The Chianti Masterpiece Siena™

Join Signor Francesco, chef, wine maker and sommelier in his kitchen for our deliciously tempting Tuscany Cooking Vacations in Chianti. 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. Set on nearly 15 acres of vineyards and producing award-winning wines, this beautiful residence will be your home during your tour, as you allow yourself to become intoxicated by your hosts’ unique organic wines, savoring their many healing properties and discovering their hidden secrets. Take a tour of the property’s winery, visiting the vineyard, tasting wines and learning about the Chianti Classico; enjoy accompanying your lunches and dinners with a delicious selection of house reds and whites; and opt to discover the wonderful healing properties of wine and grapes by adding on a wine therapy massage and jacuzzi at the property’s relaxing spa. Signor Francesco also produces extra virgin first-cold pressed Tuscan olive oil at the property.

Gaiole in Chianti

Gaiole in Chianti is located approximately 40 km southeast of Florence and northeast of Siena in the Chianti hills.  This region of Tuscany is well known for its artisan cheese, salumi, olives and oils, breads and honey too. Join us in Chianti in Gaiole – between Medieval villages and farms – where wine enthusiasts, connoisseurs and sommeliers sip, swirl and dine on exquisite Tuscan cuisine.

Chianti Cooking Classes

Join Chef Fabio in the kitchen, whose philosophy is “see, smell and eat it” and each day, he is very particular and selects only 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.  Your Chef 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 from panzanella, 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.  This tour is an exclusive  at Cooking Vacations Tuscany Italy.

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 traditional terracotta tiles, exposed stones and beams give character to 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 in this Tuscan cooking tours.

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

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Itinerary: 5 Days, 4 Nights

Or Select from 4 and 3 Day Tours.

Day 1: Arrival & Check In

• Transfer from Florence airport to the Villa.
• Check in. Take time to relax and settle in with a Prosecco toast.
• Enjoy a Chef’s Welcome Wine Dinner with vineyard tour, wine tasting, and a full-course Tuscan Menu included wine pairings from the property.

Day 2: Cooking Class 1

• Breakfast is served.
• Relax in the morning or explore Chianti on your own. There are a lot of activities available such as tennis, pool, archery, badminton, darts, etc. At extra cost, you can also benefit from the small wellness center with its spa treatments where you can indulge in a variety of massages and a host of unique services including vinotherapy and chocotherapy.
• In the afternoon, meet in the kitchen for your Cooking Class 1 with Chef Fabio.  You will prepare a three-course traditional Tuscan menu.  The course is two to three hours long. After the cooking class, everyone dines together on the foods prepared in the cooking class.  Toast with a glass of wine from the property, included.

Day 3: Vertical Wine Tour Tasting & Tuscan Wine Dinner

• Breakfast is served.
• Morning free to relax.
• In the afternoon, join your host Francesco for a Vertical Wine Tour Tasting.  Visit the winery and cellar and taste 3 Chianti Classico in 3 vertical vintages.  Tastings are served with artisan Tuscan bread and pecorino cheese.
• Tuscan Gourmet dinner paired with wine from the property.

Day 4: Cooking Class 2 & Dinner

• Breakfast is served.
• In the late morning, head back to the kitchen for your Cooking Class 2 with Chef Fabio.  You will prepare handmade pasta using the freshest ingredients. After the cooking class, everyone dines together enjoying the food that was prepared in the cooking class with a toast of wine from the property.
• Gourmet dinner with wine from the property.

Day 5: Check out and Arrivederci!

• Breakfast is served.
• Check out and transfer to the Florence airport.

*Note: This schedule may vary due to inclement weather, saint days or festivals. All activities, in the event of rescheduling, are always included during the week.