Holiday itinerary
Set in Umbria, the verdant heart of Italy, this wonderful 6 night/7 day cookery and wine holiday offers an experience like no other with outstanding Italian cuisine and beautiful luxury accommodation in an area of natural beauty.
During your hands on cooking lessons you will gain an excellent insight into the preparation of exquisite regional dishes with your professional and talented chefs. Lessons will take place in a specially-dedicated kitchen where you will have full use of the professional equipment.
This holiday is dedicated to the discovery of traditional Umbrian and Tuscan recipes and great wines with wine tasting, sightseeing and relaxation, enjoying two organised wine tastings at well-known Umbrian and Tuscan wine producers, along with three gourmet evening meals served at the hotel’s award winning restaurant.
You will stay in a beautiful luxury villa with spa overlooking Umbria’s patchwork of golden sunflowers and lush green valleys. Considered a culinary gem this is an idyllic setting to immerse yourself in comfort and the rich flavours of the Italian food and fine wines.
This is perfect backdrop for Italian food, wine and natural beauty to meet for a sublime cooking and wine holiday with a difference.
Suitability
- Suitable for all levels from complete beginners to experienced foodies
- Your chefs are Italian but speak perfect English
- Please note that the courses can only be booked by a minimum of 2 persons
- Minimum age: 18
- The wine tastings on day 3 and 5 are self-guided so car hire is essential
Italian Cooking And Wine Holiday Start Days
- This Italian cooking and wine course runs on set dates until Novmember 2015, and re-opens again in April 2016
- All arrivals are on Sundays for 6 nights/7 days
- If this course appears ‘on request’ we can usually accommodate your requirements, to check availability, call us on 08445 020445 or email us on with your preferred dates and someone will get back to you very quickly
Cookery And Wine Holiday Itinerary
Day 1 – Arrival day and welcome dinner
- Enjoy a welcome drink on arrival at the hotel (check-in anytime after 2pm)
- On your first evening, head to the hotel’s restaurant for a gourmet welcome dinner accompanied by delicious local wines selected from the hotels renowned cellar
Day 2 – Free time and cooking class
- Enjoy a leisurely Italian breakfast before starting your cooking lesson at around 10am
- Your cooking lesson will last around 3 hours and will focus on cooking a menu of typical local dishes
- After the cooking lesson, sit down and enjoy eating the delicious meal you’ve prepared
- The rest of the day and evening is free to explore the local area
Day 3 – Self-drive Umbrian wine tour - Umbria
- This day is dedicated to great Umbrian wines (self-guided excursion - note: car hire essential)
- Drive to Torgiano and visit the Lungarotti Foundation’s wine museum, one of the most superb in the world
- Following the visit of the museum you will enjoy a wine tasting in the “Osteria del Museo”
- In the afternoon its recommended that you explore Bevagna and Montefalco; the land of the famous Sagrantino wine
- The charming medieval towns will provide for many opportunities to taste and purchase great wines
- A dinner back at the hotel’s restaurant will be provided
Day 4 – Free time and cooking class
- After breakfast you will have your second cooking class at 10.00am
- Your lesson will last around 3 hours and will be followed by the delicious lunch you have learned to cook that morning
Day 5 – Self-drive Tuscan wine tour, cheese and meat tastings - Tuscany
- This day is dedicated to great Tuscan wines (self-guided excursion – note: car hire is essential)
- You make your own way to the picturesque renaissance towns of Montepulciano and Pienza
- You will be given suggestions of places to try the best pecorino cheese from Pienza, wild boar salami and other local delicacies
- On the way back to the hotel you can visit the famous cellar of “Vino Nobile” located in between Umbria and Tuscany including an arranged wine tasting
- In the evening you will return to the hotel and dinner at the restaurant
Day 6 – Free time and cooking class
- After breakfast you will have your third cooking class at 10.00am
- Your lesson will last around 3 hours and will be followed by the lunch you’ve learned to cook
- At the end of the course toast a drink to your week of culinary discovery with the chef who will also provide you with a specific recipe booklet for you to take home
Day 7 – Departure Day
- After breakfast guests are asked to check-out of their rooms by 11am ready for departure taking home with them new cooking skills and an insight into Italian life that will stay with them long after the holiday is over
What Will I Learn On The Cooking Course?
- Courses concentrate on the cuisine of Umbria and nearby Tuscany: its antipasti, pastas, risottos, gnocchi, gelato, main courses and desserts
- At the start of your cooking lessons, your Chef will discuss menus with you to ensure you cover what you’d like to during the course
- The idea of the course is that you’ll learn the techniques and skills to recreate the dishes back home to impress even your most foodie friends
What Will I Learn On The Wine Tasting Days?
- Skills to recognise and enjoy the complexity of Italian wines from the Umbrian and Tuscan region
- To understand the methods and history of the production process
- To match the wine with delicious food
- Whilst in Tuscany, you may also choose to go to taste cheeses and meats to compliment the wine
Sample Italian Menus
Dishes vary according to the season and what food is available but may include:
- Pecorino potage with black truffle and Swiss chard croutons
- Artichoke tart with corn salad and mint oil
- Ricotta gnudi with cherry tomatoes and pesto sauce
- Cappellacci stuffed with swiss chard and ricotta topped with black truffle
- Umbrian ribolita with bruschettas
- Taglitelle with a tomato and fish sauce, sourced from Lake Trasimeno
- Wild Boar goulash with gratinated polenta and chicory
- Homemade gnocchi served with tomato and pork chop ragout
- Cheek of roast beef in sangiovese
- Umbrian Pork liver with Vino Santo and onions
- Lamb chops with aromatic herbs and shallot sauce
- Dark chocolate cake with pear and mandarin
- Semifreddo 'il bacio'
- Sorbet of Candied Citrus fruits
- Local wines are carefully chosen to accompany each dish
- Dietary requests can be catered for including vegetarians if advised at the time of booking
About Your Chef
- You’ll be taught to cook by one of the hotel’s own chefs who cooks in the evenings in the gourmet dining room so be prepared to learn techniques and skills from an enthusiastic and professional chef
- The Chef is a young guy who has been cooking for the hotel for over 10 years and shares a passion for good food and cooking using local ingredients and loves nothing better than to pass on his knowledge to visitors in a fun and relaxed environment
Accommodation
- An ancient patrician villa and its centuries old farmhouses have been converted into an elegant country hotel offering luxurious accommodation
- The beautiful hotel offers every comfort of a modern and luxurious hotel
- The building’s architecture dates back to 1780, it retains its original characteristics of large fireplaces, murals, antique terracotta flooring and period furniture
- There are a total of 25 guest rooms allocated across 5 buildings either in the main house, the villa, the Limonaia, Casa dei Gelsi or Olivaia
- Part of the property was once an 18th century farm comprised of two buildings, Casa dei Gelsi and Olivaia, both are only 185m from the Villa
- Guests staying in one of these two buildings take their breakfast in the house and have their own swimming pool
- The accommodation offers use of the spa, tennis courts or the two swimming pools for all guests (swimming pools are open from May and are heated)
- For your culinary enjoyment there is a fine dining restaurant with an excellent wine cellar and fulltime sommelier on hand to answer any questions you may have about the local wines
- You’ll spend 6 nights/7 days in an elegantly furnished double room
- The rooms offer a high degree of comfort including period furniture, beautiful traditional fabrics from Montefalco, mini-bar, safe, room entertainment system and digital television with high-resolution flat screens, high speed and wireless internet access, telephone with direct external line along with air conditioning and heating
- Bathrooms have either shower or bathtub, soft bathrobes and slippers, hair dryer, exclusive amenities and magnifying mirrors
- Prices are based on 2 people sharing a private double room with private bathroom
- Check in anytime after 2pm on your arrival day and check out by 11am on your departure day
The Spa
- The spa at the hotel has been specifically designed to ensure privacy and personal attention
- Treatments available include massages, aesthetic treatments and exclusive relaxation courses
- The spa is located in the villa's historic Italian garden
- Facilities include thermal baths, a Finnish sauna, Turkish baths, beauty treatment rooms, a hydrotherapy area and a themed shower
- The spa is a recognised partner of Carita Paris, Charme d'Orient and Vinoble uses only natural products
- There is also a new gym available with a personal trainer
- Treatments can be booked on arrival at the hotel
- Guests booking this package receive a 15% discount on spa treatments
Meals
Dinner
3 evening meals on days 1, 3 and 5 at the restaurant are provided
Breakfast
- Breakfast is included each morning and is full buffet style with a wide choice dishes, coffee, fruits and juices
Lunch
- Lunch is included on the 3 days when you have your cookery lessons as you’ll enjoy the lunch you’ve learned to cook that day
Head to Italy for the perfect backdrop to a wonderfully soothing and rejuvenating cookery and wellbeing holiday with a difference.