Siena! Hamlets & Brunello Vineyards™

Tie on your apron with Chef Rolando and Elena in the countryside of Siena for a unique hands-on cooking and wine experience. Both Elena and her husband are passionate winemakers, sommeliers and experts in local cuisine.  At their Tuscan estate you will will enjoy these one day cooking classes with wine in Siena while soaking up the local culture of Tuscany.

The one day experience includes the Siena cooking class, visit of the wine cellar, the meal with all of the dishes prepared during the course and the pairing and explanation of our wines.

Stroll round the vegetable and herb garden then head to the kitchen to learn how to prepare the perfect pappa al pomodoro, sformatino di formaggio pecorino con marmellata di cipolle, gnocchi or pizzicotti al sugo finto, tiramisù & crostata con pere e cioccolato. Recipes come from Elena’s family recipe book and as you cook, Chef Elena will share cooking tips and stories on local culture. Classes are fun and informative and include a visit to the estate’s vineyard – that produces wine made in Italy. After class, enjoy the foods you’ve created in class, accompanied with wine that was produced on the estate.

Tuscany Cooking Classes

Begin your cooking class experience near Siena, Italy with a visit to the cellar. Your host will lead you through an in-depth discussion on the grape varieties, methods and production of the great whites & reds of Tuscany. After the tour and the discussion, head to the kitchen, tie on your apron and get ready to start!

A selection of seasonal herbs and vegetable from Elena’s garden will feature in your class. You’ll transform delicious fruit and vegetables into local specialties such as spinach gnocchi, vegetable quiche, bruschette with zucchini marinated in lemon juice, pork with fennel and onions and delicious cantucci, Tuscan biscotti. Chef Elena’s Siena cooking classes are informative and light hearted, and during each hands-on cooking class, you’ll prepare an antipasto, a first course, a second course and a dessert. Afterwards, enjoy all the foods you’ve created for lunch or dinner, each accompanied by different types of wine.

Tuscany Sample Menus:

Antipasto: Learn the secrets of making traditional crostini: Tuscan bread baked and toasted with farmer’s vegetables, chicken sausage or chicken liver; Florentine crepes stuffed with ricotta and spinach; garden squash flowers stuffed with ricotta; grilled eggplant stuffed and rolled with herbs and cheese and Tuscan pumpkin or bean soups.  

Fresh Pasta and Risotto: Also on the menu are gnudi, a pasta-potato dumpling in sauce, fresh and hand-made pici, strapponi, ravioli, tortelloni stuffed with cheese, seasonal mushrooms or pumpkin or herbs or ruffles, when in season.  Also, learn how to prepare gnocchetti verdi di patate con pomodorino fresco e basilico, green potato gnocchi with fresh tomatoes and basil – a farmer’s favorite.

Main Course: There is pappa al pomodoro, a Tuscan bread tomato soup, peposo – a Tuscan pepper beef stew,  filetto d’orata al gratin di patate, fish with potato gratin, staccato alla Fiorentina, a slow-cooked stew of onions, carrots, garlic, celery, tomatoes, sage, rosemary, red wine in a terracotta pot. Brasata al Montecucco, Tuscan sausage with rape, Buglione d’agnello, cinghiale con fungi e polenta, lamb with mushroom, sedana ripeni alla pratese, la tegamata di Pitigliano, bistecche di maiale con cavolo nero, pork and the famous black cabbage, pollo grillettato con piselli, chicken with peas, cinghiale alla cacciatora con marinatura and wild boar country-style. 

Dolce: Tuscany is known for its simple and delicious desserts based on season produce. Summer’s harvest means baked peaches stuffed with amaretti, a fruit crostata or a creamy liqueur-laced with zuccotto.  In winter and fall, we will prepare:  frittelle di castagne, chestnut-flour fritters, schiacciata con l’uva, grape cake  and a warm budino di riso, rice pudding with lemon and cinnamon. And all year round, you’ll find biscotti di Prato,  almond biscotti, brutti ma buoni, toasted almond biscuits, and cantucci, perfect for dunking into a glass of Vin Santo, blessed Tuscan sweet wine.

Siena Wine Tour and Tasting:

At the end of the cooking class, everyone enjoys an aperitivo with the properties wine and extra virgin olive oil bruschetta.  Following, you will visit the wine cellar with the explanation of the art of wine and olive oil making with the artisan.

The experience includes the cooking class followed by the food prepared in the cooking class with wine from the property and a visit to the cantina.

An aperitif starts the lunch or dinner paired with white wine.   The appetizer is served with our I.G.T. Tuscan red.  The fresh pasta is served with our Chianti Classico DOCG.  The main course is served with our Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG.  The dessert is served with our Grappa di Chianti Classico or Vin Santo