Chocolate Factory Visit Valrhona In France, or take classes in the USA

Problem
Valrhona - oops - how do you spell it? Where is the Valrhona chocolate factory visit in France?

Answer
Val as in valley or Valerie, Valerie in the Valley, then rhona as in the river Rhone. VAL-RH-ON-A. Yes, Tain-Hermitage in the southeast of France is on the river Rhone, near the gastronomic city of Lyons. (We went to the Kir factory.)

Chocolate tours seem to be multiplying worldwide. I've been to chocolate factory and shop tours all over, the biggest and best known in England being Cadbury. Chocolate shops with tastings are multiplying in London. We booked an evening chocolate and wine matching evening. More chocolate factory tours and events are in York going north, which I heard about at the annual long weekend chocolate show in London at Olympia. If you want a tour, you must book.

Over in the USA I saw the Hershey shop in New York, not a tour, but enough information posters and entertaining animations to provide amusement.

In Europe we took the train to the museum of Alprose in Switzerland. In Italy, Umbria has an annual chocolate event. France has more.

Valrhona chocolates on a stand at ProWine Asia in Singapore April 2018. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

I learned about the Valrhona chocolate factory visit in France when I was at ProWine Asia exhibition in Singapore. Valrhona also have a branch in Brooklyn, New York, USA, memorably on Water Street by the Brooklyn Bridge, where they hold classes for non-professionals.

Useful Websites
https://www.ardeche-hermitage.com/en/catalog/activity/cite-du-chocolat-valrhona-403003/

https://www.facebook.com/Valrhona/?brand_redir=215088746562
Video of chocolate making at the top of their Facebook page.

https://www.valrhona-chocolate.com/pastry-classes 
(Brooklyn, USA)

https://www.cellartours.com/blog/france/guide-french-chocolate Wonderful website about chocolate shop and factory visits all over France, including the Jews fleeing the Inquisition in Portugal taking their chocolate making skills to the south of France, then having to move on, but leaving behind the tradition of chocolate making.

https://www.valrhona-chocolate.com
The factory's website showing the different colours and flavours of chocolate, brown, cream and pink ovals of nutty and fruity flavours such as passionfruit and almond. You can order Valrhona chocolate online to be shipped from France to all over the world.

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. See my other posts on chocolate.