A BAKING RETREAT IN
Provence, France
WITH
Baker, Recipe Developer and 4X Cookbook Author
October 9-15, 2027
A baking retreat in Provence, France with Erin Jeanne McDowell
7 Days, 6 nights
October 9-15, 2027
From $7,000 USD
Erin Jeanne McDowell -- the Queen of the Sturdy Pie, NYT bestselling cookbook author, and a Rêverie favorite -- joins us in Provence at the Château Martinay! This will be Erin’s fourth year and sixth season joining us here at Reverie, and if that doesn’t tell you how incredible she is, you’ll just have to come see for yourself!
Erin's newest book, Bake Anything (pre-order here!), is basically her teaching philosophy in book form: master the foundational recipes, and you can bake anything!
That's exactly the spirit of the week, built around what she does best - bread, pastry, and pie, all shaped around whatever's ripest at the market that week (you can bet on loads of luscious figs! October is their last hurrah in the south of France, and this is exactly the season for it). Add natural wine tastings with Esmé, a wander through a provincial open-air market and a local vineyard, and some of the best food you'll eat all year from Chef Paul. An unforgettable week for all your senses.
Join us in Provence and bake with Erin!
Erin's baked professionally since she was sixteen, and somewhere along the way — four cookbooks, a bestseller, an award-winning Food52 series — she never lost the thing that makes her fun to learn from: she is still delighted by dough. Her teaching style is patient and hands-on, the kind where you actually understand why a crust behaves the way it does, not just how to follow the steps.
Whether you've made pie a hundred times or never rolled out dough in your life, you'll be in good hands!
The setting for all of this is the elegant Château Martinay, tucked into the countryside outside Carpentras, right in the heart of Provence. Think cypress-lined drives, a terrace built for long lunches, a library for writing letters home (or just pretending you might), a historically-preserved billiards room, and a pool made of relaxation. It's the kind of place that makes you slow down before anyone even tells you to.
Join us for a week of pie, natural wine, and spending time with people who care about the same things you do. Dreams really do come true!
BAKING WITH ERIN JEANNE MCDOWELL
Erin's specialty is dough — bread, pastry, pie, all of it — and this week she's building her sessions around what Provence actually has to offer in October: the best of the season's figs, the juiciest apples and plums, plus whatever else looks best at the market that week. Expect hands-on time on bread and pastry fundamentals, and at least one proper pie deep-dive (obviously), all shaped by what's ripe rather than a fixed menu. We'll share the full session lineup as we get closer to the date. For now, know that if you've ever wanted to actually understand what makes a crust behave, this is your week!
Let’s eat!
Chef Paul Albert is your personal chef for the week. Paul trained in fine dining — he knows how to plate a dish so it looks like art — but that's not what drives him here. What drives him is feeding you exceptionally well. Fresh bread every morning (sourdough, brioche, focaccia, whatever calls to him that day). Homemade cheese. Cultured butter. Yogurt made from scratch. Three chef-prepared meals a day, all of it built around what's most beautiful at the market that week, served family-style down the center of a long table.
Every meal is paired with natural wines selected by Esmé, Rêverie's sommelier — chosen to complement the food and the region. In Sancerre, that means some of the finest Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir in France. Explained, as always, without a drop of pretension.
* To preserve the shared culinary experience we strive to create, we’re happy to accommodate vegetarians, pescatarians, and allergies. However, we are unable to tailor meals for additional dietary preferences or restrictions. If you have specific questions about your needs, feel free to reach out — we’re happy to chat!
Your Week in Provence
Your week will begin in Aix-en-Provence for one night at one of our favorite hotels. That evening is yours to relax after travel and to explore this epitomal Provençal city!
The next day, our vans will collect you and carry you out to Château Martinay, tucked into the countryside outside Carpentras. That's where Erin and the rest of us will be waiting with a welcome spread. A glass of bubbles to begin, then a perfectly prepared lunch together to kick things off properly.
From there, the week is built around three baking intensives with Erin, with plenty of room for questions along the way (bring the ones you've been saving up). Her whole approach is teach you the foundation - the dough, the technique, the why behind it - and once you've got that, you can bake anything!
Here's a sense of what the week holds: a morning at the open-air market where October means the last of the season's figs and the sweetest autumn fruits you can imagine. There's a natural wine tasting with Esmé, an afternoon visit and tasting at one of our favorite local vineyards, and all the usual Rêverie good cheer - the famous grill party, karaoke nobody's any good at, games that get more competitive than anyone expects. The good times just don’t stop!
After a final breakfast together on your last day, we’ll take care of getting you to the Marseille airport or the Avignon train station so you can head to your next destination…filled with new memories and a rolodex of new friends.
Château Martinay
Château Martinay sits on eighty acres at the foot of Mont Ventoux, and it shows -- the kind of place that feels less like a hotel and more like someone's (very lucky) family home, just one they've generously decided to share with you for a week. It's historic without being precious about it. Cypress-lined drive, a terrace built for lunches that run long, an Orangerie for evening apéro, a library for writing letters home you'll probably never send. This time of year, that means fig season stretched out in front of you with a glass of something local, and the particular quiet of Provence in October -- the kind that makes you forget what day it is (in a good way).
Every room's been thoughtfully renovated, and since the château also runs as a proper hôtel, you'll have daily housekeeping and grounds kept in impeccable shape -- taken care of without being managed, exactly how we like it.
One practical note: some rooms are in the main château, and others are just next door in La Bastide, about a two-minute drive (or ten-minute walk) away. Golf carts and our team are around all day to help you back and forth -- if you're comfortable on foot, either is a lovely place to land. If you'd rather not do the walk, we'd suggest booking in the main château.
1 night stay at a 4* hotel Aix-en-Provence. Breakfast at the hotel included.
Please note that dinner in Aix-en-Provence on your first night is not included. We will provide you with plenty of delicious options!
Private transfer by van from the the hotel to Chateau Martinay
All workshops, activities and all materials associated
All breakfasts at the château
All meals throughout your château stay, including INCREDIBLE Chef-prepared meals at the château for lunch and dinner
All wine, cocktails and other beverages throughout the château stay, unless you wanna have your own after hours party ;)
Private coach transportation for all scheduled outings
Costs associated with all scheduled outings and events during our week
Chateau lodging, naturally
* To preserve the shared culinary experience we strive to create, we’re happy to accommodate vegetarians, pescatarians, and allergies. However, we are unable to tailor meals for additional dietary preferences or restrictions. If you have specific questions about your needs, feel free to reach out — we’re happy to chat!
*Cost of airfare to the Marseille airport and cost of transport from the Marseille airport to the hotel in Aix-en-Provence is not included in the cost of your reservation. If you need help with booking your trip, please contact kathleen@reverieforever.com
Airplane
Several planes fly direct to Marseille Provence airport (MRS) every day from Paris, London and other cities around Europe. Aix-en-Provence is approximately 25 minutes from Marseille via car.
Car
If you’re the seasoned-traveler type and you’d enjoy having your own transportation, then please - rent a car in Paris or Marseille and drive down! Have a stopover in Lyon for some exquisite eating and make a pitstop at some Rhône Valley wineries for tastings. You could then keep your car for the week and choose your own destiny.
Train
Trains are another option for those who feel comfortable traveling around on their own! The Marseille Saint Charles train station is well-serviced from multiple European destinations. From there you can take another train directly to Aix-en-Provence.
Travel Reservation
If you would like guidance with booking your travel, our in-house travel guru, Kathleen, is here to help. You can reach her directly at kathleen@reverieforever.com
We are here to help make this part easy and smooth.
If you would like to extend your stay in France, we are delighted to partner with The French Travel, a locally owned and operated trip designer based in Paris. They are true experts who will help you perfectly plan your before and/or after Rêverie experience. Check them out for more info!