The Culture of Food in Umbria

by

For the last 25 years, I’ve been lucky enough to divide my time between our apartment in Rome and our home in Umbria. During summers and most weekends spent at our Umbrian villa, I’ve come to fall in love with this unspoiled corner of Italy. Through my books and articles, I’ve been able to share my passion in words and photographs. Now I would like to share the experience in person, and invite you to join me in Umbria for a week.

During this six-day tour, we’ll have the time to truly explore the region, from a completely food-centric point of view of course. From breakfast through dinner, we’ll travel all over Umbria: tasting, drinking, eating, cooking, learning, and having fun.

We’ll be based in the small hill town of Todi, one of Italy’s most beautiful villages. You will be staying in a charming, family-owned hotel right in the center of town, where you will have your own room. Each day we will be heading out to explore, while also spending time at my own villa nearby.

Autentico Florence

by

Rolando Beramendi has made introducing people to the food of Italy a career. Since he was 22, he has been foraging for one of the best-loved Italian food importers in the USA. If you have been buying things like high-end olive oil, pasta, and other pantry items, chances are that many of them have been lovingly imported by Rolando’s company, Manicaretti. For much of the past 3 decades, Rolando has called Florence home, and he has agreed to open his doors – and those of his friends – to a few lucky guests to discover the culture of food in this delicious corner of the world.

I am lucky enough to call Rolando one of my best friends, and I am joining him to host a week in Florence. After living in Florence during the 1980s while working on my Ph.D. on 16th-century gardens, I return as often as possible reporting on one of my favorite places in the world in my books and on my blog.

Together, we would like to share a completely unique, food focused, exclusive, behind the scenes view of what we love most about Florence.

The Culture of Food in Puglia & Matera

by

Sophie Minchilli has been spending time in Puglia since she was born. Her father, Domenico, is from Puglia’s capital, Bari, and his family home there has been her base to explore the entire region. She has since built a career there, sharing her passion for the region through social media, tours, and her book, The Sweetness of Doing Nothing.

Matera, in Basilicata, is one of Italy’s most magical towns. Built amid ravines, the cave-filled Unesco World Heritage site is unique in the world. Join Sophie to spend two nights in a luxurious 5-star hotel as your base to discover this magical place.

During the 6-day tour, you’ll explore all Sophie loves about this region, from a completely food-centric point of view. Your base for the first 4 days will be Bari, Puglia, before moving on to Matera, Basilicata for 2 nights.

During this week you’ll visit some of her favorite places and meet friends — in small towns, through the countryside, and by the sea— tasting, drinking, eating, learning, and having fun. The days will be full of adventures, but don’t worry, you’ll have downtime as well to head off on your own to explore.