APT WINE SERIES
Explore Europe's vineyards and vintages with the experts next year. Scott McWilliam of McWilliam's Family Winemakers and Jim Barry from Jim Barry Wines will travel aboard APT's Magnificent Europe cruises in July and November; Bruce Tyrrell will host the Romantic Rhone & Seine cruise in August; and Cherry Stowman of Taylors Wines will host the Wonders of Bordeaux and Rhone in September. See aptouring.com.au.
SILVERSEA EXPEDITIONS' EPICUREAN ADVENTURES
Scenic river cruise through Bordeaux.
The expedition arm of the upmarket Silversea fleet offers epicurean adventures on the Atlantic coast from Portugal to France (May 2017) and in Peru and Chile (October 2017), on Silver Explorer. The culinary expedition team includes a cheese expert from the UK, Silversea's wine ambassador and the line's culinary director Rudi Scholdis. On-board workshops, tastings and lectures complement on-shore wine and food discoveries. See silversea.com.
SCENIC CULINAIRE
Board a Scenic river cruise in Bordeaux or on the Rhone in 2017 and take a cooking class in the new Scenic Culinaire centre. After shopping with the chef, you'll be put through your paces by instructors who will teach regional French dishes. Scenic Culinaire will feature a wine and cheese cellar, cooking stations and real-time camera and screen. See scenic.com.au.
OCEANIA CRUISES' JACQUES PEPIN CRUISE
Meet the French masterchef behind Oceania Cruises' renowned restaurants on a 10-day epicurean cruise on Marina next year. Jacques Pepin, who celebrated his 80th birthday this year, will present culinary demonstrations and lectures and host select shore excursions. Specially designed signature menus will be a highlight. The London to Copenhagen cruise departs on June 2, 2017. See oceaniacruises.com.
UNIWORLD CONNOISSEUR COLLECTION
Sample the best regional produce and wines that France's Normandy, Bordeaux, Burgundy and Provence offer on three different eight-day river cruises. Wine-pairing dinners at chateaux, cognac-tastings at Remy Martin and cooking demonstrations at the Paul Bocuse institute in Lyon are among the epicurean attractions. On-board lectures and Valrhona chocolate-tastings are icing on the gateau. See uniworld.com.
REGENT SEVEN SEAS EXPLORER'S GOURMET EXPLORER TOURS
Take a Gourmet Explorer Tour from the new uber-luxury ship for a taste of foodie heaven. Led by one of the Culinary Arts Kitchen chefs, a full-day tour in Sicily, for example, kicks off with a visit to Catania fish market and cannoli-tasting. A long lunch at famous Taormina restaurant Nero d' Avola, accompanied by award-winning Sicilian wines, completes the educational experience. See rssc.com.
APT LUKE NGUYEN'S VIETNAM AND MEKONG
Join popular chef, restaurateur, author and TV star Luke Nguyen on river cruise-tours he will host in Vietnam next year. In Ho Chi Minh City, Nguyen introduces you to street food and his extended family then leads a cooking class at his culinary school, GRAIN. On-board AmaLotus, which features menus he designed, Nguyen gives a talk about his passion for Vietnamese cuisine. See aptouring.com.au.
SEADREAM YACHT CLUB'S WINE VOYAGES
Seven specialist wine cruises are on the boutique cruise line's menu for 2017. There will be on-board tasting sessions from celebrated wineries such as Taittinger Champagne, Winemaker's Dinners showcasing guest winemakers' wares, and shore excursions where you can sample the different foods, wines and cultures of the Mediterranean. Think truffle hunts and wine-tasting in Italy's Castello delle Regine. See seadream.com.
CARNIVAL CRUISE LINE'S MIXOLOGY CLASSES
Discover the secrets of concocting the perfect cocktail with professional mixologists on a Carnival Spirit cruise. Group classes are held in the Alchemy Bar, where you learn about mixing, muddling and experimenting with different flavours and ingredients. Testing the ship's signature Martini and Cucumber Sunrise is a highlight. See carnival.com.
P&O CRUISES' FOOD & WINE CRUISES
P&O Cruises is planning its biggest itinerary of Food & Wine cruises in 2017, showcasing presenters such as Kyla "the Champagne Dame" Kirkpatrick. A tasty selection of cooking masterclasses will be held on Pacific Aria and Eden, including Street Food with Style with Daniel Abou-Chedid from Fork 'n' Knife and Chocolate Truffles with Adora Handmade Chocolates' Tina Vamvoukakis. See pocruises.com.au.
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