Wine & Cooking Under the Tuscan & Umbrian Sun

Welcome to our Italian family - where lifelong friendships begin around the kitchen table. Since 2006, we've been opening our hearts and homes in Soriano nel Cimino (right at the border of Tuscany, Umbria and Lazio), inviting small groups to experience the true soul of Italian living. This isn't just a cooking vacation; it's a week of becoming part of our extended family in the heart of Tuscany, Umbria, and Alto Lazio.

In our intimate group of just 14 to 18 guests, you'll share laughter and stories while making pasta in our 18th-century villa kitchen, learn family recipes passed down through generations, and join in the joyful chaos of traditional Italian Sunday meals. Each day brings new connections - making pizza with local families in their homes, sharing morning cappuccino with villagers who quickly become friends, and celebrating life as Italians do - around tables filled with food, wine, and warm conversation.

Your days unfold like chapters in a cherished family story. Join our friend the local shepherd to make fresh ricotta, visit family-run wineries where owners welcome you like old friends, and gather around our wood-fired oven for a pizza night that feel like family reunions. Every meal is a celebration, every glass of wine comes with a story, and every experience is authentic - from cooking with vegetables from our garden to dining in the home of a duchess.

This is Italy as it should be experienced - not as a tourist, but as part of the family. Whether you're learning secret family recipes, sharing stories over home-distilled grappa in our cellar, or joining impromptu dinner parties with neighbors, you'll discover the heart of Italian living through the bonds of friendship and family that make this experience truly unforgettable.

Dates & Prices:

Click here to view our dates and prices.

Itinerary:

Day 1: Welcome to Soriano nel Cimino - Arrive via our shuttle from Rome FCO Airport or Orte Train Station. Settle into your village home in medieval Soriano. Evening welcome aperitivo in the main piazza, followed by local street food tasting of Soriano's famous porchetta. Visit the majestic 11th-century castle before dining in ancient caves at Rotezzia restaurant beneath the village.

Day 2: First Cooking Class & Orvieto -  Begin with traditional breakfast at Bar Roma in the village piazza. Full morning cooking class at our 18th-century Villa Eddarella, preparing a complete 5-course Sunday family meal. Special cheese-making experience with local shepherd Antonio. Afternoon visit to Umbria's breathtaking Orvieto, with its magnificent golden-facade cathedral. Evening dinner at local favorite Tre Scalini Trattoria.

Day 3: Tuscan Wine & Cheese Experience - Journey to picturesque Pienza for world-famous Pecorino cheese tasting. Continue to Montepulciano for lunch in the vineyards with our friends Enrico and Antonella. Visit their Cantina DeRicci, widely considered the world's most beautiful wine cellar. Evening dinner in a lovely Trattoria in Soriano.

Day 4: Second Cooking Class & Medieval Viterbo - Morning hands-on cooking class at Villa Eddarella, crafting regional specialties. Experience traditional grappa distilling in our cellar, tasting our house-made liqueurs. Evening exploration of Viterbo, the "City of Popes," including its perfectly preserved medieval quarter, San Pellegrino. Visit the historic Gran Caffè Schenardi (est. 1818) and the Papal Palace. Special dinner in Katia's private family taverna.

Day 5: Brunello Wine Experience & Castle Dinner - Journey through Tuscany's iconic landscapes to a boutique winery in Montalcino. Share an intimate lunch with Roberto's family while tasting their organic Brunello wines. Afternoon visit to Montalcino town. Evening at the remarkable Proceno Castle, enjoying a private tour with Duchess Cecilia before a special dinner featuring historic Medici-era recipes.

Day 6: Assisi, Ceramics & Villa Party - Begin in Deruta at a family-run factory for hands-on pottery experience. Continue to spiritual Assisi to explore the magnificent Basilica of St. Francis. Lunch at Favorita featuring Bologna specialties. Evening party at Villa Eddarella with music, wine, and cooking together, joined by local friends for a true Italian celebration.

Day 7: Monster Park, Olive Oil Mill / Winery & Farewell Pizza Night - Morning visit to Bomarzo's enchanting Monster Park to discover its 16th-century mysteries. Lunch at a family-run winery and olive mill in Castiglione in Teverina, tasting their artisanal wines and oils. Evening farewell celebration learning traditional pizza-making in our wood-fired oven, plus crafting homemade Limoncello cream to take home.

Day 8: Arrivederci - Early morning departure via our shuttle service to Rome Fiumicino Airport or Orte Train Station, carrying home memories of your week as part of our Italian family.

Note: All meals, accommodations, cooking classes, excursions, wine with meals, and local transfers included. Maximum group size of 18 guests ensures an intimate, family-style experience.

More Ways to Experience Italy With Us

While Tuscany and Umbria hold a special place in our hearts, you might be dreaming of a different Italian destination. We bring our signature family-style hospitality to Chianti, the Amalfi Coast, Bologna, Barolo (Piedmont), Sicily, and more. Each location offers the same intimate group size, hands-on cooking, deep sense of family, and local immersion that make our experiences unique. Browse all our locations to find the one that calls to you. Click here to see them.