Burgundy and Provence Then and Now
After sailing on Windstar Cruises’ James Beard Foundation voyage from Venice to Athens, I honestly wondered how anything could top it. Then I came across AmaWaterways’ Essence of Burgundy and Provence – and my inner food radar lit up immediately.
Good food has been my compass since I was a teenager. I grew up in Britain, fell hard for French cooking at 15 in the Languedoc, spent the following summer with a family in Burgundy, explored Lyon and Beaune, and even had my very first (perfectly legal, thank you France) wine tasting at Château Meursault at 16. Years later, I retraced the Route des Grands Crus—Puligny-Montrachet, Chablis, Nuits-Saint-Georges, Châteauneuf-du-Pape—yes, the names on the “big” bottles really are tiny towns.
Add decades of Provence, the Riviera, and living and working as a French resident in the Antilles—and you’ll understand why this itinerary felt irresistible. It’s not just a cruise; it’s a love letter to, arguably, France’s most important food and wine regions.
Hosting this voyage is pure joy for me. There’s nothing better than sharing a place you love deeply—and I cannot wait to share this one. (And don’t worry, Bordeaux lovers… we’ll save that for the next cruise.) 🍷✨
Sailing with the Best: Meet Your Hosts
And I won’t be hosting this voyage alone. My co-host is the wonderful Lisa Hastings—resident sommelier for Treasure Coast Foodie and Level Two certified through the International Wine Guild.
Lisa and I first sailed together on the Windstar James Beard Foundation cruise I mentioned earlier, bonding over wine dinners, tastings, and the flavors of four different countries. Since then, we’ve met often to talk food, wine, and all the joy they bring—and it felt inevitable that we’d take those conversations to the next level by sailing through Burgundy and Provence together.
Lisa’s path to wine was fueled by curiosity and a love of discovery. Thirteen years ago, she left a full-time teaching career—moving seamlessly from educating kindergarten through sixth graders to teaching adults of all ages about wine. Different classroom, same passion.
She’ll tell you Italy is her favorite wine region (and cuisine), but I have a feeling Provence and Burgundy may challenge that loyalty. Rosé is her favorite “porch sipper,” and she’s more than ready for a deep dive into Burgundy’s pinot noirs and classic chardonnays. Chablis? “Why yes,” Lisa says, “that is God’s intended way for us to enjoy chardonnay.”
Lisa is thrilled to sail with us through one of the world’s great centers of wine and gastronomy. She has a gift for creating memorable, thoughtful experiences around wine—and she is already happily immersed in “research” for this noble cause.
Lisa has just published a delightful book, Quotable Resonance, a collection of musings inspired by food, wine, and life itself. I had no idea she was such a lover of quotes, so it feels fitting to close with a bit of shared wisdom—mine, Lisa’s, and Goethe’s—on the enduring magic of wine. 🍷
Words to Live By from Your Hosts
Lisa: “My favorite wine is the one you put in my hand.”
Jayne: “I never met a Grand Cru I didn’t like.”
Lisa: “I hope for us all that the only pain we feel is Champagne… Cheers!”
Jayne: “Anyone who ever said that a meal without wine is breakfast needs to drink more Prosecco.”
Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe: “Life is too short to drink bad wine.”
For more information about the Essence of Burgundy and Provence, August 13th 2026, please contact me at 772-480-8621 or jayne@ilxtravel.com.
Jayne Withers 