|
  (Options: Day Cooking Classes, Weekend Packages, Wine and Food Tastings)
Tuscany, Italy - 5 nights
Available April to October/Half Day Programs Available year round (except week before Christmas)
Italian cooking and wine classes take place in a private Tuscan home with two sisters. You will learn cooking secrets from their over 20 years of experience in cooking and teaching. Traditional Italian family recipes, taught in English, will allow you to get the flavor of living in an Italian country home and being with an Italian family. This is truly an authentic experience that comes highly recommended by everyone who has participated.
 Enjoy the delights of fine Italian cuisine and wines to share the love for living that the Italians are famous for. The sisters follow traditional family recipes using fresh and organic ingredients, preparing a complete meal with appetizer, pasta dish, vegetable and meat dish and dessert, accompanied by the wines which best complement the meal.
The kitchen is in a typical 13th century Italian farmhouse in the Chianti countryside in Tuscany with terracotta floors and chestnut beams. It has been lovingly restored by the family, one of the oldest noble families in Italy. There is an organic garden, vines, olive trees, roses, oleanders, geraniums, spices, fruit trees and other typical plants of the area.  You will enjoy a comfortable room with bathroom and shower just in front of the room, available only for the guests. Otherwise will can join the classes from your accommodation in the area. Your private Italian language lessons are taught by Italians in an authentic Tuscan enviroment.
In the area, you can discover the treasures of Chianti, an area well-known for its castles, its medieval "borghi", wine producers, skilled craftsmen, warm and hospitable people, restaurants, typical Tuscan food, Chianti Classico wine and olive oil. The Chianti region offers picture-book rural scenery, from fields to sunflowers to rows of ubiquitous pencil pines in the hazy distance. Smaller towns such as Radda in Chianti, Siena, Montepulciano, Volterra, San Gimignano are all an easy drive away, with stunning atmosphere and scenery. Tuscany is centrally located and is well connected by highways and a fast rail network to the rest of Italy, so you can visit other areas after or before your stay. FIVE NIGHT ITINERARY Day One  6:00 pm The arrival is by train from Florence.
Transfer by private car to your home for the week. Meeting the other guests and welcome dinner. Day Two  Breakfast with the family. Hands on cooking class. We prepare together 4 or 5 different recipes. Lunch together. We eat our recipes and taste the accompanying wine. Italian language lesson.
Free afternoon for relaxing with a good book in the garden or in front of the fire during wintertime or walking around discovering the area. Dinner at home, talking about Italy. Day Three  Breakfast with the family. Hands on cooking class. We prepare together 4 or 5 different recipes. Lunch together. We eat our recipes and taste the accompanying wine. Italian language lesson.
Guided excursion in the Chianti area, visiting wineries, ceramics and beautiful sites. Dinner at home, talking about Italian culture. Day Four  Breakfast with the family. Hands on cooking class. We prepare together 4 or 5 different recipes. Lunch together. We eat our recipes and taste the accompanying wine. Italian language lesson.
Free afternoon for relaxing with a good book in the garden or in front of the fire during wintertime or walking around discovering the area. Dinner at home, talking about Italian lifestyle. Day Five  Breakfast with the family. Hands on cooking class. We prepare together 4 or 5 different recipes. Lunch together. We eat our recipes and taste the accompanying wine. Italian language lesson.
Guided excursion for a culture visit and shopping. Dinner at home, talking about Italy and Italian culture and lifestyle. Day Six  Breakfast with the family. Hands on cooking class. We prepare together 4 or 5 different recipes. Lunch together. We eat our recipes and taste the accompanying wine.
Italian language lesson.
Train connection to Florence
DAY COOKING CLASS IN CHIANTI Times: Morning Hours (9:30 am -2:00 pm); Afternoon Hours (4:00 pm-8:30 pm)
Description: The hands-on course covers traditional, home-style Tuscan and Italian recipes. Many people like this approach as they come away feeling they've had a real holiday, having enjoyed the wonderfully intense flavours and freshness of traditional Italian dishes cooked in an evocative stone farmhouse in the hills of Chianti, surrounded by vineyard and olive groves. The classes are held in a friendly atmosphere and you have the chance to make new friends and learn a few secrets from Simonetta and Paola. Participants cook and eat dishes prepared using fresh, natural ingredients. A complete meal (5 recipes) such as appetizers, a pasta dish, a vegetable or meat dish and then a dessert is prepared every day and is accompanied by the wine which best complements it. An example of our most popular menus: Antipasto (Starter) Bruschetta or Crostini
First Course Fresh hand-made pasta or Potato gnocchi or Penne agli Aromi or Ribollita (Tuscan vegetable soup)
Second Course Roasted meat (Arista alla Fiorentina) or stuffed vegetables
Dessert Tiramisu' or Panna Cotta Many more menus are available - do you have a special request? Just ask! COOKING LESSON IN CHIANTI AND WINERY VISIT (Full Day - Eight Hours)Time: 9:00am - 5:00pm
Description: You can enjoy a day in the Tuscan countryside, combining a cooking class with a visit to a winery. You take a train from Florence at 8:08 am to Montevarchi, where we pick you up and escort to the Chianti. We welcome you with a nice “Cappuccino “ and a snack. Then your cooking class starts. (See Cooking Class description above). After lunch we go to a “boutique winery” family estate where you can enjoy your wine and oil tasting in the garden. Then we take you back to Montevarchi to catch the train to Florence.
WINE TOUR AND FOOD TASTING IN CHIANTI
Description: Lessons about Tuscan wines and Italian food such as cheeses, salami, prosciutto, extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, bread. You will be introduced to wines and food. Then enjoy a visit to a “winery and their vineyard where you can enjoy your wine and oil tasting. You will come back home for a light meal, for tasting and for learning how to serve Italian cheeses (pecorino, parmigiano, mozzarella di bufala, ricotta etc.), salami (Tuscan salami, finocchiona), Tuscan prosciutto, Tuscan bread, focaccia and typical Tuscan dessert (Cantucci with Vin Santo), Lesson held by Simonetta or Paola who are more than willing to share their knowledge and passion for their native land.
VISIT TO AN ITALIAN MARKET AND FOOD TASTING
Description: An English-speaking guide will take you to discover an Italian open market. Discover Italian cheese, salami, prosciutto, vegetables, fruit, kitchen and home products, clothing and shoes or antiques or artisan products, depending on the chosen market. We stop for a classic coffee break in a typical coffee or wine shop. Accompanied by Simonetta or Paola and with them in the driver’s seat, you never have to worry about getting lost. Then you are driven back to their home for a food and wine tasting. GROUP SIZE A minimum of 1 participant is required to run this tour and the tour is limited to a maximum of 10 participants. HOW TO ARRIVE Closest Airports/Train Stations: Florence Vespucci Airport about 60 Km - 1 hour and 20 minute drive
Other airports:
Pisa Airport - 2 hour drive
Leonardo da Vinci (Rome) Airport - 3 hour drive
Malpensa (Milan) Airport - 4 hour drive Florence SMN - Nearest train station (fast connection to Rome, Milan, Venice, Naples, etc.) about 57 Km - 1 hour and 15 minute drive
If flying into Rome or Milan, we suggest taking a train to Florence.
**Transfer can be organized from Pisa or Florence airport with an extra charge that would be paid directly to the taxi driver (we can book it in advance). The cost is approximately 170€ (2 persons)
**We can also arrange from Rome airport, but it is quite expensive, about 300€. We suggest catching a flight or a train to Florence and we can organize a transfer from Florence. *These details are provided as additional information. Please check below to see if transfers are included in this tour. BOOKING INFORMATION
Five Night Program (with Italian Lessons) Double/Single Room in Italian Home/US$2620
Hands on Cooking Class/US$235
Cooking Class and Winery Visit/US$485
Wine and Food Lesson/US$235
Visit to an Italian Market/US$235 *Pricing may vary depending on market fluctuation After availability is confirmed, a deposit of 30% per person and the completed and submitted registration form will secure your reservation. Final payment is due in full 75 days before your arrival date. Dates of day cooking classes take place every week except the week before Christmas. Residential programs take place April to October. FIVE NIGHT PROGRAM IWTH ITALIAN LESSONS
*Five (5) hands-on cooking classes with the meals included
*Italian language personalized course (2 hours per day)
*Five (5) nights' accommodation with breakfast and light dinner every day with the family
*Two (2) guided excursions in the Chianti region
*Welcome dinner at home on the arrival evening
*Apron, recipe book and certificate
*Tea, coffee and house wine during the cooking lesson
*E-mail, Internet WIFi facilities available
*Italian language teaching materials
*Transfer at the beginning and at the end of the course from/to Florence or Montevarchi by private car to the accommodation. (Montevarchi is connected to Florence by train)
*Taxes
Airfare and personal expenses are not included.
For further inquiries or to register, click here.
Click here to return to top of page. CANCELLATION POLICY Please contact us for cancellation policy information. Travel insurance is highly recommended. CLIENT REMARKS "Dear Jo-Ann - The course was everything we hoped and more!! We felt a true part of an Italian family. Everyone was as gracious and welcoming as they could possibly be. From Luigi to the little girls, we found them all delightful. The food was great, the instruction was great, the ambiance, the wine....everything was great. We visited Radda, a winery, and Greve with Simonetta. She was so knowledgeable and willing to share that we thought it was very enriching experience. Thank you so much for all of your help in arranging it. It's a little scary to just pick a site off the Internet and trust that all will go well. From the first email and your quick response, I was put at ease. Needless to say, I would have no hesitation in recommending your services." Hi Jo-Ann - We wanted to let you know that we had an AMAZING time at the cooking school. My mother and I could not have had a better time. Paola and Simonetta were such wonderful hosts and teachers. We were treated like family. The house and property were beautiful. The hands-on cooking classes were so much fun...we learned so many great recipes that I cannot wait to test on my friends back home. I will definitely be recommending this experience to all of my friends and colleagues. Thank you so much for all of your help in setting up this once-in-a-lifetime dream vacation. It is something neither one of us will ever forget! "We had a fabulous time!! Simonetta was wonderful and the winery she selected for us was great. Paola was just as wonderful!! And a great cook!! The four of us were very happy. My friends have never had the experience of eating in a true Italian home (my husband and I have since my husband has family there) and the experience for them was priceless. I have already told so many people about you and Simonetta and Paola. I will keep in touch with you since I am sure I will be booking more through you. Thank you again!"
Click here to return to top of page.
MAP* This exciting region is depicted below. You can also access Google MapsTM by clicking HERE. 
*In some cases mapping may give clients a general sense of location due to changes in venue. Please inquire about specific location. Click here to return to top of page. |
Home 
Cooking and Italian Lessons in Tuscany
