Clients participate in an Avanti cooking class.
Although Avanti is known for FIT travel, I hear you offer a variety of interesting wine-tasting programs and cooking classes. What made you decide to include these programs?
Offering fun and interesting things to see and do as part of a vacation has been part of Avanti’s culture for over two decades. In point of fact, we have dozens of wine-tasting and cooking classes throughout the destinations we serve. I like to think of our programs as regional samplers of the cuisines and wines of the local areas. They are not necessarily for the wine aficionado or gourmand, but someone who wants to more fully enjoy all that these destinations offer.
Can you give me a broad idea of what types of cooking classes are available in Europe?
As you might expect, there are lots in France and Italy. However, we also have cooking classes in destinations that might surprise you. For instance, in Ireland we have a cooking class in Kinsale, a charming harborside town near Cork with an abundance of freshly caught fish each day. We also have a Norwegian cooking class in Vinstra, set in the historic Per Gynt Garden. For those with a few hours to spare, we also have one-day cooking classes in Sorrento, Barcelona and Florence.
I understand the cooking classes are very popular. How far in advance would you advise agents to book their clients? Do they need any specific cooking skills? Are there different levels of classes?
We advise travel agents to book the classes at the same time they book the trip. These classes are very popular and limit the number of participants. If a visitor waits until arrival at the destination, the classes will often be filled. Regarding cooking skills, most classes are made very accessible for the average person. For classes with celebrated chefs, such as Patrick Devos in Bruge, those attending tend to be somewhat more skilled cooks.
Italy and France are well known for their wine. Are they your most popular destinations for wine-tasting tours? How popular are wine-tasting trips in South America, which is just starting to be well known as a tasting region?
Italy certainly is popular as a destination for wine- tasting tours. We have many villa wine programs throughout the country. New for this year we have added Vento, one of the foremost wine regions of Italy famed for its Valpolicella and Amarone red wines and Soave and Prosecco whites. Of course, France is equal in popularity to Italy. We have wine discovery programs throughout Bordeaux, Dordogne, Alsace and Burgundy. New this year is a remarkable program at an authentic 15th-century chateau in the Loire Valley you live and dine like a French king!
During the wine tasting tours, are participants offered any instruction on the art of wine tasting?
Yes, that is part of the fun. Clients come back as wine “experts” and love to practice their new skills at local restaurants.
Can How do agents book the classes and winetasting? Are they commissionable to agents?
Everything can be booked as a single transaction, either on our Web site or by phone. And all the activities we offer are fully commissionable.
