 1630, is normally closed to the public, currently a private home. We’ll relax on the beautiful terrace, overlooking the extensive park and gardens, while sipping champagne with our special guest-Jennifer Greco (a.k.a. Chez Loulou), Paris cheese expert, blogger, and professional food guide. We’ll be back to La Foulerie for our farewell dinner.

Day Five

After breakfast, we say au revoir to Courances and bonjour Paris! Our luggage will be transported to our Paris hotel, and we will arrive in Paris by train. Once in the tony Marais district, a mecca for boutiques and wine bars, Jennifer leads us on an epic food walking tour. We graze as we walk, learning about the food culture of these famous Paris neighborhoods before returning to the hotel for check in.

For the next three days during the late afternoon/evening hours, the city is yours to shop the boutiques and select markets of Paris with Marisela Paone, stroll along the Seine (it’s within walking distance), pop into a museum, take the Metro to a dinner spot you’ve been dying to check out, or enjoy a bite at one of the many restaurants in our neighborhood. You’ll find everything from fine dining, to oyster bars, to casual bistros, to trendy falafel joints.

Day Six

We’ve met makers and strolled with sheep, now it’s time to make our very own cheese. After breakfast at the hotel, we’ll jaunt over to a quaint little micro-creamery and shop run by the visionary Pierre Brisson. Not only does Pierre run a cheese school, but he’s also in the midst of planning the city’s first ever cheese museum. Young, vibrant, and full of passion, this son of a winemaker has planned a morning of cheesemaking for us.

For lunch, Pierre and Anna will take you right across the street to Pierre’s favorite local brasserie. After lunch, grab your apron and prepare for a great afternoon at La Cuisine Paris- a cooking school in the heart of the city, run by our friend Jane. You’ll spend the afternoon with two of her professional chefs learning to make a classic French specialty.

Then, we’ll have time to shop and enjoy an open evening. We recommend going for a crêpe, hanging out by the water with a glass of wine, or lounging in the Places des Vosges — a nearby park where Parisians love to picnic.

Day Seven

Jennifer will lead us to one of best food markets, tasting the best pastries, chocolates, fruits, charcuterie, and more. You’ll learn how to identify the best baguettes and how to select cheese at a fromagerie.

After a morning of stunning small bites and grazing around Paris, we’ll meander down the steps to the banks of the Seine for a farewell event on one of our favorite floating restaurants. Time to reflect on our journey together while dreaming of a pied-à-terre in Paris!

The remainder of the day is yours to shop and explore Paris as you wish. Tonight’s hotel accommodations and breakfast are included in the tour price.

Day Eight

After breakfast at the hotel, the tour is complete. Guests may choose to stay in Paris, travel on to another destination, or return to the States. Bon Vonage!

PLEASE NOTE:

Tour begins at 10 am on Sunday, May 12, 2024, at the lobby of the Courtyard Hotel by Marriott, Paris Charles de Gaulle Central Airport. The tour ends approximately 9 a.m. Sunday, May 19, as guests venture off to Charles de Gaulle airport or a local train station for their next leg of their journey.

TOUR PRICE INCLUDES

Lodging for seven nights, breakfast provided seven mornings, seven lunches, and four evening meals (alcoholic beverages served with meals) and additional food events and tastings. Transportation during the tour (from Charles de Gaulle airport to Chateau de Courances and to Paris) is included. All classes and/or day tours are provided by local hosts, cheese educators, and chefs are paid for by Cheese Journeys.

TOUR PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE

Round trip transportation to and from Paris, hotel accommodations before or after the tour, personal shopping during the walking tours in Paris. During our stays at the Domaine de Courances and our Paris hotel, specific additional alcoholic beverages, other than those served at meals and tasting events, may be purchased separately from the host or at locations during the tour. Transportation after the tour ends on Sunday morning is not provided.

DISCLOSURE

To the best of our ability, this tour itinerary is final. However, if, due to unexpected extreme weather, an emergency with hosts and cheesemakers, limitations due to Covid restrictions, or unsafe world conditions, we reserve the right to adjust the itinerary as needed.