Cite du Chocolat Valrhona

French Culinary Schools to Visit on Vacation

"Located in an annex beside the Valrhona factory in Tain l'Hermitage, this chocolate school features two state-of-the-art teaching laboratories overlooking vine-covered slopes. Courses are small and intensive (about eight participants) and focus tightly on techniques such as ganache work or chocolate pastry creation; Frédéric Bau and other pastry chefs run three- and four-day hands-on sessions as well as shorter workshops. Most instruction is in French but many instructors speak English, and a two-day pâtisserie course is typically priced around 345 euros (lodging not included)." - Peggy Knickerbocker, Stephanie Curtis