Tag: Tuscany things to do

Half day hands on session with either lunch or dinner

The Tuscan Chef offers half day cooking courses as either a morning session followed by lunch or an afternoon session followed by dinner in the comfort of your own rental home. Hands-on lessons of about 4½hours are under the guidance of a professional chef and sommelier, and are fun, informative and full of tips and tricks of the trade. You will discover and explore the tastes and textures of some of the finest Italian ingredients from fresh home-made pasta and plump potato gnocchi with their various complimenting sauces to truffles, fragrant garden Italian herbs, porcini mushrooms and wild asparagus, freshly pressed olive oil, creamy pecorino cheeses and classic Italian wines.

Discover a taste of Tuscan heaven and savour the very best in Tuscan living gathered together in the kitchen and around the table.

Journeys through history, culture and tradition

LUCCA (half day morning or afternoon)

Join our guide for a walking experience, taking you back in time to 180BC when Lucca was founded as a Roman colony.  The day will start with a stroll on top of the medievel walls (built between 1504-1645) and wind its way into the heart of the city to discover the anfiteatro, an arena shaped piazza, the church of San Michele in Foro (where Puccini began his musical career as a choirboy), the 11th century Cathedral of San Martino housing the Volto Santo, a cedar-wood crucifix said to be a true portrait of Jesus sculpted by Nicodemus, an eyewitness to the crucifixion, Matteo Civitali’s marble tabernacle the “Tempietto”, the Tomb of Illaria del Caretto (1408) by Jacopo della Quercia and Tintorettos’s “Last Supper”.   A typical Tuscan lunch is offered in one of the best restaurants in Lucca and your afternoon is at leisure to stroll, shop and discover this enchanting city for yourself or join our sommelier for a wine and olive oil tasting in the cellars of Enoteca Vanni.

Inspiring food & wine journeys around Tuscany

A CHEF’S HI-LIGHT OF LUCCA (half day morning)

A culinary journey through the winding, cobbled streets of Lucca with tastings of local produce at Roberto’s Delicatezze and Il Forno di Guisti. Visit the authentic wine-cellars of Enoteca Vanni (voted one of the top 3 wine shops in Italy) for a Tuscan wine and olive oil tasting before lunch in one of the best restaurants in town.

Tuscan Wine Tasting

Tuscan wines are famous throughout the world. Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano are just a few of the top class wines produced here. In recent years innovative, young winemakers have also started making a name for themselves producing “Supertuscans”, fantastic wines, which don’t fit into any of the normal categories.

In collaboration with my partners, I have put together a number of wine tasting activities, which will suit the needs of everyone, whether you are a complete beginner who’d just like to try a few of the local wines for fun or a serious wine buff who wants to visit top wineries and taste the top vintages in the company of an expert guide. The guided wine tastings are offered both in the best Tuscan Enotecas, or at your own villa. Group guided wine tastings take place on Mondays and Wednesdays. Private wine tastings can be arranged any day. I also offer a group full day wine tour to the Chianti area on Saturdays.

Group Guided Wine Tasting
Discover Tuscany’s Red and White Wines. Tastings take place on Mondays and Wednesdays in different wineries in Tuscany. An English speaking wine expert will conduct the tasting. A number of Tuscan Reds and Whites will be tasted accompanied by a selection of Tuscan canapes.

Private Wine Tasting at a Florentine Enoteca or at your Villa
A private tasting can be organised with two days notice for any number of people. It can take place in your Villa ( Villa al Boschiglia or Casale Sodini ). A selection of canapes is served with the wines. An English speaking wine expert will explain the tasting process using a collection of fine Tuscan wines.