The food was delicious! The cooking tips were priceless! We had the best time cooking with Nonna…read more We felt like we were being taught our very own Italian Nonna! We so enjoyed the fruits of our labor dining at the big wooden table with our fellow chefs.

Cannot say enough good things about our experience with Nonna and Paolo. We attended a lunch…read morecooking class in mid-April, along with 2 other visitors to Tuscany. The menu included 3 types of bruschetta, tagliatelle with asparagus, chicken with a vin santo reduction, and zabaglione for dessert. This was one of our best meals in all of Tuscany. Not only because of the quality of the food (many of the ingredients came fresh from neighboring farms), but also because of the warmth and hospitality shown by Nonna and Paolo. They were both incredibly kind, genuine, and knowledgeable about the cooking techniques and ingredients, but perhaps the most enjoyable part was their lovely relationship and the way they made everyone in the class comfortable with one another. By the end, we were all laughing and joking together. Please go visit Nonna; you won't regret it!

We had an absolutely incredible experience at this pasta class just outside of Florence. Everything…read morewas so well organized from start to finish, and the entire experience was the perfect mix of fun, humor, and hands-on learning. The location itself was beautiful, especially dining outside under the stunning wisteria vine-covered table. It truly felt like something out of a movie. Not only was the class informative and interactive, but it was also beyond worth the value. Honestly, it ended up being our favorite experience during our time in Italy. We would recommend this class to absolutely anyone visiting Tuscany!

I am so happy that this was the cooking class I settled on going to during my trip to Italy!!…read more Lorenzo and Luca are just the absolute best hosts you could possibly ask for. We started the day by meeting Lorenzo at the train station in Florence where we boarded a train and went just two stops away. At the train station, Luca met us and we split the group up - taking their car and van back to their beautiful restored farm house in the hills. Here we started the class with Luca learning how to make tiramisu with sweet Italian dessert wine and biscotti with almonds. This was the first task so it had plenty of time to work it's magic. From here, we moved into the dining room where Lorenzo showed us how to make pasta dough from scratch. This was where the well timed dance of alternating between Lorenzo and Luca unfolded. The way they bounce off each other while keeping the class flowing, focused, and very FUN with such ease was amazing. Over the course of the day - we cooked, we shared snacks and laughs and plenty of wine, and eventually an amazing meal in the most beautiful setting - on what turned out to be a beautiful spring day. If I get back to Florence - I would definitely take another class with them. Heck - I wish I could spend a whole month here! If you are looking to take a cooking class while in Italy - take this one!! You won't regret it!

Amazing! Authentic Tuscan experience. Wine and food in a wonderful setting. Coleen, the owner, is…read morea super host.

Goodness! This luxury vacation was worth every penny. So great that I visited twice. Once in 2008…read moreand now in 2015. Cooking classes right in the village of Montefollonico taught by women whose families have lived here for generations. We got to cook with Dania at La Chiusa Ristorante and Hotel. To learn to stuff zucchini blossoms from a Michelin starred chef who is beautiful to boot, in Tuscany was a bucket list, lifetime experience. First class accommodations at her hotel and hands-on (and in the pasta) classes with women from all the village restaurants (13 Gobbi, La Costa, Belagaggio) is something that can't be taught in the US. I learned how to make amazing eggplant Parmigiana, pici pasta, pizza, handmade lasagna with béchamel...delish! (Note: be careful, I almost posted on another company's yelp because they sounded like Tuscan Women Cook but checked the websites and realized the other was a brand new company. I think the Sutherland's have been holding classes in Montefollonico since 1998 or 2000.) Check out pictures on their website. You will swoon. Patty and Bill Sutherland, save my place I'll probably return for a third time.

This is a 5 star experience through and through! Everything about this 1/2 day class is…read moreunbelievable. Host and cooking lead, Manuela is a gem. She is friendly, welcoming, knowledgeable but most of all knows how to take your trip to Italy to another level! She immerses you in a full on sensory experience to cooking. Smelling ingredients, touching and understanding textures, seeing the freshness of ingredients and the rich colors, and finally tasting the fruits of your labor. Mmmmm. We opted for a regional class that featured Sicilian recipes and it was fantastic! We made a four course meal. One of the freshest meals I've ever had. Our food was down right mouth watering! You must must must go here when visiting Florence for a truly rich cultural and culinary experience. Loved this day more than I can capture in a review.

OMG!! This review is long overdue!! We had the best time with Manuela and Simon. Was definitely…read moreone of the highlights of our trip!! Manuela was patient, informative, and humorous. Everything we made was explained very well, and best of all was delicious. I will forever remember this time, and look forward to utilizing the recipes back home. Highly recommend taking a class with them!!

Studied abroad this past summer and had the honor of taking a class from Chef Mauro! He is truly…read moregifted in bringing people together to enjoy an authentic homemade meal. The views from his place were spectacular and made us feel at home despite us just meeting the chef. We learned new techniques and perspectives in the short hours we were there. Our class learned to make bolognese, ravioli, and a fruit tart pie which is bar far one of the best meals we had in the month we spent there. We had difficulty trying to get to chefs place as it was a dirt road incline but he was so kind and drove our whole class up! Made the experience more intimate and fun! The will forever be a core memory and one of my favorite days in Italy that I will cherish forever!

Absolutely loved every minute of our cooking experience…read more Mauro is an amazing teacher , chief and host. We learned a lot, had the one of the best meals we've ever had and topped off by great other guests with us. If we were ever in the area again, I would love to do this again. We have traveled a lot and my husband and and I said it is one of most favorite , rewarding experiences. We loved it so much that We even ordered a pasta making machine. Just got ba k from trip and was so excited to see it had arrived we. And it brings back memories of our amazing experience.

We had a great time. I recommend this cooking class. It was booked by our travel agent.read more

We had an absolutely delightful experience cooking with Lella and her staff at her Scuola di…read moreCucina! My new husband and I were honeymooning in Italy, and being the foodies that we are, we wanted to try our hands at preparing some of our own Tuscan cuisine. We found Lella through our travel agent and loved every second of our time in her kitchen. We enjoyed a private cooking experience - just us, Lella, Guilia (her assistant) and Angela, our translator. We prepared 5 courses of delicious, authentic Italian food: soup, pasta, meat, side dish and dessert. The soup course was a deliciously simple pappa al pomodoro, a bread and tomato soup with basil, garlic and olive oil. The pasta course was a handmade (by us!) pici pasta with a cheese and black pepper sauce. The side dish was an artichoke souffle made with fresh baby artichokes. We grilled up a delicious veal chop for the meat course, served with baby arugula and a balsamic vinegrette. Finally, we made our own cantuccini, a delicious almond cookie with a delicate orange flavor. Every single dish was very well explained and full of fresh, local ingredients - not to mention incredibly delicious! We've already made the pappa al pomodoro and the cantuccini at home and they turned out ALMOST as good as they did with Lella. As wonderful as the food was, we were most smitten with Lella and her wonderful team. They were all absolutely fantastic, very attentive and happy to have us in their kitchen. We enjoyed a wonderful meal together when the class was over, talking and learning about each other and our favorite foods, recipes and ingredients. The team even took the time to write down some favorite things to do in Tuscany so we could experience a real, local Tuscan experience without the typical tourist traps. As we were preparing to leave, Lella bagged up the rest of the cantuccini for us to enjoy throughout the rest of our trip and at home - and enjoy, we did! Both my husband and I would highly, highly recommend any kind of cooking class you can take with Lella. If you're looking to experience a REAL Tuscan cooking lesson in the heart of Sienna, this is it! Be warned: the school is a little bit tricky to find. Park near the stadium, just outside the Sienna city walls, and call beforehand to ask for specific directions to the school.

Absolutely LOVED everything about this experience. Anna was very lovely and welcomed us into her…read morebeautiful home. She taught us how to make two pastas: Spaghetti and ravioli. Under her guidance, I was amazed that even I, an unskilled cook, was able to help create a delicious meal. I'd like to thank Anna for sharing her experience and passion for cooking with me and my family. Her class was one of the highlights of my trip to Italy and has given me a newfound respect and love for pasta making!! If you are looking for an authentic cooking class that captures the spark of Italian cuisine and culture, book this class. You will not regret it.

Enjoying my wonderful trip in Italy, the highlight has been cooking with Anna at her home. She is…read morean experienced Cook taught us so much. Making homemade pasta and sauces. The setting here is beautiful her home, the Vista her herb garden etc. if you are looking for a cooking class and the umbra area, go here!!!!

We had a great time on our tour with Roberto from We Drive You Tuscany! We did the 8 hour San…read moreGimignano and Chianti Classico as well as the Pienza, Val d'Orcia, Montalcino wine and Pecorino cheese private tours with Roberto. This was my first trip to Italy, we enjoyed a comfortable ride throughout the countryside in the clean, air conditioned van! Roberto was so knowledgeable and made sure we knew all the best places to visit along with the history of the beautiful Tuscan countryside! He even gave us recommendations for our second leg of the trip to Rome. We will definitely use this service again!!

We had the pleasure of touring Tuscany with We Drive You Tuscany. Roberto was our driver and we…read morehad a beautiful Mercedes van that was new and comfortable. Bottled water was provided and he even stopped to get Fresh pizza for us. By the time we finished touring with Roberto for two days we felt that we knew so much about the area, history and culture of the region. Roberto's knowledge or art, history, food and culture was so impressive. The tour we did with Roberto was much more than him driving us from place to place. Each place we went was so carefully planned and curated. We visited wineries, vineyards and a sheep farm that makes cheese. With his help, we were able to visit every place we wanted to see as well as some smaller unknown, hidden gems. We saw so many beautiful landscapes and Roberto stopped frequently for us to take in the views! I cannot say enough wonderful things about Roberto. We hope to go back soon to tour Umbria and Florence with Roberto.

Getting to Opera in the Kitchen from Florence was simple and smooth, and I'm so glad we made the…read morequick trip--it was the best experience we had in Italy. The setting is an old Italian home in a vineyard with gorgeous views. It immediately felt welcoming and authentic. The host was very fun and helpful with people of all ages (young and very old). We started with a glass of Prosecco and later enjoyed Chianti wine, both of which were fantastic and family-made. The host even gave us a little history on the family wines, the ingredients we used, and the traditional Italian dishes we were preparing. It added so much depth to the experience. The food was fantastic and something that can be easily replicated. You get all the recipes at the end. You have an appetizer, pasta dish, meat dish, and then dessert. The opera singer was fantastic! I've been to many operas myself, but you will never get as great of an experience like this! Nosebleed seats at operas are usually $300, but for this experience you get to be "on stage" with the singer with fantastic wine, good company, and delicious food for much less! The singer was engaging and gave an introduction to each of the songs. It was the best part of our time in Italy, and absolutely worth the trip.

We had so much fun with Lucrezia and Maurizio in our home in California. We invited friends to our…read morehome for a cooking class and live opera and they did not disappoint. The food was delicious. Lucrezia miraculously supervised with grace and charm as we prepared 4 different dishes simultaneously. Then she served one course at a time, beautifully plated, while we relaxed and enjoyed with our friends. Maurizio entertained us with his soul moving voice between courses. The whole event was spectacular. They made it so easy for us. They brought everything from the wine to the cocoa powder to coat the tiramisu. We look forward to doing this again next time they are in California.