FEATURED EPISODE: Episode 1: Autumn's Culinary Delights on France's Rhone River

One of the best things about European river cruising in the autumn is that it's harvest season. In this episode, our AmaWaterways river cruise on the Rhone in the South of France became a culinary ‘tour de france!’

A Rhone river cruise is unique at any season. Many European river cruises sail through several countries, but a cruise on the Rhone is a purely ‘French affair.’

The Rhone river is the primary waterway in the South of France, and we sailed upriver, from Arles' Provencal charms, famous Roman amphitheater and Van Gogh cafe, to Lyon, France, the gastronomic heart of the country. The Rhone is an historic route through the countryside and between the riverside towns that have made the region such a beloved travel destination.

The slow pace of a river cruise is the perfect way to explore the famous scenery and famous cuisine of the South of France. It’s an entire week of tasting and celebrating producers and their work during the harvest season.

We accompany the ship’s hotel manager on an expedition to provision the ship at the renowned market in Avignon, where we discover local culinary ingredients like regional salts, cheeses, produce – and a few surprises.

A truffle farmer introduces us to his precious crop of one of the most expensive ingredients in the world – and his method of harvest: his dog that’s trained to sniff them out among the trees!

We learn the old school way of harvesting olives – and turning them into olive oil at a family-owned oil mill.

And of course, we meet a winemaker from this storied wine region, who shows us his vineyards, shares his wine – and his philosophy of winemaking.

Watch the trailer above to get a 'taste' for this episode of World's Greatest Cruises, and watch the entire episode of World’s Greatest Cruises on your local PBS TV station!