top of page

Culinary Adventures

The Epicureans are taking the road!

Anthony & Val are inviting you to join them for culinary adventures around the world!

Photo 2022-09-23, 8 00 58 PM.jpg

Bordeaux St-Emilion

Culinary Adventure

May 9th-16th, 2025
SOLD OUT
September 19th-26th, 2025
SOLD OUT
- Hosted by Erin, Val & Anthony 
September 8th-16th, 2026
BOOK NOW!
- Hosted by Erin, Val & Anthony 

The Chateau

Our home for the week is the historic Chateau de Pitray, located just 10 minutes from St-Emilion. The chateau boasts 13 bedrooms, a kitchen, a formal dining room, gardens, a pool, a reception room, two living rooms, and ample history and character. The chateau operates a vineyard and promises a unique experience.

During your stay, you’ll be assigned a bedroom and share a bathroom with just one other room.

As a Gourmet Expedition hosted by Epicureans Co, fine food and beverages will take center stage. Breakfast will be served at the chateau and includes a typical French breakfast featuring freshly baked pastries and bread from a local artisan bakery. We complement the selection with small-farm jams, yogurts, fruits, juices, coffee and tea. You will have the freedom to eat wherever you’d like, whether in the kitchen, dining room, your room, the patio, or by the pool.

For lunch, we will explore various local eateries, such as creperies, bistros, relais du routard, vineyard restaurants, oyster shacks, and more. We will also experience a vineyard pick-nick and dine at a truffle farm restaurant.

Following French tradition, we’ll start each meal with an aperitif that highlights local Bordeaux specialties like Pate, Saucissons, Rillettes, Foie Gras, Cheeses & Charcuteries from local markets, with a local beverage.

Most dinners will take place at the chateau with Anthony’s favorite meals, including some of his fondest home-cooked delicacies. If you’ve had a sample of Anthony’s cuisine at his bistro, you know what’s in store: simple, flavourful heartwarming meals. 

The Activities

 

We have many unique experiences for you! We are looking forward to immersing you in French culture and to showcase wineries in an interactive way.

Here is a sample of the fun activities from our 2022 Culinary Adventure. We intend to have a very similar program, keeping the door open to new discoveries.

  • Guided Visit of Bordeaux.

  • Sightseeing Cruise on La Garonne

  • Bordeaux Wine Assemblage Workshop (Yes, you will be making your own Bordeaux Blend!)

  • Local Markets visit

  • Visit of Archachon Bay and oyster hatchery

  • Oyster sampling (feast) at a fisherman shack in Archachon

  • Visit of a Truffle Farm 

  • Visit of St-Emilion old town and undergrounds 

  • E-bike Tour through wineries

  • Long table harvest lunch in the vineyard

  • Bread making workshop at an old mill

  • Vineyard Harvest & Grape triage

  • 1er Grand Cru St-Emilion Winery visit

A trip to France with Anthony & Val

We feel fortunate to be anchored in two different cultures. Through this Culinary Adventure, we want you to experience the France we see when we visit family and indulge in an authentic and unique experience that will make you feel like a local. Together, we will discover Bordeaux area through its exquisite gourmet flavours.

The Experience

Our intimate group of a maximum of 20 guests will be hosted by Val and Anthony, with visits from Anthony’s family joining us for certain days/activities.

We will have the exclusive use of the Chateau de Pitray, and when not experiencing various food establishments, we will enjoy delectable local specialties cooked especially for us by Anthony, his family, and /or a local private chef. With our private transport in a coach and a private driver, we’ll travel comfortably from site to site, savouring the flavours of the region.

We’re curating a unique itinerary designed to celebrate the pleasures of the table, offering a truly unforgettable culinary experience that combines luxury, adventure, and the finest food and wine that France has to offer

Details

Your gourmet adventure includes:

  • Your accommodation at Chateau de Pitray for 7 nights

  • Daily apero and 3 meals a day in local restaurants or at Chateau Pitray cooked by Anthony and/or our very own private Chef (1 or 2 lunches will be left to your discretions to allow for some private time) 

  • Local transport in private coach with chauffeur

  • All visits, gourmet activities and tastings

Not included:

  • Your flights to and from Bordeaux

  • Your travel

  • Your pre and post trip accommodation

  • Insurances

Cost:

2025 - 5,500 double occupancy

2026 - $6,000 double occupancy

2026 -$6,500 single occupancy (only 2 single rooms available)

​*Prices per person in CAD dollars

Our Culinary Adventure in Videos

Our Clients Reviews

 

"The trip to St Emilion and surrounding areas was once in a lifetime experience. We were spoiled with phenomenal 5 course meals prepared with fresh ingredients from the area every day. It was a hands-on event in which we learnt about wine production and quality. We picked the grapes, washed/sort them, blended the wine from different age oak barrels to our satisfaction and drank copious amounts of wine. My husband does not drink, and he loved it! During the day we were immersed in the extraordinary French culinary ways: buying produce from local vendors, eating oysters from Arcachon, truffle hunting, made bread... Beautiful meals, fantastic wine, awesome hosts, romantic setting, great activities. Totally worth it. Thank you Val and Anthony. We will do it again."

- Yajaira & Norm

"A unique and exceptional journey where everyday was meticulously arranged from the sunrise to the sunset. This has been in many ways one of the most amazing adventures we have ever had. Every night we gathered with friends and enjoyed a succulent apero followed by a excellent dining experience. During the days we did a wide variety of interesting activities, to be honest there was so much to discover in this beautiful territory. It was just the right time of the season and we had the opportunity to do grape harvesting ourselves and do all the steps needed in the process of making a bottle of wine. Truffle hunting in the land of Perigord was an intriguing learning experience. Biking in between fields of vineyards, Châteaux and villages was phenomenal, the scenery was just gorgeous
Finally, our Château de Pitray is a gem by itself. Built in 1868, it’s absolutely a magical castle with so much history and displaying valuable furniture and paintings. Thank you for our wonderful hostess, Antony and Val, they went above and beyond taking care of every detail, and offering a personalized and unforgettable experience
."

- Yvonne & Alvaro

Thanks for Subscribing! You will here from us once a month;)

  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • What types of culinary adventures does Epicureans Co. offer?
    Epicureans Co. offers a variety of culinary adventures, including private chef services, cooking classes or demos, gourmet food tours, workshops, farm and winery visits, wine tastings, day cruises, and cultural immersions. Each experience is curated to make your week traveling with us unique and unforgettable, all in the comfort of a luxury villa or quaint castle. We emphasize fresh, locally sourced ingredients and authentic experiences.
  • How can I book a culinary adventure with Epicureans Co.?
    Booking a culinary adventure with Epicureans Co. is easy! Simply visit our website and navigate to the 'Book Online' section. Choose your desired destination, fill out the booking form, or contact us directly via email at info@epicureans.ca or phone 403-431-0015. We recommend booking early to secure your desired dates as spots can fill up quickly.
  • Can you accommodate dietary restrictions?
    Yes! We take dietary restrictions seriously and can accommodate various needs, including vegetarian, gluten-free, lactose free and more. Please inform us of any specific requirements when booking.
  • What should I expect during a culinary adventure with Epicureans Co.?
    During a culinary adventure with Epicureans Co., you can expect an engaging and interactive experience. Learn from local chefs, farmers, and artists, discover hidden gems, enjoy long table dinners, meet new friends, and create unforgettable memories.
  • How far in advance should I book my culinary adventure with Epicureans Co.?
    The earlier, the better, as spots can get booked out quickly. We recommend booking your culinary adventure with Epicureans Co. as soon as possible to secure your desired dates.
  • How do I provide feedback after my culinary adventure with Epicureans Co.?
    We value your feedback! After your experience with Epicureans Co., you'll receive a follow-up email with a link to submit your thoughts. Your insights help us improve and provide the best possible service.
  • Who are your Culinary Adventures for?
    Our clients range from 35 - 90 years old but our average participants are pre-retirees to recently retiree professionals.To us, it is not about age but about enjoying a good time in great company. Our fellow travellers tends to be respectful, open minded and fun loving with a keen interest for learning and experiencing new things. Our tours are rather active, we use our private bus to get to our destination, but there is walking involved while visiting towns, vineyards, farms and attractions. While, we can always adapt to personal needs, our tours are better enjoyed by those with good mobility. ​ Most of our clients have travelling experience and are accustom to travel on their own. We provide full support for an entire week but our participants must be comfortable to get to and from our meeting point at each destination. Our tours will not check everything out of one's bucket list but rather offer a unique perspective and meaningful connections to the particular area we are visiting.
  • How big are your groups?
    Our groups are generally around 20 people. Big enough to give the opportunity to meet and discuss with a variety of people during our long table dinners and activities but intimate enough to get to know everyone personally and have your own personal time and space. Occasionally, we split the group in half to accomodate more intimate activities.
  • How long are your Culinary Adventures?
    All our culinary adventures are 8 days and 7 nights. We start around 10 AM on the first day and finish in the late afternoon on the last day. Each day is filled with unique experiences and activities.
  • Where do we meet?
    We will provide a convenient meeting point where our tour bus can pick us up and drop us off. Our meeting point will be in a city (travel hub) where there is an airport/ train station/ harbour. We will enjoy a day visiting our landing city together before our bus will take us to our private villa in a near by town. From the villa, we will enjoy daily excursions. On our last day, the bus will take us back to the near by city and drop us off at our meeting point and/or near the train station. We will provide detailed instructions for each destinations.
  • When will I receive our itinerary?
    Upon request, we can provide you with previous Culinary Adventures itinerary as a reference. We make slight changes to itineraries every year according to our vendors availability, our clients feedback and our exciting new discoveries. Our final itinerary will be sent to you a few weeks prior to departure, once all our reservations are confirmed. We do businesses with several small family run businesses - The personal experiences they provide is absolutely worth the wait for their availability;)
  • What are the Payment Terms?
    We require a $1,000 deposit per person upon signing the contract. The remaining balance is divided into two payments: one due 5 months prior to departure and the final payment due 2 months before departure. All payments are in CAD.
  • What are the cancellations policy?
    When we design our tours, we sign several contracts with our partners, and we must respect their cancellation policies. Therefore, we have our own cancellation policies. Please purchase trip cancellation insurance. 1. If you withdraw from the tour, you will lose your deposit if you withdraw up to 5 months before departure. 2. You will lose your deposit and second payment if you withdraw up to 2 months before departure. 3. You will lose your deposit, second payment, and third payment if you withdraw up to the day of departure. 4. If we cancel the tour before the departure date for any reason except force majeure, we will reimburse all amounts paid. 5. In the event of force majeure, we will issue a credit note allowing you to postpone to a later tour.
bottom of page