BKWine, a tour organizer that focuses solely on wine and gastronomic travel has announced two wine and food tours for early 2009:

Truffles, Foie Gras and Wine in the Périgord (Southwest France)
February 11 - 15, 2009

Includes a real truffle hunt, a half-day cooking workshop where you learn how to make foie gras, and sample fabulous French wine.  The vineyard visits on this trip include the classical Bordeaux vineyards of Saint Emilion and the "undiscovered gems" in the Bergerac districts.

Those on the tour stay at the 16th century Château des Vigiers outside the village of Monestier, near the town of Bergerac.

Price for this tour is 1350 euro and includes:

• 4 nights in double room (two people sharing)
• breakfast at the Château des Vigiers
• 3 lunches, including wine (one lunch is an exclusive truffle lunch and another is with regional duck specialties)
• 4 dinners at Château des Vigiers, including wine (3 dinners in the brasserie “Le Chai” and one dinner in the gourmet restaurant “Les Fresques”)
• Bus transportation throughout the tour
• All vineyard visits including tastings
• A morning workshop on how to prepare a foie gras

Not included is travel to Château des Vigiers. 

The Alentejo in Portugal
March 25 - 29, 2009

The country’s biggest wine region, with gourmet specialties like the pata negra ham. The trip starts in Lisbon where you  stay in a centrally located hotel the first night, and also the last. The two other nights you spend in the middle of the Alentejo region, a couple of hours’ drive from Lisbon, in the historic town of Evora.

Price for this tour is 900 euro and includes:

• 2 nights in double occupancy in a three-star hotel in central Lisbon, including breakfast
• 2 night in double occupancy at the four-star hotel Cartuxa in Evors, including breakfast
• 3 gastronomic lunches including wine
• Bus transportation in on location
• All vineyard visits including private wine tastings at the wineries

Not included is air travel to Lisbon.

For more information on these wine and food tours you can email them at info@bkwine.com.  Their website is bkwine.com.