Come learn traditional Neapolitan cooking from a Napoletana Mamma who learned her secrets from her Napoletana Mamma! Nothing could be more authentic than this. We are not talking about cooking with a famous chef in a splendid palace, but being invited into the home of Mamma, who will coddle you with her generosity and send you away with her home-cooking 'casareccia' secrets to last you a lifetime of great meal preparation. Starting with a visit to a lively local market, she will tell you about the best ingredients and the key to simple recipes that everyone in your family will love. During the Grand Tours of the 1800s, Naples became famous for its'Macaroni Eaters'. Children and adults were seen blissfully eating the street food spaghetti with their hands, inspiring countless postcards in the 19th and 20th centuries. Naples was already famous for its food in ancient Greek and Roman times and the kingdoms of Spain and France influenced it as invaders came and went. Fresh vegetables, hard and soft cheeses and seafood all make great contributions to its cuisine. Handmade gnocchi potato dumplings, fresh pastas and rice are strong components of Neapolitan cuisine, as well as fresh tomato, vegetable or ragu meat sauces.

Beans and pasta, eggplant parmesan and minestrone soup come from the strong tradition of poverty cooking which is still very popular today. And of course there is the pizza! Handed down by the ancient Romans who used pizza ovens exactly like those of today, the pizza is not just a tradition but a binding fabric of the culture. Squid, octopus, shrimp, and shellfish are also very popular, and anchovies, ciechenielli (tiny baby fish) and bacala (salt cod) play a vital role. Pasta alla Genovese is one of the most unusual dishes to be found, with slowly cooked onions and beef making a delectable sweet and savory sauce. Combine a selection of these classic dishes with traditional Neapolitan desserts and you have a menu made in heaven to take home to your loved ones!

Every town has its food secrets and Naples is full of them. In ancient times street food was common, with vendors setting up stands and shop fronts selling food to go, and Naples maintains this tradition today. Let us guide you through its labyrinthian ancient streets where tiny street food stands sell famous fried foods such as golden breaded mozzarella balls, stuffed potato balls rolled in breadcrumbs,'sciurilli';zucchini flowers fried in a batter, and 'scagliozzi';fried slices of delicious polenta. There are also deep-fried rice, tomato and cheese balls and 'pastacresciute';fried bread dough balls. Pizza is sold all over Naples but we'll show you where to find the best, and exactly when to arrive in order to avoid the insane crush to get a piece. The simple Margherita, famed for its delightful marriage of fresh tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and basil, is the most popular. On the more sophisticated side is the artisan caffe of Naples, said by Italians to be the best in Italy. Try a thick, rich and creamy espresso or cappuccino at the best bar in the city, accompanied by one of the most delicious pastries you will ever taste, the crispy sfogliatelle, filled with perfectly sweetened fresh ricotta cheese and citrus zest.

Follow this up with a traditional liqueur or a gelato in a historic setting and you will be set! Your guide and culinary host will give you the fascinating history of Naples and its rich culinary traditions, and teach some Neapolitan dialect, creating an unforgettable experience.

Our food and wine and Amalfi culture expert will pick you up in the morning for an intimate tour of the riches of the local cultural and culinary traditions. You will visit the places where the locals go, starting a trip to gather needed ingredients for a midday meal in an Italian home up above Amalfi in a residential neighborhood. We'll stop by the butcher shop and the fish monger and then go find Mario in his traveling fruit and vegetable truck. At each stop you will learn about local ingredients, how they are used and how to cook like an Amalfitano. We'll make a stop at a local bar for a midmorning espresso break and witness some local dialogue with the barman and neighbors to get a sense of the community. We will then stop at the local shepherd, Gregorio's, for some fresh and sublimely aged cheese and visit the little market for an extra bottle of local wine. Next we make our way "home" to our house on the hill to prepare our midday meal. Donning your apron and with paring knife or wooden spoon in hand, you'll learn some of the tricks of the trade in preparing a sumptuous Italian meal.

Depending on the weather, we will eat out on the terrace overlooking the mediterranean or gathered around the fire, upon which we may even cook much of the meal. After dessert and limoncello, maybe another caffe', we'll take a short stroll in the neighborhood down to the end of the road for a remarkable view of Amalfi from on high. Then it's time to wind down the mountain, back onto the Amalfi Coast drive for your return to your hotel.

Nestled along the turquoise blue waters of the Amalfi Coast, this charmng town is fun to explore and holds many delights. It also holds many secrets! With your guide you will stop at the cafe most revered by locals for its delicious pastries. After this you will learn about the artisan products of Amalfi including a hand made paper maker and a producer of Limoncello, the famous liqueur of Amalfi. Sampling will of course be in order! On to the historic site of the Duomo, the medieval Cathedral in honor of St. Andrew, with its beautiful mosaics. A lunch break will be taken at a famous hotel with a panoramic view from its terrace, featuring excellent traditional foods of the region. Your guide will explain the cuisine so that you will know what to order during the rest of your trip. Before lunch you will see the chefs at work and taste a couple of seafood fritters, a regional specialty. The end of the day will be celebrated sipping a glass of rare organic wine locally produced in the surrounding mountains, while taking in a beautiful view of the sea.

Tuscany is renowned for its wine, cheese and artisan products. What better way to spend a day than touring the Tuscany countryside while eating, drinking and enjoying gorgeous views? This scenic drive takes you to Pienza via the cheese route. Pienza, the home of the famous Pecorino Toscano cheese, was also the first ideal Renaissance city to become a reality. We’ll wind along picturesque streets past travertine palaces, stop in shops showcasing gourmet delicacies including wines from Montalcino, Montepulciano and Buonconvento and, of course, sample the famous local Pecorino. On our way out of Pienza, we will visit a rural Pecorino cheesemaker where the farm will be toured and your guide will explain how Pecorino is made. You will get to meet the local farmers and savor this bold and delicious cheese. We'll then drive to the famous town of Montalcino where we will visit a traditional cantina to taste Brunello di Montalcino, one of the noblest of Italian wines. Of course our day would not be complete without trying some Brunello, Rosso di Montalcino and Super Tuscans and experiencing exquisite Tuscan food at a charming enoteca before the return trip.

This tour can be designed as a way to get from one part of Tuscany to another or as a full-day trip from Rome or Florence. Just let us know what you prefer;we can make arrangements for you to be chauffeured to your next Tuscan destination if you'd like.

Italy is known for its incredible food and the Tuscan region is understandably famous for its traditional culinary specialties - from the special DOC Lard of Colonata, to cheeses aged in Etruscan caves, from special salamis such as Finocchiona to bread and tomato soup, from wild boar ragu to roasted porcini mushrooms, and from truffles shaved over home-made pasta to wild grilled asparagus; there is no end to this regions mouth watering specialties! Regarding wine, there is an incredible variation between traditional and designer wines - from the earthy terroire wines of small vineyards, to the Super Tuscans and everything in between. Begin your day in Florence with a local chef at the San Lorenzo Florence Food Market to pick out the best seasonal ingredients for your private cooking lesson, to meet the sellers and producers and learn about what makes Tuscan foods and Florentine recipes unique. From here you will go to your cooking class in a Florentine home or at a local restaurant, for either a hands on lesson or demonstration- as you prefer.

Here you will learn recipes for a four course meal with wines matched to each dish. Recipes will be prepared for you to take home so you can impress your friends and family with your new skills! When in season, we will propose specialty dishes such as the Schiacciata d'uva, artichokes, truffles or porcini for instance. You will have earned the fruits of your labor in a memorable sit down meal, complete with wine, grappa and espresso.

Florence holds a unique charm due its strong ties visually and economically to the surrounding countryside. Florentines, sophisticated, yet down to earth, cultivate this relationship in order to bring out the best in artisan production of food and wine. They take their gastronomy seriously, as shown by the incredible amount of great restaurants, cafes, wine bars and osteria that offer traditional Tuscan cuisine with a modern sophistication. We have designed this tour so you can meet the producers in the market as well as the chefs who create their magic with these ingredients. We open up the secret door for you in order to highlight the special relationship between artisan producers of fine traditional products and chefs, learning about their kitchen. We start your day with our culinary guide visiting a special food market to meet individual producers, and learn about the vast wealth and variety of products ranging from the traditional to the gourmet. We will take a look at everything from the fish market and what seafood is prized in Florence, to the butchers and how meat cuts vary from what we have at home, and about traditional breeds such as the Chianina that produces the famous Fiorentina steak.

In the market you will have a tasting of artisan cured meats and cheeses, seasonal fruits and vegetables and olive oils. Then for those more adventurous, we are off to the famous tripe stand where there is always a line, to try one of the most traditional foods in Florence. We will swing by the beautiful Loggia del Pesce fish market of Vasari to see how a market looked 500 years ago. From here we will go inside a restaurant to where artistry comes in to transform the products we have seen into unforgettable specialty dishes. We will talk with the chef to find out the secrets of the kitchen. Next we will have a wine and food pairing featuring an array of dishes and the wines that go well with them.

Drink wine in a cellar that is thousands of years old, experiencing the best wine italy has to offer, in the heart of the Ancient City. From Barolo to Brunello and Amarone to Sagrantino, to wines aged in amphorae we can provide you with the most exclusive wine tasting experience for a memory of a life time. Learn about the history of wine and what makes a unique wine. We will choose an exclusive selection of the best vintages and most excellent producers. We select wine makers who work tirelessly, sometimes in extreme conditions who create boutique, authentic, traditional wines that bring out the best in Terriore. We will tailor make our selection to your desires. We can arrange vertical tastings, or tastings of four or five bottles of Italy's top wines. If you have a special request, we will provide it. Otherwise you can let us make the choices for you. We will provide the perfect accompaniment to the wines in a carefully selected assortment of antipasti, meant to bring out the highlights of each wine. This wine tasting is held in an exclusive location, chosen as the perfect accompanyment to exclusive wines.

The Slow Food City of Orvieto towers over the Umbrian plain, safe upon its steep cliffs of volcanic tufo stone. Naturally protected by this amazing geography, its mysteries are still being discovered as archeologists plumb its fifty-meter deep wells, many dug in antiquity using techniques we have yet to understand. First rising to prominence with the pre-Roman Etruscans, it still proudly carries their history forth with an Etruscan emphasis on friendship, feasts and good wine.

Home to the largest gothic cathedral in Italy, its architecture is an exquisite mix of medieval and renaissance design. As its size is completely restricted by geography, it is blessedly free of modern buildings and has a coherence rarely found in such a large town. An important economic center since Etruscan times, it boasts many artistic masterpieces, such as the frescoes in its cathedral authored by Signorelli, one of Michelangelo's most influential teachers.

These frescoes with their vision of the Apocalypse and the afterlife offer powerful and haunting evocations of the unique moment in history where Europe was beginning to climb out of centuries of darkness.

Your private sommelier and historian will meet you at your hotel and take the train with you to Orvieto which takes just over an hour. On this day-long tour of this magical city you will visit the cathedral and its magnificent Signorelli frescoes, stroll through Orvieto's many pedestrian-only streets visiting a few of the artisan boutiques selling items such as fine hand-painted pottery and woodwork for which Orvieto is justly famous. You will have a private wine tasting in an historic palace featuring an assortment of local Slow Food specialties that highlights the relationship between ancient food and wine traditions. You'll also visit the ancient underground city with its caverns and frightfully deep wells. Lunch will be at one of Orvieto's famed Slow-Food restaurants where you'll find ingredients and dishes difficult or impossible to find in nearby Rome. You'll sample unique local cheeses such as "ubriachone", a wine-aged cheese, as well as cheeses aged in Etruscan caves. Umbria is also known as the green heart of Italy for its oak and chestnut covered hills, bringing wild food in abundance such as boar salami, white or black Umbrian truffles and porcini mushrooms. The afternoon takes you on a tour of Orvieto's medieval and renaissance treasures as well as a gorgeous overlook of the Tiber valley from the city's ruined fortress.

We offer you the chance to fully explore the world of Roman Cuisine. The days starts with learning about and shopping for fresh Italian delicacies, before a hands on (or you can sit back and watch!) cooking lesson, after which you will eat a wonderful sit down meal in a Roman home. We can either take you to a large market or to several small family-run gourmet Italian food shops to buy the freshest, most delicious ingredients made in the traditional Roman way. These shops include local vegetable markets, a wine enoteca, a bakery, a fresh pasta shop, a cheese shop and deli. You will learn about a wide variety of classic foods and wines and how to order them. You can shop to take ingredients back home with you as well!

Then we are off to our chef's kitchen where we will prepare a traditional lunch for you, speaking about traditional Italian cuisine, the ingredients used and how to prepare them while sampling some antipasti and prosecco.

The grand finale: lunch! Weather permitting we will dine on a private terrace in Rome surrounded by lush plants and a garden rarely experienced by the normal tourist. Otherwise we eat inside in a lovely dining room in your host's home.

Our menus are developed according to what is fresh and in season, and will be made to suit all dietary requirements, so please inform us ahead of time if necessary. If you are interested in specific culinary topics, let us know and we will provide you with the experience you are looking for!

This cooking tour and lunch is approximately five hours. Ingredients for the lunch and wine are included in the cost of the tour. We select excellent wines for this meal. If you would like to try a super Tuscan or a Brunello di Montalcino we can provide this experience for an extra cost. The world is your option!

Each city in Italy has its own unique dishes and traditions handed down from generation to generation. On our Rome Food Lovers Tour, we'll discover the best food in Rome, from coffee and chocolates, to pizza and gelato to deep fried artichokes as we make our way through the historic center of Rome, snacking as we learn about Roman culinary traditions, past and present, and Rome's street food. Near the Pantheon in one of Rome’s historic coffee bars you can experience the ritual of Italian coffee in Roman life, its history and benefits, and what makes a perfect espresso or cappuccino. Depending on timing we can even see a roasting demonstration. Rome is experiencing a Renaissance of mouth watering artisan chocolates found in a few boutique chocolate shops. With the passing of time and true artisans are hard to come by so this stop is a real treat! Traditional bread-making rare to find, but we'll visit an historic bread maker where we'll sample fresh from the oven pizza and learn why it is unique and famous in Rome. Our tour wouldn't be complete without a gelato at a family-run, small artiginale gelateria. Here we will have the chance to watch gelato being made while we talk about the art and history of gelato making in Italy.

Witness first hand what the most delicious and creative gelato in Rome is made from and what distinguishes it from the more readily found commercial variety. We will end our walk at the former Jewish Ghetto, where we will sample some of the scrumptious pastries and renowned fried tidbits which make up a large part of traditional Roman fare and are intrinsically tied to the longstanding Jewish community. At the end of this tour, we will grab a glass of wine and give you a list of the best coffee bars, bakeries, and gelaterias in the historic center.

For a day out of Rome featuring DOC Lazio Food and Wine, ancient and medieval history and beautiful countryside, join our sommelier and food and wine expert on a chauffeured trip to the Ernico Mountains region. Within the walled city of Anagni, the city of the popes, we will visit picturesque monuments, a cathedral featuring an underground crypt with reknowned Medievel frescos, the oratory of St. Beckett built within an ancient Roman Mithraium and take in the stunning views all around the city. Great food is to be found here, a charming fruit and vegetable market and antique shops. Anagni is a gorgeous town in Lazio that is not to be missed. When it comes to choosing a place to eat for lunch, Alatri, the best preserved town in Lazio is the place to go since it has one of the best Osteria in Lazio, Osteria Bacco e Ciacco. Known for its local, organic, fresh ingredients in a traditional Laziale kitchen with a modern twist and an excellent wine menu, it is a hard to find rare gem in small towns like this. This area is famous for the Cesanese del Piglio, Lazio's only DOCG wine.

Founded by the Hernici, who predated the Romans, Alatri features a fascinating rare acropolis from the 6th century BC and huge impressive walls , stone medieval churches dating back to the 5th c BC and charming stone streets and tiny roads. Nestled in the heart of the Hernico hills the views are breathtaking. The Ernico Hills are to be found in the south of Lazio, in the region of Frosinone, and border with Abruzzo. They are both cultural and natural treasure in Lazio with their picturesque mountains which are perfect for hiking, and birdwatching, skiing. There are 16 historical towns that make up the mountain community.The area is named after a pre-Roman culture that once resided in the area, the Hernico, who were eventually assimilated and swallowed into the Roman empire. Recently the cantina of Marcus Aurelius was discovered here- so people have been coming to this area for millennia for wine and food!

On this tour Elizabeth Minchilli, the author of six books on Italy, who has written for over 40 magazines including Food & Wine, Saveur and Bon Appetit, will lead you on an intensive, food-packed exploration of Rome’s most loved food traditions. While eating and drinking the entire way, of course.

Here is a description of your day: Meet Elizabeth for a cappuccino and cornetti, and start your wonderful conversation about food in Rome. You will start off with a lesson in making a perfect Cappucino! Elizabeth will give you a brief run down on the city’s culinary history and what sets it apart from other Italian regions. You will learn about specific Roman dishes, ingredients and festivals, as well as what defines Roman cooking and what you should look for, and enjoy, while you’re here.



Your first stop is a century-old cookie factory, in the heart of Trastevere where you will learn about the Roman traditions of biscotti, and sample both cookies and cakes, like Brutti Ma Buoni (ugly but good), Torta alla Ricotta (ricotta cake) and Lingue di Gatti (cat’s tongues). Next you'll take a trip across the river to Rome’s Jewish Ghetto. Here you will learn what defines Roman Jewish cuisine, and have a quick demonstration of either Carciofi alla Giudea (deep fried Artichokes) or Fiori Fritti (Stuffed deep fried Zucchini Flowers) depending on the season. With a stop by a traditional Jewish bakery, you will get to taste several unique and historic sweets made only there, including the sweet “jewish pizza. Another quick stop at a local bakery will provide the opportunity to try osse, (bones), and rosette two typical Roman breads and learn about their traditions. Roscioli bakery is considered to be one of the best in the city, and their Pizza Bianca, made with a centuries old starter, is unique. We’ll not only taste this delicious pizza, but get a tour of the bakery. Campo de’ Fiori has one of Rome’s oldest markets, and certainly it’s most beautiful. Here we’ll stroll - and graze – our way through the stalls, exploring seasonal local produce and how it influences Roman cooking. Next stop: Norcineria Viola's pork heaven. This store has been specializing in cured meats for over a century. Salamis, prosciutti, sausages, pancetta and guanciale hang from the ceiling and cover every surface of this shop. We’ll choose a few things to nibble on while we have our aperitivo before lunch. With a stop at an outside café (weather permitting) for an aperitivo, as you sip prosecco, Campari or spritz, we’ll nibble our goodies from Viola while Elizabeth tell's you a little about Italian cocktails and aperitivi. One of the most important parts of the day is Lunch: it’s hard to choose where to eat, so we’ll let you decide. You can choose from:

-A Working Class Trattoria: Paper covered tables, with dishes like Carbonara and gnocchi, followed by coda alla vacinara, pollo alla caciatora or other Roman specialities. Big hearty portions of simple, delicious, Roman cooking.

or

-An Enoteca: Located on the ground floor of a palazzo, this restaurant has one of Rome’s best cellars. You can either choose from the list yourself, or the sommelier can lead us on a tasting to accompany the menu.

After all this eating (and drinking) we’ll need a pick-me-up, so will head to one of Elizabeth's favorite Torrefazione for an excellent café. Rome is currently in the throws of a gelato renaissance. We’ll visit one of the best, that uses artisanal ingredients to craft some of the creamiest gelato in town!

Hop on a train from the big city of Rome to the lovely historic town of Frascati for a delightful escape to the countryside. Your guide will meet you at the station in Frascati to take you on a wonderful visit to this ancient grape growing region of the Ancient Romans. For thousands of years the wine has been flowing from this area, made from grapes of the vines growing in rich volcanic soils of the Castelli Romani area, famous for its wine, local cuisine and medieval towns. This region has grown in importance over the last decade for the local vintners who are making interesting and complex wines, as well as the table wine for Roman restaurants. It is also famous for its great food and tiny historic cantinas where you feel you have left the modern world behind. Escape like the ancient Romans did to this lush and cool area which rises above Rome, and is filled with large villas of the nobility, charming piazzas, and historic cantinas. Here you can try artisan breads, pastries and pizzas as well as porchetta, a roast pork made from an ancient Roman traditional recipe that is famous all over italy, and many more specialties of the region!

Great for everyone from the wine novice to the oenophile, this tour is for wine lovers who want to have a fun night out, and experience an authentic Roman atmosphere in the beautiful historic center of Rome. You will visit two distinct enotecas- The first is the oldest in Rome, and gives an idea of a traditional rustic 'Vino-Olio' locale, before the modern invention of the enoteca. Walking cobblestone streets you will arrive at the second, more modern locale, which gives a great sense of how the wine bar has developed over time. Both feature great atmospheres and have excellent selections of wine. Your sommelier~historian will guide you through a selection of wines from the most important wine making regions of Italy explaining the history of wine making and its traditional and modern developments. You will enjoy five full glasses of wine from the most important wine making regions, from North to South and come to know your own personal preferences for wines, where they are from and how to buy them. Understand what makes Italian wines distinctive from others and how Terroir, or the land makes the wine.

Your sommelier will select an assortment of antipasti, featuring the best Slow Food seasonal products of the region including salumi and cheeses, all chosen as the best accompaniment to each of the wines, and at another you can experience a Roman appertivo selection of foods. Most people do not need dinner after this great experience! The cost of wines and antipasti are included in the tour.

This history and wine tour begins by exploring the Subura, as it was known in ancient Roman times, and today known as the neighborhood of Monti. We will take a tour of the first suburb of Rome, dating back over two millenia! This charming historic neighborhood today features ancient ruins, artisan shops, traditional restaurants, a beautiful piazza and fountain and wonderful food and wine bars. To make it even more enticing, there is an enormous amount of fascinating history to explore, ranging from topics such as brothels and convents, Julius Caesar and the infamous Borgias to World War II hideouts and Nobel-prize winning scientists. Along the way we will pop into a variety of enotecas where you can experience wine tasting and food pairing featuring the wines of Lazio which are making headlines today, and learn about how and why the ancient Romans made this region's vineyards famous millennia ago. We will try some delicious seasonal dishes, prepared to enhance the wine tasting experience, including recipes dating back to the time of Julius Caesar who once lived in this neighborhood.

Have you ever been some where that embeds itself in your memory forever because it is so perfect? Come to Podere Calzone for just that kind of experience, a stimulation to all the senses with its beautiful views, vineyards and gorgeous villa, to the delicious smells of rising dough, roasting meats, and other culinary delights. Hear the sounds of the countryside, from the sweet bird songs to the occasional braying of the donkey from across the valley. Taste the wines made from the vineyard, visit the cantina for a wine tasting and tour the lovely grounds of this private home, opened to you, for an amazing Umbrian cooking experience.

Your host will welcome you with a tour of the property to see her vineyard, pick produce from the organic garden and tour her lovely home, featured in Bon Appetite and Italian Rustic. Off to the kitchen for a hands on cooking class with Paula, the best cook in Umbria, in a wonderful kitchen. Anything that you want to cook is at your fingertips with this extraordinary, down to earth chef.

From hearty soups like pasta and fagioli beans to a light tomato and bread panzanella; Wheat berry salads to Arugula and Bresaola; appetizers such as Deep Fried Sage Leaves or an assortment of battered and deep fried vegetables; Hand made Pizzas in a wood fired pizza oven to Chianina Beef Steaks grilled over wood charcoals; Handmade pastas from Fresh Tagliatelle with Umbrian black truffles to Gnocchi dumplings with a Duck Ragu; Eggplant parmesan to Wild Asparagus; Crostata with home made marmelade to Tortino al Ciocolato with fudge pudding inside. We will send you a full list of possibilities or you can leave it up to the cook. Everything is always based on seasonality.

This is not a class, but an experience to never forget! With the visit to the cantina to sample the earthy Sangiovese wines the owner produces will be a tasting of delicious accompaniments made on site such as marmelades, jams, stuffed cherrypeppers. At lunch the wine will flow and after wards a delicious grappa or walnut liqueur made on the premises will be tasted. For those who just want to relax there is an infinity pool, chairs and umbrellas for lazing.

After the extraordinary lunch an afternoon chauffeured trip will be organized with a guide. Choices range from: a private visit to an enormous historic underground cantina in a tiny borgo; Shopping for artisan pottery in Deruta; Shopping for hand woven traditional textiles in Montefalco; A visit to the stunning hilltop town of Orvieto; a tour of local artisan producers of excellent Umbrian culinary products; A visit to the historic city of Perugia; A visit to the beautiful hilltop town of Todi; a Garden Tour of La Scarzuola, Bomarzo, Villa Lante, or La Caprarola. A full list of possibilities is available in the More Info box.

Come to Podere Calzone for the ultimate in pizza making experience. Not just a cooking class, this is a stimulation to all the senses with beautiful views, vineyards around this gorgeous villa. Smell the delicious scent of rising dough, and indulge sfizzi, delicious fried antipasti, which you will learn to make while the dough is rising. Hear the sounds of the countryside, from the sweet bird songs to the occasional braying of the donkey from across the valley. Taste the wines made from the vineyard, visit the cantina and tour the lovely grounds of this private home, opened to you, for an amazing Umbrian cooking experience.

Your host will welcome you with a tour of the property to see her vineyard, pick produce from the organic garden and tour her lovely home, featured in Bon Appetite and Italian Rustic. Off to the kitchen for a hands on cooking class with Paula, the best cook in Umbria in a wonderful country kitchen with all the modern accoutrements. You will learn to make home made pizza dough, appetizers such as Deep Fried Sage Leaves and an assortment of battered and deep fried vegetables.

Next learn the secret to hand made pizzas with fresh local ingredients, cooked in a wood fired pizza oven. Even dessert will consist of pizza with a delicious chocolate and hazelnut filling. We will send you a full list of possibilities or you can leave it up to the cook. Everything is always based on seasonality and any menu can be changed to meet your dietary needs.

This is not just a cooking class, but an experience to never forget! With the visit to the cantina to sample the earthy Sangiovese wines the owner produces will be a tasting of delicious accompaniments made on site such as marmelades, jams, stuffed cherrypeppers. At lunch the wine will flow and after wards a delicious espresso, grappa limoncello and walnut liqueur made on the premises will be tasted.

This privately catered lunch or dinner will become part of your most favored memories forever. You will be welcomed to Podere Calzone for an unparalleled dining experience, a stimulation to all the senses. The setting: A beautiful Villa in the green heart of Italy with evocative views of the surrounding hills dotted with ancient ruins, olive orchards and vineyards~In one word idyllic. You will be hosted at this gorgeous rustic, yet refined villa, greeted with a welcome drink and antipasto on the terrace. Once settled in, your charming hostess will take you on a tour of the lovely grounds with olive orchard, Sangiovese vineyard, organic garden and cantina and recount the history of her creation. In the cantina you will meet your sommelier for a vertical tasting of the best Sagrantino Red and Grechetto white wines for which Umbria is justly famous, paired with delicious antipasti. From here you will be taken to a vine covered pergola or in the beautiful dining room for a five course lunch or dinner featuring the seasonal DOCG culinary delights of the region.

A sample of some of the delights of the chef- tiny crepes filled with leeks and porcini mushrooms, puff pastry filled with home made sausage, mushrooms and truffled besciamella, thinly sliced carpaccio with the house olive oil, perfectly grilled Chianina Beef Steaks from a local organic farm, exquisite roast organic duck, the most delightful preparations of organic vegetables from the garden, lovingly handmade breads including olive, walnut and cheese, home made pastas such as delicate shells stuffed with wild boar ragu or hand made gnocchi. And then there are the desserts: Tiny chocolate cake tortina with hot fudge pudding inside, Beignet stuffed with fresh zabiaone, or a light and delicious Mimosa cake. Hear the sounds of the countryside, from the sweet bird songs to the occasional braying of the donkey from across the valley. During your dinner you will indulge in the wines from the vineyard as well as the best DOCG wines of the region, followed by grappa and homemade limoncello and other liqueurs.

Your hostess has created this paradise over 20 years and is unparalleled in her abiity to create a setting of fairy tale dimensions. Her home has been featured in Bon Appetite and Italian Rustic.

Have you ever been some where that embeds itself in your memory forever because it is so perfect? Come to Podere Calzone for just that kind of experience, a stimulation to all the senses with its beautiful views, vineyards and gorgeous villa, to the delicious smells of rising dough, roasting meats, and other culinary delights. Hear the sounds of the countryside, from the sweet bird songs to the occasional braying of the donkey from across the valley. Taste the wines made from the vineyard, visit the cantina for a wine tasting and tour the lovely grounds of this private home, opened to you, for an amazing Umbrian cooking experience.

Your host will welcome you with a tour of the property to see her vineyard, pick produce from the organic garden and tour her lovely home, featured in Bon Appetite and Italian Rustic. Off to the kitchen for a hands on cooking class with Paula, the best cook in Umbria, in a wonderful kitchen. Anything that you want to cook is at your fingertips with this extraordinary, down to earth chef.

From hearty soups like pasta and fagioli beans to a light tomato and bread panzanella; Wheat berry salads to Arugula and Bresaola; appetizers such as Deep Fried Sage Leaves or an assortment of battered and deep fried vegetables; Hand made Pizzas in a wood fired pizza oven to Chianina Beef Steaks grilled over wood charcoals; Handmade pastas from Fresh Tagliatelle with Umbrian black truffles to Gnocchi dumplings with a Duck Ragu; Eggplant parmesan to Wild Asparagus; Crostata with home made marmelade to Tortino al Ciocolato with fudge pudding inside. We will send you a full list of possibilities or you can leave it up to the cook. Everything is always based on seasonality.

This is not just a cooking class, but an experience to never forget! With the visit to the cantina to sample the earthy Sangiovese wines the owner produces will be a tasting of delicious accompaniments made on site such as marmelades, jams, stuffed cherrypeppers. At lunch the wine will flow and after wards a delicious espresso, grappa limoncello and walnut liqueur made on the premises will be tasted.

Traditional Venetian cooking is simple and based on local products including fish from the lagoon and vegetables and game. With relatively few ingredients, it has created a large variety of dishes and flavors thanks to cultural influences such as those from the East with their unique ingredients and flavors (seen in the use of many different spices such as pepper, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg) and the incredible variety in the preparation of rice. You will learn a five course menu based on seasonal ingredients.

Spend a half day cooking with this amazing professional chef who will teach you traditional Venetian cuisine with a delightful twist in her beautiful palazzo. Tie on your apron and get ready for an authentic experience in a Venetian kitchen! You'll start by shopping in the local outdoor markets for in season delights before returning to your chef's apartment for a wonderful hands on lesson on Venetian cooking. You'll savor a glass of prosecco (italian champagne) and nibble on antipasti while preparing your lunch all the while talking about Venetian food specialities that make Venetian cuisine unique from that of the rest of italy.

When you finish cooking, you'll sit down and enjoy the fruits of your labor accompanied by specially selected, local wine. You will come home with a packet of recipes to impress your friends with, to bring a bit of lovely Venice back with you.

Menus vary according to the time of year and are based on what is fresh at the market that day. Please let us know at the time of booking if you have dietary restrictions or special menu requests. All culinary classes can be customized for you and we love to design specialty menus such a Renaissance Cooking, vegetarian menus or strictly seafood, appetizers or desserts. We're happy to accommodate and make your cooking experience unforgettable!

Traditional Venetian cooking is simple and based on local products including fish and shellfish from the Veneto lagoon and vegetables and game. With relatively few ingredients, it has created a large variety of dishes and flavors thanks to cultural influences such as those from the French and the East with their unique ingredients and flavors (seen in the use of many different spices such as pepper, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg) and the incredible variety in the preparation of rice.

Spend your morning at the famous Rialto Market, one of the most ancient in the world, where you shop for local Venetian ingredients with a wonderfully talented and personable local Venetian chef . Here you will learn how to select and cook fabulous meat and vegetable dishes and how to identify the freshest fish and seafood for dishes that will stay with you forever. You will be taken by boat along the Grand Canal and across the Venice Lagoon to Chef Marika's lively Venetian Liberty style villa on the Lido Island, where she will teach you how to make a five course traditional Venetian meal with a delightful modern twist.

Tie on your apron and get ready for an authentic experience in a Venetian kitchen! You'll savor a glass of prosecco (italian champagne) and nibble on antipasti while preparing your lunch all the while talking about Venetian food specialities that make Venetian cuisine unique from that of the rest of italy. When you finish cooking, you'll sit down and enjoy the fruits of your labor in a five course lunch accompanied by specially selected, local wine. You will be given printed recipes to take home so that you can impress your family and friends and always have a part of Venice specially close to you.

In the city of Venice wine is definitely more popular than water, in fact an average of 50.000 glasses of wine are served every day in local wine bars! A long time ago Venice imported new grapes from the island of Crete in Greece and since then vineyards have became a feature of the Veneto landscape. Today our Region holds a national record with 53 million gallons of wine produced every year! 

Your sommeliere will involve you in the session, and ask you about your sensations and impressions about wine. She will help you to discover the true spirit of the land it comes from, give you information about its history and its organic characteristics, its versatility in matching local food, and a selection of the best reasonably priced wines and where to buy them in Venice.

Each tasting will take place in a typical "Osteria" or wine bar chosen for the quality of the wines and food products. We will also stop at a traditional Bacaro, a small standing room only wine bar with white or red, serving delicious traditional cichetti antipasti.

The tasting lasts two hours and includes three glasses of Veneto and Friuli Venezia-Giulia Doc -quality- wines, a selection of fresh cheeses with vegetables or a dish of mixed Venetian appetizers. This tour is designed for both beginners and connoisseurs and will be adopted to your level of experience.

Are you crazy about Venetian style seafood dishes? Take the chance to experience the whole process, step by step, from raw to cooked fish with the help of local experts! In the morning your guide will take you to the Rialto fish market to discover what seasonal fish is available, how to distinguish farm raised from fresh catch, how large the variety of local seafood is, which are the most common species in the Adriatic and the Mediterranean Sea and why each is so delicious.

We will take a gondola-ferry (this is the exciting moment when you can choose to stand in the boat like a local or sit like a visitor!) across the Grand Canal where a renowned restaurant is located, "Al Fontego dei Pescatori", owned and run by Loris Manna, President of the Rialto fishmongers. While you are shown how to properly clean and cook a fresh fish, Loris and Chef Massimo will be pleased to answer your questions, explaining how to transform a traditional Venetian recipe into a creative work of art.

You will also learn about the general rules in pairing seafood with local Doc wines, which regional wines are worth buying and where you can find them in the city.

Can you ask for anything more? Of course! To complete the experience - a four course seafood meal at the same restaurant, created especially for you and at a special price, to be enjoyed after the tour or for dinner on the evening of that same day. As a starter you will taste a Mixed Adriatic Seafood dish including Lagoon crab, Baby octopus, Whipped Venetian cod and Shrimps, followed by Homemade egg Noodles with Scampi and Peas or Asparagus sauce" and as a main course "Fresh Sea bass fillet with Vegetable Ratatouille. At the end of the day you will have the insiders view of the wonderful world of fish and will have had an amazing fresh fish and wine culinary experience.

Arrive at a 17th century Venetian palace on the Grand Canal for a private wine tasting with an historian-sommelier. Located in the center of Venice between the Accademia Bridge and Piazza San Marco, the views of the canal reveal Venice in all her splendor. Ascend into the main reception room of the palace via the grand staircase, where your guide will show you the beautifully decorated rooms, furnished in traditional Venetian style, and tell you about the history of the family who created it. Find out what it is like to live like the past kings and queens that inhabited this historical palace. After this you will move to the grand dining room graced with a beautiful chandelier where your wine tasting features DOC Veneto and Friuli region wines. The normal wine tasting consists of a guided tasting of four glasses of wine for each participant, usually one white, two reds and a sweet one, produced in the Veneto and the Friuli Region or in a gifted Italian area. We can customize the tour for you if you prefer whites or reds. Each wine will be served with the appropriate food to enhance its special qualities, such as cheese, cold cuts, and Venetian cookies.