Upcoming Trips: Roubia, France

Join Jinny and Ed Fleischman as they travel once again to Roubia, France - September 23 to 30

The trip will be much more than just a cooking class. It will be a relaxed yet busy visit to one of the wonderful corners of France. Your week will be filled with vineyard visits, wine tasting, market trips and plenty of chances to see the numerous sites in the area - in addition to some delicious cooking classes. Plus, you will have time to sit back and just enjoy the atmosphere of this charming village! The week of September 23 to 30 will literally fly by, filled with lots of fun new experiences and great memories. Come with us!

You'll stay at Maison Roubia, a wonderful 1870 villa at the entrance to Roubia, a picturesque town on the lovely, winding Canal du Midi in Languedoc Roussillon. The town sits literally in the middle of a number of Minervois vineyards. Since it is the harvest season, your trip will be surrounded by the excitement of the ventage. You'll come away with an expanded understanding of just how wine is crafted.

Maison Roubia has been lovingly restored by its owners, Robert and Agnes Pollack. Each of the spacious, bright bedrooms in the house has its own private bath. Outside the house is a flower filled terrace and garden. Plantings of roses and bougainvillea as well as a small swimming pool complete the garden where you can relax between activities. Inside the house is a modern, fully equipped kitchen where our cooking classes will take place. The group will gather in the evening to share memories of another great day over wine and aperitifs on the terrace. Then we will all sit down to enjoy the fruits of our labor in the large, graceful, candlelit dining room.

Roubia is in an area that historically was part of Catalonia. It shares many foods, culture and history with the northwest corner of Spain that includes Barcelona. Ed and I first visited several years ago and were charmed by the lovely landscape, the openness of the people, the terroir for the wine, the wonderful food flavors and the abundance of history. We would love to share this captivating experience with you!

Here is a tentative schedule for the week:

Saturday:
The group will gather at Maison Roubia in the late afternoon and settle into rooms. We will then get together with a sparkling toast of Limoux to get to know each other. Dinner will follow.

Sunday:
After a traditional French breakfast we will drive to Narbonne for their wonderful Sunday market. The food market is in a restored cast iron building while the dry goods are in colorful stalls along the Canal du Midi. This is a perfect place to begin to gather some wonderful mementos of your trip. Those interested can take a quick tour of the 3 Star Cathedral near by.

We will return to Roubia and have a quick lunch. A cooking class will follow as well as a visit to a local vineyard. Dinner at Maison Roubia.

Monday:
The group will work in the morning to prepare dinner and then take a trip to Ouipa to visit one of the region's outstanding vineyards. You will be free to walk along the lovely canal or among Roubia's vineyards before dinner. Dinner at Maison Roubia.

Tuesday:
Today we head to the weekly market at Olonzac a picturesque town near to Roubia. This market winds through town and includes a full range of farmers selling delicious fresh produce as well as merchants offering such typical things as regional textiles and preserved foods. We will probably leave the market with some rotisserie chickens to eat for lunch.

Upon returning to Roubia we will work quickly to do the prep work for a future evening meal and then travel on to the Abbaye de Frontfroide. This lovely medieval site includes buildings dating from the 12 and 13th centuries as well as beautiful gardens. We will be able to hike through the surrounding vineyards among the gently rolling hills of the Corbieres. While at the Abbaye we will taste some of the local wines before returning to eat in Le Soleil d'Or, the local Roubia restaurant.

Wednesday:
The sun should be shining brightly today as we head out to Collioure, one of the loveliest of all the Mediterranean towns. In fact, Collioure is such a picturesque fishing village that Matisse visited and painted here. The town is known for its wonderful anchovies which we will stop and taste. In addition, there are numerous vineyards in the area producing rich red wines and the delightful Banyul dessert wine for us to enjoy.

Collioure has some enticing shops, historic sights and a delightful coast line to explore. It is also filled with charming bistros overlooking the Mediterranean where we will sit to enjoy lunch - especially the region's fresh fish.

The group will return to Maison Roubia for dinner.

Thursday:
No trip to this area would be complete without a visit to Carcassonne. The first of the rebuilt medieval cities, it includes a fascinating museum and lots of allies for exploring. We will come back via Minerve, regarded by many as one of the most beautiful villages in France. A bit more wine tasting will be followed by dinner in the village of Aigne.

Friday:
Today we are off to the market of Perpignan, well known for its fresh seafood. We will include Beziers in our days' activities before returning to Roubia for a last class and delicious farewell dinner.

Saturday:
Departure after breakfast filled with many shared memories of this charming corner of France.

The week is planned so that there will be a wide range of activities that center around the enjoyment of food, wine and history. You will have ample time to wander down the Canal du Midi to explore its beauty. And you will find that an extra bag will be necessary to bring home the lovely local goodies you have collected!

Here's What We Will be Cooking:

The region is well known for its wonderful produce and we will be working this into our meals. There is great local cheese, olive oil, sausage, chicken and lamb that will be combined into meals to savor during the week and repeat at home. Regional specialties include Cassoulet and paella as well as great chicken stews with seafood. The local butcher who spends two days a week in Roubia prepares some of the most delicious pate ever! The food is all very approachable and goes perfectly with the wonderful regional wines.

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