About this workshop
If you’ve ever wondered why there are more than 500 different cheeses in France, how different cheeses are produced (what accounts for their texture, color, and smell?), why French cheesemakers use raw unpasteurized milk in their cheese, what the impact of seasonality and aging are on cheese, and how locals typically enjoy cheese in restaurants and at home… this is a tasting for you.
How much cheese? It depends on the day, but we usually go for at least 10 different cheeses, representing a wide variety of French regions and cheesemaking styles. And because it wouldn’t be a proper cheese tasting without wine, we’ll be matching at least five different French wines with our fromage and discussing principles for pairing cheese & wine that you can try on your own. You’ll leave with a solid understanding of some of the major categories and appellations of French cheese and wine, and you’ll have so much fun that it won’t feel like learning.
Practical info
Price for the cheese & wine workshop: 110€ per person, including all tastings. This small-group tasting (not a walking tour) is conducted in English and will last around three hours. We’ll send you the address of the beautiful space in Saint-Germain where this seated workshop is held once you’ve made your reservation.
We offer this workshop on Saturdays beginning at 11:30am. You’ll be sampling enough cheese, bread and wine that this can double as lunch. Send us an email if your desired dates are sold out, if you’re looking for a date after April 2020, or if you have any other questions.
Terms & Conditions
A sampling of what we might taste
Cancellations Policy
A refund of 75% is available for those who cancel with at least 48 hours advance notice. For those who cancel with less than 48 hours notice, no refund will be made. Our tours run rain or shine. Clients who arrive more than 15 minutes late without calling or who don’t show up at all (no-shows) will be treated as last-minute cancellations without a refund.
Clients who are booking tours for the day of their arrival in Paris should be aware that we do not offer refunds in the case of delayed flights and trains (because this is such a common occurrence).
About this tour
Throughout its long history, the Latin Quarter has hosted the city’s most prestigious educational institutions, along with an eclectic mix of students. More recently, and more in keeping with our gluttonous aims, the area has seen the arrival of prize-winning cheesemongers, sweet shops and other food artisans.
What we’ll taste
In addition to sampling savory charcuterie and cheeses from one of the most historic cheese affineurs in town along with bread and wine, we’ll be sharing a wide array of treats along the sweet spectrum. That includes chocolates from the hand of a Meilleur Ouvrier de France (an MOF – the highest rank for a French chocolatier), and the city’s best lemon tart. Although we will be sampling a bit along the way, the bulk of our tasting and discussion will take place while seated in a comfortable wine shop where we can select and pair different wines to enjoy with the wonderful items we’ve collected during our walk.
Practical info
Price for a small group tour: 110€ per person, including all tastings. Our tours are all conducted in English and last approximately three hours. This tour will finish with a seated tasting that includes wine, but we’ll be on our feet and moving for at least two hours throughout the tour. We’ll send you the exact meeting point upon booking, but you can plan to begin near the Censier-Daubenton métro stop and finish near the Place Monge métro stop. We maintain very small group sizes and are unable to add guests to tours that don’t have enough available tickets. Send us an email if your desired dates are sold out or if you have any other questions. We hope to meet you soon!
The Latin Quarter in pictures
Cancellations Policy
A refund of 75% is available for those who cancel with at least 48 hours advance notice. For those who cancel with less than 48 hours notice, no refund will be offered. Our tours run rain or shine. Clients who arrive more than 20 minutes late without calling or who don’t show up at all (no-shows) will be treated as last-minute cancellations with no refund.
Clients who are booking tours for the day of their arrival in Paris should be aware that we do not offer refunds in the case of delayed flights (because this is such a common occurrence).
Our clients, after we bribe them with cheese and chocolate, really seem to love us. Here's what some recent guests, including Ruth freaking Reichl, have said about our new food tours.
Morning in the Aligre Market Neighborhood
About this neighborhood: A few blocks east of the Bastille, the Aligre market and its surrounding streets mark one of the city’s most bustling neighborhoods. The area hosts a huge number of celebrated chefs and wine bars catering to locals who are food-obsessed but also younger and funkier than you’ll find in Saint-Germain. A great option for those who want to experience something a little off the beaten track.
What we’ll taste: We’ll start the day with breakfast pastries before tasting our way through the the celebrated Marché d’Aligre. We’ll taste some specially aged French cheeses, sample some artisanal charcuterie, and explore a wide range of seasonal ingredients and regional products. We’ll finish with sweets made by one of the city’s most celebrated pâtissiers.
Our aim with morning food tours is to share a wide range of traditional French foods with wine, and we have a beautiful indoor tasting space where we can taste wine with our market purchases and talk about pairings more in depth.
Price for a small group tour: 95€ per person, including all tastings. Check our calendar of upcoming tours to see when this tour is running. More on private tour options here.
The Aligre Market neighborhood in pictures
Breakfast pastries to begin our tour.
A few of the more than 500 cheeses in France.
Some truly luscious charcuterie.
The outdoor and indoor markets at Aligre.
An unconventional Tarte Tatin.
Practical Matters
The most frequently asked questions about our food tours, all answered for you.