Eat, Drink, Learn

Garzón

To get to Garzón, you first fly into a capital city you’ve likely never heard of: Montevideo, Uruguay. From there, a two-hour drive takes you through endless plains and country roads to a sleepy village of 200 year-round residents that comes to life in January and February. People in the know travel here from around the world to relax, visit the village’s art galleries, and eat and drink at Bodega Garzón and Francis Mallmann’s famed Hotel Garzón.

The village is in a constant struggle between rustic simplicity and opulent luxury, and neither side ever seems to win. Gauchos still roam the hills on horseback, moving cattle from one plain to the next. Lamb slowly cooks on a cross in a quiet backyard. Some homes are large and some are small; some are filled with laughter, wine and family, while others sit mostly dormant, patiently waiting for their owners to return in December. It’s a complicated place, and it takes years to understand the magic happening here.

This four-night, five-day trip tours guests through Garzón and the Uruguayan countryside, with horseback riding, photography classes, asados, cooking classes, local home visits, wine tastings and gallery tours. It’s a personal, intimate look inside the lives and culture that make the Uruguayan countryside so special.

The Hosts

Nicole Tuvi was born and raised in Montevideo and first moved to Garzón in 2014 to work for Francis Mallmann’s famed Restaurant Garzón. She became the restaurant’s general manager, then spent years traveling the world overseeing the development and openings of new Mallmann restaurants. Over more than a decade of living and working in Garzón, Nicole built deep ties within the community, and eventually a home and a family in the village with her husband, William Hereford. Nicole now owns and operates Canteen, a village restaurant and inn a few blocks from her alma mater.

William Hereford first visited Garzón in 2021 while photographing Mallmann’s book Green Fire. On that assignment, Francis invited William to stay an extra week, which he spent cautiously courting his now wife, Nicole. Soon after, William left his commercial clients and life in New York City and moved to Garzón, where he now works as a fine art photographer, teacher, and father to their daughters, Edda and Lilly.

The Experience

This trip is a sampling of all our workshops combined into a single experience. Optional classes include cooking, ceramics, photography, wine tastings, and tours through the hill country and beach communities. Guests are also treated to artist presentations and lectures on the history of gaucho culture and how it has shaped the Uruguayan countryside. You’re free to be as busy and social as you’d like.

Estudio Garzón

Estudio Garzón is the personal workspace of photographer William Hereford and ceramicist Nicole Tuvi. William’s large-format prints hang throughout the studio alongside Nicole’s ceramics, so the space is as much a gallery as a working studio. For one month each year, we open the space to the public for creative workshops.

The studio is centrally located in the village and serves as home base for the week. It’s equipped with a large art library, a bar, and charging stations for every type of plug.

Itinerary

• Day 1

  • AfternoonArrivals & airport transfers
  • 2:00pmOptional lunch at Hotel Garzón (additional cost)
  • 8:00pmWelcome dinner at Estudio Garzón

• Day 2

  • 9:00amBreakfast
  • 9:30amMate lesson
  • 10:00amPhotography lesson: gaucho portraits
  • 1:30pmLunch
  • 2:30pmVillage & hill country tour with a home visit
  • 6:00pmArtist presentation
  • 8:00pmDinner at Canteen

• Day 3

  • 9:00amBreakfast
  • 10:00amCeramics lesson
  • 1:30pmLunch & wine tasting at Bodega Garzón
  • 4:30pmFree time by the pool
  • 6:00pmGaucho history lecture
  • 8:00pmDinner at Canteen

• Day 4

  • 9:00amBreakfast
  • 10:00amCooking lesson
  • 1:30pmLunch at Canteen
  • 2:30pmJosé Ignacio: beach tour & shopping
  • 6:00pmArtist presentation
  • 8:00pmFarewell asado at Estudio Garzón

• Day 5

  • 9:00amBreakfast
  • 1:00pmOptional lunch at Hotel Garzón (additional cost)
  • AfternoonDepartures & airport transfers

Food & Beverage

Food and wine are at the heart of the experience. Each meal reflects our deep connection to the land: produce comes from our own garden, meats from trusted local purveyors, and wines and spirits exclusively from small Uruguayan producers. All meals and drinks are included, apart from optional meals at Hotel Garzón.

The menu is curated by Nicole Tuvi and a dedicated team of chefs. After more than a decade as general manager of Francis Mallmann’s famed Restaurant Garzón, Nicole brings a deep knowledge of food and a passion for meals that embody place, season and craft.

Travel & Accommodations

Fly into Montevideo (MVD). Round-trip transfers between the airport and Garzón, about a two-hour drive, are included. If you’d like to explore the region after the experience, we recommend renting a car, which can be reserved online before you travel.

Your fee includes accommodations. Each guest has a private bedroom and bathroom in one of four privately owned, beautifully furnished homes in the village. Rooms are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis, and we’re happy to share photos of the available accommodations on request.

For those who’d like to upgrade, rooms at the renowned Hotel Garzón can be arranged. Just ask when you book.