My name is Afua Darkwa and I am a senior studying Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Missouri. This summer, I had the opportunity to participate in a two-month study abroad program in France. The program was designed to give us hands on experience after weeks of class instruction. The first part was a four-week program studying Food Science at Purpan University in Toulouse, France. In Toulouse, I lived with 47 other American foodies that were on a quest to discover food and wine overseas. At the university, it was important that we understood the overall history of the European Union. We learned about special French commodities like Roquerfort cheese, Label Rouge chickens and the most important delicacy, wine. We took weekly field trips to the regions where the food was produced to obtain a more tangible experience of what we learned in class. Weekends in the program were awesome. We traveled to the Pyrenees Mountains for a physically challenging hike and Barcelona, Spain for tapas and dancing. The nightlife in Toulouse was a blast too. Toulouse is filled with pubs and nightclubs that we attended regularly.
The second part of the study abroad program entailed a four-week internship. There were two options given: Food Production (working on a farm making cheese) or Wine Agriculture (making wine on a vineyard). I chose the latter. I was placed in a small village called Gensac, right outside of Bordeaux. This is one of the world’s most famous regions for wine production. I worked on the Chateau Carbonneau vineyard. I was very hands-on in the vineyard. Planting grapes and removing weeds were the bulk of my daily task. It is indeed backbreaking work, but that’s what it takes to produce superior wine. I also had the chance to bottle, label and package the wine. At this particular chateau, they offer wine tastings. Whenever we had English-speaking visitors, I ran the wine tasting. It was pretty awesome.
My overall experience in France was one of a kind. I learned how to make wine and more importantly appreciate it. I also learned a lot about the French culture and their way of life. It is very different but in a good way. The appreciation they have for food is as strong as mine. I left France a couple days ago, but I know I’ll be back. The family that owns the farm, Wilfried and Jackie Franc-de-Ferriere produce great wine and they even have a bed and breakfast inside of their chateau! For more pictures and information about the wine or B&B, visit http://chateau-carbonneau.com.