My husband and I spent a week in June at Casa Ombuto learning to cook and learning about Italian life and culture. I echo everything that has been said by others — the staff, food, wine, and accomodations were all top notch. We’ve been blessed with a lot of amazing travel experiences over the years, but our week at Casa Ombuto really stands out because we are able to apply what we learned back at home. (Our friends keep insisting that we cook for them!)

Paola is not just a talented chef, but also a talented teacher who tailored her approach to each of us individually. Perhaps the highest compliment that I can pay is that she made cooking fun and approachable. Claudia, thank you for being such a wonderful host and for ensuring that we were comfortable and having a great time. We are really looking forward to our next visit and class! THANK YOU to the whole Casa Ombuto team.

A few suggestions:
1) rent a car — Poppi is a very small village and you’ll want to be able to explore on your own
2) it is a 90 minute drive from Casa Ombuto to Florence, Montepulciano, and other areas in Tuscany — if you want to spend time in Florence, suggest going there before or after your time at Casa Ombuto
3) the hike in the national park was fantastic and I would have been happy to stay longer or go back - in hindsight I wish that we had spent our free day hiking in the mountains there
4) check out the castle in Poppi!
5) everything was very casual, pack fewer dressy clothes than you think!

Please also read this full review on TripAdvisor