About the location: Giuliano Hazan and Marilisa Allegrini (one of Italy's most distinguished producers of noble red wine) invite you to join them for a week of total immersion in Italian food, wine, and life. The incomparable site where you will live and cook, and from which you will set off for the scheduled field excursions, is the Renaissance country residence Villa Giona, set in 12 acres of private park and vineyards near beautiful Lake Garda and romantic Verona, the city of Romeo and Juliet. Originally built in the early 16th-century, the handsomely restored villa will make you feel a part of Italy's rich history from the moment you arrive. Fine Venetian hospitality will greet you, and the friendly staff, perhaps even Paolo the owner, will show you to the spacious room that will be yours for the week. In your room, you'll discover luxurious furnishings and little touches throughout to help pamper you during your stay.
Awake to breakfast served in the loggia, where you'll find a variety of delicious fresh pastries, cereals, fruits, yogurts, and more. Linger over a cappuccino and drink in the view of the gardens, while you get ready for a day of culture and culinary delights. Inside the villa, you will find an atmosphere of relaxation and many wonderful treasures. Stop in the library, and look through the collection of ancient books, or spend time perusing the beautiful collection of artwork throughout the villa.
Twelve acres of lovely park and vineyards surround the stately mansion. Spend your free time leisurely walking around the tranquil gardens and ponds, or visiting with the resident duck and goose. Only a few steps away, you'll find the beautiful vineyards; in a few years, the Allegrini wine producers will harvest grapes for the premiere of their new Villa Giona label.
 About the cooking lessons: Giuliano Hazan and his wife Lael will be your hosts for the week's activities. Giuliano, like many other good cooks, learned his craft from his mother. The mother in this instance is Marcella Hazan. His first book, The Classic Pasta Cookbook, is an international bestseller with half a million copies in print in 16 countries and a James Beard award nominee. His latest book, Every Night Italian won the World Cookbook award for best Italian cookbook in the English language. It has received rave reviews including one from The New York Times which said the book "epitomizes authenticity... this food is genius -- genius distilled from history." Giuliano's experience began at age 17 as he worked his way up from assistant to teacher and director at Marcella Hazan's renowned School of Classic Italian Cooking in Bologna. He has over 15 years of teaching experience and makes regular appearances at cooking schools across the U.S. and abroad. For 4 years he taught a widely attended course in Venice at the legendary Hotel Cipriani.
 Marilisa Allegrini is her family's ambassador at large. She regularly presents the wines of her native Valpolicella, and introduces audiences to the terroir from which they spring at stellar events throughout the United States and Europe. You may already be one of the many happy wine drinkers that have been enjoying the richness, the deep layers of flavor of Amarone. If you are not, you'll have the opportunity at Villa Giona to make up for lost time. Allegrini is one of the paramount producers of this precious wine as well as several other extraordinary wines which regularly receive top ratings in The Wine Advocate and The Wine Spectator. Allegrini's Amarone, La Poja, and Recioto Giovanni Allegrini have all been recipients of Italy's prestigious "Tre Bicchieri" award. You will be the beneficiary of a behind the scenes winery tour -- not available to the general public -- guided by Marilisa Allegrini.
 A maximum of 12 students will participate in a week of intensive hands-on classes taught by Giuliano Hazan. We will make homemade pasta, risotto, meats, local fish, vegetables, and desserts. Each 5-hour class concludes with dinner in classic style composed of the several courses prepared during the class. Each class will also include presentations by Marilisa Allegrini on the major wine producing regions of Italy. The wines discussed, both from the Allegrini vineyards and other distinguished Italian producers, will accompany the meals.
Cooking with Giuliano Hazan
Verona, Veneto
Itinerary
 Days
One - Seven
The welcoming reception will begin on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. Check-in time is 2:00 p.m.
The week's activities will end Friday with the last class, and check-out will be on Saturday morning at your convenience.
|
Transportation to and from the Villa is not included, but a taxi ride to Villa Giona from either the airport or the train station in Verona should be about $25-$30. If you prefer to rent a car, we will be happy to assist you with a low cost rental.
Villa Giona was not built as a hotel but as a country residence. The rooms are very spacious, luxuriously furnished and unique in their layout. Please note that all the rooms are on the second and third floors and there is no elevator.
|
You will have four 5-hour cooking lessons with Giuliano Hazan during your stay, followed by dinners.
There will also be five restaurant meals outside of class, while on your excursions during the day throughout the Veneto region.
|
There will also be five restaurant meals outside of class, while
on your excursions during the day throughout the Veneto region.
The Veneto region is a portion of what was once the 1,000-year Venetian Republic,
one of the glories of the Western World, birthplace of some of its greatest
art, music, and architecture. It also offers extraordinary culinary treasures.
During the day we will take field trips to learn more about these treasures.
- We will visit a rice mill where rice for risotto continues to be processed the way it was in 1648.
- We shall travel to medieval Sirmione on the southern shore of Lake Garda to experience a seafood cookery that epitomizes the exquisite, light-handed traditions of the lake.
- The olive oil from the Veneto is perhaps Italy's most elegant and we will visit a frantoio where it is made.
- We will also spend a day outside the Veneto to witness the making of Parmigiano-Reggiano and to taste the rare culatello, an air-cured ham that is even more prized than prosciutto.
|
By the end of the week, you will have experienced a combination of Italy's rich history, wonderful culture, and warm hospitality, not to mention delectable food.
As our students will attest: "The Villa is spectacular, and one can imagine checking in and never leaving."
|
Note: Dress is casual,
but please bring good walking shoes, and your own apron if you
prefer to wear one.
|
2008 Price Per Person
Please inquire.
Prices are not guaranteed. Giuliano Hazan reserves the right to adjust prices
at any time due to fluctuations in currency exchange rate.
Any necessary adjustments will be made by Giuliano Hazan when the balance is due.
*The fee for a companion who does not wish to attend the classes includes
everything except the classes and meals consumed in class.
This program requires a $1500 per person deposit.
|
 |
|
2008 Tour Dates
Please inquire.
Note: Any Date Is Subject To Cancellation If There Are Fewer Than
Four People Booked, Even If You Have Previously Been Confirmed. This Is
The Policy Of Giuliano Hazan, Not The International Kitchen
|
Included in the Program:
- 6 nights deluxe accommodations in the Villa
- Daily breakfast
- Four 5-hour hands-on classes and dinners.
- Five restaurant meals outside of class.
- Seminars covering Italy's main wine producing regions.
- All field trips, with transportation in a deluxe chartered bus.
|
|
Cooking Vacations 
Printer Friendly Page