Cooking Wine & Gelato making

You will be part of a small group of people and will be able to develop your cooking skills, expand your wine knowledge and discover the region's off-the-beaten-track secrets. The highlight of this tour is the chance to learn how to make authentic Italian gelato, to replicate it at home and surprise your friends and relatives and yourself!

Day 1 Airport pick up and welcome to Abruzzo dinner!
Rome Fiumicino airport pick up at 14:30 and transfer to the ancient Roman town of Vasto on the Adriatic Coast after crossing beautiful Abruzzo mountains looking at amazing landscapes. After checking at charming and family run Hotel San Marco in the historical downtown, get to know your guide and learn more about the 7-day Italian cookery holiday and enjoy a welcome dinner in a traditional restaurant in the heart of Vasto.

Day 2 Cooking pasta with Mamma, exploring Vasto's historic center.
After a leisurely traditional breakfast of freshly baked bread, whole fruit country-style preserves, cake, pastries, coffee, tea and freshly squeezed juice.
AM: Learn how easy fresh pasta is to make with a cooking class by Mamma and an introduction to her favourite seasonal sauces, an example menu includes Bruschette with meat sauce, Pasta alla chitarra with meat sauce and polpette (meatballs), Cavatelli with vegetables and Tarallucci (typical biscuits from Abruzzo) - naturally this depends on seasonal availability.
PM: Lunch will consist of the scrumptious dishes that have been prepared in the morning
In the afternoon we'll explore Loggia Amblingh, a promenade overlooking the fascinating crescent-shaped coastline, the old town with its medieval Castle, charming lanes, a tower, the Cathedral and Piazza Rossetti, dedicated to Gabriele Rossetti, a poet from the town and father of Dante Gabriel Rossetti, who founded the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood
Before dinner in a traditional restaurant in the heart of Vasto, we'll meet some local artisans
    
Day 3 A fish cookery class on a trabocco, visit C6th Abbey.
AM: Weather permitting, we'll have a special fish cooking class on a trabocco that is constructed mostly from acacia wood and railway iron sleepers. Rinaldo our host will show us how to fish from it and the secrets and history behind Abruzzo's unique fishing platforms
His wife Maria who comes  from a family of well-known cooks will give us our fish cookery class sourcing fish from the Adriatic* where possible - Marinated fresh anchovies | Mariner's-style clams | Octopus in tomato sauce with polenta | Stuffed mussels | Fish soup alla vastese and Pizzelle (typical sweets from Abruzzo) with home-made fruit conserve
PM: In the afternoon after relaxing and trying our hand at fishing, taking some photos of the surrounding beautiful marinescape
To close the day we'll visit the enchanting San Giovanni in Venere Abbey that sits on a hill dominating the coastline, surrounded by orange, olive, oak and pine trees
Dinner in a traditional restaurant in the heart of Vasto.

Day 4 Free morning and gelato making class
AM: Free morning for your own activities, which could be: to go to one of the many beaches, visit a natural reserve, biking, take part to some extra activities/excursions or whatever you prefer. Lunch at your lesiure.
PM: Handmade Gelato making class and traditional dinner.

Day 5 Learning to make sheep's ricotta cheese at a small local artisan farm with its own creamery and Roccascalegna Medieval Castle.
AM: After an early breakfast we'll make our way to the farm where Pina and Dino will reveal the secrets of sheep farming to us and guide those that would like to learn how to milk a sheep ready for pecorino cheese
After a snack of cheese, we'll learn how to prepare ricotta cheese in their creamery
A delicious traditional lunch will be prepared and served. This will be the time to savor just made warm ricotta cheese
PM: We'll explore the enchanting Abruzzo's castle in the sky in Roccascalegna
Dinner  in a traditional restaurant in the heart of Vasto

Day 6 Olive oil tasting, wine-tasting, pizza cooking class & tiramisù
AM: Following breakfast we'll visit the La Selvotta Olive Grove that has been farmed by Giovanni's family for 3 generations to produce DOP olive oils. He will  unfurl he secrets of what Homer described as “liquid gold”and we will finish with an olive oil tasting
Next we'll visit Fontefico, an award winning winery that sits between a marine park and the mountains. We'll have a wine tasting with pairings from local cheeses and salami and tour of the vineyard and cellars by owners Emanuele and Nicola
PM: After lunch we'll have an homemade pizza cooking class that includes the teaching of traditional bruschette and tiramisù

Day 7 Goodbye
After breakfast departure for Rome Fiumicino airport or your next destination