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Food and wine tours

By: Brad · November 11, 2011 ·

You can tell a lot about what Americans find interesting from taking a look at the popularity and ranking of the cable channels. There are hundreds of cable channels catering to just about every interest, so what do Americans love the most? If you’re like me, you probably think the correct answer is Travel, but that would only be partially right.

food and wine cruises

Yes, the Travel Channel does rank in the top fifteen cable stations, and I guess the only surprising thing about that…again, at least for me…is that it didn’t come-in at number one. But, unless one traveling on business, one doesn’t just travel for the sake of getting somewhere and returning home. Usually, one combines travel with another interest or passion, and maybe the cable channels can tell us something there, too.

For example, the History Channel ranks number five in viewership, and many people do travel to places of historical significance around the world to actually see places they’ve read about. Whether you’re a Civil War buff or an amateur Egyptologist, there are always places to visit that cater to the history buff in all of us.

But here’s something that may surprise you: The Food Network is even more popular than either travel or history, ranking as the fourth most popular cable channel in America, tying for that esteemed position with CNN. Now, the question you may ask is, how many people actually consider planning their travel based on their culinary passion, and the answer is, “Lots”. If you’re not one of them, it’s something you should certainly consider.

food and wine cruises

(At this point, I feel it necessary to issue the following caveat: Unless you want to spend the next decade touring every major league ballpark in America, do NOT mention this travel-planning strategy to any sports fans since ESPN is ranked as the number two cable network. Worse yet, perhaps, your travel partner will spend the rest of his life looking at maps and trying to figure out how to book a trip to TV Land, which came in at number twenty-five. Alternately, you may find yourself arguing that a trip to Buffalo, New York to experience the culinary wonders of Buffalo wings is not quite what you had in mind, so be careful how you present this idea.)

In my last blog, I covered all-inclusive travel and touched upon cruises. What’s the one thing people always mention when returning from a cruise? They always talk about the food and, while they may mention the quantity, it’s usually the astonishingly high quality and enormous selection that they find most impressive. (And the wonderful fact that they’ve paid for it all in advance.)

food and wine cruises

It should therefore come as no surprise that there are cruises that make food and wine the centerpiece of a trip, which makes perfect sense. If one is traveling to France or Italy, isn’t it logical to want to include the culinary specialties of these countries as one of the reasons for going? What could be better than taking a river cruise through France, stopping for wine tastings at local vineyards, having a master chef on-board to serve local cuisine and learning to pair regional wines with area’s cuisine.

Of course, if you really want to make your next vacation a pleasure for your palate, you’re not limited to cruises. Your travel professional can arrange vacations…some even sponsored and planned by the Food Network, and I’ll have more about that later…that will satisfy your appetite for food, wine and travel all at the same time. These land tours range from domestic packages of California’s wine country to international destinations. All you need do is tell your travel planner where you’d like to go and they can arrange culinary excursions through Turkey, Morocco, Israel, South America, Africa, China or New Zealand; name just about any destination and there’s probably a culinary tour that includes that location. You can attend wine tastings, cooking classes or even shop with a master chef in local markets; you’ll have the vacation of a lifetime while you learn about a culture from its individual, unique and delicious cuisine. (And there’s always an interesting historical background to a country’s culinary heritage as well.)

food and wine cruises

Since you probably enjoy excellent food and wine, and I’m fairly certain you enjoy travel, you should consider combining all those interests into one. Of course, all the river cruises and land tours have itineraries that include time during which you can still satisfy any other passion you may have for history or architecture and you’re always able to take in the local sights; however, why not indulge as many of your senses as you can?

food network travel Finally, and I don’t mean to be prejudicial, but of all the travel sites on the web, you’re fortunate to have landed on this one because…those custom culinary Food Network packages I mentioned?…well you’re in exactly the right place to get all the info on these unique, one-of-a-kind tours. As a member of the signature travel network, holiday cruises and tours has access exclusive and custom Food Network packages.

For your next vacation, let your palate be your guide. Contact your travel planner and discuss with them what all your interests are …gastronomic and otherwise… and they’ll set-up a culinary package that’ll whet your appetite for making every vacation an epicurean extravaganza. It’s food for thought so, using what little French I actually feel confident using, bon voyage and bon appetit!

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