Chianti, Cheese & Cordon Bleu

Cooking and Walking in Tuscany
May 22-27, 2008
A 6 Day Tour of the Countryside and Cuisine of Tuscany
$2195  9-10 travelers
$2495  6-8 travelers
Single Supplement $700
This is a small group tour, with a maximum of only 10 travelers!

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Come walk with us as we reveal the secrets of Tuscany’s incredible cuisine.  During this hands-on experience we’ll learn a variety of styles from a variety of local cooks.  We’ll roll up our sleeves with an Italian housewife in her farmhouse kitchen nestled in the olive groves, rub elbows with the locals in a bustling street produce market, work with a professional chef in one of Florence’s most famous cooking schools, learn unique recipes and techniques at an historic estate, and even make our own cheese on a working sheep farm!  In between we’ll have a few easy walks to enjoy the stunning springtime Italian countryside of wildflowers, olive groves and vineyards.  Like all of our Lost in Italy trips, we’ll hang out with the locals, enjoy the wines, feast on the food, and “go native” as we explore some of Italia’s best “off-the-beaten-path” areas.

Day 1
Thursday, May 22
Radda in Chianti

You should plan to arrive by midday in the charming little town of Radda, ensconced on a panoramic ridge in the heart of the Chianti landscape.  Radda, also called the “vineyard village” is an enchanting medieval village embraced by ancient walls and full of alleyways and tunnels.  The town is also famous as the center of production for Chianti Classico wines.  Our home for then next few days is the four-star Palazzo San Niccolo, built in 1400 and among one of the most beautiful buildings in Radda. Antique décor, frescoes, and elegant furnishings harken back to the days when it truly was a palazzo.

This evening our group will meet for a “get-acquainted” wine tasting of the area’s very special vintages.  Afterwards we’ll stroll to one of our favorite local haunts for a wonderful meal.  Tuscan cuisine is considered among Italy’s best, featuring a wide array of cheeses, pastas, meats, herbs and fresh vegetables.  Simple recipes and time-honored techniques are the tradition here, with an emphasis on seasonal local produce.  An after-dinner cappuccino in a sidewalk café will be the perfect end to your first day in Italia.

Another Awesome A+ Adventure!

Linda Miller
Rochester, MN
miller.linda@mayo.edu

For more testimonials, click here

Day 2
Friday, May 23
Querceto, Castellina

After breakfast this morning we’ll use our small private coach to go to the nearby farm of Querceto, near the town of Castellina .  Querceto has been a working farm since the 16th century, and owned by the Di Battista family since 1940.  Not only do Laura Di Battista and her son Jacopo produce their own olive oil, but they also bottle a Chianti Classico wine that is considered excellent in an area known for its great wines. 

We’ll warm up today with a easy morning walk around the Querceto farm and vineyards, learning about how grapes and olives are cultivated from Jacopo.  Then we’ll accompany Laura to the farm market in the nearby town of Castellina to learn first-hand how to choose good Tuscan produce.  Then back to Querceto farm and our first day of cooking.  Put on the aprons, roll up the sleeves…but first, pour a glass of wine…THEN, start cooking!  Laura will teach us how to prepare a full Tuscan farm meal, using all the recipes and techniques passed down through the generations of her family.  After all our hard work we’ll be treated to a heavenly meal on the veranda overlooking the olive groves.  As the saying goes…It doesn’t get much better than this!

This afternoon we’ll return to Radda and have the rest of the evening free to wander and explore all the fascinating streets and shops of this enchanting hamlet.  Radda features several wonderful restaurants, and your biggest decision tonight will be which one to choose!

Day 3
Saturday, May 24
Firenze, Cordon Bleu

After breakfast today our coach will whisk us into nearby Florence for a very special experience…whereas yesterday we learned Tuscan farm cooking, today we explore another end of the culinary spectrum and work with professional chefs Cristina and Gabriella at the Culinaria Cordon Bleu in Florence.  Don’t get the wrong impression, though, even though the school is considered world-class, the chefs are fun and engaging!  You’ll laugh as much as you chop veggies while at Cordon Bleu! 

Our day will start with a lesson in how to handle the organized madness that is the Florence street market.  Afterwards, armed with our basic ingredients, we’ll don our aprons and begin to prepare a meal that will rival anything you’ve had.  The school specializes in teaching the techniques that can be applied to many dishes, with the benefit being that you can go home and use what you learned here. Your level of culinary skill will never be the same after this day at Cordon Bleu.

Best of all, we get to dine on what we cook! 

After our meal we’ll have several free hours to explore Florence (and walk off all that food!)  One of the most awe-inspiring cities in all of Europe, strolling through Florence is like walking in an art history book come to life.  The sights, smells, and sounds of this wonderful medieval place have got to be experienced first-hand.  Birthplace of the Renaissance, Florence is home to some of the world’s best art museums, including the Uffizzi.  Michangelo, Da Vinci, Dante, Petrarch, Giotto and Machiavelli all left important works in this city.  For many, though, the real draw to Florence is its world-class shopping! Designers from all over Italy are here, from the well known (and pricey) to the up-and-coming (and reasonable). 

After wandering the cobblestone streets of Florence for a few hours, our coach will meet us (and our packages) and transport us through the scenic Tuscan countryside to a little-visited area known as the Crete Senesi.  Characterized by golden sunbaked hills, rolling wheat fields, steep ravines and warm landscapes, the Crete is one of the most subtly beautiful areas of Italy. 

We’ll arrive just in time for dinner at our home for the rest of the trip, Belsedere Farm.  In the same family for hundreds of years, the De Gori family still lives and works on the farm.  The homestead is quite extensive, with beautiful restored villas and rooms, and over a thousand acres of fields and forest.  Under the guidance of Niccolo De Gori, grains, olives, prosciutto, salami and wines are all produced here, but they are most famous for their sheep….and of course their Pecorino cheese production!  With over 700 sheep on the property, they have plenty of raw material for cheese. 

Tonight we’ll have an excellent farm dinner featuring pasta and the wonderful ricotta cheese the farm produces, along with a hearty roast, also from the farm.  Along with dinner we’ll get a chance to taste the farm’s olive oil and Niccolo will lead us on a tasting of five, yes that’s right, five different Tuscan wines, from Nobile to Brunello.

After all this you’ll be ready to drift off to your lovely room.  If you’ve never stayed in a Tuscan farm, you’re in for a treat!  Ancient stone walls, chestnut-beamed ceilings, sturdy classic furniture and modern bathrooms are the norm.  After all the days activities you’ll sleep “come un sasso”…like a rock.

Steve,
We had a wonderful time and will never forget our trip with Lost in Italy!  I have traveled all over Europe and was always afraid of taking a “group tour”.  I would have missed out on a world of fun and meeting the locals if I had done this on my own.  You have put together a great tour and I would recommend this trip to my friends and family.  The little extras you put into this trip made it unforgettable!  We will definitely do one of your trips again.  Thank you for the memories!

Hillary and Mike Renderman
Chicago, IL

For more testimonials, click here

Day 4
Sunday, May 25
Belsedere, Pecorino

Sunrise over the Tuscan hills as viewed from a farm is not something to be missed.  Get up early, grab a cup of Italian caffe and relax.  Niccolo’s mom will also be up early, and she’ll make sure we have a farm breakfast to give us energy for our day.  Soon we’ll have to hike out to the sheep pens to start our morning chore…that is, making cheese!  Under the watchful eyes of Niccolo’s father we’ll learn, hands-on, the intricacies of making the most famous cheese of Tuscany, pecorino.  As a reward for our labors we’ll get to keep a wheel of whatever we produce!

By now we’ve worked up quite a hunger, so we’ll retire to the farmhouse for an excellent lunch featuring, that’s right, lots of cheese!  Including fresh ricotta from this mornings milking!  The farm’s kitchen is also known for its incredible baked lasagna and grilled meats, which will be much in evidence today, along with the ever-present Chianti Classico.

This afternoon (maybe after a nap?) we’ll go on a walk around the estate with Niccolo.  This is a wonderful opportunity to learn first hand from an expert just how the entire farm operates.  Niccolo is very passionate about his life’s work, and is proud to explain the nuances of wine production, the techniques of making salami, and all the other challenges a lifestyle like this can present.

Tonight the De Gori family will again treat us to a four course farm dinner, with plenty of wine to drink and of course a wonderful dolce after.  After dinner conversation and star-gazing on the patio will cap off an amazing day.  (I challenge anyone to stay up past midnight!)

Day 5
Monday, May 26
Cortona

This morning is free, you might want to sleep in, you may want to watch that magical sunrise, you might even want to help milk the sheep!  At any rate, sometime after breakfast we’ll board our small private coach for a short ride to visit the enchanting town of Cortona.  Magnificently situated, with olives and vineyards creeping up to its walls, one of tuscany’s prettiest villages commands sweeping views over Lago Trasimeno and the plain of Valdichiana. 

Compared to many other tuscan towns, Cortona is normally free of tourist crowds.  You’ll find no grand cathedrals, world-famous museums, or mighty monuments here, but what you will find is a delightful medieval village that retains much of its small-town atmosphere.  Winding cobblestone streets lead you to shops, churches, small museums, breathtaking views over the walls, and forgotten little streets and alleyways…all in all, a perfect village to explore and  “Get Lost” in. 

Early this afternoon we’ll return to Belsedere, because tonight a local chef will lead us on yet another culinary adventure as we prepare our own four-course farewell dinner.  Antipasto, pasta, meats, and of course the dolce! The cuisine and techniques will vary from what we’ve already learned, in order to round out our knowledge of Tuscan cooking.  And of course we’ll have all the recipes from all the cooking classes to start enjoying back home!
 
As this is our final evening in captivating Tuscany, a special energy seems to infuse the air…all of the adventures and misadventures from the previous week are re-lived and laughed about, everyone and everything is toasted, addresses and recipes are copied, and heartfelt goodbyes are exchanged with all your new lifelong friends that you made during the magical week you “Got Lost” in Italy.

Day 6
Tuesday, May 27
Arrivederci Toscana

Our “Lost in Italy” cooking and walking adventure comes to an end today after breakfast.  We will have a private transfer arranged to the train and bus station in Florence, so you will be able to make connections for your departure.  Your tour guide can help you with any plans you may have.

What’s Included on This Tour?

• 2 Nights Accommodations at San Niccolo in Radda or similar
• 3 Nights Accommodations at Belsedere or similar
• 5 Breakfasts
• 3 Lunches

               -Querceto Farm
               -Cordon Bleu in Firenze
               -Belsedere Azienda

• 4 Dinners

               -Arrival Dinner at Osteria in Radda
               -2 Group Dinners at Belsedere
               -Farewell Dinner at Belsedere

• 4 Cooking Classes (mentioned previously)

               -With Laura at Querceto Farm
               -At Cordon Bleu in Firenze
               -Dinner at Belsedere
               -Cheese Making Course at Belsedere

• 3 Wine Tastings

               -Guides Arrival Tasting
               -Querceto Farm
               -Belsedere Farm with Niccolo

• 1 Olive Oil Tasting at Belsedere
• 2 Walks

               -Farm Walk in Chianti
               -Countryside Walk in the Crete Senesi

• All entrance and sightseeing fees specified in the itinerary.
• Transportation once the tour has begun.
• Departure Transfer to Florence train and bus station.
• Completely escorted by an American Lost in Italy Tour Leader with local guides at specified sites throughout the itinerary
• Lost in Italy Apron and Wineglass
• A lifetime of unforgettable memories

What’s Not Included On This Tour?

• Airfare package
• Arrival transfers, the tour begins at the hotel in Radda on the morning of Day 1, and the tour ends at the bus or train station in Florence on the morning of Day 6. 
• Gratuities for meals, porterage, local guides, coach drivers, etc.
• Visa fees, if applicable
• Meals not specified in itinerary
• Beverages at meals unless specified in itinerary
• Trip Cancellation/Interruption and Medical Insurance (strongly recommended), call for details
• Single supplement charge, (this varies depending on availability of rooms when single room request is made)
• Items of a personal nature; phone calls, laundry, etc.