Culinary & Wine Tours> Italy> Magical Montalcino

Italy: Magical Montalcino
Tuscany, Italy - 1 to 5 days/nights


Take hands-on cooking lessons from Teresa, your personal guide to Italian cooking. Born in Rome and very cosmopolitan and well-traveled, Teresa speaks fluent English and French.

For over 25 years she has worked for the press departments of all of the main International sporting events all over the world. She is also an amateur "artist" - painting on ceramics, porcelain, canvas and fabrics. She recently started music classes, studying the acoustic guitar. Cooking is also very much an art, and whether you are a novice or well seasoned cook, Teresa will teach you many useful tips in the kitchen.

Cooking is very creative but Teresa will also explain technical facts of cooking such as the difference between cooking with or without a lid, adding red or white wine or vinegar, and similar examples of simple, easy-to-learn and practical cooking methods.



Montalcino is one of the most picturesque hill-top villages in Tuscany, located 20 miles south of Siena. Inhabited since the Stone Age, it became famous in the Middle Ages for its fine cooking and leather works for knights and horses. Today it is famous for its wine: Brunello di Montalcino.

Teresa lives in the tallest building of the village with a very special view. Being inside very old walls, it was presumably built in the Middle Ages, at least the ground floor, while the third was added three centuries ago.

The name Montalcino means "monte dei lecci", "mons ilcinus", or "mountain of the oaks". From archeological artifacts, the hill was inhabited during the Paleolithic era. Its main development occurred in the Middle Ages around the year 1000. Its first wall dates back a century earlier. The main road in the Orcia Valley is the Cassia, that leads from Rome to Florence. It was laid out by the Romans. Another road was the Francigena, at times crossing, while at others is parallel to the Cassia, taking pilgrims through France to Rome for holy year celebrations.

Here you can find an attraction of undisputed interest, the Strada del Vino (the historic wine road) that passes through the fragrant homeland of the legendary vineyards of Brunello di Montalcino wine.

There are so many exciting excursions to take while visiting this area:

DAY EXCURSIONS FROM MONTALCINO (with the exception of Monte Amiata and Siena, which are 30-45 minutes away, the other excursions take between 15-25 minutes, by car, from Montalcino)

SIENA AND THE PALIO - one of Tuscany's most beautiful and historic cities.
MOUNT AMIATA - a 2,000 meter (6000 foot) summit that I can see from my windows.
MONTEPULCIANO, MONTICCHIELLO - beautiful towns and villages of Tuscany.
VAL D'ORCIA - a synthesis of the essential qualities of Siena’s countryside
VAL D'ELSA - in this valley some of the most beautiful villages of Tuscany.
BUONCONVENTO AND MONTE ULIVETO ABBEY
THERMAL RESORTS - an impressive concentration of thermal resorts (Bagno Vignoni, Bagni San Filippo).
S. ANTIMO - a medieval abbey.

Accommodations
*You have the option of staying in a restored palazzo, a three star or a four star hotel. See pricing below.

Restored Palazzo: This superbly restored ancient palazzo provides a wonderful view of the famous Montalcino fortress and is within a few steps of your cooking classes. It offers four rooms and one apartment, all furnished with private facilities. Located on the highest point of the historical village center, it s ideal for experiencing the colorful streets of this adorable town. There is also a wonderful family-owned enoteca located on the ground floor, offering a variety of local food products and a wonderful selection of Brunello di Montalcino wines.


Three Star Hotel: I have stayed at this eighteenth century hotel on several occasions. It is located within the historical town of Montalcino and offers stunning views of the countryside, which are unmatched by any other hotel in Montalcino. It is an ideal location for exploring Tuscany and offers a beautiful pool by which to relax.

The hotel has twenty-nine rooms, all of which have private bathroom, air-conditioning, hairdryer, telephone, satellite television, safe, mini-fridge and central heating. The majority of the bedrooms are situated at the rear of the building, enabling guests to enjoy the wonderful views of Val D'Orcia and Val D'Arbia.

Four Star Hotel: This four star hotel, situated at the gates of Montalcino and located in a fascinating old olive oil mill that has been carefully renovated, is simply stunning and is also located within walking distance to your classes. For those that want all the luxuries and amenities while on holiday, this is the place for you! The hotel's thirteen rooms are each personalized with the name of a flower, tastefully furnished and provided with every comfort: TV, phone, fridge, air conditioning and hydromassage, the swimming pool, also with hydromassage, and is situated amid the greenery and perfumes of a panoramic garden that offers a delight to the senses that only such unique settings can provide.

THE COURSES

Two Cooking Days in Montalcino

Teresa begins your first cooking class with a short talk on the origin of the basic ingredients. One of the more interesting things students will learn is that tomatoes, which have so much influence in our cooking, originated from the "new continent" and were first believed to be a poisonous plant. Tomatoes were first used in Italian cooking at the end of the 1600’s. Another interesting fact is that the chicken and eggplant originally came from Tibet!

In the Italian kitchen, everything starts with an onion. Add it diced to extra virgin olive oil in a saucepan, and this is the beginning of a tomato sauce or any other kind of sauce, a risotto and even a roast.

If you already know the basics Teresa will can concentrate on risottos or on the many, many different ways to make a pasta sauce. You can even make pasta by hand or invent new fillings for cannelloni or ravioli and make your own cakes. You will also be surprised on the many ways there are to make a good coffee!

The first dinner will be based on different tomato sauces (3 or 4 sauces and one risotto), and the addition of 2 or 3 vegetables (egg plant, bell peppers, fennel, artichokes, vegetables in season), 2 bruschette (1 classic with garlic, salt and oil, the other with fresh tomatoes)

Five Cooking Days in Montalcino (Classes 4-6 people)

During the five days of cooking classes you will learn to make sauces, risottos, gnocchi, hand made pastas, deserts, home made marmalades, as well as the use of seasonal vegetables like: peppers, eggplant, zucchini, in different preparations. Over the five days you will prepare five wonderful dinners which you will enjoy with some wonderful Italian wines from the area.

Cooking Demonstrations

For larger groups of up to ten people cooking demonstrations can be arranged. The demonstration can be done as a single group over the whole day or the group can be split into two sessions, one for the morning and one for the afternoon. For the demonstration courses Teresa will be doing the cooking, having prepared the sauces and other ingredients in advance, and explaining as the course unfolds how and why everything was prepared and how each dish is put together.
*Wine is extra - 5€ per bottle of red

*Morning Cooking Classes are from 11:00am-2:00pm
*Evening Cooking Classes are from 5:00pm-8:00pm

HOW TO ARRIVE

Closest Airports/Train Stations
Airports

Florence
You can also fly into Pisa or Rome
(Additional transportation is necessary to get directly to Montalcino. (Rental car, train, bus).

Trains
From Florence, take the train to Siena and from Siena to Buonconvento. From Buonconvento take a bus up to Montalcino, which is only 8 km. away. 

From Pisa, take the train to Grosseto, where you can ask for the special train to Siena. Get off at Buonconvento and take the bus to Montalcino.

From Rome Termini Railway Station, take the train to Grosseto and three times a day there is a connection for Grosseto-Siena. You will get off at Buonconvento. From Buonconvento take a bus up to Montalcino.