Culinary & Wine Tours> Italy> The October Truffle Festival
Italy: The October Truffle Festival
Bologna, Italy - 7 nights
 Join Mary Beth Clark, renowned chef and founder of The International Cooking School of Italian Food and Wine, for an incredible week of hands-on cooking instruction in an exquisite palazzo. Learn to make the perfect dough, spinach pasta and classic Italian dishes as well as specialty dishes using the magical truffle. Enjoy exciting excursions throughout three famous regions of Italy, savor fine wines from the private estates of award-winning winemakers and dine in Michelin rated restaurants. You will also go on an exciting truffle hunt and experience the tastes of aged balsamic vinegars and extra-virgin olive oils. This is a week of discovery you will always treasure.
Your Week in Italy (* Tour begins in Bologna and ends in Milan)
(Bologna: Course begins Sunday afternoon in Bologna. On Tuesday morning, we travel to Alba, Italy’s White
Truffle Capital, and our charming hotel in the city’s center. On Thursday, we drive to Torino, to our superior
hotel in the city’s center. Friday late afternoon we depart for Milan for our superior hotel in the city’s center.
Departure is anytime Saturday morning. For your convenience, all transfers are provided by private coach.)
Day One - Bologna - (Sunday) - Private Tour of Historic Bologna,
Welcome Dinner
Check into hotel. Late afternoon Insider's Walking Tour of this beautiful city and historic sites.
Hearty welcome dinner at Bologna's best traditional restaurant
enjoying their signature dishes.
Day Two (Monday) - Seasonal Harvest in Market, Truffle Tasting, Class with Multi-Course Food-and- Wine Luncheon
October is an exciting time to stroll through our colorful market,
shopping for ingredients for our class. Visit the best stores for
Italian cookware and tabletop, too.
Onto
our palazzo and cooking in our professional kitchen with chefs.
Ready to learn superb dishes that are guaranteed to win your
applause? You'll cook classic and new-style (with and without
truffles) antipasti, brodo, risotto with truffles, main dishes,
seasonal vegetables and dolce. Indulge in Our Famous Truffle Tasting
of fresh white and black truffles and truffle products. Tips for
selection, storage. All part of our exceptional luncheon we make
together. Evening free.
 Day Three (Tuesday) -
Cooking Class with Tastings, Fresh Pasta and Gnocchi Class,
Food-and-Wine Festa!
Exclusive pasta class with our professional sfoglina. Rolling-out by hand with traditional matterello
is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! We'll make spinach pasta, classic Ragu Bolognese,
tagliatelle, lasagne. Light gnocchi with sauce, too.
Taste Tour of balsamic vinegars and proscuittos. Learn best selection, storage
and great serving ideas for stylish parties. With Mediterranean
flair, we'll make antipasti, sauces, vegetable, and desserts to
accompany our handmade pasta for our outstanding luncheon paired
with great wines! Evening free.
Day Four - Alba - (Wednesday) - Private Visits for Parmigiano-Reggiano and Culatello, Fireside Luncheon,
Travel through Beautiful Piedmont!
All our visits are exclusive and behind the scenes. Watch
award-winning cheese master transform huge cauldrons of milk into
golden Parmigiano-Reggiano. Onsite tasting too!
Incredible visit with artisan chef renowned for his culatello and homemade salumi. Considered superior to prosciutto for its delicate flavor and silken tenderness, we have the rare opportunity to see how culatello is made and aged for one year
(Few people ever see this). Wonderful fireside luncheon in their
cozy dining room. Onto best hotel in Alba, with the evening free to
explore this delightful-and-delicious town.
Day Five (Thursday) - Private Wine Estate Visit, Cooking
Demonstration and Dinner
Private tour of the cellars and tasting at an award-winning winery
of elegant cru Gavi, Barbaresco, Barolo - you'll meet and get to
know the family behind this century-old estate. Afternoon at
leisure. Exclusive Demonstration
Class and Dinner
Enjoy a wonderful demonstration class with the renowned
Michelin-star chefs of Bottega del Vicoletto. You'll learn how to
make the dishes that make them famous. Multi-course dinner prepared
just for us pairing their traditional Piemontese specialties with
exceptional wines. What a treat to be with them!
Day Six (Friday) - Exclusive White Truffle Hunt
It's truffle hunting time! You'll go on an exclusive woodland hunt, on private grounds, with
our expert trifolau and his dogs, stalking that elusive treasure! Memorable...
Private Wine Estate Visit with Tasting
Drive among castles on hilltops through majestic wine country to award-winning winery
renowned throughout the world. We'll visit the production site, walk
through their several cellars, discuss the harvest and taste
excellent wines with the enologist and the family. Late afternoon
free.
Grand Finale Michelin-Star Dinner... Wines and Truffles
Drive through the enchanting Langhe Hills for our sensational dinner
with truffles, paired with fine wines, at a renowned Michelin-star
restaurant. It's a stellar Piemontese experience.
Day Seven - Alba and Milan - (Saturday) - Attend the Fabulous White Truffle Market,
Buy Fresh Truffles, Our Traveling Picnic - What Fun! Evening Free in Milan
Watch negotiations among truffle hunters at the world-renowned White Truffle Market in Alba. Through Piemontese friends, we can buy fresh truffles at
lower prices not available to tourists. Plus truffle oils and
sauces, truffle slicers to bring home. (You'll be glad you did).
There is a huge display of luscious cheeses, salumi and other food
products make only in the region, plus wines galore, to taste during
our visit.
It's Picnic Time!
"Ciao" to alba, Italian style, by sharing food and wine. Everyone
loves the market and bringing favorite bread, fruit, dolci, a
surprise or two, on our private coach making this picnic special as
we drive through the Piemontese countryside to Milan. Check into
hotel late afternoon. Evening free for La Galleria, the Duomo,
attend La Scala!
Day Eight - Milan - (Sunday) - Morning Free for Sight-Seeing
Browse Sunday Antiques Market, visit museums or see The Last Supper. Noon check out. Buon Viaggio!
| BOOKING INFORMATION |
| 2008 FEES PER PERSON
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DEPOSIT |
Standard accommodations are two people per room. If you are traveling alone, we will try to find a roommate of the same gender to share a double room with you. If unable to do this, or if you choose to room alone, you will be charged a private room supplement fee.
Double Room $3695 with First-class hotel accommodations in Bologna, Superior hotels in Alba, Torino and Milan
Double Room $3995 with Deluxe hotel accommodations in Bologna, Superior hotels in Alba, Torino and Milan
*For the travel portion on Days 4-7, all participants stay at the same hotels in Alba, Torino and Milan, located in the cities' centers
Private Room Supplement
$425 for First-class hotel accommodations in Bologna
$475 for Deluxe hotel in Bologna.
Your private room supplement fees in hotels in Alba, Tornio and Milan are included.
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After availability is confirmed, a $350 per person non-refundable deposit and the completed and
submitted registration form is required to register in the course. Upon receipt of your deposit, we will send you a confirmation, if space is available. Final payment is due in full no later than 60 days before the cooking course begins.
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| 2008 DATE |
INCLUDED |
October 19-26
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*Seven (7) nights' hotel accommodations (double occupancy or single occupancy with supplement)
*All cooking classes
*Most meals
*Transportation for private excursions to the Italian countryside and cities described in the itinerary
Airfare, personal expenses, and other ground transportation are not included. |
For further inquiries or to register, click here.
CANCELLATIONS AND REFUNDS
The Cooking School reserves the right to cancel any course
for any reason. Refund of all payments received from you shall
release the Cooking School and Active Gourmet Holidays from any
liability to you. The Cooking School or its representatives are not
responsible for any other expenses incurred by you in preparing to
attend the program, including non-refundable tickets, reservations,
hotel and airfare.You may cancel your reservation by sending
written notice to the Cooking School. Monies you sent to the Cooking
School will be returned less a cancellation fee and Active Gourmet
Holidays' booking fee, determined as of the date the Cooking School
receives your written notice. The entire course balance is due 60
days or more before the course begins.
If you cancel, the cancellation fees are as follows:
-$500 cancellation fee: 59-46 days before the course begins
-100% of monies sent is non-refundable, unless you send a
replacement, in which case the transfer fee is $250. 45 days or less
before the course begins.
If you need to cancel your current registration, transfer to
another course only within the same year, may be possible.
CLIENT REMARKS
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