In the culinary program, you’ll explore the history, culture, art, and soul behind authentic Tuscan cooking.

In the Kitchen
Learn, laugh, and cook with degreed chefs and local Italian mamas in our kitchen. Listen closely, as they share age-old Tuscan recipes passed down through generations. Share meals and discover the deep connection between Italian food and the land. We use only fresh, seasonal ingredients, grown in our organic garden or on local farms.

On the Land, On the Town
Sip local wines during private tasting and cellar tours. Take guided city excursions through Siena, Florence, and nearby villages. Shop in open produce markets. Get your hands dirty in our organic herb and vegetable gardens. Hunt for white truffles and mushrooms. Taste honey at a beekeeper’s farm. Help make ricotta and pecorino cheese at a Sardinian shepherd’s cottage. And those adventures are just the beginning.

Details
• Everyone is welcome in our kitchen - from novice cooks to seasoned chefs.
• Our menu changes weekly, based on fresh ingredients available at the time.
• Vegetarian courses are available. In fact, original Tuscan dishes were primarily vegetarian, as meat was considered a festival food.
• A minimum of four people is required for this program.

CULINARY PROGRAM: Sample Itinerary

Day 1: Meet your host at the Siena train station at 5:30 pm, followed by a 30-minute scenic drive to Villa Ferraia. Settle into your rooms, then enjoy a welcome drink, orientation, and dinner.

Day 2: Participate in a cooking demonstration with the chef in the morning, then indulge in the fruits of your labor for lunch. After lunch, travel to San Gimignano, a medieval village famous for its many towers. Take a walking tour and have dinner at a local restaurant.

Day 3: Take a morning cooking class, followed by lunch at Villa Ferraia. Spend the afternoon in Siena. With its ancient fortified walls still standing, many consider Siena the most beautiful city in Italy. Have dinner at a local restaurant and then enjoy a walking tour and wine tasting at the Enoteca Italiana.

Day 4: Visit Montalcino, famous for Brunello wine. Enjoy lunch and a wine tasting at the Fortezza di Montalcino. Wander the meandering hilly streets and shop. Tour an olive press, complete with olive and oil tasting. Tour the museum in Murlo, housing many Etruscan artifacts, then dine at a local restaurant.

Day 5: Partake in a pecorino cheese-making demonstration at the home of a Sardinina shepherd in Radicondoli. Taste various cheeses and have lunch at his home. Dinner is served at Villa Ferraia.

Day 6: Hike through the forests surrounding Villa Ferraia and visit the organic vegetable and herb garden with the chef. Harvest your lunch, then cook and enjoy your meal in the garden. A honey tasting follows the meal. Take a late-afternoon cooking class at Villa Ferraia and enjoy a delicious farewell dinner.

Day 7: Transfer to the Siena train station following breakfast.