Harvest Time in Tuscany
A food and wine lovers culinary vacation

Follow your heart and feed your soul. Come to Tuscany to learn from local chefs who cook with passion as a way of life. Participate in hands-on cooking events that will change the way you think about food in general and Italian cuisine in particular. Learn the true meaning of “Si sposa” (it marries) in the context of food preparation, and why "Stare bene insieme" (meaning to stay well - or close - together) is a quintessential part of sharing a meal in Italy. The spontaneous convivial atmosphere that happens when family and friends get together is a highly valued keystone of Italian lifestyle and why we and so many others love living here! 

It all seems to come together over a meal. The shopping for and preparation of food is foreplay to what follows. When everyone finally sits down at the table, and the wine starts to flow and the simultaneous conversations pause to synchronize with the arrival of the first dish in a multi course meal, you know you’re at a true Tuscan table, where the food is savored and thoughtfully remarked upon, and life and eating are one. There is a deep appreciation and delight for the magic that took place in the kitchen, the most important room in the house. Cooking, eating, talking and being together are what give satisfaction and meaning to "Stare bene insieme". Come to Tuscany and experience this for yourself.

The theme for our cooking classes is tradition, authenticity, education, and fun. We will complement step-by-step instructions and demonstrations with a history of the dishes we’re preparing. Our recipes come from Tuscany and the hearts of local Cortonese, the people whose families in and around Cortona date back centuries. We will explore age-old regional traditions in food preparation as well as contemporary twists on classic recipes, Expect to glean tips on savvy shopping from topnotch butchers, vintners, chefs, farmers, and other specialty shops and markets.

We invite you to eat, drink, and partake in an unforgettable culinary journey through Tuscany, to revise your thinking on Italian food and wine, and to take home a renewed sense of the delights and arts of the table.

You will stay at Rifugio, an Elegant 17th century Tuscan farmhouse villa where you will enjoy privacy, serenity and spectacular views. The property is located in the community of the ancient citadel Cortona in the heart of Italy. Unwind in this tastefully restored comfortable home surrounded by fifty-six acres of private property comprised of gardens, fields, woodlands and centuries-old terraced olive groves.

Cortona is a small medieval hill town above the Valdichiana in eastern Tuscany. With its rural setting and rich cultural history, Cortona combines the best of the traditional Tuscan lifestyle with all you would expect from a small city.

All transportation is provided during your stay at Il Rifugio including to and from the train station on your arrival and departure days. If you prefer an optional pick-up and drop-off at the airport, we can provide you with a quote and make the arrangement for you.

Each day will start with a traditional Tuscan style breakfast including fresh bread, pastry, sweet spreads,  cafe, cappuccino, tea, fresh fruit and juice. With the exception of your free day, all food and wine is included with our meals and wine tasting event.

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Saturday Arrival Day

Sunday
After breakfast you will be taken to Cortona for a walking tour of the city by a professional tour guide. After your tour of this enchanting citadel, we will take you to an Enoteca for a tasting of local wines. This is also an excellent opportunity to purchase wines that can be shipped home for you. After the wine tasting we will have lunch at a local restaurant in Cortona.
Now that you are getting familiar with the flavors of Tuscany we will have our first hands on cooking lesson this afternoon where you will prepare your dinner under the guidance of a local cook who cooks with a passion rather than for a profession.

Monday
This morning after an early breakfast  we will take you on a 40 minute scenic drive from Il Rifugio through the Tuscan countryside to the ancient hill town of Montepulciano, home of the famous Vino Noble. In the morning we will give you some time to shop and then regroup for another cooking lesson.  This time the lesson will but taught by chef Vittorio Samo at the traditional Tuscan restaurant, Godimento Di Vino (Enjoyment of Wine). The lesson will be about two hours and we will pair each dish with a local wine.

After lunch we will have more time for shopping and walking around Montepulciano. We will then return to Il Rifugio for a little rest time and a light dinner before calling it a day.

Tuesday
Today we will have a little free time after breakfast to enjoy Il Rifugio and rest up for a full afternoon and evening. After a buffet lunch at we will take you to an Agriturismo (a working holiday farm) for a tour of their organic farm where they produce wine, olive oil and raise animals. Following the tour we will take you to an olive mill to see how extra virgin olive oil is made. We then return to the farm for a hands on cooking course using ingredients from their own production. The course will be taught by the owner who has been cooking at her farm for family, workers and guests for  decades. You will later consume and critique your creations for dinner.

Wednesday
Today is a free day for you to enjoy IL Rifugio, go for a walk, spend the day shopping or people watching in Cortona or take a day trip to Florence by train. We will be happy to drop you off and pick you up later at the train station or in Cortona.

Thursday
Today will start with a morning at an outdoor market and end with a Renaissance dinner. Join the ranks of the Medici and immerse yourself in the Renaissance. What a wild and crazy time it was during the better part of 15th century Italy. The money was flowing and change was happening at a rapid rate. Music and the visual arts took a quantum leap in style and sheer volume.

We will start the day after breakfast by going to the local outdoor farmers market. You can wander the market or help to shop for the ingredients for tonight's authentic Renaissance dinner. The “Renaissance Day” at Il Rifugio is comprised of several parts. After a morning at the market selecting food for dinner, you will return to Il Rifugio to begin the preparation and discussion of the culinary culture of this very interesting period. After lots of prepping and cooking and before dinner is served, we will sit down to a slide presentation and talk by local artist and Renaissance enthusiast Lucio Minigrilli.

We will then follow up with the meal you helped create from traditional recipes from the renaissance period and serve it family style in the dining room. Of course there will be music and beverages from the period as well. Go bonkers and dress for the occasion!

Friday
The core of breakfast in Tuscany consists of Pasta (pastries), Panini (small sandwiches) and of course cafe'. This morning  we will introduce you to the delights of pastry making. You will have the pleasure of meeting a retired professional pastry chef from Cortona who will share some of his forty years of experience with you. You will learn to make some of the wonderful  pastries you have been tasting and looking at through the Pasticceria (cake shop) windows. Whether it's for breakfast or for a desert for a casual lunch or elegant dinner, Italian pastry making will be another arrow in your Italian quiver of culinary skills.

We will have some time to relax and get ready for our farewell dinner. This afternoon, we will take you to the beautiful Avignonesi wine estate. Avignonesi consists of four wine-producing estates: Le Capezzine, I Poggetti, La Selva and La Lombarda. In total they comprise 225 hectares (572 acres) of open ground, 109 ha of vineyards and 3 ha of olive groves.

We will start with a private tour of the winery and the grape drying and barrel room for their famous Vin Santo wine. Then we will sit by the fire at the "Common Table" for an elegant Tuscan style  dinner. The wines from the estate will be served with dinner.

Saturday Departure Day

At 10:00 AM - We bid you a reluctant "arrivederci". Transfer from IL Rifugio to Cortona or train station is provided.

Workshop Dates

November 13 - November 20, 2010
November 20 - November 27, 2010
November 27 - December 4, 2010

For more information please Email us or call:
U.S.A. 805 682 2386 or Italy (011 39) 0575 601 782

Cost & Conditions