Our review is for the cooking course the Poderi Val Verde is offering. We have not stayed at guesthouses over night but looked at most of them and the whole property is absolutly wonderful.
Amazing cooking classes - If you want to spend a day learning how to become a better and more knowledgeable cook, take this course. If you are looking for a standard bruschetta-ravioli-tiramisu course which entails you being in a sterile environment where you hopefully cut a tomato followed by tepidly pushing around some pasta dough only to leave the course with three recipes you could have gotten online, do not take this course. Cooking with Ulrike is truly learning how to cook the Tuscan way in a Tuscan kitchen surrounded by breathtaking scenery. Additionally, what's great about Ulrike's courses is you can communicate with her in advance to let her know your talent level and what you want to get out of the course so she can better tailor it to ensure you get exactly what you want. We paid a little extra to start the day off with a trip to the local market where we got see vegetables, meats and cheeses not found anywhere else(only available on certain days). At one stand we spent over 30 minutes trying over a dozen meats and cheeses, walking away with a bag full of goodies that we spent the rest of the week enjoying. (Ulrike is happy to translate and ask questions for you, but anything you want to buy outside of what Ulrike buys for the course you pay for. So if you take this option, which I strongly advise you do, take extra spending cash). After the market it was back to Ulrike's amazing property and kitchen. Her kitchen is well stocked and exactly what you'd expect for someone who cooks frequently and for lots of people. (Do be advised the counters are European height which means if you are tall like me 6'4" you will bend over a bit more than you are used to in the states but nothing the wine can't help you overcome) The day we cooked, it was just my wife and I which meant we had Ulrike to ourselves to prepare a whole menu. Ulrike has a strong character and a wealth of knowledge, so be ready to work and learn. What we really enjoyed was that her recipes were the base but she taught you how to adjust while cooking based on taste and preferences. We spent over four hours watching, learning and doing. We picked fresh herbs from Ulrike's garden, drank as much wine as we wanted and asked a ton of questions (including questions about recipes we weren't making). Once we were done cooking, my wife and I enjoyed the fruits of our labor at the family table and everything was delicious. My wife is a great cook and I'm comfortable in the kitchen, but we both came away from this course substantially smarter on making some great dishes. More importantly we came away having had a wonderful experience with an impressive woman that was the highlight of our trip to Tuscany. If you want the true Tuscan cooking experience, take this course! read more