Top Chef alumni Chef Bryan Voltaggio has partnered with Scenic Luxury Cruises for a special 2022 culinary sailing through southern France.
Foodies, Francophiles, and Top Chef fans alike take note: Top Chef favorite Bryan Voltaggio will host Spectacular South of France with Top Chef Bryan Voltaggio, a special, 11-day culinary-themed departure of Scenic’s popular South of France river cruise in October 2022.
Chef Bryan Voltaggio is a culinary innovator of Mid-Atlantic cuisine, a restaurateur, and a television personality. A Maryland native and James Beard Foundation Award finalist, Bryan creates menus driven by the region’s fresh, seasonal, organic ingredients and strives to engage diners in supporting local agriculture through his choice of dishes that change with the seasons.
On the new gastronomic adventure, which sails round trip out of Lyon on October 20, 2022, guests will have multiple opportunities to interact with and learn from Chef Bryan. The sailing kicks off with an evening welcome reception featuring a bespoke cocktail and the chance to meet Chef Bryan in person. An onboard cooking demonstration will offer guests the opportunity to watch and learn—and sample—a new recipe from the Top Chef, while a lecture on seasonal cooking and French cuisine will deepen guests’ understanding of the culinary bounty of the region.
Guests will also have the chance to score a reservation for an intimate meal with Chef Bryan in L’Amour, the specialty dining restaurant onboard, and to enjoy a four-course dinner prepared especially by Chef Bryan and enjoyed by all guests onboard.
In addition to Chef Bryan’s programming, the new itinerary offers plenty of opportunities for culinary pursuits in and around the heart of France’s gastronomic hub. In the quaint village of Tournus, guests can join highly trained hounds and their owners in locating and sampling French truffles, or visit the restaurant of three-star Michelin chef Georges Blanc for a cooking demonstration. A tour and tasting at a family-owned olive farm is on offer in charming Tarascon, while an opportunity to sample the celebrated wines of Châteauneuf-du-Pape at a Côtes de Rhône vineyard is available in Avignon. As with any Scenic river cruise, all shore excursions are included in the cruise fare.
The sailing will take place onboard Scenic Sapphire, which carries just 149 guests on the Rhône and Saône rivers. The ship is equipped with a bespoke cooking emporium called Scenic Culinaire where guests can take part in tailored cooking classes for up to 10 at a time. Classes will be offered by Scenic’s chefs throughout the sailing, including in Avignon where guests can opt to visit a local market with the ship’s chef before returning to Culinaire to create dishes with the fresh, local ingredients.
For more Cruising inspiration click here.
Want to Stay Up to Date? Follow us on Facebook or Instagram or Sign Up for our Bi-Weekly Newsletter.