Meet like-minded foodies and share the experience. Come and stay with us at Il Rifugio and learn the culinary traditions of the region.

Each day will start with a Tuscan (or American) style breakfast including fresh bread, pastry, sweet spreads, and cafe, cappuccino or tea. Wines from the region and IL Rifugio's house wine is included with our meals and wine tasting.

Our program will include:

Day 1 - We will meet at a local cafe in Cortona for breakfast and introductions. After breakfast we will take a short tour of the town and point out some of the local food and wine shops. We will also do some shopping for today's lessons. By mid morning we will go to Il Rifugio for a brief tour and orientation. This will be a good time to get settled into your room if you are staying or just unwind and get ready for the first lesson which will be to make today's lunch. This evening's class will be on the preparation of anti pasta (appetizers), party snacks and making light meals.

Day 2 - Basta la pasta! (Enough pasta!) is what you will say by the end of the day. We will carbo out today. Ok, so you don't normally eat like this but we want to to show you how to make various types of pasta. For lunch we will make three styles of pastas for a primi (first dish) combined with both light and heavy sauces for you to try and compare the differences. For the evening class, we will make a sampling of heaver pasta such as pici and gnocchi and a filled pastas such as ravioli or tortellini (not really a Tuscan region dish but still very good). We will also round out the meals with the appetizers you learned to make on day one first and and a secondo (second, usually meat dish) after the pasta sampling and of course a dolce (a sweet or dessert).

Day 3 - Today we will fire up the pizza oven after breakfast and learn how to make our own personal pizza for lunch. After a little rest time we will head out for a local agritourismo (a working farm that also hosts guest stays) and have a full meal lesson from appetizers to desert. Later that evening we will return to Il Rifugio.

• A 'stay' includes three nights.
• Includes all meals, local transportation, and classes.
• Airfare is not included.
• Enrollment is $250 with the remainder due 60 days prior to the start date.
• There is no refund for unattended workshop time.
• We reserve the right to alter the program, but all changes will be made with the best interests of our culinary journey in mind.
• We highly recommend you purchase travel insurance in case of illnesses, etc.

Cancellation and change policy:

• If you do not cancel but only want to change your course date to within the next year and notify us more than 60 days prior to your arrival date, we will be happy to make the change free of charge.
• If you cancel 60 days or more prior to your arrival date, there is an administration charge of $100.
• If you cancel between 60 and 30 days you will unfortunately forfeit your $250 deposit.
• For cancellation less than 30 days prior to the arrival date there is no refund.
  

Cooking

Painting

Writing

Sketchbook / Collage

Textile Arts

Stone Sculpting

Cheese Making

Leather Tooling