The Chianti Masterpiece Siena™

Tuscan Cooking Tour All Inclusive~5 Day

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.

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Itinerary: 5 Days, 4 Nights

Day 1: Arrival, Check In, Chef’s Welcome Dinner and Wine Pairing

Transfer from Chianti Train Station Montevarchi to the estate.
Check in, then take time to relax and settle in.
Welcome Dinner with a full course Chef’s Tasting Menu featuring local fare and wine pairing included.

Day 2: Cooking Class 1 and Gourmet Tuscan Dinner with Wine Pairing

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 Tuscan Dinner with full course menu, aperitivo and wine pairing, included.

Day 3: Cooking Class 2 and Traditional Tuscan Dinner with Wine Pairing

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, and Wine Therapy Spa Relax

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, enjoy a Wine Therapy Spa Relax, a 50 minutes wine bath in private Jacuzzi.
Enjoy dinner on your own at the property or suggestions provided nearby restaurant options.

Day 5: Departure

Breakfast is served.
Check out and transfer from the estate to the Chianti Train Station Montevarchi.

5 Days & 4 Nights

All-Inclusive Program Includes:

5 days, 4 nights accommodations with private bathroom, based on 2 guests.
Daily Breakfast and maid service included.
Chef’s Welcome Dinner featuring a full course Tuscan tasting menu with wine produced on the property.
2 hands-on cooking classes preparing Tuscan fare. Following the cooking class, everyone enjoys the food that was prepared in the class with wine included.
Traditional Tuscan Dinner with full course menu, apertivo and and wine pairing included.
Gourmet Tuscan Dinner full with course menu, aperitivo and wine pairing, included.
Vineyard tour followed by a Vertical Wine Tasting.
Arrival and departure transfers from Chianti Train Station Montevarchi to the estate.
Wine Therapy Spa Relax, a 50 minutes wine bath in private Jacuzzi.
Cooking Vacations Welcome Bag with chef’s apron, recipes and Prosecco.
A copy of Lauren’s cookbook, It’s A Dream Place – Stories and Recipes of Food, Love & the Amalfi Coast.

Program Prices:

$1,895 per person, based on 2 guests.

For Single Guests: If you are traveling on your own, please call us for the best group price. We are happy to welcome you into an already scheduled group. Round trip transfers from Florence can be added on. Prices vary depending the size of your group.

Check Availability