Culinary getaways offered

HYDE PARK, N.Y. -- A famous cooking school is now offering high-end trips where you can sample regional cuisine in the company of experts.

The Culinary Institute of America's new culinary getaway program, "The Sophisticated Palate," was launched this summer, combining travel, wine and food. Trips cost about $4,000 for four days, plus accommodations.

A trip to California's Napa Valley includes visiting a wine cave with local vintners, savoring the first oil pressed at an olive grove, and tasting fresh-picked veggies from a farm, then having a barbecue at a local ranch.

The Napa trip is being offered Oct. 23-26, Feb. 12-15; April 1-4; June 10-13; Aug. 5-8; and Nov. 11-14.

Other trips are being offered to Spain and Portugal, Nov. 13-16; Jan. 15-18; July 15-18; and Oct. 14-17, and to Southeast Asia, Dec. 4-7; March 4-7; May 6-9; Sept. 9-12; and Dec. 9-12.

For more information, visit www.ciachef.edu/enthusiasts/programs/gs--soph--palate or (800) 888-7850.