Description
Tuscany Culinary Escape
Private Cooking Lesson, Lunch, Winery and Olive Oil Press Tour & Tasting, Car Rental, Renaissance Tuscany Il Ciocco Resort & Spa 5-Night Stay for 2
Suggested Retail Value: Priceless
This Experience Includes:
- 5-night stay in a classic room at the Renaissance Tuscany Il Ciocco Resort & Spa (Barga, Lucca)
- Daily breakfast for 2
- Private cooking class, lunch, wine cellar and olive oil mill tour and tasting for 2 at Fattoria Colleverde (Lucca)
- Spa treatment at the Renaissance Tuscany Il Ciocco Resort & Spa
- $700 towards the rental of a 5-day compact car rental
- Winspire booking & concierge service
Gourmets and wine buffs descend on this hidden Tuscan Valley to enjoy local specialties. The Garfagnana Valley is famous for its prosciutto, pork, pecorino cheese and honey. Fortunately, the area also boasts beautiful areas for walking, hiking and biking, so you can work up an appetite in between meals.
Pisa, Florence and Cinque Terra are reachable by car or train day trips not to be missed. Cinque Terra, a 5-mile stretch of a breathtaking beautiful rocky coast at the border of Tuscany and Liguria, was declared a National Park in 1999 and has been protected by UNESCO as a unique natural environment since 1997. Walk along the winding paths overlooking enchanting beaches and bays, and admire the hundreds of miles of walls and terraces built by man to cultivate vineyards that cling steeply to the cliffs, making this region a true masterpiece where the work of man and natural beauty found an ideal balance.
Renaissance Tuscany Il Ciocco Resort & Spa (Barga, Lucca) Enjoy a 5-night stay in a standard room (maximum occupancy of two) including daily breakfast for two and an 80 Euro spa credit ($100 U.S. dollars at the time of publication; the value in dollars is strictly a result of the currency exchange on the date the trip is booked, not time of visit).
This recently renovated luxury Tuscan resort is perched high atop a hill within a 1500 acre estate inside the greenest land of Tuscany, the Serchio Valley, and is surrounded by views of snowcapped mountains, lush parkland and charming villages.
Get away from the hustle and bustle of the city and unwind in this invigorating and tranquil setting. With tennis courts, health club, soccer fields and swimming pools, you may want to spend several days just relaxing at the resort. The charming medieval village of Barga is a small hill town in the valley region known as the Garfagnana. Bordering the Apuane Alps, Barga is considered one of the most beautiful medieval cities in Tuscany.
NOTE: Tuscany is approximately a 4-hour drive from Rome.
Culinary Extravaganza La Cucina Italiana, Fattoria Colleverde (Lucca) Enjoy a private cooking class, lunch, tour of the wine cellar and olive oil mill and tasting for two at Fattoria Colleverde, an organic/biodynamic vineyard producing some of the most distinctive wines and olive oil in Tuscany. Owners Francesca and Piero welcome you to Fattoria, where you will cook with Chef Rodolfo as he shares the secrets of Tuscan cuisine with you -- everything from how to make fresh homemade pasta to the use of aromatic herbs and spices, from baking bread to preparing main courses using seasonal meats and vegetables.
Located in the beautiful rolling hills just minutes from the medieval walled city of Lucca, Fattoria Colleverde is a half-hour drive from Pisa and an hour drive from Florence and Cinque Terre. Beautiful vineyards and olive groves lie within a wide, south-facing valley. This natural amphitheater of terraces creates an extremely well-balanced and unique agricultural ecosystem that produces flavors that are full and rich.
Available April through early November (Monday through Friday). (During winter months, an alternate culinary experience or cooking class at the Renaissance can be arranged for you.)
Car Rental Enjoy a $700 credit towards the rental of a 5-day compact car rental with automatic transmission, inclusive of tax, insurance (not including deductible) and unlimited kilometers. Vehicle license fee (3.5 EUR/day), additional drivers, GPS, and gasoline are the responsibility of the purchaser.
Winspire Booking & Concierge Service Winspire provides a team of seasoned travel professionals who will help you redeem your experience. All travel related details and reservations are handled for every part of your Winspire experience. Operating as a full-service travel agency, Winspire can assist with extra hotel nights, airfare upgrades, and additional guests. This service also provides you with an established network of onsite contacts who can help you book additional experiences, activities and tours.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Must be booked a minimum of 60 days in advance. Reservations are subject to availability. Certificates cannot be replaced if lost, stolen or destroyed. All purchases are non-refundable. Packages cannot be resold. Ground transportation is not included unless where specified.