Join Pastry Chef Travis Marley as we explore Italian food and culture, then venture back into the kitchen to create classic Italian desserts.
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· Arrival at the Rome/Fiumicino (Leonardo da Vinci Airport) no later than 11 AM
· Drive to Monte Castello (approximately 2 hours)
· Arrival in Monte Castello: light lunch
· After lunch, review of policies, procedures, schedule and orientation to the facilities
· Settle into accommodations
· Rest
· Re-convene at 6:30 for tour of village
· 7:15 PM Prosecco at the bar
· Dinner at 8:00
· 8:30: Breakfast
· After breakfast, meet in the kitchen for a discussion about the flavors of Umbria. Our chef, Katia Costanzi, will lead us on a tour of the kitchen and ingredients used in the cuisine of the region. Federico Lorenzini, whose company produces the dried fruits, jellies and jams we use at ICA will be on hand, as wells as our sous chef, Samuele who will explain when and where he harvests our delicious, local pine nuts and demonstrates the painstaking process of extracting them. Katia will also give us an overview of the wild game provided by her father and the mushrooms she forages from the forests around Monte Castello.
· 9:30- 11:00: We will meet our friend Andrea Barcarotti, whose occupation is to seek out the rich treasures of the Umbrian woodlands. Andrea will demonstrate how truffles are found in the forests that surround Monte Castello. We will follow his dogs Zara and Sasha into the forest and see just how it’s done. It is truly amazing to see these incredible dogs scurrying through the forest and field fringes, discovering fresh and aromatic truffles.
· 11:30 – 1:00: Afterward, we will do an olive oil and wine tasting with oil sommelier and owner of Passo della Palomba vineyard, Alessandro Gilotti. Sandro will give us an overview of his facilities that produce some of the regions finest olive oil as well as give us an overview of how olive oils are evaluated for quality.
· 1:00 PM: Lunch
· 2:30-5:30 PM: Class
· 6:30 PM: Before dinner, we will have a wine tasting and a visit by Andrea Andreani, owner of the Ristorante L’Alberata and Andrea will introduce us to some of the unique cured and cooked meats as well as cheeses of the region. L’Alberata is particularly known for their creative combinations of cured meats, cheeses, and fruits in their antipasti and for their sophistication in pairing them with wines of the region. It will be an informative and tasty introduction to this dimension of Umbrian cuisine.
8:00: Breakfast
8:30: Depart
9:00 Arrive at the nearby town of Marsciano and visit our friends at the Caseificio Artigianale Nestore. Here we will see the we will see the place where the artisanal cheeses and yogurt that we serve at ICA is produced. Time permitting, we’ll have a brief tutorial on their mozzarella production.
9:30 – 10:30: Afterward, we will move on to the town of Deruta, famous for its beautiful and intricate, Majolica pottery traditions. Before we experience them however, we’ll stop for a taste of the fresh pastry and gelato at a local bakery. From here we will visit the renowned Maioliche Nulli ceramic studio. We will see exquisite examples of traditional pottery and meet the family that has been producing them for generations. Members of the group can actually try their hand at throwing a pot if they like, under the tutelage of Ronaldo Nulli, master potter.
10:30 Depart for Assisi
11:00: We will begin our visit the city of Assisi with a brief tour of the church of San Francesco, a UNESCO World Heritage Site dedicated to Saint Francis. We will then explore the city, followed by a meal at Nonna Nini Restaurant, which will include their famous filled pastas. Before leaving we will be introduced to their unique sweets at the famous, Pasticceria Santa Monica.
2:00 PM depart for Perugia
2:30: Perugia: Reaching Perugia, we will explore the historic center stopping at the famous Sandri dal 1860, one of Perugia most venerable chocolatiers.
4:00 – 5:00 Tour of the Perugino Chocolate Factory
5:00 Depart for Monte Castello, stopping at the famous Arnaldo Caprai vineyard along the way.
Dinner at 8:00
8:00 Depart for the nearby town of Todi. On the outskirts of the town, we will stop for breakfast and a sampling of local pastries. We will get a sense of the pastry traditions of the region at La Deliziosa, a local bakery/pizzeria over breakfast. From here we will find a very different, yet traditional perspective, at Pasticceria Bella Napoli, in the hamlet of Ponterio. We will have an opportunity to sample some of the wonderful cheeses at Caseificio Montecristo on the outskirts of Todi, before heading into the mountains to the east, which mark the boundary of the Montefalco wine region. Here we will visit a number of Montefalco area vineyards producing wines that include the famed varietal, Sagrantino, especially focusing on Montefalco Sagrantino Passito, the famed desert wine. We will make it back to Monte Castello in time for lunch at 1:00.
1:00 PM Lunch
2:30 – 5:30 PM class
5:30 – 8:00 free
8:00 PM dinner
8:30 AM Breakfast
9:30 AM visit to the Monte Castello bakery of Giovanni Conti. Giovanni produces the bread we use at IVA – freshly baked each morning! Giovanni will introduce us to the breads and pastries he prepares from the traditions of his village of Enna, Sicily.
10:00 – 1:00 Class or free
1:00 Lunch
2:30 – 5:00 Class
5:00 – 8:00 Free
8:00 Dinner at il Grottino di Zio Toto
8:00 AM Depart Monte Castello for Siena, stopping en route for breakfast at Autogrill, for another side of Italian pastry. Autogrill’s are found throughout Italy, and began as a public company owned by the state whose mission was to provide meals to motorists on the developing highway system after WWII. Unlike its equvallents found in the U.S., for example, Autogrill provides excellent espresso and cappuccino as well other coffee drinks, freshly squeezed orange juice, warm and cold sandwiches and of course, pastries.
11:00 – 3:00 PM Arrive in Siena for a brief tour of the historic city and campo where the ancient horserace – the Palio, is still held every year. We will have lunch, and a sampling of sweets that made Siena foremost among other Tuscan cities for its delicious pastries and dessert wines. We will sample: Ricciarelli, Cavallucci, Cantuccini, and the famous Panforte – all of course accompanied by the legendary Vin Santo of Siena.
4:00 – 7:00 PM Vineyard visits:
Lake Trasimino vineyard, wines include: Sangiovese, Grechetto, Trebbiano, Canaiolo and Malvasia as well as new varieties to the region, such as Cabernet, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, Merlot, Chardonnay, Riesling Italico and, the unique, Ciliegiolo
Montalcino vineyard in order to sample one of the most famous wines in the world: Brunello di Montalcino, (D.O.C.G.)
Montepulciano. To sample renowned, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.
8:00 PM: Dinner at Ristorante Da Faliero on the lakeshore of Lake Trasimeno
11:00 AM: Brunch
8:00 PM Dinner
11:00 AM: Brunch
8:00 PM Dinner
7:00 AM depart Monte Castello
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM Tour of the fantastic water gardens at Tivoli about 30 minutes from FCO?. The sixteenth century garden — a UNESCO World Heritage Culture Site is a true marvel of engineering and its magnificent fountains — built in the 16th c. — are completely “powered” by gravity. Our two-hour visit will focus on Villa d’Este.
After a brief lunch we continue to the next site
12:30 – 2:30 Bomarzo. Continuing the garden theme, the group will travel northward to the amazing Sacro Bosco (Sacred Wood, or Sacred Grove) or Parco dei Mostri (Park of the monsters) just below the village of Bomarzo. Designed and built by Pier Francesco Orsini in the sixteenth century as a means of coping with his grief over the loss of his wife, the enormous mannerist sculptures of fantastical beasts that inhabit the park are carved from the ‘living rock” of the hillside.
3:00 – 5:00 Marmore Falls This, the tallest waterfall in Europe, were actually made by the Romans, around 250 BC as means of draining the nearby swampland. They are one of the great natural sites of Italy, and were called by the poet, Lord Byron: “the most beautiful waterfalls in Europe”. Today, the falls are used to produce hydroelectric power and the water is diverted for certain periods during the day – being at the site to see the enormous volume of water begin tumbling down the mountainside is an unforgettable experience. BE SURE TO BRING YOUR RAINCOAT. During the hour and a half visit, we suggest walking up to observation platform: “Lover’s Balcony” to see the unique, circular rainbow.
5:30 PM Depart for return to Monte Castello
En route to Monte Castello, we’ll stop at the Signae Vineyard outside of the village of Rossobastardo to meet the owner, Luciano Cesarini, to hear his remarkable story about the founding of his vineyard and winery – and of course, to sample his wonderful wines!
We will be back in Monte Castello in time for dinner
8:00 AM: Breakfast
9:00 AM – 1:00 PM: Class
1:00 PM Lunch
2:30 – 5:30 PM Class
5:30 – 8:00 PM Free
8:00 PM Dinner
8:00 AM: Breakfast
9:00 AM – 1:00 PM: Class
1:00 PM Lunch
2:30 – 5:30 PM Class
5:30 – 8:00 PM Free
8:00 PM Farewell Dinner
7:00 AM Depart via private bus to the Rome/Fiumicino (FCO) Airport (flights departing NO EARLIER than 11:00 AM)
