European Vacations, Nashville Style

Music City’s best are planning the ultimate culinary vacations

Imagine a traveling companion who effortlessly finds the best bakery — or who knows the local winemaker, so you can get a private tour of the nearby vineyard. This travel companion is also adept in the kitchen and makes edible masterpieces each night — meals you enjoy while watching the sun set from your luxury, historic château. This scenario doesn’t have to be a figment of your imagination or an impetus to find a new, more worldly travel partner. Several Nashville-based culinarians — chefs, bakers and oenophiles among them — have been hard at work planning experiences that blend the best parts of travel: experiential immersion and complete relaxation. These European adventures are designed as intimate activities — sign up for a weeklong exploration of Italian wine and cooking, and you’ll be in a large enough group that you’ll make a new friend or two, fully assured of interesting discussion. However, the excursions are still small enough that you can have one-on-one conversations and won’t spend half of your holiday watching the organizers herd cats to get everyone on a bus. You can sign up with your current travel partner, a group of friends or solo.

Whether you want to perfect your sourdough starter, expand your pasta-making skills or learn more about the terroir of your favorite wines, here are some options for finding your next European culinary adventure.

BY MARGARET LITTMAN