Summary

Cooking Vacation in Tuscan Villa

Prices From	USD$ $3,600.00
1st Departure	01.01.0001
Provider	Vagabond Gourmet
Destination	Italy
Duration	7 Nights
Challenge	Beginner
Avg Rating	Not Rated

Nothing can compare to the exquisite taste of true Italian cuisine. It's smile, it's elegant and it's tasty. If you are craving a plate of fresh tagliatelle covered in shaved truffles, with a whisper of pecorino cheese, served in a setting that's like a renaissance painting come to life, then you won't want to miss this spectacular journey.

Of course, no Vagabond Gourmet tour is complete without a serving of fun, so take advantage of exploring this magical region of Italy with us and our Tuscan friends. We have planned a convivial and one-of-a-kind week that will take you to the heart of Tuscan cuisine. We will introduce you to local producers, chefs and wine experts, teach you how to create local recipes, introduce you to the Italian culture and treat you to tours of some of the area's best villages and cities.

You know it is true what you've heard about Italy. No meal is served without the warmth of Italian hospitality. Top it off with the Tuscan scenery and you can understand why the Italians coined the phrase La Dolce Vita!

7 Night Private Ensuite Lodging

All Transfers

Daily Transport as per Itinerary

Wine with all Lunches & Dinners

7 Breakfasts, 3 Lunches and 7 Dinners

Castle Wine Tour with Tasting & Lunch

Artisan Bread & Pizza Making Tour & Lunch

Chianti Wine Tour with Tastings

Walking Tour of Siena

Pasta Making & Lunch

Wine, Herb & Cheese Pairing & Dinner

Walking Tour of San Gimignano

4 hands-On Cooking Lessons with a Local Tuscan Chef

2 Dinners in a Typical Tuscan Countryside Trattoria

Entrance Fee, Tips & Tastings as per Itinerary

Itinerary

Day 1- Benvenuto! Transfer from Florence Airport to Villa

Relax after your arrival with a walk in our private woods, a dip in the pool or see what’s cooking in the kitchen as our first classic Tuscan meal is being prepared and we welcome special friends. Our wonderful Villa Montignoso has the most perfect farmhouse kitchen with plenty of room to chop and roll. There is a wood fired roasting jack and gorgeous views from the windows into the gardens and woods. There’s also a large terrace and gazebo for al fresco dining near the pool.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p> <H3 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Wine, Herb & Cheese Pairing <o:p></o:p></H3> <o:p> </o:p> You'll meet a new friend, Pierre whose passion and love for herbs will introduce you to a whole new world. His great mixtures will be infused with the flavors, aromas and colors of Tuscany. Together with Giulio they create a multicourse tasting menu of the region’s best cheeses, Pierre’s astonishing herb blends and Giulio expertly chosen wines. Followed by a classic Tuscan meal and more great Tuscan wines <o:p></o:p> Giulio & Cristina Cook Dinner to Follow Pairing<o:p></o:p>

Day 2- Food Gathering in San Gimignano and Cooking

Today starts in the magnificent medieval village of San Gimignano where we visit some of our favorite shops for selecting salumi at La buca di montatuto, pecorino, olive oils, and goodies from the pasticceria Lucia and Maria’s. Within the old town walls we’ll walk, admire and enjoy this charming village. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p> Enjoy lunch on your own in one of San Gimignano’ charming sidewalk cafes or Trattoria in the village square. Save room for gelato and homemade chocolates flavored with balsamic vinegar and hot chili pepper.<o:p></o:p> Cooking Lesson and Dinner with Francesca<o:p></o:p> During this journey you'll have the opportunity to roll up your sleeves and share their first hand knowledge of the Tuscan cuisine and way of life.  Francesca, our Tuscan chef, has been cooking her entire life and prides herself on making everything from scratch. <o:p></o:p>

Day 3- Lessons & Lunch with Francesca

After breakfast we welcome our accomplished local Tuscan chef into our kitchen for pasta making lessons and lunch. No pasta machines here! Francesca will demonstrate hand-made pastas, sauces and baking. The abundance of fresh vegetables, herbs, meats, fish, and local farm products is the first ingredient for this robust cuisine<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p> Pasta Making Lunch with Francesca<o:p></o:p> Dinner in a Local Trattoria<o:p></o:p> Relax after lunch before we enjoy dinner in an authentic Tuscan trattoria well known by the locals for its robust flavors and family recipes.<o:p></o:p>

Day 4- Secret Chianti Classico

In the Chianti countryside  the eye can range far across the unfolding of hills, all offering a spacious spectra of color and a land offering some of the best vines in Italy. This  ancient wine region of is a "must do" for wine lovers and the idyllic scenery is exactly how  we think of  dreamy  Tuscany , sprinkled with castles, hill top villages and vine-covered valleys. Today we meet two passionate young winemakers that are producing some of the best undiscovered wines and we’re invited into their world on an amazing journey. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p> Cooking Lesson and Dinner with Francesca <o:p></o:p> After our return to the Villa cooking lessons are under way to prepare the evening meal or you may lounge poolside while sipping wine under the terrace. Lessons will include learning how to prepare more of the Tuscan classic sauces, grilled meats, seafood specialties and decadent desserts. <o:p></o:p>

Day 5- Siena, a Treasure Trove for Gourmets and Art Lovers

A visit to Siena is another highlight of this magical trip. The town is perched over Tuscany and is a well preserved example of medieval architecture with winding cobbled streets and beautiful plazas.  A walk to Piazza del Campo along the twisting streets and paths is filled with shops and boutiques of every sort. The many specialty food shops sell everything from “cinghiale” products, to cheeses, oils, pastas, and gelato and decadent sweets.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p> Lunch is on your own in Siena, then you have the afternoon to shop or visit the wondrous city said to be the most beautiful medieval city in Italy. Stroll through the breathtaking piazza the Campo at the city’s heart. Visit the Duomo ranked among Europe’s best Gothic structures. Residing here are frescos and sculptures by Pisano, Donatello and Michelangelo to name a few. Also the elaborate floors of inlaid marble pictures, and the famous Pisano pulpit carved in 1266. A must visit is the Palazzo Publico which has been Siena’s town hall since the 1300’s and whose walls tell stories of good and evil.<o:p></o:p> Visits to more of Tuscany famed gourmet markets for regional specialties for our Tuscan kitchen. A visit to the Duomo is a must and we’ll have lunch at a great trattoria before returning to the villa. If you prefer after lunch you may linger for visits to more of Siena’s art treasures and fabulous shopping. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <H3 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></H3> Cooking Lessons and Dinner with Francesca<o:p></o:p> Ask any Tuscan what their favorite dish is and many will say a two-pound T-bone of Chianna beef quickly charred over a wood-burning flame. To the beef connoisseur, few cuts of meat are as exceptional as those from the cattle raised in Tuscany’s Chianna valley used for the bistecca ala fiorentina and about as tender and flavorful a steak you will eat.  The open fire grill in our kitchen is perfect for grilled the steak and vegetables with a light balsamic glaze.<o:p></o:p>

Day 6- Visit with Master Bread Artisan Viola & Pizza Lunch

 There is nothing quite like the smell of fresh bread pulled right out of the oven, is there? Here in Italy, the making of fresh bread is a tradition that has passed from generation to generation, and this week, the secrets will be passed on to you. Probably one of our best loved adventures is visiting a very special lady and artisan bread maker nestled deep in the countryside.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p> We will take you to the farm of Viola, a warm Italian lady who has been cooking bread for as long as she can remember. Viola will show you how to make bread from scratch, using the products on her land. Delicious flatbread with rosemary and olives and pizza crust are on today's menu! She'll also share some tips on using old bread so it doesn't go to waste. Lunch with Viola is next with; you guessed it, bread and pizza for all.<o:p></o:p> Pizza Lunch with Viola<o:p></o:p> Cooking Lesson & Dinner at the Villa with Francesca<o:p></o:p>

Day 7- Private Castle Wine Tour

After breakfast Giulio leads us on an exclusive Castle Wine Tour. This ancient 15th century fortress whose foundations were erected in the year 1260 was a medieval stronghold on the border between the territories of Siena and Florence. It is now a private wine estate rarely open to the public for a visit. Once owned by a noble Florentine family and now producing exceptional wines we enjoy a special tasting and lunch. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p> Lunch at the Castle then we visit Greve another stop on the Chianti trail filled with wine shops and quaint restaurants. Greve is home to a very famous butcher owned by the Falorni's whose homemade sausages and salumi’s are considered some of the best in Tuscany. Their "Enotecca" is known for its superb wine collection of Chianti wines, to taste by the glass or to stock our larder.  One unique feature is a special olive oil tasting where you can learn how the mixing of olive types create their individual flavors.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Dinner in a typical Tuscan Trattoria<o:p></o:p> Dinner tonight in another typical Tuscan countryside Trattoria in a beautiful setting and also known for their superb wines.<o:p></o:p>

Day 8- Arrivederci!

Transfer to Florence airport for departure.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>

Summary

Cooking Vacation in Tuscan Villa

Itinerary

Gear List

Travel Information