With a passion for food and wine, here in the Berkshires I taste a symphony! The Berkshires abound not only with world-class cultural events but also with a plethora of extraordinary culinary experiences with chefs, bakers, oeniphiles, and a chocolatier as maestros of their own kitchens and wine cellars, orchestrating decadent and intoxicating creations.

If you share my passion, perhaps you would like to indulge in the sensual adventures of the Berkshires with a "Fun for Foodies Vacation."

EXTRAORDINARY EPICUREAN EXPERIENCES
A Tapestry of Gourmet Adventures

Available only by advance reservation of at least a week or more and are offered year-round (or nearly so). Payment in full is required when reserving any of the "Extraordinary Epicurean Experiences" and "Seasonal" Experiences. Payment will be refunded only with a least one week’s notice.

The Ultimate Chocolate Experience
$40.00 per person. A group of four preferred.
Chocolate, decadent, heavenly and sinful – and now regarded as healthy! – is food for the gods as made by Lenox’s young chocolatier Joshua Needleman, who has been named by Saveur as one of the top 10 chocolatiers in the U.S. Now the world knows what we in the Berkshires already knew! Spend a late afternoon at Chocolate Springs for your private chocolate tasting – plus a treasure of truffles to take home and savor.

An Evening with Your Personal Wine Consultant
Tasting for two: $130.00. For four: $160.00. For six: $185.00.
Would you like to start a wine cellar or expand your wine horizons? Experience a unique private wine tasting evening at the Berkshires’ premier wine merchant. Let Kollin Kozlowski, Nejaime’s/ The Lenox Wine Cellar’s wine maven be your guide through a learning experience designed just for you. And enjoy a variety of local cheeses, breads and Berkshire specialties at the same time.

The Brunch Bunch - Breakfast at Birchwood at Home
$150.00 for one; $175.00 for two. [Available year-round, or nearly]
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be an innkeeper and feed 22 or more people for breakfast? Innkeeper/chef Ellen Chenaux prepares more than 300 award-winning breakfasts each year. How does she do it? Spend a hands-on afternoon with Ellen, and you’ll be creating award-winning breakfasts at home! And in your own Birchwood Inn Fun for Foodies apron! Plus a voucher for 10% off kitchen supplies at Different Drummer's Kitchen.

Bake Your Cake and Eat It, Too!
$150.00 for one; $175.00 for two; plus the cost of ingredients [Available year-round, or nearly]
Razzle-dazzle ’em! Hands-on individual or couple’s baking classes at Birchwood Inn are for those who believe that life is short, start with dessert. Soufflé cakes. Tarts. Pastry. Holiday baking. Gingerbread houses. Wow ’em in your Birchwood Inn Fun for Foodies apron! Plus a voucher for 10% off kitchen supplies at Different Drummer's Kitchen.

SEASONAL SELECTIONS
These activities are available on a seasonal basis and only by advance reservation.

ULTIMATE PICNICS

The Ultimate Picnic - [Available June-October.] (alcoholic beverages not included)
"A loaf of bread, a jug of wine, and thou…." Romantic epicureans will delight in this culinary experience on wheels. From Berkshires’ best and Birchwood’s own kitchen, your "designer" gourmet lunch or dinner is ready for a musical interlude at Tanglewood or Jacob’s Pillow, a secluded picnic while taking a woodsy hike or floating up, up and away in a hot air balloon! To set the scene, all you’ll need are candles and flowers – we’ll include them, too! We’ll pack your Ultimate Picnic in a Deluxe Picnic Basket-on-Wheels, complete with glasses, silverware, cloth napkins, corkscrew, cutting board with a deluxe Fun for Foodies picnic blanket, roll-up table and chairs along for the ride!

The Ultimate Picnic
$45 pp
Chez Nous chef/owner Franck Tessier prepares your Ultimate Picnic with Provencal and Tuscan accents. Start off your picnic with Brie with Black Truffles, Mixed Greens and Chutney with Crostini; or a selection of Cheeses with Fruit and Crackers; or Homemade Pates with Pomegranate Spread; or  Vegetarian Antipasto with Roasted Red Peppers, Walnut and Pomegranate Spread, Cucumber-Yogurt Salad Heirloom Tomatoes with Marinated Mozzarella and Crostini. For your entrees. select either Grilled Salmon with Nicoise Salsa and Couscous Salad or Grilled Marinated Chicken in Sauce Boudran. Top off this Ultimate Picnic with your choice of Rachel Portnoy's Tuscan Lemon Almond Torte or Chocolate Devastation Cake. A chilled white wine would complete this gourmet picnic. And we'll pack up your picnic in our insulated rolling picnic basket complete with silverware, glasses, dishes, roll-up table, chairs, candles, flowers, and Birchwood Inn Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Day Afternoon
$50.00 for one. $75.00 for two. [Available November-April]
We love our dogs, and our dogs love treats. Spend an afternoon learning how to bake delicious and nutritious dog biscuits for the furry members of the family under the watchful eyes of Birchwood Inn’s own personal cookie monster Quinn, our Golden Retriever with a sweet tooth!

HANCOCK SHAKER VILLAGE

Shaker Family Picnics
Enjoy a hearty Shaker-inspired picnic in the charming rusticity of the 1910 Barn while you take in breathtaking views of the verdant Berkshire Hills. Your savory picnic supper includes a variety of Shaker flavors to tempt your palate, including: herbed chicken, Shaker red potato salad, coleslaw, corn bread, strawberry shortcake, iced tea and lemonade. Dates to be announced.

Traditional Shaker Suppers
Dinner only - $55.00 pp; Dinner and Tour: $60.00 pp.
Shaker-inspired cooking and Shaker hospitality combine for a memorable evening in the historic 1830 Brick Dwelling. Your evening begins with wine and cheese, served by hosts in traditional Shaker attire. Or you may choose to begin with a guided tour of the Village. Dinner is served by candlelight in the Believers’ Dining Room. The menu varies, making use of fresh, seasonal ingredients. Chef Paul Proudy selects soup, a variety of entrees, accompaniments, and desserts from recipes in The Best of Shaker Cooking by Amy Bess Miller. Yankee Magazine has recognized Chef Proudy for his outstanding fare and adaptations of traditional Shaker cooking. A typical bill of fare may include squash and carrot soup with ginger, pot roast with cranberry chutney or ham baked in cider, roasted potatoes with rosemary, Sister Mary’s zesty carrots, and bread pudding. The evening concludes with a program of Shaker music, a 20-minute a cappella program introducing visitors to Shaker music as an expression of their spirituality. Dates: September 15; October 6, 7, and 27; November 24, 2007.

Wine Tasting Dinners
Information available one month prior to each event.