SAMPLE THE SECRETS OF LOCAL TUSCAN LIFE
The fantastic excursions included as part of our advanced weekly Italian cookery course programme feature wine, cheese, truffle and olive oil tastings, a wine-tasting tour of the celebrated Cennatoio Winery in Panzano-in-Chianti, a food market visit and a cheese-making demonstration.
The Cennatoio Winery commands a stupendous view of the Chianti countryside with its hills blanketed by vineyards and olive orchards and dotted by churches, castles and scattered oaks. The special character of the soil, which is stony and hard to work, and its exposure to the south, makes it ideal for varieties like Sangiovese, Canaiolo, Trebbiano, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay. Organic Cennatoio Wines are fine, robust and endowed with a delicate scent of iris.
We regularly visit the central food market in the nearby coastal resort town of Viareggio. The traditional market here is alive with exceptional local produce farmed in the fertile countryside surrounding the cookery school. The sights, colours and smells will awaken your senses to seasonal eating at its best. You might even be tempted to converse with the locals and try out your Italian or sign language!
We also often visit a local shepherdess for a traditional cheese making demonstration.
