Cooking Along the Prosecco Road™

Tie on your aprons and join Chef Antonio in a 17the century castle in the heart of the Treviso. Known as the Citta d’Acqua, for its intricate network of winding canals, Treviso is the birthplace of two of Italy’s most treasured delights: tiramisù, the delicate dessert made with layers of Savoia biscotti layered between mascarpone cheese, soaked in caffé, then dusted with cocoa, and the world-famous Prosecco.

During your Venetian Cooking in the Countryside program, delve into Venetian recipes and traditions, preparing antipasto, fresh pasta and sauces, main courses and desserts while sipping Prosecco and the precious wine of the Veneto region.  Chef Antonio who has a strong passion for cooking, and years of experience will guide you through hands-on cooking classes with the freshest produce, meats, fishes and cheeses from the villa’s working farm, garden, and the nearby Venetian Lagoon. His kitchen motto touts seasonal farm-to-table ingredients.

Veneto Cooking Classes

Venetian cuisine draws heavily from both the land and sea due to its fertile plains, hills and mountains, and coastal communities along the Venetian Lagoon and Adriatic Sea. Treviso is one of Veneto’s most fertile regions and boasts local specialties such as radicchio rosso di Treviso Tardivo IGP, a red and white chicory often used in salads, grilled or stuffed, and Grana Padano, a hard artisan cheese with a salted bite.

In your hands-on cooking classes, you will learn to prepare a range of traditional Venetian recipes starting with gnoccho, square pieces of crispy and pillowy fried dough; rise e bise, a risotto made from peas and pancetta; baccalà mantecato, salted cod cooked in milk, doused in olive oil, black pepper, salt, garlic and lemon juice and served with polenta; and sarde in saor, fresh sardines, fried and marinated with onions, raisins, and pine nuts.

Fresh pastas range from bigoli, a traditional Venetian egg pasta slightly thicker than spaghetti and typically served with a duck ragù or an anchovy and onion sauce to radicchio pasticcio, a vegetarian lasagna made with chicory, pasta, shallots, béchamel, and parmesan.  The classic Venetian gnocchi with seasonal vegetables is everyone’s favorite.

Learn to prepare fegato alla veneziana, calf’s liver served with onions and white grilled polenta; guinea fowl filled with fresh fruits and vegetables; and polenta e schie, fried shrimp served on a bed of creamy polenta.

Desserts are always delicious, but the Crown Jewel is tiramisù. Treviso’s famed dessert made with layers of Savoia biscotti layered between mascarpone cheese, soaked in espresso, then dusted with cocoa and caffé; baicoli, a thin oval biscotti dipped in coffee; frittella, a golden-brown flash-fried doughnut sprinkled with sugar and filled with chocolate or custard; and zaletti, polenta cookies with raisins and pine nuts, and scented with grappa.  Everyone enjoys the food prepared in the cooking class together with a toast of the property’s Prosecco and wine.

Treviso

Treviso, although not as famous as Venice, is a quiet, gorgeous town brimming with artisans, trattorias and landmarks.  Scenic canals branch off from the Sile River and wind their way through cobbled streets, elegant palaces, frescoed churches, and the historic center, which is enclosed by walls and bastions from the 16th century. The highlight is the Piazza dei Signori, adorned with caffes and palaces including the Palazzo dei Trecento and Palazzo del Podestà. Via Calmaggiore, the main street, is lined with stately homes and boutiques selling artisan clothing, shoes, and leather goods. Art museums such as the Museo di Santa Caterina and Museo Luigi Bailo host major collections by the Italian masters Titian and Tiepolo, as well as 19th and 20th century artists.  Lastly, food lovers will delight in the freshest seafood and produce at the market on the Isola della Pescheria in the Cagnan River.  Venders sell their daily catches and seasonal farm raised produce, fruit and vegetables.

Bassano del Grappa and Asolo

Bassano del Grappa is a picturesque town at the foothills of the Alps along the Brenta River. Set against a stunning backdrop of green peaks, the Medieval town’s main attraction is the Ponte Vecchio, an iconic wooden bridge designed by architect Andrea Palladio. Nearby the town’s two main squares, the Piazza Libertà and the Piazza Garibaldi, are charming and quaint, overflowing with different shops and restaurants. Piazza Libertà is home to the San Giovanni Church and the City Hall with a large clock and the statue of the Lion of Saint Mark, a symbol of Venetian power. At Piazza Garibaldi is the San Francesco Church and the Civic Tower, where you can climb to the top of the tower for a breathtaking view of the land. Bassano is also the birthplace of grappa, a pomace brandy distilled from a blend of grape seeds, stalks, and stems leftover from the wine-making process. Italy’s oldest distillery Nardini still produces grappa after more than two centuries.

Asolo is known as the “City of a Hundred Horizons,” resting atop the hills near Treviso. With its ancient walls, old world charm, breathtaking views, and quaint cobblestone streets, Asolo has captured the hearts of intellectuals for centuries. The tranquil hamlet is enclosed by ancient walls and dominated by a fortress on Monte Ricco. The main square Piazza Garibaldi connects to attractions such as the Castle of Caterina Cornaro, the former Queen of Cyprus, as well as Palazzo della Ragione, a 15th century building decorated with frescoes and home to the Civic Museum

Veneto Accommodations

Check in to the dreamy 17th century castle and join the noble family and Chef Antonio. The property has grown from a simple hillfort to an expansive agricultural estate, artistic property, and one-time surgery hospital during World War I. The main part of the property is home to a monument to the Baroque style, both with its structure and the massive fresco. Art and life mix throughout the castle, which also includes a grotto and chapel.  The property also has sprawling vineyards and a historic Italian garden. Peacocks stroll by centuries-old trees, flowing fountains, and hedges.  Guest rooms are elegantly decorated and overlook the river and garden.  Comfy beds are dressed with Italian linen and include ensuite bathrooms, air conditioning and heat, WiFi, and a courtesy coffee and tea set. And a daily Italian breakfast including traditional breads, cakes and biscotti, farm-fresh eggs, yogurt, jam along with fresh seasonal fruit, coffee, tea, hot and cold milk, and juice.

Property Photos & Pricing

Itinerary ~ 5 days, 4 nights

Day 1: Arrival & Family Welcome Dinner

• Check-in and enjoy your Prosecco. Meet your host and staff.
• In the evening, enjoy a Welcome Dinner featuring a Chef’s Welcome Menu including a full course menu of local fare. Wine is not included.

Day 2: Property Tour, the Treviso Experience and Cooking Class 1

• Breakfast is served.
• In the morning, enjoy a private tour of the villa, discovering its history, artwork, and aura. Later in the morning and just before lunch, meet your driver and enjoy a very special guided culinary excursion in Treviso, around the most beautiful corners of the city.
• Return to the villa for a relax period.
• In the afternoon, join Chef Antonio in your first hands-on cooking class. Learn how to prepare antipasti, a typical first course with fresh homemade pasta, and a delicious dessert.
• Dinner follows and includes the food that was prepared in the cooking class with a toast of wine.

Day 3: Cooking Class 2, Cheese Factory and Wine tasting in a Castle.

• Breakfast is served.
• In the morning, join Chef Antonio for your second hands-on cooking class. Learn how to prepare a seasonal menu featuring the Italian piatto unico.
• Lunch follows and includes the food that was prepared in the cooking class with a toast of wine.
• In the afternoon, meet your driver for an excursion to a precious artisan cheese factory and a historic cantina in a local castle.
• Dinner follows in our favorite restaurant.

Day 4: Bassano del Grappa and Asolo

• Breakfast is served.
• In the morning, meet your driver for an excursion to Bassano del Grappa and enjoy a local aperitif.
• In the afternoon, after lunch, learn about the history and process of making grappa at a distillery in Bassano.
• Following Bassano, visit the Villa Barbaro in the small village of Maser. The villa is a UNESCO World Heritage Site designed by Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio and adorned with vibrant frescoes, fountains, sculptures, and meticulously manicured gardens.
• Afterwards, continue to the ancient hamlet of Asolo for a guided tour.
• Dinner follows in our favorite restaurant.

Day 5: Departure

• Breakfast is served.
• Check out and departure. Arrivederci!

*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 program.