Umbria's Fields Of Saffron™

Tie on your aprons at the country estate with cooking classes by Chef and owner Gianluca along with visits to Orvieto, Città della Pieve by Lake Trasimeno, Perugia, Val d’Orcia and Montepulciano, in Umbria’s Fields Of Saffron a food lover’s dream tour!

Tie on your aprons for cooking and touring in the green heart of Umbria.  In this verdant area of Italy, vegetables, fruit, truffles, and saffron grow almost wild.  The country guest house, surrounded by gentle green hills, olive groves and vineyards, is a peaceful treat far away from the tourist track.  Join Chef Gianluca in his country kitchen transforming delicious organic produce – grown on the property – into traditional Umbrian cuisine.  Set north of Orvieto and nestled on the boarder of Tuscany and Umbria, our cooking tour blends hands-on cooking classes, food lover’s tasting tours, while you sip and swirl the famous wine of Umbria.  During your stay, visit Orvieto, Citta della Pieve, a beautiful day trip that will enlighten the soul.

Learn how to prepare organic ingredients – handmade fresh pasta:  tagliatelle and pici, risotto, along with gnocchi and seasonal sauces.  If you like artisan bread, you can select to participate in Chef Gianluca’s bread making- pane and focaccia, and recipes based on the area’s precious Chianina meat or roasted lamb accompanied by  stuffed and grilled vegetables.  Last but not least, learn how to create delicious desserts including tiramisu, panna cotta, crostata and cantucci. During your stay, visit local food artisans, sample the area’s exquisite saffron and enjoy wine and olive oil tastings learning about grape and olive varieties. Visit the picturesque Medieval town of Todi and spend an afternoon discovering Orvieto.

Umbria Cooking Classes

The farmhouse’s spacious and professional kitchen has a large open hearth for all the cooking classes in Umbra. Chef Gianluca guides and shows each guest cooking technique and cooking secrets.  Cooking classes start out showing menu planning based on season ingredients- these classes truly embrace farm to table Italian cooking.  You will create antipasto, fresh pasta and sauces or a main courses and desserts.  Everyone enjoys the food that was prepared in class to follow with a toast of local red or white wine.

Umbria, The Green Heart Of Italy

The region of Umbria is traditionally considered the green heart of Italy.  Discover dazzling centuries-old villages perched atop verdant Umbrian hillsides.  Learn and tasted the wine and extra virgin olive oil which Umbria is so famous for.  Your accommodation is nestled between Tuscany and Umbria, and not too far from Rome- making it a great location for day trips to Orvieto and Città della Pieve, Lake Trasimeno, Perugia, Val d’Orcia and  Montepulciano.

Umbria Accommodations

The Umbrian farmhouse is set on a country estate and features two stone palazzos, each of which have been restored adding modern amenities.   Organic farming is practiced on the farmland and it is reflected in the biodynamics of all ingredients.  Nine beautiful guest house bedrooms simply delight, each room elegantly furnished with careful attention to detail – fresh white linens, comfortable bedding and ensuite bathrooms.  In the summertime, breakfast is served in the garden, and in winter in the cozy dining room in the main house.  Daily breakfast includes a wholesome selection of local homemade cakes, biscuits, bread, honey, yogurt, jams and fresh farm eggs with caffé, tea and milk.  An old-world beautifully restored oven bakes the bread and cakes served at the property.  And in keeping with the old world feel, two stone washing baths used for washing linens from bygones past remain on the property. A garden path winds through the property fields – an inviting option for early risers.  In the warm and summer months, a swimming pool with a 180-degree views over valley sets the mood for the most dreamy vacation ever.  

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Itinerary ~ 6 days, 5 nights

Day 1: Arrival & Welcome Dinner

• Arrival at Chiusi train station.
• Transfer to the property, check in and relax.
• Enjoy an aperitivo, an informal wine tasting in the farmhouse dining room and your Cooking Vacations’ Welcome Bag with Prosecco toast.
• Enjoy a Welcome Dinner prepared by Chef Gianluca with local wine is served in the farmhouse’s dining-room.

Day Two: Visit to Città della Pieve & Cooking Class

• Breakfast is served.
• After breakfast,  meet your driver for a visit to the Città della Pieve, a beautiful typical Umbrian top hill village, well-known for the production of saffron which dates back to ancient times. Learn about saffron’s history and production – the most expensive spice in the world
• Following the saffron visit, return to the property and relax before your first hands-on cooking class with Chef Gianluca.  He starts the cooking class with an introduction on Umbrian cuisine, food culture and traditions.  His menu is based on farm-to-table seasonal produce cultivated on the farm. Dinner follows and includes the foods prepared in class. Wine and water included.

Day Three:  Wine Visit & Tasting – Visit to Orvieto

• Breakfast is served.
• After breakfast, visit an Umbrian winery for a tour and wine tasting, which not only produces super-Umbrian top red wines, but also serves delicious local cuisine with stunning views over Castello della Sala.  Following your wine tasting tour and visit, visit Orvieto with is magnificent cathedral.  Orvieto offers a great selection of local artisans and classico wine shops  where you can purchase local specialties like wild boar hams and salami, and pecorino cheese with black truffles
• Late afternoon, return to the property and relax.
• Laster in the evening, enjoy a Traditional Dinner featuring a selection of Gianluca’s best-loved food.  Orvieto wine is included.

Day Four:  Truffle Hunting Experience^* & Pizza Making

• Breakfast is served.
• Get ready for an exciting truffle experience.  Join our expert truffle hunters and follow them through the forest while searching for truffles.  If you are lucky, you will find a precious truffles.  Following the hunt, lunch is served at a traditional trattoria.  Based on the season and weather permitting.
• Following lunch, take the rest of the afternoon to rest and relax.
• In the evening, tie on your apron and give Gianluca a hand preparing his secret recipe for gourmet pizza.  Everyone enjoys the pizza together.

Day Five: Cooking Class & Farewell Dinner

• Breakfast is served.
• After breakfast, you will be driven to Orvieto, an enchanting town with one of the most magnificent cathedral you will ever see, and well knows for its fresh white wine, Orvieto classico. Enjoy a perfect day of visiting this beautiful town, lunching  at one of Marina’s favorite trattoria for lunch, included.
• Following the tour, return to the property.
• Farewell Chef’s Dinner including a full course menu with a Pecorino cheese tasting and a great red wine from Montefalco, Umbria

 Day Six: Check Out & Ciao!

• Breakfast is served.
• Check out and Ciao – see you soon!
• Transfer to Fabro or Chiusi train station.

*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.