Cooking & Wine Lovers' Little IndulgenceTour
in Southern Tuscany's Brunello Wine Country

• Cooking Tour Itinerary
• Italian Cooking Lessons
• Wine Cellars
• Italian Cooking Tour Dates & Prices
• Accommodation
• To Reserve
• Terms & Conditions

Tour at a Glance: Brief Description

Escape to the magnificent wine country around medieval, walled hill towns of Montalcino, Pienza & Montepulciano so you immerse yourself in beauty and peace, fine wines and local dishes made of fresh ingredients.

Enjoy four cooking lessons--two in restaurants & two in farm homes, two Brunello wine visits, two Vino Nobile wine visits, olive oil visit with artisan producer. Stay in lovely historic hotels.

You get immersed in genuine Italian life! What a variety of local characters, kitchens, homes, restaurants, cooking methods, food and wine to experience! You'll feel like an Italian!

Lovely Countryside and Medieval Walled Hill Towns

In the medieval, walled hill town of Montalcino, Italy, famous for one of Italy's top red wines--Brunello,
you stroll the narrow streets, stop at wine, honey and gastronomy stores, or outdoor cafes, or sip some Brunello at the medieval fortress, now a wine bar and shop.

Fabulous 360 degree views of a vast valley of vineyards, olive trees and golden or green fields! On a clear day you can see all the way to Siena. Pictures of Montalcino

Pienza, Italy, a dear, little walled town, sits on a hill with sweeping views over the vast Val d'Orcia with undulating fields dotted with olive groves and farmhouses leading up to Monte Amiata.

On top of the medieval walls, you can stroll along a sunny walkway along one side of town past the Street of Fortune, Street of Kisses, Street of Love. Pienza is famous for its pecorino cheese--fresh, aged, with hot peppers, with truffles, aged in ashes or vine leaves and many more! Pictures of Pienza

The larger hilltown of Montepulciano, Italy is renowned for its Vino Nobile di Montepulciano wine. Its narrow streets and beautiful piazzas are lined with distinguished Italian Renaissance palazzos, wine cellars with 13th century grottoes, gastronomy shops, cafes and wine stores. From several lookout points, you can admire fantastic panoramas all around. Pictures of Montepulciano Cooking Tour Itinerary

Montepulciano from a country road on our walk

Cooking lessons with restaurant chefs and great home cooks: lots of cooking secrets and a variety of cooking styles and kitchens

In your four cooking lessons, you'll learn four Italian chefs' secrets cooking right beside them in their restaurant kitchens or country homes. Cook with our two friendly, creative, hospitable restaurant chefs who own a well known restaurant in a mountain hamlet, and an elegant restaurant featuring Tuscan dishes with a creative flair in the heart of medieval Montepulciano. Cook with very knowledgeable, creative, charming Chef Roberto, born in the mountains nearby and owner of a restaurant famous for mushroom dishes in a mountain hamlet. He is passionate about bringing back traditional Tuscan dishes with little modern touches--porcini mushroom soup, local pici pasta with ragu, slices of grilled beef with arugola, wild boar with olives or chocolate (!), pears stuffed with lemon custard with chocolate sauce on top. Mmmm...! A feast for your tastebuds!

making local pici pasta

At a picturesque stone restaurant on the piazza in a hilltop village south of Montalcino, you cook wonderful,
traditional Tuscan dishes with friendly, very hospitable owner, Gianni.

Cook easy, tasty Tuscan dishes from the past with friendly Alberto, a former restaurant owner, at his organic farm where he also makes olive oil the traditional way using a granite wheel. Enjoy lunch in his olive oil production room as he tells you everything you ever wanted to know about making and buying olive oil.

Cook with exuberant Sandra on her family's farm on a beautiful ridge between two valleys, where she and husband, Ulisses make pecorino cheese with their five children, raise animals, including a special striped pig, and export their pasta. Local school groups come to visit them to see how their ancestors made pecorino cheese.

You dine later on your creations accompanied by fine Tuscan wines in restaurants and good table wines in homes. What a variety of people, kitchens, homes, restaurants, cooking methods, food and wine to experience! You'll feel Italian with your new friends!

Taste Brunello and Vino Nobile wines at wineries and wine cellars...with the owners

In the Brunello wine country in Montalcino, you visit a wine bar in a medieval fortress for a private introduction to Brunello. You also tour a Brunello winery in the country with the very hospitable owner who lives with his family there. He tastes his Brunello and rosso di Montalcino with you. In the Vino Nobile wine country in Montepulciano, with the owner you visit a wine cellar in a 4th century palazzo with panoramic terrace in a pristine, pretty hill town of Montefollonico. Taste his great Vino Nobile, rosso di Montepulciano, Vin Santo.

Wine tasting with winery owner, Vittorio Innocenti in his cellars in Montefollonico

Lovely Historic Hotel

La Vecchia Oliviera, a former olive oil mill, now beautifully renovated, is perched high up at the gates of Montalcino. Rooms are tastefully furnished in a casually elegant Tuscan style with rustic wood beams. By the pool or in the garden, you'll love dramatic panoramas looking north to velvety hills, vineyards and olive groves.

A short walk takes you to the heart of the historic centre. For a wonderful picture gallery of the hotel, its rooms, views and property, please see their web site at www.vecchiaoliviera.com Accommodation pictures

Il Chiostro, a former 15th century convent, is a Relais Chateau hotel in Pienza's historic centre. You can relax in the quiet gardens or in the swimming pool as you gaze at wonderful views of Val d'Orcia, the valley sweeping up to Monte Amiata. Rooms feature modern bathrooms, tasteful country style furniture, vaulted ceilings and some have frescoes. Accommodation pictures

A Pleasant Pensione in Pienza

In Pienza I've stayed many times at a family's well managed pensione of six, modern, clean, quiet rooms with private bathrooms and some decorator touches. Views are only of the houses next door, but you're just a two minute walk from the medieval town walls and the historic centre of Pienza. Accommodation pictures

Cooking Tour Itinerary

2008 Cooking Tour Dates:

Any time on request for two people or more--ask us for dates you like.

2008 Cooking Tour Prices

Prices are in Euros per person and are subject to currency exchange fluctuation.

For group of 2-7 people:

Staying at Pensione in Pienza
1415 Euros per person (approx $2080 US or $2095 CAD), double occupancy, land only.

Staying at a Historic Hotel
1895 Euros per person (approx $2785 US; $2805 CAD), double occupancy, land only.

Included:

• 4 nights accommodation, all with private bath and breakfast
• 4 cooking lessons with full menu meals
• excursions in itinerary
• attentive bilingual guide/driver throughout
• private transfers from/to Chiusi.

Not included:

• 3 dinners
• wine with meals

Cooking Tour Itinerary
Cooking Tour Members' Comments
Sample Tour Recipe
Why Travel in Italy With Us

To Reserve: Contact Margaret Cowan at margaret@italycookingschools.com or call 1-800-557-0370 or 604-681-4074 or fax 604-681-4909 (Pacific time).

One stop shopping for your whole Italy vacation

Our travel agent colleagues at Aquarius Travel Inc. are experts on Italy, and can assist you with any arrangements you require to make your Italy vacation a memorable experience.

Ask her about villa, apartment or B & B accommodation throughout Italy--3000 in Tuscany alone! She can also arrange your car rentals, sightseeing tours, Italian language classes, and airfare. It's one stop shopping with an Italy expert, so it's easy for you!

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