Cooking week · Tuscany
Cooking week at a Tuscan villa, Montefollonico
A six-night, all-inclusive week in the hill town of Montefollonico run by an American family (George, Linda and Whitney Meyers). Guests cook, eat out at local restaurants and visit farmers, winemakers and nonnas. The operator's page names Hotel La Chiusa as the base rather than a private villa, so the 'villa' wording in the listing is loose.
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What you will do
- Cooking with local ingredients and wine in the slow-food tradition
- Meetings with farmers, winemakers, chefs, nonnas and artists
- Fresh pasta lunch with a local chef in Cortona (one guest account)
- Truffle hunt and winery tasting
- Cheese making and wood-oven focaccia at an organic farm (one guest account)
- Soak in the Monte Amiata hot springs
- Farewell dinner at the hotel
Before you go
Eat the region first, then cook it. Everything here is free and saves to your trip.
Who leads it
George and Linda Meyers (with Whitney Meyers)
American family from New Orleans who run the hotel and program in Montefollonico.
Day by day
- Day 1Arrival and welcome dinnerSettle into the hotel and meet the group over dinner on the terrace.
- Day 2Cortona market and pastaPrivate bus to Cortona for a market visit and fresh pasta lunch with a local chef, then dinner at a local restaurant.
- Day 3Cooking class, Bagno Vignoni and PienzaClass at a local restaurant, thermal-town stop and gelato in Pienza.
- Day 4Class, Montepulciano and trufflesCooking class, a look at Montepulciano, a truffle hunt and wine tasting at an estate dinner.
- Day 5Organic farmCheese making, wood-fired focaccia and lunch at a farm in Monticchiello.
- Day 6Wine and farewellWine tasting lunch, a stroll around Montefollonico and a farewell dinner at the hotel.
Itineraries can shift with weather, season and host availability.
What is included
Included
- 6 nights' accommodation
- Meals with wine
- Receptions, excursions and tours
- Cooking classes
Not included
- Airfare
- Airport transfers
- Transportation to and from Montefollonico
Practical details
- Where you base
- Montefollonico (Hotel La Chiusa); day trips to Cortona, Pienza, Montepulciano, Bagno Vignoni and Monticchiello
- Where you stay
- Hotel La Chiusa in Montefollonico; one guest described a two-room suite in the hotel's oldest wing.
- Pace
- Easy to moderate; village cobbles and some day-trip walking.
- Arrival and departure
- Montefollonico; guests arrange their own transport there.
- Who it suits
- Couples and friends who want a relaxed, hosted week in a small hill town with plenty of eating out.
Good to know
- Operator page currently shows Hotel La Chiusa as the base
- Guests under 16 must be discussed with the organizers
- Deposit $500; balance due 150 days before start
- Itinerary above comes from one guest's account and may vary
Dates and prices
$4,850 per person double occupancy, with a $300 single supplement. All-inclusive except airfare and transfers.
More trips in Tuscany
Trip details are compiled from the published information of Cook in Tuscany, who runs this trip. Dates, prices and availability change; we reconfirm everything with you before you commit.
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