Culinary & Wine Tours> Italy> Authentic Home Cooking in Puglia

Italy: Authentic Home Cooking in Puglia
(Options: Day Cooking Classes, Italian Lessons, Custom Tours and Three Night Program)
Puglia, Italy - 3 or 5 nights

 
Puglia, the heel of Italy's boot, is an ideal location for a gourmet holiday. Puglia is home to some of the brightest seas, most beautiful sandy beaches, brilliantly whitewashed towns, a landscape graced with over fifty million ancient olive trees and the kindest people in all of Italy. In addition, Puglia enjoys a typical Mediterranean climate with mild winters and hot dry summers. Summer temperatures average between 25°C and 30° C making any month of the year wonderful to visit.

This region is a food and wine lover's paradise. It is home to the true Mediterranean Cuisine with an emphasis on seafood, vegetables, legumes, hand-made pasta. Puglia’s cuisine is delicious, yet simple at the same time. It is in essence a home-based cuisine. Puglia produces the largest amount of extra virgin olive oil in Italy and is one of Italy's largest wine producers. When travelling through Puglia, you will notice long rows of grape vines that stretch off into the distance.

Your hostesses, sisters Cinzia and Marika will introduce you to the authentic Puglia (Apulia) and Southern Italy showing aspects rarely seen by travellers! Cinzia and Marika will give you hands on cooking classes in English or French. You will learn traditional Italian recipes and you will get the flavor of living in an Italian home. Classes are private for individuals, couples and small groups; as well as tailor made to your level and taste.

You will stay in a beautiful historical palace located in a small village off the tourist tracks and just outside Lecce (the baroque capital of Puglia). The palace is walking distance from the historical centre of this little village where artisans still produce their products in a traditional way. The palace has been recently restored and has a beautiful terrace where you can enjoy the sun or read your book. The underground floor of the palace was used in the past as an oil mill. This village gives his name to a Denomination of Origin wine area and his famous for its excellent extra virgin olive oil as well. The area is surrounded by a beautiful countryside with millenary olive trees and vineyards. The sea is 3 miles away.

Cinzia and Marika provide excellent city bikes and organize on request private bike or walking tours to explore the countryside and to visit the many local artisans and wine makers. They also give private Italian lessons - please inquire.

Cinzia and Marika discovered their passions about food and wines at a young age when their grandmother taught them the secrets of how to make hand-made “orecchiette” pasta; or when their grandfather allowed them to squeeze the grapes with their feet during the harvest season.

They have since loved to host family and friends, cooking great food, trying new recipes, tasting fantastic wines!

Having earned an MBA from Harvard Business School in Boston and worked for many years in Marketing and Finance roles in primary international companies in New York and London, Cinzia got exposure to and learned about the most diverse and international cultures, tastes and cuisine. Eager to contribute to her home-land, and passionate about the wine, food and hospitality sectors she decided to move back to Puglia. Marika is a clinical cardiologist at Lecce's main hospital. During the cooking classes she explains all the benefits of a true Mediterranean cuisine.

Equipped with their intimate knowledge of Southern Italy, Cinzia and Marika welcome visitors so that the authentic style and life of Puglia and Italy can be truly experienced, with the real local people, in a true Italian home and family. They have both taken many cooking and wine tasting classes. However they only teach what they learned from their grandmother.

Puglia, Italy

ITINERARY

Day One (of both Three and Five Night Program)

Arrival at Brindisi airport and transfer by private car to your home for the week. If you arrive by train, Squinzano train station is a 5 minute walk from the house.

Enjoy your welcome drinks and some free time to relax and settle in.

Welcome dinner offered by the family which includes a selection of the best local wines.

Welcome drinks, dinner with wines

Day Two

After a delicious breakfast with Cinzia and Marika on the terrace, you will take your first hands on cooking class. You will prepare 3 traditional and home based recipes. Lunch will be served on the terrace and you will have a chance to taste some of the best local wines.
In the afternoon you will be escorted to an ancient oil mill where you will meet the producer and taste some of the best extra virgin olive oils in Italy. You will be driven through millenary olive trees and a very relaxing countryside just 3 miles away from the sea.

Dinner in a traditional masseria/farmhouse in the countryside tasting delicious local recipes.
Breakfast, lunch with wines, dinner in a restaurant

Day Three

After a delicious breakfast with Cinzia and Marika on the terrace, you will take your second hands on cooking class. You will prepare 3 other traditional and home based recipes. Lunch will be served on the terrace and you will have a chance to taste some of the best local wines.

In the afternoon you go to Lecce by private car and visit the beautiful Baroque town. You will go around the historical center and the small pedestrian streets full of aristocratic palaces and nice shops. You will be impressed by the architectural beauty of this town also known as the “Florence of the South”! You will stop at one of the best ice cream producers in Italy and taste all his delicious products. You will also see how artisans make papier machè arts works.

Dinner in a traditional restaurant in Lecce.
Breakfast, lunch with wines, dinner in a restaurant

Day Four

After a delicious breakfast with Cinzia and Marika on the terrace, departure for those on the three night program to Brindisi Airport or Squinzano/Lecce train station. For those on the five night program, you will take your third hands on cooking class.

You will prepare another 3 traditional and home based recipes. Lunch will be served on the terrace and you will have a chance to taste some of the best local wines.

In the afternoon you will be transported to a famous ceramic artisan whose family produces beautiful handmade arts works since 1650.

Afternoon and dinner in one of the most picturesque villages in Puglia, Cisternino. It is famous for its small and white streets and for its countryside surrounded by millenary olive trees and vineyards. Your dinner will be based on the famous local salumi, meat and vegetables.
Breakfast, lunch with wines, dinner in a restaurant

Day Five

After a delicious breakfast with Cinzia and Marika on the terrace, you will visit a cheese and mozzarella artisan near a beautiful and scenic sea natural reserve. Here you will have many opportunities to take pictures of the romantic sea view. You will also visit the famous fish market in Gallipoli, seaside village with white sandy beaches and a beautiful historical center.

Lunch in local seafood restaurant.

In the afternoon you will take your fourth hands on cooking class. Candlelit dinner will be served on the terrace and you will have a chance to taste some of the best local wines.
Breakfast, lunch in a restaurant, dinner with wines

Day Six

After breakfast transfer to Brindisi Airport or Squinzano/Lecce train station.

Buon viaggio and we hope to see you again soon!

* Schedule or contents of the itineraries may change due to prevailing local conditions without advance notice

HOW TO ARRIVE

The Palace House is located in a small village and is a 10 minute drive from Lecce.

CLOSEST AIRPORT: Brindisi. You can rent a car at the airport or a private transfer may be organized for you.

TRAIN:Fast trains stop in Lecce. A private transfer may be organized for you from Lecce train station.

For further inquiries or to register, click here.



CANCELLATION POLICY

Client may cancel the reservation at any time, provided that the cancellation is notified in writing. The following cancellation charges will be applied and it will be calculated from the day when written notification is completed and received : (1) if a client cancels 30 days before arrival - Forfeit of deposit; (2) 29 days or less – 100%. We reserve the right to cancel any tours at any time in which case full refunds will be made.
Travel insurance is highly recommended.

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