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8 Day All Inclusive Cooking and Wine Tours in Tuscany, Province of Lucca, Italy
La Mezzaluna Residence, Via Nazionale, 3, Mologno, Barga LU, Italy
Culinary Vacations and Wine Tasting Tuscany
This listing has the most popular offer available in Italy
This marvelous vacation is meant to offer your special moments of beauty and flavor. With so many flavors and cultures all over the world, Italy is one of the most prominent countries to get in touch with exquisite food and wine. Its refined culture redefined the Westerns concept of pleasurably living, which involves beauty in every aspect of human life. Take charming cooking classes, be part of a special ritual were people are gathered to work with their own hands, and prepare meals that will be happily shared. Amazing wines will close this perfect trip of taste.
Meet the instructors
Rita
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Highlights
- Visit to a local market
- Visit to a Tuscan vineyard
- 4 traditional cuisine classes
- Tours of local beautiful villages
- 7 nights accommodation
- Life entertainment show
- Airport transfers
- 3 daily meals
Skill level
- Beginner
- Intermediate
7 days with instruction
Group size: Maximum of 8 participants
Airport transfer included:
Pisa International Airport (Galileo Galilei Airport)
Accommodation
Check-in Time:
13:00
La Mezzaluna is a bed and breakfast located on the border of La Garfagnana, close to the town of Lucca. It is just four kilometers from Barga, one of the most beautiful villages of Italy: a medieval village of rare beauty with many tourist attractions. This complex has self-contained apartments and en-suite rooms, with the formula bed and breakfast, half and full board. In there, you can find the following apartments:
Blue apartment
This apartment has one double room and one twin room, one bathroom, a small kitchen with dining area, a spacious outside area with table, benches, gazebo, and barbeque. It features the following services: satellite TV, iron, electric hob, fridge, microwave, small electric oven, and free WI-FI.
Red apartment
In this room, you will find one double room en-suite (room with fireplace), small kitchen with dining area, and terrace with a magnificent panorama. It features the following services: satellite TV, electric hob, fridge, microwave, small electric oven, free WI-FI.
Besides the apartments, La Mezzaluna has also four en-suite double rooms. All these can accommodate up to 6 solo travelers or 6 couples.
Program
During your vacations, you will have four days of cooking lessons. Each lesson lasts for 3 to 4 hours. You will learn how to make delicious basic meals and sauces such as ragu, salsa di pomodoro (tomato), salsa salsiccia e porcini (sausage and mushrooms), zuppa di farro (grain similar to spelt), homemade pasta, cheese and spinach filles ravioli, gnocchi sformati (vegetable or potato pie), fish-based dinners, pizza, focaccia and cakes, tiramisu torta di ricotta.
Day 1
- Arrival at Pisa airport.
- Transfer to Residence La Mezzaluna (1 hour 15 minutes) where you will enjoy a welcome drink and talk about the week's activities.
- Then, settle and relax in your room.
- You could then visit Alex's winery inside La Mezzaluna to have a little wine tasting served with with cold meats, local cheeses, bruschetta and other local products.
Day 2
- After breakfast, you will head to the medieval village of Barga where you can admire its ancient streets and its 11th century cathedral. Barga offers picturesque views of the Serchio valley.
- Light lunch in Barga followed by a cookery lesson on pasta and sauces, starting approximately at 14:30.
- Time to relax on the veranda before savoring the meal you just prepared.
Day 3
- After breakfast, spend the morning in Lucca. You can chill around the shops and admire the various cathedrals and squares.
- Lunch at Lucca.
- Then you will head off to Pisa to visit "Piazza Miracoli" with its cathedrals and leaning tower.
- You will head back to La Mezzaluna.
- Dinner this evening is a BBQ.
Day 4
- You will head to the market to buy fresh vegetables and fish for your afternoon cookery lesson.
- You will savor your meal and Alex will entertain you with live music.
Day 5
- Visit Castelnuovo Garfagnana, another pretty medieval village. There is a market and you shall visit a few local stores with many local products.
- Lunch with the locals or at La Mezzaluna.
- Today's lesson is pizza! You will be shown the various techniques of making pizza in a log oven and traditional oven.
Day 6
- After breakfast your host suggests a visit to the little village of Sommocolonia, an ancient hill town with incredible views. It was the home of Rita' parents before they emigrated to Scotland, and she has such fond memories that she would like to share with you.
- You will then visit the vineyard "Concori." You will walk the vineyard and learn about making wine, followed by wine tasting and lunch.
- Free time.
- Dinner at La Mezzaluna.
Day 7
- After breakfast you will visit many areas of interest in the Garfaganana area - La Grotta del Vento, situated in the center of the Apuan Alps and The Calomini Heritage, a local 18th Centuary.Monastery.
- You will have an afternoon lesson, mainly vegetarian making savory pies like sformato di patate, sformato di verdura, torta di farro and zuppa di farro.
- Finish your trip with visiting Alex's winery and hoping that you have had a wonderful experience here at La Mezzaluna!
Day 8
- After breakfast, transfer to the airport.
La Mezzaluna can do mixed classes catering for gluten free and vegetarian. Kindly send your request.
Included excursions
- Explore a vineyard
- Tour around Pisa, Florence and the Garfagnana area
- Visit a local flour mill and Bargas local market
Instructors
Rita Lucherini
During Rita's informative years, she gradually immersed herself in the culture, customs, and traditions of her parents and grandparents, and, in particular, their culinary cultures. Rita studied the ancient secrets and techniques of the traditional Tuscan cooking and kept alive certain recipes that lost. She has been in Barga for almost 30 years running her bed and breakfast apartments together with her children, and she has now opened her cooking school.
Location
This retreat will take place in and around the region of Tuscany, Italy.
Barga
At the border of the Garfagnana region, Barga has been recognized as one of the most beautiful villages in Italy and has gained recognition by both the Bandiera Aranicone Touring Club (Orange flag touring club), and by the Citt Slow (Slow city) movement. The adopted home of Giovanni Pascoli, Barga, is a medieval village of rare beauty; from its Duomo, to the ancient aqueduct and the museum, which was once home to Giovanni Pascoli.
Castelnuovo Garfagnana
As a medieval center besides the Serchio river, Castelnuovo di Garfagnana historical heart is encircled by a big ancient fortress. It is rich in local artisans and restorers, and it is a place where you can taste the true traditional dishes of Garfagnana. Not to be missed is the path of Ariosto: a beautiful walk leading to the Fortezza di Montalfonso, where views are spectacular.
Lucca
The large circular wall which borders the town is still accessible today. You can walk or cycle there. Once inside the walls, you can visit innumerable churches, surrounded by piazzas, courts, medieval towers, buildings and gardens. Among them is La Cattedrale di San Martino, which is particularly worth a visit. At the heart of the town is via Fillungo, offering numerous shops and small boutiques, rich with typical produce from the area: il buccellato (a sweet Tuscan bread), cured meats, and honey. Finally, theres the Piazza dellAnfiteatro, a famous circular piazza that in ancient times was a marketplace.
Pisa
Pisa is famous all over the world for its Leaning Tower, as well as for the magnificent Piazza dei Miracoli.
Distances
- Barga village, 4 kilometers
- Lucca city, 36 kilometers
- Pisa - 1 hour drive
Food
During this culinary vacation, guests will be provided with tasty daily breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as with wine and soft drinks. You may also do mixed classes with gluten free guests. Kindly send your request to your host.
The following meals are included:
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Drinks
The following drinks are included:
- Soda
- Alcoholic beverages
The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:
- Vegetarian
- Gluten Free
- Regular (typically includes meat and fish)
If you have special dietary requirements it's a good idea to communicate it to the organiser when making a reservation
Things to do (optional)
- Extend your stay at La Mezzaluna to explore the area. Extra nights are available on request.
- Explore Grotta del Vento (cave of winds) underground karst landscape, and Parco del Levigliese, a park surrounded by the Apuan Alps
- Get fit at Garfagnana Golf Club and the Il Ciocco Sports Village
- Visit Lucca Quad and Parco Aventura Selva del Buffardello Adventure Park
What's included
- 4 3-to-4-hour cookery lessons
- 7 nights accommodation
- Cheese tasting
- Daily meals with wine and soft drinks
- Local transfers
- Transfers to and from airport
- Trip to Barga, Lucca, Pisa, local market
- Trip to local vineyard and various places of interest
- Wine tasting at La Mezzaluna
What's not included
- Airfare
- Meals and drinks not mentioned above
- Optional activities
How to get there
Recommended Airports
PSA
Pisa International Airport (Galileo Galilei Airport)
42 km
Transfer included
Driving directions from Pisa
Take the motorway (green signs) A12 route north, direction to Genova.
Join the A11 route, direction to Firenze (first exit).
Exit at Lucca Est.
Follow the signs for Castelnuovo Garfagnana.
Continue to the circular road. City walls are on your right.
Keep following Castelnuovo up the Serchio Valley, for about 35 kilometers.
When you come to the sign Welcome to Gallicano, turn right in direction to Barga.
After 1 kilometer, you will arrive in Mologno.
Continue up to the crossroads, turn left and you will see the sign La Mezzaluna or La Luna del West, after about 100 meters.
Arrival by airplane
Please arrive at Pisa International Airport (PSA). La Mezzaluna will pick you up. The pick-up is included in the price.
Arrival by train
Take the train from either Pisa International Airport (PSA), or Pisa Centrale. Pisa Centrale is a 5-minute taxi ride from the airport, so it is often easier to do this. The train route you need is Pisa - Lucca - Barga - Gallicano. Some trains are direct, but in some cases you will have to change at Lucca.
Airport: Pisa International Airport (Galileo Galilei Airport)
Airport transfer included: Pisa International Airport (Galileo Galilei Airport)
No additional charges. You can request this in the next step.
Cancellation Policy
- A reservation requires a deposit of 30% of the total price.
- The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
- The rest of the payment should be paid 30 days before arrival.
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