8 Days Tuscany Cooking & Wine Holidays in Italy

Day 1, Sunday - Arrival

• Check in at Tuscan Sun Apartments in Lucca.
• Meet the other participants in the lobby at 19:00 for aperitifs followed by welcome dinner with Chef Paolo Monti.

Day 2, Monday - Cooking class, excursion

• 11:00 Hands on cooking lesson with Chef Paolo Monti followed by lunch. This class is very important, you will start with lesson on the origins of the Cucina Italiana, the main ingredients, fresh herbs, an extra virgin olive oil seminar, explaining how extra virgin olive oil is made and taste a dozen different olive oils to recognize the differences, according to where they are produced. You will then start cooking some of the most important sauces of Italian and Tuscan cuisine. Have a light breakfast! because you will make 14 recipes and will taste all of them.
• Afternoon excursion to Lucca and guided tour of the city.
• Return to the hotel for dinner.

Day 3, Tuesday - Market visit, cooking class, wine tasting

• 08.00 Trip to see the fish and vegetable market for Italian vegetables, herbs and fruit, salami and cheeses; but mainly to learn how to recognize fresh fish and less then fresh fish! See different types of fish and what they are used for.
• Return to the hotel and start the cooking class with Italian seafood recipes.
• Dinner with local Lucchese specialties.

Day 4, Wednesday - Factory visits in Parma and Modena, experience the production of Parmigiano cheese, Prosciutto di Parma, traditional balsamic vinegar tasting

• 06:15 Breakfast.
• 06:30 Trip the Parma province to visit Parmigiano Reggiano Dairy to see the production of this totally organic and wonderful cheese, followed by tasting the finished product of course.
• You then drive to Langhirano a "Prosciutto di Parma" maker, see how prosciutto is made in a Prosciuttificio La Perla. You visit the factory and see all the steps to produce this wonderful ham, followed by lunch with prosciutto, salami etc, and homemade fresh pasta with Lambrusco wine.
• After lunch you drive to Modeana to Acetaia Malpighi and visit the barrel rooms where the original "Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale" or traditional balsamic vinegar is made - an ancient tradition going back to the Roman Times - and of course taste it!
• Return to Lucca for dinner.

Day 5, Thursday - Cooking class

• 10:00 Hands-on Tuscan cooking class about typical Tuscan cuisine. You will make crostini ai fegatini, crostini alle melanzane, panzanella: the famous Tuscan bread salad. You will make the local vegetable ravioli and a delicious aromatic meat rag from Lucca with unusual spices, for main dish arista di maiale (loin of pork with typical Tuscan herbs). For dessert you will make cantuccini also known as "biscotti".
• Afternoon is free to relax, perhaps with a bicycle trip along the river or free to walk around Lucca.
• Dinner in OU restaurant.

Day 6, Friday - Excursion, wine tasting

• 08:30 Departure for Siena. You stop over in Greve in Chianti to visit this famous village in the Chianti region.
• Visit a Chianti castle and its cellars followed by wine tasting and lunch in Greve in Chianti. After lunch you visit another winery, Paolo's favorite one.
• Return to Lucca for dinner.

Day 7, Saturday - Cooking class, farewell dinner

• 10:00 The final cooking class with Chef Paolo Monti. You will be learning how to make a proper risotto with shrimp and saffron, with porcini mushrooms, with red wine radicchio and speck, with squid ink. You will be preparing two types of traditional beef carpaccio and a buffalo mozzarella with a blended fresh tomato sauce and two desserts, semifreddo al croccantino.
• Free afternoon for shopping.
• Final farewell dinner with Chef Paolo Monti.

Day 8, Sunday - Departure

• Departure day.

Excursion to Parma and Modena for balsamic vinegar, prosciutto di Parma and Parmigiano Reggiano

Full day excursion to Chianti and Siena

Visit to the wholesale market

Guided tour of Lucca

Lucca, a wonderful art town in Tuscany, is nowadays still surrounded by the Renaissance walls that had defensive purpouses in the past and now are like a jewel box that contains all the architectural beauties set on the city plan, like gems on a tiara. Lying on the Via Francigena and hosting a very important Christian relic such as the crucifix of the Volto Santo, have been great advantages for Lucca above all during the the Middle Age. You can't miss a visit to Piazza Anfiteatro, that mantains the shape of its origins (the square was built on a Roman amphiteatre) or either to the Guinigi Tower, amazing and peculiar with the holm oaks on its top.

The park of the Serchio River creates a connection space between the town of Lucca and the river watercourse on a area of 250 hectares of width, where it is possible to go for a walk, to make excursions by foot, by bike or riding a horse, canoeing or kayaking, or even just have a break along the banks to enjoy the view of the natural beauties. There also are several recreational areas, such as football fields, archery fields, an area for playing bowls, model airplane and model car fields, as well as skateboarding ramps.

• 4 cooking classes
• 7 nights full board accommodation
• Excursion to Parma and Modena for balsamic vinegar, prosciutto di Parma and Parmigiano Reggiano
• Full day excursion to Chianti and Siena
• Visit to the wholesale market

• Airport transfers and anything not specifically mentioned in the program.