Buon Appetito Friuli is a hands-on cooking vacation offering a memorable learning experience about the foods and wines of Friuli, a region with an exquisite traditional cuisine and top-class wines. Friuli-Venezia Giulia is home to the prized San Daniele prosciutto and the tasty frico, which are often served as antipasto.
Gnocchi and risotto are popular first courses, together with bean and barley soups and jota, a very typical soup of Austrian origin. As second course you can enjoy excellent seafood from the Adriatic coast and a great variety of genuine meats and game from the countryside, most often accompanied by polenta and fresh produce. Desserts include different types of strudels and gubana, an exquisite cake with a filling of dry fruit and grappa. The taste of these foods is exalted by a proper pairing with wine, the pride of the region, which reaches world-class level in eight DOC areas.
Participants will learn how to prepare all these specialties and many other Italian recipes! Classes, suitable for all levels – from beginners to professionals, are taught in English and limited to small groups (min. 2 – max. 10 participants) in order to guarantee our guests a personalized service, a more relaxed and friendly atmosphere and give them the possibility to customize their vacation as much as possible.
Besides cooking classes followed by lunch or dinner paired with the proper wines, the program also includes day trips to wineries, cheese makers, prosciutto factories, private tastings, as well as cultural excursions to the many historical and delightful sites in this scenic corner of Italy and, why not, the nearby countries of Austria, Slovenia and Croatia! Day trips are flexible, according to participants' input and interests.
7 Day Program Description
Monday - Arrive at Venice or Trieste airport. Transfer to the estate by private vehicle. You will be greeted by your hosts and will check-in at that Castle's charming Inn that will be your home for the week. You will have some time to relax in your comfortable suites before gathering for a synopsis of the weekly schedule. Free time to explore the surroundings, visit the castle cellars or take an optional short drive to Gorizia, the only town in Italy divided by a border (its eastern half, Nova Gorica, is actually located in Slovenia). Enjoy a welcome aperitif and dinner.
Tuesday - Breakfast available from 8 a.m. until 10 a.m. Guided excursion to Trieste, the capital of Friuli-Venezia Guilia, set between the blue waters of its gulf, the green hills and the white rocks of the Carso plateau. Visit of the Miramare Caste and the city's historical center. Lunch in a typical local restaurant. In the afternoon, return to the castle in time for your cooking class. Preparation of a three-course meal followed by a dinner of your efforts.
Wednesday - Breakfast available. This morning will be informative with a visit of a Latteia (cheese factory), where you'll have the possibility of learning how cheese is made, including the delicious Montasio, followed by a cheese tasting. A tour of Cividale del Friuli, a little gem in the eastern foothills of Friuli, known for its delicious Gubana (an exquisite type of strudel filled with apples, pine seeds and raisins), top wines and lovely atmosphere that you can breathe strolling around the narrow cobblestone streets leading to the charming main square, will follow. Lunch will be in a typical agristurismo of the area. In the afternoon you will visit a local winery before reaching the castle for your second cooking lesson followed by dinner.
Thursday - After breakfast we will go on a guided excursion to San Daniele, well-known all over the world for the incomparable taste of its exquisite prosciutto, which is said to be the most delicate in all of Italy. Prosciutto-based lunch in a typical local restaurant followed by a visit to prosciutto factory. Return to the caste for your third cooking class. Preparation of a three-course meal followed by a dinner of your efforts.
Friday - After breakfast we will depart to Aquileia for a guided visit of this Roman jewel, the most important archaeological site in northern Italy. You'll see the forum, remains of public baths and private houses, Roman roads with visible chariot tracks and the ancient Basilica which hosts stunning Byzantine frescoes and one of the largest and most spectacular early-Christian mosaic floors of the West! Lunch in a typical agriturismo of the area with appetizers and samplings of local delicacies and wine. In the afternoon, return to the castle for your fourth cooking class followed by dinner of your efforts.
Saturday - After breakfast, we will depart on a full-day excursion to Venice, Slovenia or Austria, giving you the possibility of tasting the gastronomic specialties of these neighboring areas, which have for many centuries influenced the cuisine of Friuli-Venezia Giulia (free lunch).
Sunday - After breakfast, check-out at your leisure, taking with you lots of great recipes, new skills and ideas to prepare at home what you've learned during this unforgettable culinary experience! Transfer from the castle to the airport or train station by private vehicle.
4 days/3 nights Escorted Tour
Thursday - Arrival at the castle inn in the early afternoon. Check-in and free time to explore the surroundings and visit the castle cellars. Return to the caste for your first cooking class. Preparation of a three-course meal followed by a dinner of your efforts.
Friday - After breakfast we will depart to Aquileia for a guided visit of this Roman jewel, the most important archaeological site in northern Italy. You'll see the forum, remains of public baths and private houses, Roman roads with visible chariot tracks and the ancient Basilica which hosts stunning Byzantine frescoes and one of the largest and most spectacular early-Christian mosaic floors of the West! Lunch in a typical agriturismo of the area with appetizers and samplings of local delicacies and wine. In the afternoon, return to the castle for your second cooking class followed by dinner of your efforts.
Saturday - After breakfast, we will depart on a full-day excursion to either Venice, Slovenia or Austria, giving you the possibility of tasting the gastronomic specialties of these neighboring areas, which have for many centuries influenced the cuisine of Friuli-Venezia Giulia (free lunch).
Sunday - After breakfast, check-out at your leisure, taking with you lots of great recipes, new skills and ideas to prepare at home what you've learned during this unforgettable culinary experience! Transfer from the castle to the airport or train station by private vehicle.
4 days/3 nights Self-Drive Tour (for this tour, participants must have their own vehicle)
Thursday - Arrival at the castle inn on your own in the early afternoon. Check-in and free time to explore the surroundings and visit the castle cellars. Return to the caste for your first cooking class. Preparation of a three-course meal followed by a dinner of your efforts.
Friday - After breakfast you have free time to explore the region according to your interests. In the afternoon, return to the castle for your second cooking class followed by dinner of your efforts.
Saturday - After breakfast, full-day free to explore the region and/or take an independent day trip to Venice, Slovenia or Austria! Return to your accommodation in the evening for a farewell dinner at the refined castle restaurant.
Sunday - After breakfast, check-out at your leisure, taking with you lots of great recipes, new skills and ideas to prepare at home what you've learned during this unforgettable culinary experience! Transfer from the castle to the airport or train station by private vehicle.
Location, accommodation and facilities
Cooking classes take place in a charming 13th century manor situated on a sixty-hectar estate, surrounded by vineyards and a magnificent park on the gentle slopes of the Collio hills, one of Italy's finest wine-growing locations, only about one-hour drive from Venice. The atmosphere is lovely and peaceful, just the perfect location to enjoy a leisurely vacation mixed with an unforgettable cooking experience.
The estate also houses a renowned winery producing prized D.O.C. red and white wines and an excellent grappa. The cellar, which can be reached by descending seventy steps underground, was a former military bunker. It was built at the end of the 30’s and used during the Second World War as a bomb shelter. It crosses the heart of the castle from east to west and it is the pride of the estate.
Participants can choose to stay in the castle's comfortable suites with private bathroom, all decorated with refined antiques reflecting a different style in each suite and offering incredible views of the Collio hills, or in the charming rooms with mansard ceilings of the castle’s Inn, a cosy, welcoming country house set at the castle’s foothills. The Inn, entirely rebuilt on the site of the old tavern of the castle, hosts a refined restaurant on the ground floor and ten enchanting suites with air conditioning and private bathroom (some with shower or bath jacuzzi) on the first floor. All adorned with elegant tapestry and furnishings, they offer delightful views of a breathtaking landscape.
Cooking classes take place in the castles' well-equipped kitchen and are taught by experienced and professional instructors. Following the true Italian way of eating, all meals are prepared using fresh ingredients and what’s available in season, to guarantee the best quality and success of all culinary creations.
Testimonials:
"I sure learned a lot from Chef Antonio and liked his personality. Sonia was an absolute joy, as was Lucia. The area was just stunningly beautiful." Sandy M.
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Four Day Program - € 1,290 per person/double occup. (Venice); € 1,290 per person/double occup. (Slovenia); € 1,290 per person/double occup. (Austria).
Four-day self-drive tour - € 890 per person/double occupancy, € 944 per person/single occupancy.
Non-cooking discount - € 700. Prices listed above represent the 7 day cooking program.
Program Includes:
- Accommodation at the Castle's Inn;
- Breakfast every morning;
- Hands-on cooking classes with Chef ;
- Lunches and dinner, including drinks;
- Cooking school tuition and excursions;
- Visits to the Castle's cellars and wine tasting;
- Daily guided excursions;
- Wine and cheese tasting;
- Roundtrip transfer to and from local train station;
- Taxes and service.
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Cooking School
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