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Coselli School of Tuscan Cuisine at Borgo Bernardini

About the location: Borgo Bernardini, a little hamlet tucked away among the gently folding Lucchese hills, is a gracious and luxurious Tuscan retreat. Originally a wild boar hunting lodge, it was extended in the early 1800s to become a small village for the workers of the estate of Count Bernardini. Today its restoration has accentuated the beauty, comfort and tranquility of the villa and its setting. All luxury queen or twin bedrooms are individually temperature-controlled with splendid, fully modern en suite bathrooms. The public rooms are spacious and elegant, including a drawing room, billiard and card room, special wine library, and office equipped with Internet access. In addition, there is a sun lounge and floodlit swimming pool. The outdoor areas allow for al fresco dining amidst the spectacular scenery. The borgo is within easy reach of Tuscany's treasures, an easy drive for the selected excursions.

About the cooking lessons: Chef Valter will be your guide through your week of Tuscan cuisine. Valter was born near Milan and studied professionally at the Istituto Alberghiero di Casargo, a culinary institute on the Italian/Swiss border, which over the years lead to several successful positions in renowned restaurants throughout Europe. He worked with Ugo Amato for over two years, preparing and creating some of the most sought after pastries and cakes in London as well as supplying the British Royal family! Valter then moved on to become Head Pastry Chef at the five star resort and old hall hotel of Slaley Hall in the North of England.

However, craving the "bella vita" of Italy, he returned to Tuscany and has been involved in cooking schools for several successful years now, working alongside the formidable Tuscan chef Alvaro Maccioni of London's La Famiglia, who has encouraged him to be experimental but not lose sight of the true Tuscan flavors and disciplines in cooking. Raoul Ferrari, the Borgo's wine sommelier, has also led Valter to complete 3 years of sommelier studies and obtain his professional wine sommelier's certificate. The culinary family is rounded out by Andrea and Lenka Fanucchi of Alival and Mandara, one of the largest Italian producers of mozzarella, pecorino and ricotta cheeses. Together they have created a true Italian family home at Borgo Bernardini for you to learn about cuisine The hands-on cooking lessons are intimate, fun, informative, and full of tips and tricks of the trade.

Highlights

A 4 day hands-on cooking course with luxury en-suite accommodation,
All food and house-wine,
Cost of pre-arranged restaurants,
Transfers from Pisa or Florence airport or Pisa/Florence/Lucca train stations.
Transport for all arranged outings, wine tasting, guided tours
Entrances to museums as arranged.
Course guide, cookbook of course recipes, apron, and graduation certificate

Tour Itinerary 4 Nights

Day One, Sunday

• Transfers from Pisa or Florence airports/train stations for arrival at Borgo Bernardini around midday for a welcome buffet lunch prepared by your Italian chef, Valter Roman
• Buffet lunch at 1pm- meet your hosts and cooking colleagues, followed by a tour of the Borgo estate and free time to settle in and relax before the first cooking lesson.
• Hands-on cooking lesson and preparation of dinner.
• Welcome aperitivi and viewing of a short video on Lucca followed by dinner.

Day Two, Monday

• Breakfast available 8:00am-9:00am
• Specially selected tasting menu for lunch at a local restaurant followed by free time to discover Lucca for yourself and shop along Via Filungo. Lucca is known as a city of no galleries, but many churches with 100 in existence at the end of the Middle Ages. The city became a colony of ancient Rome in 180BC and bordered the Etruscan country. The survival of the Anfiteatro from these Roman times is due to Nottolini, the architect who also built the aqueduct between Lucca and Pisa. The name of the church San Michele in Foro indicates that it stands beside a Roman forum. In the 12th-13th centuries, Lucca was the center of a thriving silk and wool trade and rivaled Florence in power and wealth. The proof of this abundance is the many churches and the wall of protection around the old city.
• Informal pizza supper with pizza making in the original pizza oven in the cellars of Villa Bernardini

Day Three, Tuesday

• 8:00am - 9:00am Breakfast available
• Today you'll learn pasta and its sauces - a specially themed cooking lesson.
• Lunch al fresco followed by a short tour of Pisa and its Leaning Tower. The Leaning Tower in the Campo dei Miracoli (30 minutes drive) includes the Duomo, Baptistery and Campo Santo cemetery. Begun in 1173, the Torre Pendente began to lean before the third story was completed, but construction continued and was eventually completed in 1350.
• Hands-on cooking lesson and preparation of a special wine-tasting dinner.
• Introduction to the wines of Tuscany by the master sommelier of wines on premises, followed by dinner with wine tastings to accompany each course.

Day Four, Wednesday

• 7:30am-8:30am Breakfast available.
• Chef's tour of a bustling market town to choose fresh produce for dinner followed by a kitchen challenge where students and chefs work together to prepare a buffet lunch with items found at the market.
• Lunch followed by a visit to a local Lucchese vineyard producing its own wine and olive oil
• Hands-on cooking lesson and preparation of dinner.
• Farewell Drinks and Graduation Ceremony in Villa Bernardini followed by dinner.

Day Five, Thursday

• Breakfast available 8:00-9:00am
• Transfers to your next onward destination

Tour Itinerary 6 Nights

Day One, Sunday

• Transfer from Pisa or Florence airport or train station for arrival at Borgo Bernardini around midday for a welcome buffet lunch prepared by your Italian chef for the week, Valter Roman.
• Buffet lunch - meet your hosts and cooking colleagues, followed by a tour of the estate & free time to settle in & relax before the first hands-on cooking lesson.
• In the evening, an orientation and hands-on cooking lesson with preparation of dinner.
• Welcome aperitivi, followed by dinner.

Day Two, Monday

• Breakfast, followed by a leisurely stroll around the ancient walls of Lucca (2 ½ miles). Built between 1504 and 1645, these walls are among the best-preserved Renaissance defenses in Europe and were adapted under Bourbon rule into a "public walk" with avenues of trees.
• Return to the borgo for a specially themed cooking lesson on Pasta and Sauces, followed by alfresco lunch.
• After lunch, a short guided tour of Pisa and its leaning tower.
• Back to the borgo for a hands-on cooking lesson and preparation of dinner.
• Aperitivi followed by dinner.

Day Three, Tuesday

• After breakfast, depart Borgo for a Chianti adventure (1½hrs drive) stopping off at an enchanting market town as well as renowned vineyard for wine-tasting.
• Lunch will be a tasting menu of local Chianti produce at a local restaurant. The tour continues with a visit to a distillery, producing local grappas.
• Leave Chianti and return to Borgo for an informal pizza supper with pizza making in our original pizza oven in the cellars of Villa Bernardini.

Day Four, Wednesday

• After breakfast, enjoy a Chef's tour of a bustling market town to choose fresh produce for dinner followed by a kitchen challenge where students and chefs work together to prepare a buffet lunch with items found at the market.
• Lunch followed by free time to relax and enjoy Borgo Bernardini.
• Late afternoon hands-on cooking lesson and preparation of a special wine-tasting dinner.
• Introduction to the wines of Tuscany by a wine sommelier followed by dinner with wine tastings to accompany each course.

Day Five, Thursday

• After breakfast, depart for a guided tour through Lucca. In the 12th and 13th centuries, Lucca thrived economically and rivaled Florence in power and wealth.
• A specially selected tasting menu for lunch at a renowned local restaurant and free time to discover Lucca for yourself with great shopping along Via Filungo.
• A hands-on cooking lesson and preparation of dinner in the early evening back at the Borgo.
• Aperitivi and dinner.

Day Six, Friday

• After breakfast, cooking lesson and preparation of lunch.
• Free afternoon to relax, shop, or join in a special chocolate and truffle making session with Valter in the kitchen. There's also the opportunity to do some last minute shopping in Lucca.
• Hands-on cooking lesson and preparation of dinner.
• Farewell drinks and graduation ceremony in the cooking school kitchen, followed by farewell celebration dinner.

Day Seven, Saturday

• After breakfast, departure to airport or train station.