Our tours focus on providing guests with an insider's experience
that captures the essence of the cuisine, the people, and the
culture. We do this by both partnering with other culinary professionals
and designing our own itineraries. Read what our satisfied clients
have to say about us! Testimonials
Melissa Joachim, who founded Tour de Forks in 2001, was born in
Melbourne, Australia. Melissa's love for food and travel ignited
when she traveled the world for three years, studying and living
in Southeast Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. This passion grew
and inspired the creation of Tour de Forks. Now a resident of
New York City for over fifteen years, Melissa has worked as a designer
and art director for Newsweek, ABCNews, and Disney. Melissa is a Bon Appetit Travel Advisory Board Member and a member of the IACP (International Association of Culinary Professionals).
Lisa Goldman, who is a co-founder, loves to travel and eat and this
enthusiasm has found a home in Tour de Forks. Lisa works on the
marketing, advertising, and sales end of Tour de Forks. Lisa received
her Masters in Education at Columbia University. Prior to Tour de
Forks, Lisa has worked as a freelance copywriter for American Express.
Lisa also writes for children's television. Lisa is a Bon Appetit Travel Advisory Board Member.
Giuseppe Ricotta, who joined Tour de Forks in 2004 to
expand business to Italy, was born in Palermo, Sicily. From the day
he was born, food was central to Giuseppe's life and he grew up
surrounded by fabulous family cooks and eating organic produce.
Before Tour de Forks, Giuseppe received an M.B.A from Fordham University
in New York City and works as a business manager with extensive international
experience.
Connie Walsh, CTC, who joined Tour de Forks in 2008 is a travel industry
veteran with over twenty years of broad based experience that includes tour
operation and sales, and management positions with Avis, Auto Europe and ICTA
(the Institute of Certified Travel Agents) - now the Travel Institute. She has
worked extensively with the travel trade, suppliers and major agency groups.
Connie began with Tour de Forks as a consultant, however her personal passion
for travel - as well as food and wine - combined with recognition that culinary
travel is one of today's hottest trends impelled her to join the team. Her
focus is on business development and strategic alliances - and discovering
the world's great cuisines. Connie is a member of the IACP (International Association of Culinary Professionals).
Kathy Morton, is a Certified France Destination Specialist and a Western Europe Culinary Travel Specialist who is passionate about all aspects of travel - especially creating culinary tours - and sharing in all the pleasures of food, wine and culture. A former French Professor at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro and High Point University, she now enjoys participating in cooking courses throughout France, including the Cordon Bleu and the Ecole Ritz Escoffier in Paris. She is a co-recipient of the Culinary Trust's Julia Child Endowment Fund Scholarship for travel in France and a member of the International Culinary Tourism Association and the American Institute of Food and Wine. She works closely with local Offices of Tourism throughout France as well as Atout France, the France Tourism Development Agency, and the French Association, Les Sites Remarquables du Gout (The Sites of Exceptional Culinary Taste), which honors sites dedicated to the preservation of the culinary traditions in France.
Debra Fioritto, is a winner of the 2006 Culinary Trust's Julia Child Endowment Fund Scholarship
and specializes in travel and tours to France's 71 government-designated gastronomic taste monuments, "The Sites of Exceptional Culinary Taste"
(Les Sites Remarquables du Gout). Debra teaches French at the University of Indiana South Bend. She is an expert in the history, legend and lore of French Cuisine. She has eaten her way through most of the regions of France and is always in search of the perfect mariage of two food products. Debra has a degree in French and International Relations and has traveled and lived throughout Europe. Debra is a member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals.
Recognized "gastronome", Deborah Johnson, is a specialist in French cuisine. She has lived in France for almost two decades, has a French language degree and has studied wine and cuisine at the famous Cordon Bleu Institute in Paris where she was also the translator/interpreter for the Cordon Bleu's top chefs. Deborah began her culinary career as a luxury Caribbean sailboat chef over 30 years ago. She travels extensively throughout Europe, the Caribbean and North Africa and is a Gourmet Tour Guide. Today, Deborah splits her time between Atlanta and Paris and enjoys sharing her passion for French Gastronomy.
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