Scent Dinners Explore Perfume in Paris, Rome, and Florence

Author and critic Chandler Burr to present series of "scent dinners" as part of an innovative travel

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. October 14, 2008

PARIS, France, March, 10, 2008. Context, the network of scholars and other experts who lead walking tours of major world cities, will host a suite of "scent dinners" with noted perfume critic Chandler Burr as part of their "Out of Context" series of site-visits, lectures, and special programs tailored to independent travelers. Combining taste and smell with a fascinating discussion of perfume history, chemistry, and aesthetics, the events will explore the intoxicating relationship between some of the world's greatest scents and some of her greatest cities.

"Chandler Burr has the uncanny ability to take something as seemingly ephemeral as perfume and unfold it to reveal a wonderful narrative about the complexity of human endeavor and artistry," says Context founder Paul Bennett. "We're thrilled to have him join our network of scholars and apply this unique lens to understanding and appreciating some of the greatest cities in the world."

The series begins on June 5 in Paris, with a dinner organized in conjunction with the historic Left Bank restaurant Laperouse. Working with chef Samuel Benne, Burr will design a gastronomic and olfactory experience that explores the intimate relationship between Paris and the perfumes it has created-arguably the best and most important perfumes in history. This will be followed by a second event in Rome on June 10, at the enoteca Casa Bleve, located in part of the ancient bath complex of Agrippa, where Burr will look at perfumes that evoke the Italian landscape. And, finally, the series concludes with a special event at the Palazzo Tornabuoni in Florence on June 11.

Each evening begins with a discussion of perfume, its history, and aesthetics. Burr introduces the fundamental idea that perfumes, like architecture or fashion, are designed and thus can be analyzed and broken down into their constituent parts. Working with a category of perfumes known as culinary perfumes-that is, perfumes that are made from such edible sources as spices, herbs, fruit, chocolates and teas-Burr deconstructs certain perfumes for the group, passing around samples of the perfume itself or its component parts to allow participants to "rebuild" the perfume themselves. For example, Burr might explain how Thierry Mugler's mega-hit Angels was designed to evoke an amusement park, and then pass around the molecule ethyl maltol, which is what one tastes and smells when eating cotton candy.

In the Paris and Florence events, each perfume will be coupled to a dish designed by the chef in a way that expounds on these themes and ideas, allowing the participants to more fully understand the total olfactory and gastronomic structure of what they're sampling.

The events are programmed as part of Context's "Out of Context" series, a program of lectures, site-visits, and thematic dinners that explore the great cities of the world in new and inventive ways. The series runs through the spring and summer, and again in the fall and winter.

Chandler Burr is The New York Times' perfume critic and author of several books. His latest is The Perfect Scent: A Year Inside the Perfume Industry in Paris & New York (Henry Holt, January 2008). He speaks around the world on scent and perfume and hosts interactive masterclasses in gourmand scents.

Founded by National Geographic writer Paul Bennett and Lani Bevacqua, Context is a network of English-speaking scholars and professionals-including art historians, writers, architects, and gastronomes-who organize and lead didactic walking seminars in seven cities: Paris, New York, London, Rome, Naples, Florence, Paris, and Venice. In May 2007, Travel + Leisure named Context one of the top European tour companies for its innovative approach to travel and the depth of its programs. To learn more about Context visit its website at: www.contexttravel.com