FOOD RETREATS

Di Colle in Colle Venue

All our wine retreats are made in a neighbour venue called Il Maggese located in the handsome stone-built Villa Ferranti in the small hamlet of Montanare near Cortona. The mid-19th century villa, on a farm estate growing olives and vines, has recently been modernized to include new kitchens and bathrooms, while retaining all its period character. Seven completely renovated apartments have a wealth of original features and are furnished with antiques can in total accommodate up to 15 guests. The villa is set in a large garden with swimming pool for the use of guests. We recommend you advice guests to bring a friends or a partner with who to share the bedroom. If one guest would like a private apartment there is an extra fee of $1.000 to payed.

Discover more about Giulio's venue

Food experiences and town tours

Coffee

Coffee is one of the drinks most consumed around the world but no country has made it its own like Italy and no roaster has made its own like the Vannelli family. This learning experience offers an insight into the vast world of coffee and the different types of extraction method topped with a tasting alongside coffee champion Pietro who’s passion for his trade is always there to light up the room. On this day we also enjoy a visit to the town of Montepulciano

Olive oil

Also referred to as liquid gold, this precious product has been a pillar of Mediterranean culture and sustenance for as far back as humans can remember. It is here in this area that the olive oil of the highest quality in the world is produced. You will visit a 17th century family run olive mill surrounded by olive groves where you will enjoy a tasting while learning everything there is to know about its production in the past as well as today. In the afternoon we enjoy a stroll around the town of Cortona.

Pasta

Nothing screams Italy as much as the idea of pasta. Among the iconic rolling hills of the Val d’Orcia we will visit a farm that produces pasta with their very own selected traditional organic grains that come from the surrounding fields. Here you can discover the traditional methods of the stone mill and slow drying that are no longer in use in the more industrial and commercial kinds of pasta. The tour ends with a small tasting of different types of breads, olive oil and a glass of wine. On this day we also enjoy a visit to the town of Pienza.

Truffle

Truffles are one of the most mouthwatering and characteristic flavours that can be found in Italy as well as one of the most expensive. For this reason the commercial world that surrounds it has given life to many fake products and false myths that we will dispel on this tour. Andrea is a professional

truffle hunter and dog trainer that will teach us everything about truffles, while taking us on a search for truffles through the woods of La Dogana estate. After the hunt we will enjoy a fresh pasta making lesson incorporating the truffles we have discovered.

Saffron

Saffron is the most expensive spice in the world, needing 150.000 flowers to make 1 kg of spice. In the morning we visit a small family run farm that produces delicious wines as well as saffron. Here, surrounded by vineyards we will learn about their wine production before having a cooking lesson with Giulia focused on the use of the golden spice. When we sit down to enjoy lunch we will also taste all of their wines including the delicious Bevanato that has won the slow food award. In the afternoon we continue with a tour of Assisi, the home of Saint Francis.