Review of Wine & Cooking Under the Tuscan & Umbrian Sun by Donna J.

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Sisters Cooking Vacation

Experience of a lifetime, Culturally immersive, Felt like family immediately


Written By: Donna J.
Rating:
Location: Harrodsburg - KY - US
Review Source: Website
Type of Traveler: Family
Itinerary: Soriano - Tuscan & Umbrian Sun

Full Review

Wow....I'm not sure where to begin. It all began with a suggestion to my sister about doing an "international cooking vacation". I found a couple of tour companies that did in fact showcase cooking. Sure they sounded good but they didn't rock my world until we stumbled upon Culture Discovery. We didn't want a cooking school and we didn't want an overwhelming huge group. It needed to be small, immersive with also a balance of other activities. One that we could cherish for the rest of our lives, not to mention the ability to recreate what we learned there into our lives back home with family and friends. We were sold on Culture Discovery. Due to our interests and home locations (we can't get fresh seafood where we live) we chose "Wine and Cooking Under the Tuscan & Umbrian Sun". Our group of 13 guests was the perfect size to get to know everyone and experience everything without feeling left out. Friendships were immediately forged. Everyday was packed with activities from 9am thru 9pm. Be prepared to eat the best food imaginable and drink wine all week. Activities included numerous wine tastings, harvesting grapes, olive oil tour, and pottery tour in Deruta to name a few.

One of the many beauties of Culture Discovery is that all guests have their own apartments rather than staying under the same roof. And you can request specific accommodations. When I saw that noted on their website, I called Culture Discovery to confirm this opportunity and then made our request to stay in the medieval bakery that was converted to an apartment. Truly amazing to stay in an historic place.

Michael and Paola, the founders and owners of Culture Discovery were oh my gosh absolutely wonderful people. I didn't even dream of meeting them but because the cooking classes were at their villa and they were there during our visit, I was blessed beyond measure. Meeting and chatting with them was like visiting best friends. Karla, our teacher along with Katia, Rosaria and Clementina, her assistants were so amazing. We discovered Fennel Pollen, a wonderful herb to add to the Tuscan Chicken recipe. It is incredible on this dish. And our hosts for the week, Sophia and Marika who traveled with us all week were the best. If anything was needed, they addressed it immediately. For instance, our train back to Rome before catching the fast train to Bologna was changed by the train station. Sophia said we wouldn't be able to catch our train in Rome to Bologna after the change so she took my phone, accessed the Omio app and changed our tickets to leave Soriano earlier so we wouldn't miss our train to Bologna. She was a lifesaver.

It's funny, looking back on our plans. We went believing this was a one and done vacation but by the end of the week, my sister and I are seriously considering another cooking vacation with Culture Discovery. In fact, I didn't want to leave not only a beautiful place but the friendships that were made.

Caio,

Donna Jones

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