While most of the year we plan made-to-measure, private travel, our Signature Journeys (small group trips) are very near and dear to my heart. Perhaps it’s because I get to play hostess during part of each one, and meet so many of you.
Signature Journeys began eight years ago when we kept getting requests for group trips—something that was simply not our focus at the time. It became clear that a handful of special dates highlighting our favorite spots (a sort of “best hits list”) would be the perfect stage to experiment with a group trip. We’d use it as the canvas to stage special group meals, tastings, and incorporate friends who were winemakers, chefs, food artisans, historians, and many more. We kicked off in Peru and the idea stuck. Then it evolved, became a concept, and here we are with these “favorites” that happen only once per year.
What is so wonderful about these group journeys is how they bring like-minded people together. It’s a uniting of beautiful spirits and minds around great food, wine, travel, design, and history. The trips are moveable feasts, and sometimes wine fests in the case of our annual wine trip. It’s not only about sharing our passion for the destination, though, we also want to share an idea of how life is here, and how you can take that inspiration and perspective home with you.
This year, we also decided to introduce a new type of journey called Special Edition. In the spirit of those wines made during an exceptional vintage/year, this is an annual trip that will be offered once annually, and we will switch up the destination for the following year. Many of you want to go deeper with us into South America and there are just so many destinations! This is how we can explore them together—and open up our network to you. So this year, we decided to kick off with COLOMBIA, which has been on our list for a long time. More info on that below!
While some of these dates are quite far out, their timing also coincides with the high season in these latitudes so it is necessary to plan with considerable notice. And over the years, we have also noticed that there are many planners who join our groups who expertly juggle multiple international trips every year and want to get things on the calendar early (kudos to you folks!). Certainly, it is nice to have something to look forward to as the months do seem to fly by.
All this being said, I do hope you’ll join us to discover this amazing area of the world. And if I may suggest, try to look at South America like Western Europe—it’s a continent of many countries, cultures, flavors and multiple trips are needed to visit. And fair warning, you may even fall in love with and want to visit again…and again…and again. Los esperamos aqui.
Diverse, Vibrant Chile: September 24 – October 1, 2019
Do you love to cook and adore the farm/market-to-table movement? Have you ever done a culinary tour in Italy and wished there were more destinations like that—only with reverse seasons? This tour has evolved over time to reflect my own passion as a home cook, and really showcase how central Chile is a Mediterranean Eden on par with Italy or California. Set in the verdant springtime with mild temperatures, we will start in Santiago, the most modern city in Latin America, with a tradition of vibrant fresh markets and a burgeoning food scene. Among highlights, we’ll gather in our private home to transform market treasures into a wonderful meal with small producer wines. We will hit the road to the Pacific coast and along the way visit local friends who are food artisans with cheese making and olive oil co-ops. Others are rustic bakers or fishermen. We will pass through the enchanting port of Valparaiso and end in the heartland south of Santiago at a spectacular project where wine, gardens, and art come together in one beautiful expression. The last day, we will harvest in an organic garden, and then transform our bounty into a glorious meal in true garden-to-table fashion.
Flavors of Peru: October 20 – 29, 2019
This has been our most popular journey every single year since we launched it eight years ago. There’s a reason. Peru is simply delicious, varied, rich, deep, and mysterious in flavors and history. It’s a kaleidoscope of civilizations, cultures, flavors, immigration, and scenery. We start in the capital of Lima, truly a foodie city with a hot dining scene with many of the top restaurants in South America. Then we fly inland, and up in altitude, to the Sacred Valley. We dive into its intriguing microclimates and the traditions and foods that they compromise. We’ll visit local communities, chefs, and get to know many unknown foodstuffs indigenous to this area. Uber local. The trip peaks with our pilgrimage to Machu Picchu—which needs no introduction. We close in the colonial city of Cusco that is a total time warp and I have always said a South American “cousin” of Rome in that it was the center of Incan civilization and still retains its colonial flavor. This trip is one of our headliners for a reason.
Uruguay, A Natural Beauty: February 7 -15, 2020
Uruguay is one of the lesser-known countries in South America and often compared to Switzerland—perhaps because of the pastoral landscape, the number of cows to humans, the cheese-making tradition, or just low key, non confrontational nature of Uruguayans. Uruguayans are, in fact, mostly of Spanish and Italian descent so you’ll also find many of the things you adore in Mediterranean culture. I am particularly obsessed with Uruguay because of it’s open skies and endless beaches paired with natural food (grass-fed, organic veggies) that is flavorful. There’s also a wave of chefs from the legend Francis Mallmann to his younger disciples who are putting this elemental cuisine on the map. Add to this, unusual wines like Tannat and Albarino (the climate is more like Rias Baixas and Bordeaux) and you have the perfect mix. We strategically plan this trip every February to offer a delicious winter escape with sand, sun, beaches, gauchos, wines, tons of artisanal cheese and grilled foods plus a lot of free time to just relax. That’s the idea of the trip—eat and drink well and get blissed out in Uruguayan nature.
Romancing Colombia: March 10 – 18, 2020 NEW!! SPECIAL EDITION JOURNEY 2020!!
We have been asked for years now by our guests when we would be going to Colombia…and we finally listened. We agree that there’s simply “something” about Colombia that is mesmerizing. It’s a country full of robust rhythms where the cadence of the people and life is so alive and palatable. We kick off in the mountainous capital of Bogota where the food scene is on fire thanks to young, passionate chefs along with a devotion to art and fashion. We move after to Cartagena, ayyy, tan romantico. The walled city feels straight out of a Gabriel Garcia Marquez novel. Here food vendors hawk delicious treats and fresh fruit, and who can resist swimming in the azure waters of the Caribbean. The mélange of colorful city squares, colonial architecture, and of course the vibrant food scene (don’t forget epic ceviche, coffee, and rum) totally have me swooning. And for those coming form North America, it’s the perfect “bridge” from winter to spring…and so close! Note: Due to high demand, this tour only has waitlist available at this time. Please contact us for details if interested in Colombia.
Southern Cone Sampler: April 17 – 25, 2020
Having lived in Chile now for nearly two decades, wine has always been a central part of life here—we are literally surrounded by wine valleys. We love it, live it, breathe it and some of our good friends are even winemakers. In our annual “triple header”, now in its sixth season, we sip our way across the major wine regions of Chile, (Mendoza) Argentina, and Uruguay during the April wine harvest. We meet and engage with the people, and stories behind the wines in many tastings, vineyard walks, and grand meals. We will become more fluent in the “language” of wine together, because wine is really just that—a language you learn to speak with practice and appreciation over time. This trip is a deep dive into the South American expression of it. And it is very intriguing to visit, and savor, three closely related, but dramatically different cultures and ways of life over the course of the trip. Above all, what I love about this journey is how you experience first hand how wine is this beautiful intersection of history, flavor, terroir and tradition. Salud!
For further details and cost of participation, please send us an email at info@lizcaskey.com
