Come with a cookbook author and a sommelier on an exploration of culinary, seasonal traditions of a small Tuscan village of food artisans: the 4th generation Slow Food butcher, the local winemaker, the truffle hunter, the brothers who grow their own ancient grain wheat and bake bread in their handmade woodfired oven.
We will go hunting for truffles in the woods — we are lucky enough to live in an area where there are different varieties of truffles in different seasons: black summer truffles, autumn white truffles and spring bianchetto truffles all grow locally to San Miniato. We cook together, taste wine together, you'll get your hands covered in flour, learning about local traditions on the way. We eat and drink together, tasting natural wines chosen by Marco and visiting our favourite trattoria in the countryside for a long Italian lunch to give you the full Tuscan experience. Each workshop is highly seasonal and highly local, and so the exact itinerary and format for each workshop changes according to the seasons.
Seasonal Tuscan Food & Wine Workshops
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Day 1
Arrival day. After you’ve had a chance to arrive and settle in to San Miniato, we meet in the late afternoon for a leisurely walk around town to get your bearings and hear about the history and landscape of this hilltop town. This is followed by an early, casual “aperi-cena” (aperitivo-dinner) with natural wines in Enoteca Marilu.
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Day 2
We meet in the morning to visit the local market for fresh produce grown right in San Miniato and cheese (a van full of it!), then head to the Slow Food butcher for fennel-studded finocchiona or some of their famous sausages. Afterwards, we head into the kitchen to cook a seasonal, multiple course meal together which we will enjoy with natural wines at our long table. Evening free.
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Day 3
This morning we head into the woods for a truffle hunt. Here, we have a variety of truffles that are in season all year — black truffles in summer, white truffles in autumn and bianchetto in the spring. You'll learn how to use truffles in savoury and sweet dishes and we will enjoy these with paired wines which Marco will explain so you have some tips on how to pair your own food and wine. The late afternoon and evening are free.
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Day 4
This morning starts with a walk to experience some of San Miniato’s countryside, followed by a visit from a local artisan who will guide us through a relaxed morning workshop of basket weaving or typography, for example. Then we sit down for a family-style lunch, prepared by Emiko, and Marco’s epic Italian wine lesson. You have the evening free.
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Day 5
We visit two farmer-baker brothers, who grow their own ancient grains, as they bake their rustic sourdough loaves in their handmade woodfired oven, followed by a tasting of their breads. We’ll meet a biodynamic winemaker at a 14th century farmhouse and have a long and leisurely lunch at a favourite countryside trattoria for a classic Tuscan experience before we say goodbye.
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Highlights
Two hands-on cooking classes with an award-winning cookbook author, Italian natural wine lesson with sommelier Marco Lami, authentic truffle hunt in the woods with a truffle hunter and his dog, artisan workshop, winery visit with the winemaker, tour of San Miniato, lunch every day, including our favourite trattoria, an exclusive welcome meal at Enoteca Marilu, transport for all the activities, and flowing, delicious natural wine and organic, seasonal ingredients.
Slow food, full hearts
Our culinary workshops are designed for people who love Italian food and wine and want to delve deeper into the culture and traditions of our little corner of Tuscany. Join us in 2025 on the following dates:
Midsummer workshop 23-27 June
Summer harvest workshop 7-11 July - 1 spot left!
Wine harvest workshop 8-12 September
Autumn workshop 13-17 October - SOLD OUT!
White Truffle workshop 18-22 November - 1 spot left!
A celebration of seasons
April is a celebration of spring and its delicious produce, from fresh peas and broad beans to artichokes, June is Midsummer and the time to make nocino (walnut liqueur) and celebrate the season around the bonfire. July is for making granita and tomato sauce, or hunting in the shady woods for summer truffles. September is wine harvest season and October and November is our favourite season, the time for white truffles. In fact, November is when San Miniato celebrates its annual White Truffle Festival; the city comes alive with food stalls and the scent of white truffle in the air.
We have designed this intimate workshop for a group of 8 people to run from morning to late afternoon, giving you free time in the evenings to explore, rest or sample one of the great restaurants in town. We are based in the heart of San Miniato, right next to the main piazza, everything is within a short walking distance and there are plenty of options for accommodation in town for a variety of budgets (see our suggestions here). You don’t need a car while in San Miniato unless you want to exploring further afield.
“What you have created is very special and unique and unlike any other workshop or experience I've ever participated in. San Miniato and your community are amazing, but I really think it's down to the warmth and generosity you bring to the experience.” — Dana
“It was the perfect window into not just the culinary world, but life and culture of San Miniato and Tuscany. The people involved and making new friends was a big part of it - must be that your energy attracts compatible minds. This was one of the best and most enlightening travel experiences I’ve had.” — Dino
“You and Marco are such incredible and gracious hosts. You never made us feel rushed and you let us ask as many questions as we wanted. It’s not often you find someone as talented as you who is also so giving with her time. I can’t thank you enough. My heart feels full and certainly my belly does as well!” — Amanda
The details
Price: 2,000 euro per person (does not include flights, accommodation, travel insurance or transport to/from San Miniato, but we are happy to help arrange transfers)
Accommodation: San Miniato has a wide range of different places to stay for all budgets, many of them walking distance to the Enoteca. We can suggest some places to stay in the area.
Schedule: We usually begin each day sometime around 9-10am and finish by around 4pm.
Getting to San Miniato: San Miniato is about 40 minutes from Florence Santa Maria Novella train station and 30 minutes from Pisa airport by car or train, take a look at this info sheet.
To book or ask any questions just email us.
To confirm, we require a deposit of 30%, the remainder to be paid before the workshop. The deposit is non-refundable, but we understand that plans can change, we can accept someone to take your place or give you a voucher towards any other classes to use within 12 months of the intended workshop. We reserve the right to cancel a workshop (with plenty of advance notice) and in this case deposits will be fully refunded.
