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 a pretty three star hotel or pleasant pensione.

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 in their kitchens: learn lots of
cooking secrets and experience 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 creative Tuscan dishes in the heart of medieval Montepulciano. Cook with very knowledgeable, creative, charming Chef Roberto, born in the mountains nearby and owner ofa 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!

Cooking lesson at Chef Roberto's restaurant on Tuscan mushroom dishes

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 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

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. For breakfast you walk into the medieval centre to one of the many coffee bars and have your cappuccino with the local people. Accommodation pictures

Pretty Hotel with Views in Pienza

In Pienza a pretty, 16 room, 3 star, modern, recently built hotel sits next to the pensione but has wonderful, wide views of the valley and hills of farms, vineyards and olive trees. You can enjoy breakfast or a drink out of the shady patio while you admire the views. It is just across the street from the medieval walls of Pienza and a short walk takes you to the medieval centre. Accommodation pictures

Cooking Tour Itinerary

2008 Cooking Tour Dates:

Any time on request for two people or more--ask us for dates you like or join a group already booked.

Join other people who have requested March 11-15, 2008 in a pleasant pensione in Pienza

2008 Cooking Tour Prices:

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

For 2-7 people, per person based on double occupancy, land only:

1410 Euros (approx $2016 US or $1960 CAD) at pensione in Pienza
1560 Euros (approx $2230 US or $2169 CAD) at 3 star hotel in Pienza

Included:

• 4 nights accommodation, all with private bath
• 4 cooking lessons (2 with chefs in 2 restaurants, 2 great home cooks) with full menu meals
• all excursions in itinerary
• attentive bilingual guide/driver throughout
• private transfers from/to Chiusi.

Not included:

• Breakfast in pleasant pensione
• 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

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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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