Tuscany Cooking Class & Farm Visit

Thirty kilometres south of Florence the Chianti hills give way to a working farm where this full-day cooking class and farm visit takes place, and the experience is built around the ingredients that define Tuscan cuisine rather than the dishes themselves. The day opens with a walk through the estate's kitchen garden and olive grove, where the host explains the rhythm of the agricultural year and how it determines what appears on the table — cavolo nero and ribollita in winter, panzanella and raw broad beans in spring, wild boar and porcini from autumn. Back in the farmhouse kitchen, participants work in pairs on a three-course menu that typically includes a hand-rolled pasta such as pici, a braise using cuts from the estate's Chianina cattle or Cinta Senese pigs, and a cantucci biscuit to accompany the vin santo poured at the end. The class moves at a pace that allows questions and conversation rather than rushing through techniques. After cooking, the group eats together at a long table in the courtyard or, in cooler months, in the vaulted dining room. The host explains the difference between filtered and unfiltered olive oil using the estate's own production, and guests leave with a small bottle. A light lunch is provided at midday during the farm walk; the main meal is the one you cook. Wear comfortable clothes you don't mind getting flour on, and arrive with an appetite.