Cooking or culinary holidays, vacations, tours in Italy:

Gourmet On Tour culinary adventures
. . . Tuscany, Umbria, Venice, Italian Riviera, Amalfi, Rome

Hungry travellers and lovers of fine cuisine, celebrate!

World-class cuisines taught by superb chefs throughout the world, set in seductive locations and amidst luxurious surroundings.

Gourmet On Tour has hand-picked the very best gourmet experiences and holidays. Exquisite locations provide the backdrop of over eighty cooking courses, culinary and wine tours in France, Italy, Spain, UK, Ireland, Thailand, China, Australia and the US.

Each programme is chosen with great care and experience, and the owners visit each venue personally to ensure a high standard in courses and accommodation. Locations are selected for their wonderful character and stunning surroundings with accommodation in cosy farmhouses or Renaissance palazzos.

You can discover the joys of cooking, using the finest local ingredients and learning the secrets from Michelin-star chefs to local Mammas, sharing their recipes of their grandmothers. Class sizes are small and personal and chefs can tailor-make menus according to your preferences. The excursions include market visits, truffle hunting, wine tastings, walking amongst olive groves and exploring age-old hillside towns. Non-cooking partners are welcome to join!

Gourmet On Tour's European operations allow them to foster relationships with the chefs and winemakers. Whether you have time for an in-depth course or just a short adventure, one thing about seeing cooking holidays is certain . . . it’s all about who you know.

What they offer: Culinary adventures for the solo hungry traveller, the couple on a romantic escape, a group on holiday, or the corporate team on retreat.

What they do: Match you with the perfect cooking course, gourmet vacation, or wine tour, for a day or a week - in France, Italy, Spain, UK, Ireland, Morocco, USA, Bali, Thailand, China and Australia. World-class chefs, culinary experts and wine masters make the experience unsurpassed.

THREE PERFECT DAYS IN FLORENCE

• Roll up your sleeves and hand-craft fresh pasta
• Ride a stylish Vespa scooter through Chianti's vineyards
• Walk historic streets lined by the Renaissance
• Sleep like a bambino in Salvatore Ferragamo's hotel

You have considerable flexibility in designing your three perfect days: hands-on cooking only, vineyard visits and winetasting only, or a medley of both. Fill as many days or not as you want. The menu is yours.

And if three days aren't perfect enough, extend for as many as you wish. We can add additional days of cooking and/or wine tours, or simply extend your hotel stay so that you can shop shop shop, or explore this Renaissance city.

Menu Gourmet (cooking programme) 4 days and 3 nights

• Two half days of private cooking lessons, followed by lunch or dinner
• Learn authentic Tuscan cuisine in the kitchen of a Florentine trattoria
• Visit Florence's market for ingredients and sample Italian olive oil

Menu Wine (wine programme) 4 days and 3 nights

• Two full days of privately guided wine tours and tastings
• Enjoy the Tuscan landscape in a private, chauffered car
• Join a master sommelier for wine tastings of Chianti's finest Tuscan wines
• Explore the village of Montepulciano and tour Pienza
• Visit historic private wine cellars and estates where the wines are produced

Menu Decouverte (wine-and-cooking programme) 4 days and 3 nights

• Combine a day each from Menu Gourmet and Menu Wine for a wine-and-cooking discovery of Tuscany. One cooking day in Florence and one of wine in the countryside.
• One half day of private cooking lessons, followed by lunch or dinner
• One full day on a privately guided wine tour, with tastings by a master sommelier
• Shop in Florence's market for ingredients
• Visit two wineries with your private guide for a tasting, with lunch
• Explore the Tuscan countryside and visit small towns for their food and wine shops

And still more possibilities . . .

• Pasta and chocolate tour, including visit to Leaning Tower of Pisa
• Cheese and salami tour, with a visit to Siena
• Truffle-hunting excursion, with a visit to Siena
• Olive-oil tour, with a visit to Massa Marittima or Chianti Classico
• Wine-and-vineyard walking excursions in Tuscany's best wine regions

The place and accommodation

This culinary adventure is anchored in the Medici city of Florence (Firenze), in Tuscany (Toscana). The cooking options take place in central Florence, not far from where Michelangelo's David stands steady. Wine excursions by chauffered car from Florence venture into Chianti Classico, Chianti Rufina, or Montepulciano.

Both hotels, owned by Salvatore Ferragamo, are on the River Arno:

• Gallery Hotel Art: Modern boutique hotel near Ponte Vecchio
• Hotel Lungarno: Traditional style near Ponte Vecchio

FOR MORE DETAILED INFORMATION <CLICK HERE>

A PERFECT WEEK IN TUSCANY

• Cook Italian in an authentic Florentine trattoria
• Explore Chianti's vineyards in a chauffered private car
• Soak up the fine life under the Tuscan sun
• Sleep like a bambino in Salvatore Ferragamo's hotel

You have considerable flexibility in designing your perfect week in Tuscany... With Menu Vino you have a week of nothing but wine and vineyards, staying in the entire week in Florence, or in the Tuscan hills, or both. Your choice. Likewise with Menu Gourmet, which combines vineyard visits with private food lover's tours for chocolate, pasta, truffles, cheese, and olive oil. Menu Cucina, a week in central Florence, gives you hands-on cooking in an authentic trattoria.

And if a week isn't perfect enough, extend for as many days as you wish. We can add additional days of cooking and/or wine tours, or simply extend your hotel stay so that you can shop shop shop, or explore this Renaissance city.

Menu Vino (wine programme) 8 days and 7 nights

Choose from three accommodation options: a week in Florence, a week in the Tuscan countryside, or half the week in Florence and half in the countryside. Whatever the option chosen, the week's itinerary is the same:

• Join an internationally renowned sommelier for tastings of the finest Tuscan wines
• Four days of privately guided and chauffered wine tours of private cellars and estates
• Explore Montepulciano and Pienza
• Choose from Chianti Classico, Chianti Rufina, Brunello of Montalcino, Montepulciano, Bolgheri and its Super Tuscans, and the Vernaccia of San Gimignano

Menu Cucina (cooking programme) 8 days and 7 nights

Choose from two accommodation options: a week in Florence or, in winter, a week in the Tuscan countryside. Choose either four half days of cooking, or two half days of cooking and two days of food lover's tours:

• Learn in the working kitchens of a Florentine trattoria or a Relais Chateau hotel
• Sample varieties of olive oil from around Italy and visit local markets
• Customise your itinerary with pasta, chocolate, cheese, truffle and olive oil tours

Menu gourmet (wine-and-food, but no cooking) 8 days and 7 nights

Choose from three accommodation options: a week in Florence, a week in the Tuscan countryside, or half the week in Florence and half in the countryside. Whatever the option chosen, the week's itinerary includes two full days of wine tours and two full days of food lover's tours:

• Taste Tuscany's finest wines with a master sommelier
• Tour private wine cellars and estates in a privately chauffered car
• Explore the countryside, and Montepulciano and Pienza
• Customise your itinerary with pasta, chocolate, cheese, truffle and olive oil tours

The food lover's tours (FLT) options for Menu Gourmet and Menu Cucina . . .

• Pasta and chocolate tour, including visit to Leaning Tower of Pisa
• Cheese tour, with a visit to Siena
• Truffle-hunting excursion, with a visit to Siena
• Olive-oil tour, with a visit to Massa Marittima or Chianti Classico
• Wine-and-vineyard walking excursions in Tuscany's best wine regions

The place and accommodation

This perfect week offers three options for accommodation locations: a full week the Medici city of Florence (Firenze); a full week in deluxe country estates in Tuscany (Toscana); or a mix of the both Florence and the countryside.

In Florence - boutique hotels owned by Salvatore Ferragamo, at Ponte Vecchio:

• Gallery Hotel Art: Modern boutique hotel near Ponte Vecchio
• Hotel Lungarno: Traditional style near Ponte Vecchio

In the Countryside - two luxurious estates in the Tuscan hills:

• Il Falconiere: Relais Chateau luxury near Cortona.
• Locanda dell' Amorosa: An exquisite estate in the hills near Siena

FOR MORE DETAILED INFORMATION <CLICK HERE>

VILLA SAN MICHELE

• Create dishes from authentic Tuscan recipes
• Daydream with vistas of Florence and Tuscany
• Rub elbows with world-class executive chefs
• Luxuriate to your heart's and stomach's content

The 2005 culinary programme at Villa San Michele, with scheduled dates and accepting no more than 10 persons per course, offers an eclectic range of possiblities, ranging from Tuscan cuisine to pastries to aristocratic cuisine and etiquette. Instructors are executive chefs from Orient-Express hotels (Villa San Michele, Hotel Cipriani, Hotel Caruso, and Hotel Splendido) and world-class chefs from Europe and North America.

All programmes below can be extended with additional room nights, to allow a little more time for relaxation and shopping.

Menu Toscana : 4 days and 3 nights : 3 lessons

• Learn to prepare complete Tuscan menus over three days
• Work with Attilio Di Fabrizio (Executive Chef at the Villa San Michele) and Luca Orini (Villa San Michele)

Menu Pasta : 4 days and 3 nights : 3 lessons

• Discover the secrets of pasta and how to accompany it with tasty ingredients
• Pastas of Tuscany with Attilio Di Fabrizio (Executive Chef at the Villa San Michele)
• Pastas of the Amalfi Costiera from Franco Luise (Chef of the Hotel Caruso, Ravello)
• Pastas of Venice with Renato Piccolotto (Chef of the Hotel Cipriani, Venice)

Menu Nobile : 4 days and 3 nights : 3 lessons

• Watch the preparation of Florentine and Tuscan cuisine in a palazzo on the River Arno
• Learn the aristocratic style of setting a dinner table, with period silver and glasses
• Discover classic dishes from a countess with an ancient family tradition
• Prepare dishes such as the Tuscan crostini, gnocchi, and pastas

Menu Solo : 4 days and 3 nights : 2 lessons

• Cooking 'single' demands different standards, and this course teaches simple and flavoursome recipes for one or a small group.

Menu Children's Cucina : 4 days and 3 nights : 2 lessons

• Adults are excluded as children learn from Executive Chef Attilio de Fabrizio to choose ingredients, use herbs and make appetisers, and preparation of two desserts.

Menu Master Chef

• Giuliano Hazan : 3 days and 2 nights : 2 lessons
• Jun Tanaka : 4 days and 3 nights : 3 lesson

The place and accommodation

Courses are held at Villa San Michele, a luxury hotel of just forty-five rooms. Formerly a Fifteenth century Franciscan monastery, the Villa San Michele is surrounded by its own gardens and woodland on the Fiesole hills, overlooking Florence and the River Arno. The present aspect of the building, with its façade attributed to Michelangelo and the imposing lateral Loggia looking towards Florence, dates from the year 1600, when the monastery was enlarged and completely renovated at the expense of Giovanni di Bartolomeo Davanzati.

• Villa San Michele: Sister hotel of the Cipriani and Splendido.

FOR MORE DETAILED INFORMATION <CLICK HERE>

VILLA LUCIA

• March, April, May, June, September, October, November
• 7 days
• Hands-on cooking course
• Accommodation included

Villa Lucia, in the charming village of Vorno south of Lucca, comprises three separate villas set within seven acres of private walled gardens.

The Italian cooking school operates from the limonaia, which has been converted to create a magnificent open-plan demonstration kitchen and dining room, and also houses an antique wine press and wine-tasting room.

Each day will be a balanced mix of hands-on cooking lessons, cultural excursions, and time to relax and enjoy the beautiful property and surrounding countryside. Each cooking lesson is followed by lunch or dinner prepared from the day’s lesson.

The Italian cooking classes are set up in an intimate, hands-on manner. Chef Giancarlo Talerico patiently teaches the skills and techniques required to prepare beautiful Italian cuisine in a relaxed and enjoyable environment. Learn to differentiate between various olive oils and balsamic vinegars and use them appropriately.

Then, with this knowledge of ingredients, prepare full Italian meals: antipasti, soups, assorted primi piatti of pasta, risotto, pizza, secondi piatti of meat, poultry, and fish, various vegetable contorni, and many delicious dolci, including tiramisu and biscotti.

As well as some of the more complicated dishes, there are several simple and delicious recipes all compiled in the recipe manual each participant receives at the beginning of the week. The manual also contains a wealth of information such as a glossary of Italian cooking terms, conversion tables, and a list of the recipes.

The main structure of Villa Lucia dates back to the year 500, while later additions and beautiful frescoes reflect the artistic period of the 18th century. Recently featured in a book of elegant Lucchesi villas and formal Italianate gardens, the walled garden of the Villa Lucia estate delights with its extensive grapevine pergola, ancient grottos and fountains, swimming pools and tennis court. All bedrooms are tastefully renovated.

FOR MORE DETAILED INFORMATION <CLICK HERE>

TASTING TUSCANY

• June, September, October, November
• 4 and 7 days
• Hands-on course
• Accommodation included

Fattoria Montelucci is a family-run country house, set in isolation high in the hills with stunning views of woods, olive groves and Sangiovese vineyards. Hands-on instruction in its large, fully-equipped farmhouse kitchen, trips, tours, and tastings will provide the skills and knowledge to cook creatively.

Fattoria Montelucci, with its splendid locations and undistributed views of 500 hectares, is home in Italy for the week. The estate also grows its own walnuts, almonds, figs and persimmons, and its olive oil is used throughout the classes.

Run as a small country-house hotel at other times of the year, the Fattoria provides a cosy welcome in true Tuscan style.

It has a large, fully-equipped farmhouse kitchen with an open fire and a traditional wood-fired oven. Drawing rooms open out onto a terrace, where participants can enjoy the views over a glass of wine.

The world-famous wines of Chianti Classico, Ruffina and Vernaccia di San Gimignano provide participants with numerous opportunities for tastings and tours of local vineyards.

The Fattoria is ideally situated to enjoy the Renaissance splendour of Siena, Arezzo and Florence. Optional activities include billiards and riding, and best of all, there is no shortage of beautiful countryside for walking or mushroom hunting.

FOR MORE DETAILED INFORMATION <CLICK HERE>

VILLA DELIA

• March through November
• 5 and 10 days
• Hands-on, culinary tour
• Accommodation included

Acclaimed restaurateur Umberto Menghi invites you to immerse yourself in the Italian culture, learn about Tuscan cuisine, and explore the stunning Chianti region. Umberto’s Villa Delia offers a relaxing and hospitable sanctuary with luxurious comfort, spectacular wines and outstanding cuisine.

In the heart of rural Tuscany, a sun-drenched land where time stands still, Villa Delia is nestled in the village of Ripoli di Lari amidst a serene countryside of ancient cypress and gently rolling hills. The stone farmhouses, solitary monasteries, gently preserved medieval towns and picturesque walled villages are within easy driving distance to the cities of Florence, Siena, and Pisa, and to the Italian Riviera.

The villa, while maintaining its characteristic style and friendly old-world charm, is equipped with all the latest modern facilities.

From the spacious guest bedrooms—decorated with typical Tuscan-style furnishings, large private bath facilities, minibar, direct-dial telephone and cable television — one can admire the vineyards and olive groves in the tranquil and peaceful surrounding countryside.

The culinary week consists of 10 days and nine nights, with seven morning cooking classes, most taught by resident chef Marietta Menghi. Some courses will be led by Umberto Menghi or other regional chefs. Classes will specialise in pasta, Tuscan breadmaking, cucina povera (local food), and general Tuscan cuisine.

The meal prepared during class is served for that day’s lunch. Afternoon excursions include: Florence, Siena, Lucca, and the San Gimignano Chianti region, as well as visits to local markets, wine makers, and cultural centres.

FOR MORE DETAILED INFORMATION <CLICK HERE>

THREE PERFECT DAYS IN VENICE

• Arrive by private water taxi via the canals of Venice
• Join a renowned chef and countess in her palazzo
• Sail the Venetian lagoon on a private yacht, with lunch
• Sleep in luxury aside a romantic canal

Next to the water, on the water. Hands-on cooking in the palazzo of a Venetian countess, or add a luxurious gourmet cruise through the lagoon on the Eolo. And if three days aren't perfect enough, extend for as many as you wish - in the kitchen, on the Eolo, or just for exploring.

Menu Gourmet (cooking programme) 4 days and 3 nights:

• Two half days of private cooking lessons with Countess Fulvia Sesani, followed by lunch
• Learn authentic Venesian cuisine in the countess's canal-side palazzo
• Visit the famous Rialto Market to buy fresh ingredients for the course

Menu Decouverte (sailing-and-cooking programme) 4 days and 3 nights:

• A day or evening of private sailing on the lagoon, with Venice as a backdrop
• Explore the lagoon with its islands, convents, forts, and fishing villages
• Savour a very, very romantic sunset dinner on the canals
• Learn authentic Venetian cooking in a canal-side palazzo

The place and accommodation

This culinary adventure is anchored in the ancient merchant and trading city of Venice, in Veneto. If adventurous, consider our Menu Decouverte, which not only embraces the island city of Venice, but the surrounding lagoon via the sails of the Eolo.

Both hotels are in central Venice, directly on the canals:

• Hotel Monaco & Grand Canal: traditional elegance, modern design
• Hotel Gritti Palace: Classic aristocratic design and appointments

FOR MORE DETAILED INFORMATION <CLICK HERE>

TASTING VENETO

• October, November
• 1 week, maximum 15 participants
• Hands-on course
• Accommodation included

This elegant property, located in the Veneto, is owned and run by Count Serego Alighieri, a direct descendant of Dante. Hands-on instruction in its large, professionally appointed kitchen, trips, tours, and tastings will inspire and provide you with the skills to cook creatively. Each itinerary is individually planned incorporating all that the Veneto region has to offer.

This is a very elegant property located in beautiful Veneto. The family has owned the property since 1353 and has carefully converted the lodge into eight luxurious apartments, with open fireplaces and beamed ceilings.

From the avenue of ancient cypress trees, the estate’s vineyards stretch out across the surrounding hillsides. Embraced by a beautiful garden, the estate has a relaxed calm that will enhance your holiday and passion for fine food and wine.

Classes take place in the large, professionally appointed kitchen and make use of the farm’s own produce, such as olive oil, preserves, balsamic vinegar, grappa and wine. We will sample wines of exceptional quality, including some produced by the Count in association with his neighbour Masi.

FOR MORE DETAILED INFORMATION <CLICK HERE>

GIULIANO HAZAN AT VILLA GIONA

• May, September, October
• 1 week, maximum 12 participants
• Hands-on, wine tasting
• Accommodation included

Giuliano Hazan and Marilisa Allegrini (one of Italy’s most distinguished producers of noble red wine) offer a week of total immersion in Italian food, wine, and life.

Villa Giona, a country residence from the Renaissance period, lies near romantic Verona and beautiful Lake Garda. Originally built in the early 16th century, the handsomely restored villa reflects the fine Venitian hospitality that will greet participants to Giuliano Hazan’s culinary course here. Twelve acres of lovely park and vineyards surround the stately mansion. The rooms are very spacious, luxuriously furnished and unique in their layout. Only a few steps away are the vineyards, soon to be harvested by the Allegrini winery for the premiere of their new Villa Giona label.

Giuliano Hazan, like many other good cooks, learned his craft from his mother. He has over 15 years of teaching experience and makes regular appearances at cooking schools across the US and abroad.

For 4 years he taught a widely attended course in Venice at the legendary Hotel Cipriani. His first book, The Classic Pasta Cookbook, is an international bestseller with half a million copies in print in 16 countries and a James Beard award nominee. His latest book, Every Night Italian, has received rave reviews, including one from The New York Times: the book “epitomizes authenticity... this food is genius—genius distilled from history.”

A maximum of 12 students will participate in a week of intensive hands-on classes taught by Giuliano. Covered in the lessons are homemade pasta, risotto, meats, local fish, vegetables, and desserts. Each 5-hour class concludes with dinner in classic style composed of the several courses prepared during the class. Each class will also include presentations by Marilisa Allegrini on the major wine-producing regions of Italy. The wines discussed, both from the Allegrini vineyards and other distinguished Italian producers, will accompany the meals.

FOR MORE DETAILED INFORMATION <CLICK HERE>

FLAVOURS OF THE ITALIAN RIVIERA

• Discover the secrets of herbs in fine cooking
• Explore the Italian Riviera by private yacht (with skipper)
• Luxuriate by a cliffside pool and with a spa massage
• Eat like a gourmand amidst stunning views

You have considerable flexibility in your menu: eating, hiking, sailing. Fill as many days or not as you want, as full on or as relaxed as is your preference.

And if three or four days aren't enough, extend for as many as you wish. We can add additional days of activities, or simply extend your hotel stay so that you can shop shop shop in the designer boutiques of Portofino.

Menu Gourmet (eating, relaxing and playing) 4 days and 3 nights

• Half day of sailing on the Gulf of Portofino, exploring this hideaway of the well-healed
• Relax with a massage of your choice at the spa and well-being centre
• Daydream poolside, with a break for the poolside buffet lunch, then more daydreaming
• Indulge your gastronomic propensities with two romantic, gourmet dinners

Menu Herbs (eating and hiking) 3 days and 2 nights

• An easy half-day herb hike on Monte di Portofino with a botanist guide
• An herb-based gourmet (and of course romantic) dinner on the outside terrace
• Siesta after the hike with a slumber by the spectacular pool and its view

Menu Decouverte (sailing and eating . . . romantically) 4 days and 3 nights

• Rekindle that romantic initiative in one of the world's most romantic hotels
• Indulge with two nights of sumptuous gourmet dinners in one of two idyllic restaurants
• Sail the waves of the Mediterranean on a private yacht, with skipper and lunch
• A sunset Champagne cruise around the hideaways of the Gulf of Portofino
• Shop shop shop in the village of Portofino, with appropriate café breaks

The place and accommodation

This culinary adventure is anchored in the high-society coastal village of Portofino, in Liguria . . . the Italian Riviera. The options are strictly indulgent, and romantic, and relaxing. Unlike our other programmes, hands-on cooking (much less any time in a kitchen) is not permitted.

Both hotels are overseen by the Splendido, part of Orient-Express:

• Hotel Splendido: Luxury high on the hill with amazing views
• Splendido Mare: Smaller sea-level hotel facing Portofino harbour

FOR MORE DETAILED INFORMATION <CLICK HERE>

IN THE HILLS OF UMBRIA

• Cook up authentic Umbrian and Tuscan dishes
• Taste Umbrian wines and make an authentic pizza
• Daydream with the clouds, or be massaged at the spa
• Fall asleep to an absolute silence beneath the stars

Learn next to the London-trained chef, Honor Townsend, in the kitchen of Palazzo Terranova, a restored villa perched in the hills of Umbria, not far from the Tuscan border and with stunning views. Choose from three nights with two lessons or four nights with three lessons.

Menu Gourmet (cooking programme) 4 days / 3 nights and 5 days / 4 nights:

• Two half days of private cooking lessons with Honor Townsend, followed by lunch
• Create a scrumptuous and authentic pizza in a wood-fired oven
• Sample Umbrian wines beneath the canopy of the pristine Italian sky

The place and accommodation

Choosing this culinary adventure allows you to not stray far at all from the creature comforts of your room at Palazzo Terranova, which has received worldwide acclaim, including by Andrew Harper's Hideaway Report, as one of the finest luxury hotels in Italy. With its fifty acre estate of olive groves, citrus trees and wildflowers, the palazzo's nine rooms and three suites are each individually decorated in colours inspired by Piero della Francesca. An on-property spa and pool, not to mention the view and serenity, ensure relaxation.

• Palazzo Terranova: Surrounded only by hills and sky

FOR MORE DETAILED INFORMATION <CLICK HERE>

VILLA DI MONTE SOLARE

• Year-round except August
• 4 and 7 days
• Hands-on course
• Accommodation included

To the east of Italy’s celebrated Tuscan countryside lies unsung Umbria, a region rich in history, art, and food. Like many of the world’s best innkeepers, Rosemarie and Filippo Iannarone were destined for other pursuits.

But in 1988, they bought a handsomely restrained 1780 villa in the Umbrian hills, uninhabited for 25 years and hidden on a beautiful country road that seems to stretch to infinity. Just seven months later the couple hung out a shingle announcing an inn with nine rooms (today there are 20). They called it Monte Solare, after the 1,955 foot mountain - the highest on Lake Trasimeno - that casts its shadow nearby.

The villa has an aristocratic and pleasingly symmetrical façade of creamy yellow stucco. Window and door frames are in that most noble of building stones: rich, gray pietra serena. The candy box of a chapel, dedicated to Saint Lucia, has a pastel coffered ceiling that was painted in the 18th century and is the site of classical music concerts in summer.

A more divinely removed yet civilised setting is impossible to imagine. On the estate’s 176 acres, olives and wine grapes are grown, producing excellent olive oil and red wine.

Two swimming pools are dug into a natural platform, the perfect perch for studying the rippling silhouette of the hills and reassuring geometry of the olive orchards.

Under Chef Antonio Bondi, the restaurant also offers what Filippo says is the world’s widest selection of Umbrian wines (more than 300).

Guest rooms are all comfortable and pristine, including the newer ones in a former olive press and a stone outbuilding where silkworms were once raised. With their novel antique metal beds painted with wood grain or inlaid with mother-of-pearl, their satin-striped coverlets, and their triptych dressing table mirrors, the original villa accommodations are classics in themselves.

FOR MORE DETAILED INFORMATION <CLICK HERE>

FLAVOURS OF THE AMALFI

• Cook in a cliff-top kitchen 300 metres above the ocean
• Escape for a day to the island of Capri
  
• Dine in a Michelin two-star restaurant
  
• lumber in a deluxe hotel overlooking the coast

The scenery along here along the Amalfi Coast is enough to tempt any hungry traveller. But to learn authentic Italian cuisine in the kitchen of Mamma Agata, chef to Humphrey Bogart, Richard Burton, Liz Taylor, Federico Fellini, Jackie Kennedy, et al... Now that's Italian. Her kitchen has a spectacular and lofty view of this coastline. And consider adding another three days relaxing and exploring the romantic sea-side town of Positano.

Menu Gourmet (cooking programme) 4 days and 3 nights:

• Three nights accommodation in a four-star deluxe hotel in Ravello
• Learn the secrets of authentic Italian cuisine
• Join Mamma Agata in the kitchen with a spectacular view
• Make limoncello with lemons from Mamma Agata's cliffside garden
• Dine romantically on your private terrace overlooking the stunning Amalfi Coast
• Listen to a classical concert beneath the Mediterranean stars (in summer)

Menu Decouverte (cooking and exploration) 7 days and 6 nights:

• All of the experiences in Menu Gourmet, plus explorations in Positano...
• Three nights deluxe accommodation in the romantic sea-side town of Positano
• Take a private boat to discover this renowned coast
• Dine at sunset on a private balconey overlooking the spectacular coast

The place and accommodation

This culinary adventure is anchored in Ravello for the three-night Menu Gourmet and in both Ravello (3 nights) and Positano (3 nights) for Menu Decouverte. In Ravello, stay in splendid luxury high over the Amalfi Coast at Palazzo Sasso. If choosing to follow our Menu Decouverte, your stay at Palazzo Sasso will be followed by three intimate nights directly on the water, in Positano, at Le Sirenuse.

Both deluxe hotels offer spectacular views high above the Amalfi Coast:

• Palazzo Sasso (Ravello): Perched 300 metres above the coast
• Le Sirenuse (Positano): Nestled right on the coast

FOR MORE DETAILED INFORMATION <CLICK HERE>

ROMAN CUISINE WITH DIANE SEED

• Year-round except July
• 6 days, maximum 12 participants
• Hands-on course
• Accommodation included

Diane Seed, author of the best-selling “The Top One Hundred Pasta Sauces” and many other titles, shows how to cook authentic Italian and offers an insider’s view of Italian life. Classes are held at the beautiful Doria Pamphili Palace, in the centre of Rome at Piazza Venezia, and comfortable accommodation is near the historic Pantheon.

This culinary week allows participants to indulge in the Roman dolce vita, combining good food and wine with visits to colourful markets. There is also plenty of free time to explore the city, with its monuments of the ancient Roman empire and Baroque splendour, and designer boutiques and trendy restaurants.

Diane Seed’s cooking school is located in her own home in the beautiful Doria Pamphili Palace, in the centre of Rome at Piazza Venezia. The cooking school has a stunning view overlooking the piazza, down to the Forum and Coliseum. The back terrace, meanwhile, overlooks a tiled roof to see the dome of St.Peter’s.

The week commences on Sunday with a welcome dinner at Diane’s home. Cooking classes are from Monday to Thursday 10.30 to 14.00. Lunch consists of food prepared in class, along with local specialities and wine. On Fridays the class starts in the evening, followed by a farewell dinner. Completing the week is a visit to markets and local speciality shops.

Courses are hands-on. However, participants may also just sit and watch. There is time for questions and discussion during class, and the dishes prepared come from many Italian regions, not just Rome, using fresh seasonal produce. A balance is maintained between meals for dinner parties and interesting quick dishes. All is authentic Italian food, based on fresh and high-quality ingredients.

Dating to 1467, Hotel Sole al Pantheon is the oldest hotel in Rome, and possibly one of the longest-operating hotels in the world. In addition to being of great historical interest, the hotel looks out across the ancient Piazza della Rotonda to one of Rome’s masterpieces, the Pantheon, standing for over 2,000 years.

During the centuries the hotel has been home to many important travellers, poets, nobles, philosophers, and writers, including Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, Frederick III of Habsburg, and Cagliostro.

The four-star Hotel Sole has been meticulously restored to faithfully reflect its 15th-century heritage, The bedrooms are each individual in décor, and there is a lovely interior garden-patio, which opens onto an intimate breakfast room. Although away from the city’s chaos, it is still very near and is just five minutes’ walk to Diane Seed’s cooking school.

FOR MORE DETAILED INFORMATION <CLICK HERE>

	Judith von Prockl-Palmer - established Gourmet On Tour in 2000 (it launched in summer 2001), was born in Germany. Her passion for cuisine was nourished by living and working in Singapore (where she and Scott Ruthe