Chateau Guilhem, Malvies, France

Chateau Guilhem is a winery in Malvies, a small French village overlooking the Pyrenees near Carcassonne. Every autumn, they hold a charity event called a "vendange," where we harvested grape clusters from the vines and enjoyed a traditional cassoulet lunch. Proceeds were donated to a Cambodian orphanage.

The dish "cassoulet" was invented here. Legend has it that during the Hundred Years' War, locals emptied their cupboards to feed the French troops. Beans, herbs, pieces of pork, mutton and goose were cooked together and baked in traditional red clay bowls.

As we enjoyed our cassoulet that day, the Brotherhood of Cassoulet of Castelnaudary inducted new members into their fold . . . a group of enthusiastic butchers and other cassoulet professionals who dress up in sashes, long velvet robes and funny hats and fete each other in public. Vive la France! ~Susan Ford