Wine and Cooking Adventure

Spring is one of the loveliest times of the year in Tuscany. Warm, sunny days lead into cool evenings, and the air is full of the scent of rosemary and jasmine beginning to bloom. The crowds of summer tourists have yet to descend on the area, so Spring visitors have the luxury of exploring the region at a leisurely pace. As the landscape reawakens in vibrant spring green, local chefs begin to plan their menus around the fresh ingredients emerging from their gardens. Join us on this unique wine and cooking adventure to see and experience Springtime in Tuscany.

Day 1

Your host will meet you at the Chusi Chianciano train station and transport you to Tenuta Santo Pietro, where you can settle into your luxurious accommodations and adjust to the relaxing pace of Tuscan country life.

Cocktails will be served in the living room around the large stone fireplace or, weather permitting, outside on the panoramic veranda. A special Welcome Dinner at Tenuta Santo Pietro will be served thereafter, where you will get to know your guide and discuss plans for the week.

Day 2

Following a leisurely breakfast, you will depart for a visit to the nearby villa and beautiful garden of La Foce. The Garden of La Foce, considered one of Italy’s most beautiful private gardens, was conceived by landscape architect Cecil Pinsent to enhance the Renaissance house and expand the spectacular view over the valley of the Orcia and Mount Amiata. The harmony between buildings, gardens, and nature makes La Foce an ideal example of Tuscany’s architectural and cultural evolution in the 20th century.

After returning to Tenuta Santo Pietro for a pecorino cheese tasting, lunch, and an afternoon rest or swim, you will take a cooking class in our onsite kitchen. You will learn to make a traditional Tuscan meal, from antipasto to dolce, completely from scratch. This hands-on class starts with a trip to our vegetable garden to pick whatever is fresh. Menu items will include the Tuscan pasta pici, traditional sauces like ragu’, and other local specialties, such as cantucci. These famous, almond-based cookies are dipped in the local sweet wine known as Vin Santo. You will receive the recipes of everything you learn to make so you can keep the tastes and memories of Tuscany alive when you return home. Enjoy the dinner you helped prepare with the group paired with Chianti wine.

Day 3

Spend the morning reading or sleeping in before you head out on a leisurely 3k hike to a nearby Vineyard. Along the way, you will travel on an ancient Roman road made of white stones and will pass among giant cypress trees that line the way. Upon arrival, you will take a tour of the vineyard and meet the winemakers of this renowned Chianti. Upon returning from the 30-minute hike back, you will enjoy lunch at TSP with wines.

In the late afternoon, after a shower and some rest, our chef will conduct a second cooking class with a special focus on learning to make traditional egg pasta. Once again, you will gather together to enjoy the dinner you helped prepare. For wine, you will pair the fresh pasta with Orcia wine.

Day 4

After two full days of the hard work of cooking and wine tasting, this will be a day of leisure. You may choose to take our shuttle to visit Pienza, the picturesque town founded by Pope Pius II in the 15th century on lands owned by his family– some say representing the world’s first example of urban planning. You may prefer to have lunch in town or to join the group for a picnic lunch at a nearby property with a wonderful view of the surrounding valley.

In the afternoon, shuttles will be available to the nearby ancient Etruscan town of Montepulciano, set nearly 2,000 feet above sea level and offering superb views over the surrounding countryside. Inside its walls and fortifications, you will find winding, hilly streets and a wealth of Renaissance-style palazzi and churches. Shop for Tuscan leather goods and cashmere along the main street or discover local artisan shops on the small vicoli around the square.

Return to Tenuta Santo Pietro in the evening for a delicious Fiorentina steak dinner paired with Super Tuscan wines.

Day 5

Depart mid-morning to explore the Crete Senesi area of Tuscany, famous for its black truffles. Crete Senesi is literally ‘Siennese clays’, and the distinctive grey coloration of the soil, so different from the rolling green hills of the rest of the region, is often described as looking like the surface of the moon. After a winding drive through the hills, you will meet your guide for the morning’s truffle hunt. Your guide and his lively hunting dogs will lead you on a walking tour through the countryside, and along the way you will learn about the art of truffle hunting, the history of the truffle business, and just what makes them so sought-after and expensive.

Upon your return to TSP, our chef will lead a cooking class using the truffles you bring back from the morning’s hunt. You will learn to prepare homemade pasta with truffles and will enjoy pairing them with a delicious Barolo.

After a rest and some downtime, you will head to Montepulciano to visit another local winery for a tour and tasting, followed by dinner back at TSP with Nobile wines.

Day 6

Start your morning at Pienza Coffee, a local coffee producer in Pienza. To achieve a perfectly blended cup of Italian coffee, you will learn how the coffee beans are roasted using oak wood and air cooling. From there, you will explore the beautiful rolling hills of the Val d’Orcia as you head to the pristine medieval town of Montalcino, where The world-renowned Brunello wine is made. After an extensive tasting of wines from various producers and a typical Tuscan lunch of cured meats and cheeses, you can explore the beautiful village and its 500-year-old medieval castle before heading back for an afternoon of leisure.

You will then be treated to a special farewell dinner at TSP in the evening, where you can exchange contact information with other guests, share photos of the trip and reminisce about your favorite moments of this unique Tuscan harvest adventure.

Day 7

Depart TSP for Chuisi/Chianciano train station or Roma Fiumicino airport.

For more information, please email us at info@tenutasantopietro.com