The Chianti Masterpiece Siena™

Join Signor Francesco, chef, wine maker and sommelier in his Tuscan kitchen for our deliciously tempting Tuscan cooking & wine weekend program in Chianti, Tuscany. Gently sweeping hills adorned with pristine vineyards and grey-green olive groves, pretty country churches and imposing stone castles provide the backdrop for your cooking school vacation. Take a tour of the property’s winery, visiting the vineyard, tasting wines and learning about the Chianti Classico; enjoy accompanying your dinners with a delicious selection of house reds and whites; and discover the wonderful healing properties of wine and grapes and reserve a wine therapy massage at the Estate’s spa. Signor Francesco also produces extra virgin first-cold pressed Tuscan olive oil at the property.

Chianti Cooking Classes in Tuscany

Chef Francesco’s philosophy is “see, smell and eat it” and each day.  He chooses the best fresh ingredients from the garden and the market for your hands-on cooking classes. The atmosphere in the kitchen is informal, encouraging you to ask questions, roll up your sleeves and get involved. Signor Francesco is a true Tuscan food lover – preparing homemade antipasto, pasta, risotto – main courses – and desserts!

Tuscan cuisine is unique and based on the simplicity of raw materials, cooked with skillful craftsmanship. Tuscan history speaks of agriculture and simple living, therefore dishes are based around the use of the ingredients of common people who could not afford luxuries in the kitchen – olive oil replacing lard, vegetables as a base for the soups instead of meat, chestnut flour, and so on.  Everyone will prepare genuine ingredients using ancient culinary traditions and methods, creating delicious Tuscan everything frompanzanella, pappa al pomodoro, pici, lasagna, risotto, roast pork loin, duck, tripe, to cantuccini and tiramisù.

Each class is 2 to 3 hours long.  Following each cooking class, everyone dines together enjoying the foods that were prepared in the class with Signor Francesco’s Tuscan wine included.

Gaiole in Chianti

The village of Gaiole is located approximately 40 km southeast of Florence and 15 km northeast of Siena in the Chianti hills, the most famous region of Tuscany. Gaiole in Chianti, like the whole Chianti region, is famous for its wine, artisan food products, and the unique romantic beauty of its landscapes: beautifully tended vineyards and olive groves, gently rolling hills, restored Medieval villages and farmhouses and characteristic avenues of stately poplar trees. Once a market town on the road from Chianti to Valdarno, Gaiole is still a wonderful place to visit for its wine shops, osterias, and local artisan shops, and perhaps more than any other village, represents the divine Tuscan landscape visitors dream of.

Chianti Accommodations

Imagine a beautifully restored Tuscan villa nestled cozily in the Chianti hillside: this will be your home for the duration of your cooking program. Rooms and suites are marked by distinctive and charming elements; for example, one suite has a bed made completely from antique oak barrels. Floors are made of the traditional terracotta tiles, exposed stones and beams give character to the apartments and furnishings are carefully chosen to reflect the traditional Tuscan style and comfort. Each bedroom has a private bathroom (some equipped with hydromassage), mini bar, TV, air conditioning, some of which boast private living rooms, and others private terraces.

Suites and apartments available for groups and families of different sizes. Please call for more information on accommodation options.

Click for Property Photo Gallery

Itinerary: 5 Days, 4 Nights

Day 1: Arrival & Check In

• Transfer from Florence airport to the estate.
• Check in, then take time to relax and settle in.
• Welcome Dinner including a full course Chef’s Tasting Menu with wine pairings included.

Day 2: Cooking Class 1

• Breakfast is served.
• Meet in the kitchen for Cooking Class 1. Tie on your aprons for your hands-on cooking class.  You will prepare a three course traditional Tuscan menu.  Following the cooking class, everyone enjoys the food that was prepared in the class with wine included.  
• Relax in the afternoon at the property and enjoy tennis, swimming in the pool, archery, badminton, darts or biking.
• Gourmet dinner with aperitivo and wine pairing, included.

Day 3: Cooking Class 2

• Breakfast is served.
• Meet in the kitchen for Cooking Class 1. Tie on your aprons for your hands-on cooking class.  You will prepare a three course traditional Tuscan menu.  Following the cooking class, everyone enjoys the food that was prepared in the class with wine included.  
• Time free to relax or walk through the property and hills or relax by the pool.
• Traditional Tuscan dinner, with apertivo and and wine pairing included.

Day 4: Vineyard Tour and Vertical Wine Tour

• Breakfast is served.
• Meet your host for a tour of the vineyard set in the hills of Chianti.  Tour the vineyard, learn about producing the grapes,  wine making, bottling.  Following the tour, you will enjoy a Vertical Wine Tasting, included
• Later in the afternoon, check into the spa for a wine therapy (50 minutes wine bath in private Jacuzzi) with licensed professional spa manager.

Day 5: Departure

• Breakfast is served.
• Check out and transfer to the Florence Airport or Train Station.

Check Availability

2024 Dates: This program is available throughout the year. Check in and start your program on any day of the week. Rates are subject to change based on currency exchange. Call for updated rates. Airfare not included. Group transfers for any cooking tour or tours that include transfers, are for the group and are not private. Transfers before, after or to another destination outside of your cooking tour are not included in the program price. If you would like to add on a private transfer or transfers, let us know and we will send you pricing.

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