It’s no secret to their European neighbors that both Slovenia and Croatia have a rich culinary landscape. They are quickly becoming synonymous with the foodie culture and slow-food movement and their wines are now bringing home awards & accolades on a regular basis. Many of these wine making traditions go back centuries, some to Roman times. In all corners of the land one can taste family recipes made with locally-grown produce, fresh in-season ingredients and served up with a lot of love.

While running small group tours to Slovenia and Croatia for the past 7 years, guests routinely told me how undersold the food and wine was. This new tour is designed to showcase the best food, wine and culinary traditions that these small yet diverse regions have to offer.  And there’s no better time of year to immerse in this culinary utopia than the harvest season.  Most of the tourists have gone home, the leaves are turning color, vineyards are being harvested and the smell of wood stoves and heavenly aromas float through the cool air. This unique tour features a variety of slow-food meals and home-cooked dinners, walks in Slovenia's beautiful wine country, nearly a dozen wine tastings and an array of truffles, olive oils and melt-in-your-mouth pasta from Istria.

Eleven days of stimulating one's taste buds can be a bit much. That’s why I’m leaving time for curious guests to back away from the kitchen table and explore castles, stroll through Venetian towns, discover colorful frescoes in village churches and make a personal connection between the food, the land and its people. Like with other Roads Less Traveled tours, a maximum group size of six guests lends itself to a more intimate travel experience served up with a genuine, personal touch.

TBD October 2013