Eleanor Garvin - Dennis Sherman


Eleanor Garvin and Dennis Sherman Home

Eleanor Garvin and Dennis Sherman left the States in 1983, planning to spend a few months studying European cuisine and wine, and simply never went home. Those of you who know Ellie know that she is one of the gifted chefs of her generation, with a style and a touch that makes finesse look easy. Her passion for 'clean' tastes translates as easily into French 'haute cuisine' as it does into Italian 'cucina provinciale'. And having lived nearly 20 years in Europe, she has made many regional cuisines her own.

Dennis is a registered wine merchant in Burgundy, shipping small-production, estate-bottled wines to private importers and collectors in the US and Europe. He is a qualified, professional taster for the 'Guide Hachette', 'Bourgogne Aujourd'hui' and the Burgundy Interprofessional Bureau, and writes regularly and avidly on the subject. He is also a specialist 'gastronomic' tour guide, with experience throughout Europe.

Together, Ellie and Dennis (along with partner Bill Higgs), owned and operated the luxury hotel barge 'Le Papillon'. The popularity of 'Papillon-style' holidays and their ever-growing reputations led them and partner Jamie to expand the Papillon repertoire to 'land-based' holidays; and in 1993 'Papillon Select Tours' was founded.

Canal life and rural Burgundy are in their blood. They live near the Burgundy Canal, though never far from the wine region.