An Unforgettable Culinary Journey to Northern Greece with Diane Kochilas and Peter Minakis (aka Kalofagas)

Flavours of Northern Greece: An 8-Day Culinary Journey

Greek Food Guru Diane Kochilas and Greek Food Blogger Peter Minakis (a.k.a. Kalofagas) invite you to join them on an unforgettable culinary and cultural journey through the undiscovered wine country of Northern Greece this September 19 – 27, 2011.

You will visit Greece’s most renowned vineyards, meet her most accomplished wine makers and live the experience of the grape harvest, visit bustling markets, dine on a vast range of Northern Greek specialties from hand-made phyllo pies to a rainbow of meze plates to haute molecular cuisine, game, seafood, fabulous desserts and more. And, of course, you will sip some of the most delicious, and undiscovered, wines and spirits in the world.

Thessaloniki, sometimes called the Sweet Mother because of its tradition in pastry and confection, will be our base. We will stay in one of the city’s top hotels. Our culinary journey will include:

•         A visit to Naoussa or Amyntaion, complete with wine-maker feasts, tastings, and several unforgettable meals by some of Greece’s top regional chefs

•         Visits to the Babatzim organic winery and distillery where we will meet the owner, Anestis Babatzimopoulos, a modern-day Zorba the Greek

•         Visit to Epanomi and the Gerovasiliou Estate, home of countless award-winning wines and one of the largest wine museums in Europe

•         Hands-on and demo cooking classes with Diane Kochilas and local cooks, where we will learn the art of phyllo, of preparing meze, of fish and seafood cookery, of making healthy, delicious pastries, and more

•         Day trip to a unique nature preserve and/or to a unique game farm.

•         Tour of the Modiano, Thessaloniki’s most famous market, with samplings of local specialties at every stop

•         A tour of the stunning archeological site of Pella and Vergina, Alexander the Great’s birthplace.

•         Walking tour of Thessaloniki, which has been a vibrant city for more than two millennia, where we will visit ancient, Byzantine, Roman, Ottoman and Jewish landmarks.

•         Excursion to Xanthi, one of the most picturesque cities in Greece.

•         Visits with local food artisans and producers, farmers, distillers, bakers, confectioners and more.

Stay tuned for more details…