(Options: Day Cooking Class, Spa, Wine Tours)
Cortona, Italy - 3, 5 or 6 nights
Available year round 

Il Falconiere Relais & Chateaux is a 17th Century property located in the quiet countryside located just over one mile from the beautiful walled Etruscan town of Cortona which has been written about in the ever so popular Frances Mayes books. Il Falconiere Relais & Chateaux invites you to their beautiful Tuscan oasis for an unforgettable culinary experience with hands-on cooking classes taught by two Michelin starred chefs.

The Relais is ideally located south of Tuscany and very close to Umbria allowing you to enjoy the pleasures of each region. By car in one hour you can reach Siena, Florence and Assisi and in just half hour an hour you can visit Montepulciano, Pienza, Arezzo and Perugia.

The Villa is surrounded by a garden of horse-chestnut trees and cypress trees. From here a path between olive-oil trees and vineyards leads to our deluxe area, where the Suites are located, with private entrance from the garden and breathtaking view over the valley and our vineyards, right in front of the town of Cortona.

The 2 beautiful outside swimming-pools overlook the town of Cortona and the Relais' vineyards which produce the high quality wines of the Baracchi winery. The Restaurant (one Michelin star) has an outside terrace for summer season and proposes a creative cuisine, tied to the territory and its great culinary traditions. The cellar matches their menus with a wide range of Italian and international wine labels, including the wines produced by the Azienda Baracchi on the estate. 

You will learn the finest of Tuscan recipes from owner and chef Silvia Regi Baracchi and Chef Richard Titi.

"The recipes I propose are from the Tuscan cuisine, some of them specifically from Cortona and the Chiana Valley territory. I select from our tradition and elaborate upon the recipes to make them possible using modern techniques and to make them palatable for modern tastes. My joy is to share with our aspiring chefs our history and our folklore.

Take for instance the day, which we dedicate to the Etruscans: it is rich in local history and culture and very ancient recipes furthermore enrich it so that our friends and participants will be able to immerse themselves in a completely bucolic and goliardic atmosphere. No less interesting is the time dedicated to the simplicity of the local traditions thanks to special, yet homey recipes that are easy to replicate for a dinner party with family and friends, accompanied rigorously by Tuscan wines! I never underestimate the experience our friends will have with Tuscan wines. I use the word Friends because after a couple of days spent together we will feel like Friends! Tuscany is also rich in wine tradition with wineries that are open for tastings promising moments that transcend the simple visit and tour. "

The techniques that our good vignerons have handed down and are happy to teach us are very precious and these “lessons” are always spiced up by amusing and witty stories.

From each corner of Tuscany you’ll be able to enjoy breathtaking panoramas and idyllic scenery full of flavours. You will be able to smell and taste, not just see. Do you already have in mind a postcard, images from a documentary, or maybe even the movie Under the Tuscan Sun with its beautiful shots of the Cortona countryside? All of this will be even more beautiful because the protagonists of this adventure with me will be you!

SAMPLE SIX NIGHT ITINERARY

Day One - Sunday

8:00 pm - Arrival late afternoon around 2pm or later and settle into your beautiful home for the week.

Relax before a welcome cocktail with Silvia & Riccardo, your hosts for the week. The aperitif will be followed by a delicious Tuscan meal.

This is the beginning of a very memorable Tuscan experience!

Day Two - Monday

After breakfast your first cooking lesson “Pane , olio e fantasia”. Lunch with your creations accompanied by great Tuscan wines. Evening at leisure.

We will cook the following recipes : Stuffed eggplants with almond, tomato confit and basi, traditional Tuscan bread, ribollita, saltimbocca of pork fillet with sage, juniper berries and bay leaves, cantucci

Day Three - Tuesday

In the morning a guided sightseeing tour in Cortona, for a visit of the city with its flavors and shopping. Lunch break at 1:00pm in a typical tavern or (in October or November) in a local mill to see the olive oil production process. Olive oil tasting with bruschetta.

Back to the Relais for the second cooking lesson at 4:00pm: “Along Etruscan traces”. Dinner: prepared dishes with a selection  of “Super Tuscans”.

We will prepare the following dishes:  Traditional wild herb pie with parmesan sauce, zuppa di farro, local lamb in crust of Tuscan bread, sautéed greens, fruit berries cake with mascarpone cheese  mousse

Day four - wednesday

In the morning at 8.30 departure for guided sightseeing tour of Assisi and Spello.

Lunch break in a typical Umbrian Restaurant with wine tasting of  the  finest  Umbrian wines.

   seasoned cheeses. We can propose some different options to spend a wonderful evening together with us or on your own!

Day Five - Thursday

All together to the local open market. In the market we can buy specialties from the area. Lunch buffet in our cellar. Visit our winery with wine tasting.

Meeting at the hotel reception at 4:00 pm for the third cooking lesson: ”The Joy of Home Life” in the restaurant of Silvia’s mother (10 minutes by car).

Dinner: prepared dishes with a selection of Tuscan wine.

In this lesson you will prepare : pansanella, pici pasta with tomato and aromatic herb sauce, tagliatelle with duck sauce, ricotta and nettle ravioli served with sage and butter, scottiglia with polenta, lattaiolo

Day Six - Friday

Breakfast - departure from the hotel for a guided sightseeing tour of Pienza & Montepulciano.

Lunch break and return to the Relais in time for your last cooking lesson :”The Fish and its Secrets”.

We will cook: basic fish broth, wrapped bacon scallops with potato puree and bay leaves, ricotta gnocchi with seafood and saffron sauce, casserole of monkfish and scampi, napoleon of custard and pears with melted chocolate and pine nuts

Farewell candlelt dinner and issue of the cooking certificates.

Day Seven - Saturday

Departure after breakfast/before noon.

Buon viaggio!

NON RESIDENTIAL DAY COOKING CLASS

If you don’t have time for a full culinary week or weekend, you can join to a single day cooking class. This will add a pinch of Tuscan cooking to your vacation working with our one Michelin star Chef and professional staff . The one-day cooking class will be followed then by a delicious dinner with your preparations.

You will learn how to prepare an entire meal, from the appetizer to the dessert, with recipes based on selected fresh seasonal ingredients preparing for example hand-made pasta, bread or special traditional dishes:

Pinzimonio, Traditional wild herb pie with parmesan sauce, traditional pici pasta with cherry tomatoes and aromatic herbs, local lamb in crust of Tuscan bread, sautéed greens, napoleon of custard and pears with chocolate sauce and pine nuts.

GROUP SIZE

A minimum of 2 participants is required to run this tour and the tour is limited to a maximum of 12 participants (up to 14 participants for the day cooking class)

*Program subject to modification according to the season and by personal request.

HOW TO ARRIVE

By train: From Roma - about 2 hours; From Florence - about 1 hour and 15 minutes

Airports: PISA Airport - about 2 hours – Perugia is a 45 minutes drive – Florence is a 1 and a half hour drive - Rome Fiumicino  is a 2 and a half hour drive

*These details are provided as additional information. Please check below to see if transfers are included in this tour.
 

BOOKING INFORMATION

For further inquiries or to register, click here.

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CANCELLATION POLICY

Please contact us for cancellation policy information. Travel insurance is highly recommended.

CLIENT REMARKS

Furnished upon request.

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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.

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