One week Italian Cooking classes in Tuscany including Olive Picking and Pressing Event for select weeks!
Cook, Harvest, and Savor Tuscany
Join us at Tuscookany for a luxurious week of hands-on Italian cooking in one of our stunning Tuscan villas. During select autumn weeks, you’ll also experience the olive harvest—pick olives straight from the trees, enjoy a traditional picnic in the fields with a rustic Italian grill prepared by Chef Franco, and watch the fresh olives being pressed the same day.
For the cooking courses offered these weeks you will be guided by one of our passionate chefs, Paola and Franco, you’ll learn to make authentic four-course Italian dinners—fresh pasta, gnocchi, pizza in a wood-fired oven, and regional specialties like wild boar with polenta or lemon pie with Italian meringue. From rolling dough to toasting bruschetta, you’ll discover that the best way to learn is by doing. And at the end of the week, you’ll head home with unforgettable memories, new skills, and your very own bottle of Tuscookany olive oil straight from the press!
Day by day
You will have afternoon cooking lessons on 4 of the days with enough time to relax and enjoy the surroundings or to do some sightseeing in the area in the mornings or on your free day. You will spend one morning picking olives, seeing them being pressed and enjoy a picnic out in the fields. A full-day culinary excursion is also included with a cheese tasting, olive oil tasting, shopping in Anghiari and wine tasting in a unique winery and its rounded off with an informal dinner back at your villa after a long but fun day.
- Arrival at Florence airport, we can arrange transfers to and from Florence airport on request.
- Check-in at the villa from 16:00 onwards
- Welcoming dinner at 20:00, introduction given by the chef and a chance to get to know each other.
- Breakfast
- Morning free to relax and enjoy the villa
- Light lunch for those who are present
- First Cooking lesson starts at 15:00
- Dinner
- Buffet breakfast
- Morning picking olives and taking them to the olive press to see the full process of creating the oil.
- Picnic lunch in the olive fields with traditional Italian grill.
- Second Cooking class – starts at 15:00
- Dinner
- Breakfast
- Departure culinary excursion
During the Italian cookery courses at Bellorcia, Casa Ombuto and Torre del Tartufo you will be taken on a full-day culinary excursion with a tour leader who speaks English fluently and will guide you to the source of Tuscan culinary specialties. It varies depending on which of our three Italian cooking schools you choose.
Bellorcia:
You will drive through the magnificant Val d'Ocria and visit Montalcino and taste the famous Brunello di Montalcino wines and have time to walk around this charming village. You will visit an authentic pecorino cheese farm in Pienza and have a chance to see how these local produce delicious Tuscan cheeses. Lunch is planned in a breathtaking location and before going back to the villa for supper you visit a Olive oil farm to taste various cold pressed extra-virgin olive oil and learn how it is made.
Casa Ombuto and Torre del Tartufo:
You will visit a wine and olive oil estate for oil and wine tasting, then pay a visit to a wine estate for a wine tasting and make your way to a cheese and meat Farm for lunch and cheese and meat tasting. After lunch you will stop in a local town for a gelato or visit a ceramic or fabric factory and then go back to your villa after an exciting, fun-filled day to have a light, informal dinner at the villa.
- Breakfast
- Morning free for sightseeing or relaxing at the villa
- Light lunch for those who are present
- Third Cooking lesson– starts at 15:00
- Dinner
- Breakfast
- Free day
On the free day, only breakfast is served. After breakfast you have the day to yourselves to do some sightseeing or just enjoy the peaceful surroundings. This is an ideal day to take a trip to Florence or Siena for shopping and sightseeing Tip: Our guide can organize and accompany your group on excursions in the area. You also have the option to stay at the villas and relax at the pool or take a soak in the Hot Tub.
Lunch and dinner reservations can be made at a restaurant of your choice.
- Breakfast
- Morning free for sightseeing or taking a walk in the countryside
- Light lunch for those who are present
- Final cooking lesson – starts at 15:00
You prepare an elaborate dinner covering all the cooking techniques you have learnt during the week and more. Presentation of food will be demonstrated.
|
