Cooking Schools in Italy: Tuscan Culinary Vacation: Authentic Southern Tuscany

Authentic Southern Tuscany
Chianciano, Tuscany

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About the location: This is a magical land, home to the renowned wines of Montalcino and Montepulciano, the delectible pecorino cheeses of Pienza, the exquisite art towns of Siena and San Gimignano. The Sienese Chianti is a landscape of rolling hills of olive groves, brilliant vineyards, vibrant yellow sunflowers, sprinklings of ancient stone farmhouses, and fields of glistening golden wheat, perhaps punctuated by a dramatic lone black cypress. Almost anywhere you are, the horizon is graced by one or more of the area’s triangular landmarks: Montepulciano to the north, Pienza to the west, and the spa town of Chianciano to the south.

Just outside town, tucked in a quiet valley with 360 degrees of pure Tuscan vistas, is the gracious estate Palazzo Bandino, which will be your home for a week. The centuries-old farm, which produces very high quality wine and olive oil, is lovingly run by the Valeriani family and is a testament to their love and devotion to their land. The estate includes four double rooms and several apartments, all of which include private ensuite bathroom, air-conditioning, telephone, mini-bar and safe, hair dryer, and comfortable Tuscan furnishings. The Valerianis have recently finished a new covered patio where you can enjoy breakfast, dinner, or a glass of Palazzo Bandino’s excellent wine while overlooking their vineyards and the rolling countryside of Tuscany. The patio also features a wood-burning oven where you can enjoy authentic Italian pizza and Tuscan dishes that require the distinctive flavor that a wood-burning oven provides.

About the lessons: Chef Luciano Benocci will lead the hands on lessons using local ingredients, most of which are grown in the garden or come from the property, creating genuine Tuscan dishes that will be easy to reproduce once you are home. What matters most is the philosophy that goes into each recipe: the culinary tradition is based on simple preparation, swift cooking and very few sauces: the most important element is the balanced blend of tastes and textures to create a delicious dish! As with all of our cooking vacations in Italy, the goal of this Tuscan culinary experience is to share with you the passion for the genuine ingredients, traditions and customs.

Authentic Southern Tuscany Itinerary

Day 1

  • Arrive in Chiusi, a stop on all train routes between Rome and Florence, about one hour from each. Group transfer to Palazzo Bandino at 3 pm.
  • Settle into your charming room with modern bathroom.
  • In the later afternoon, you’ll meet your host Gabriele and your fellow adventurers to visit Palazzo Bandino’s own wine cellar, where you’ll learn a bit about local wines and see how they are bottled.
  • Your introduction to authentic southern Tuscany begins with dinner at Palazzo Bandino.
  • Overnight at Palazzo Bandino.

Day 2

  • Breakfast.
  • Excursion to Pienza, the purest Renaissance town in the world. Entirely rebuilt between 1459 and 1462, it was the brainstorm of Pope Pius II and today is memorable not only for its architectural purity but also for its exquisite food shops. You’ll want to stock up on truffle-flavored cheese, wild herbs and other delicacies as you stroll through these pristine 15th-century streets.
  • For lunch we will travel to a secret hill town, where we can have a light meal overlooking the entire Val D’Orcia.
  • Transfer back to Palazzo Bandino, where Gabriele will tell you about the history of his family and their ancestral estate, Palazzo Bandino.
  • Our first hands-on cooking lesson with chef Benocci concentrates on antipasti, such as bruschetta, crostini, fettunta and other types of canapes, as well as morsette, the delicious almond cookies that Tuscans dip into their vin santo dessert wine.
  • Dinner based on what you’ve cooked, accompanied by tastings of Chianti, Nobile di Montepulciano, Brunello di Montalcino and vin santo.
  • Overnight at Palazzo Bandino.

Day 3

  • Breakfast.
  • The rest of the morning is free, perhaps to indulge in a state-of-the-art spa treatment at Chianciano Terme. Try a relaxing facial, a stimulating salt glow, or choose from an array of massages (aromatherapy, Shiatsu, holistic, reflexology or Reiki). You will have a chance to learn about all the treatments and to make your reservations at dinner on Day One. If you prefer to skip the spa, you can visit the local Etruscan Museum, where you’ll learn about Europe’s most mysterious culture, forerunners to the early Romans.
  • Lunch at the locals’ favorite restaurant in Montefollonico, a minuscule walled town that has barely changed since the fifteenth century.
  • Transfer back to Palazzo Bandino for a hands-on cooking lesson featuring the classic southern Tuscan hand-rolled pasta called pici, followed by succulent whole fish baked in a paper crust.
  • Dinner based on what you’ve prepared, accompanied by fine local wines.
  • Overnight at Palazzo Bandino.

Day 4

  • Breakfast.
  • Morning outing to Montalcino, the stately town within a castle that produces one of Italy’s most prestigious wines. You’ll visit a local winery whose Brunello 1997 was rated the world’s #22 wine in 2002 by Wine Spectator. Here you’ll taste a fascinating selection of wines and light foods that best accompany them.
  • On the way home, we’ll stop at a haunting countryside abbey, allegedly built by Charlemagne. If we’re lucky we’ll hear the monks singing vespers as they have done for hundreds of years.
  • Today our afternoon lesson focuses on secondi piatti, main dishes such as roasts, braised or grilled meats, alongside the thick handmade noodles called pappardelle, perhaps served with traditional sugo alla boscaiola.
  • Dinner based on what you’ve prepared, accompanied by fine local wines.
  • Overnight at Palazzo Bandino.

Day 5

  • Breakfast.
  • Morning visit to the venerable hilltown of Montepulciano, home of the renowned noble wine. We’ll stroll through the charming streets of this town, which somehow manages to be quite monumental, despite its small size. We’ll also pay a visit to the weekly market, and then stop to see a masterpiece Renaissance church that sits alone on a hilltop just outside town.
  • Next we’ll visit an olive mill (in late October through November you’ll actually see the process of an olive becoming pure cold-press first-run extra-virgin oil).
  • Like the true Tuscans we have by now become, we’ll linger over lunch in front of the fireplace.
  • Transfer back to Palazzo Bandino for an afternoon hands-on cooking lesson featuring fresh vegetable dishes such as artichokes and tomatoes stuffed with herbs and cheese, followed by a luscious Tuscan dessert.
  • Dinner based on what you’ve prepared, accompanied by fine local wines.
  • Overnight at Palazzo Bandino.

Day 6

  • Breakfast.
  • Full-day excursion to Siena. On the way we’ll drive past San Gimignano to see its world-famous skyline, dubbed “The Manhattan of Tuscany.” You’ll be on your own in Siena, to wander among the medieval streets, visit the exquisite cathedral or the wonderful Town Hall, do some shopping or just relax at a cafe.
  • Late-afternoon transfer back to your lodgings.
  • Farewell dinner and presentation of your cooking program certificate at Palazzo Bandino.
  • Overnight at Palazzo Bandino.

Day 7

  • Breakfast
  • Depart around 10:00 am and transfer to the Chiusi-Chianciano train station.