What is Tuscan Women Cook?
Since 2000, Tuscan Women Cook has been the original immersive Italian cooking school in the charming village of Montefollonico. Experience hands-on cooking classes led by local nonnas, savor exceptional Tuscan wines from the heart of Chianti, Montepulciano, and Montalcino, and explore the timeless beauty of medieval villages that surround every turn.
Is the program only for women?
Our program is designed for everyone, not just women. We have plenty of couples who join us at Tuscan Women Cook for their honeymoon, family vacation or a couple’s trip. The “women” in Tuscan Women Cook refers to the nonnas who will be teaching guests how to cook traditional Tuscan recipes.
Do I have the make a second deposit even if the person is sharing a room with me?
Yes, a deposit is required per person to reserve their spot with us. This deposit will be put towards their final balance.
What does the price include?
Our program is all inclusive once you arrive to us in Tuscany. The price includes cooking classes, wine tastings, breakfast/lunch/dinners, a private coach to drive us to the different areas, private guided tours of nearby villages, and more! The only thing the price doesn’t include is airfare and transportation to and from our village in Montefollonico.
Which airport do you recommend we fly into?
The closest, main, airports are Florence (1.5 hours away) and Rome (2.5 hours away) from our village in Montefollonico. This is important to keep in mind when booking flights and travel arrangements. If you need any help with drivers, we have created a link online specifically for our guests with everything from packing tips to drivers’ contact information. We will share this with you once you have made your deposit.
Do you provide transportation to and from the airport?
We do not provide transportation to and from the airport since many of our guests will be traveling to different parts of Italy before or after their week with us. Once you make your deposit, we send you a detailed article with packing tips and transportation information including the names and numbers for drivers. The three options of transportation to and from our village is (1) Train and Taxi, (2) hire a private driver or (3) rent a car from the airport.
Do you have a sample itinerary?
We do not provide a sample itinerary, but we can provide you with the layout of our week. The program starts on Sunday at 6:30pm, but check-in to the hotel begins after 3pm on Sunday. Once you’re with us on Sunday, we will take care of you throughout the week. We cook with the nonnas on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday morning and then eat what we cook for lunch. In the evening, we typically venture to nearby villages to see the sites before heading to dinner that night. Wednesday is our day in Siena – you will tour with a private guide, visit the local market, see the duomo and have shopping time in the city as well. Your last event with us will be Graduation Dinner on Friday night. Saturday is dedicated for your travel – there will be breakfast provided in the morning before a check-out at 11:00am.
What is the Black Apron Program?
The Black Apron (BA) Program is dedicated to past guests who have attended our regular week and want to see more of the area that we weren’t able to fit in one session. Guests who have never attended our regular program are more than welcome to join their friends/family members who have!
The BA week is hosted in a beautiful hotel that is very close to the village of Montefollonico. We still keep one or two restaurants/wineries the same (since our guests love to see their memorable faces), but we travel more in the surrounding area to attend new cooking classes and experience more of what Tuscany has to offer.
For the majority of the week, we will visit Tuscan venues and wineries in the area of the Val d’Orcia, UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2004. You will be indulging in cooking classes, wine tastings, truffle hunting and exploring the land of Brunello Wines in Montalcino. You will try new pasta varieties such as Tortelloni. During certain seasons, when the weather is just right, we are able to visit an olive oil mill and view the process of creating olive oil from the branches to the bottle. The price of this program includes room and board, private tour of Montalcino, truffle hunting experience (and cooking with truffle), cooking classes, tasting the varieties of top-tier wines, such as Brunello, and so much more!