In Tuscany, you learn to cook by watching. Standing in the doorway of a home kitchen, with your hands in the flour alongside someone who’s known how to work dough their whole life. It’s a culinary tradition that has never been lost in Chianti, and at Villa Bordoni, it has become a full-fledged cooking school.
Real cooking, not a set
Classes are held in our restaurant’s professional kitchen—the very same one where Il Guardingo’s daily service takes shape. No frills: the workstations are the actual ones we use, and the ingredients are the same ones you’ll find on your plate that evening. Leading the group is the chef—or the owner himself—who explains not only the “how” but also the “why”: why a dough needs to rest, why certain flavors can only be balanced with patience.
Small groups, lots of pasta
The classes are designed for small groups and last a few hours. We start with homemade pasta, the heart of our cuisine: we knead, roll out, cut, and season it. Whether you’re a complete beginner or have been cooking your whole life, the goal isn’t perfection—it’s understanding the techniques and taking them home with you. The school is open to hotel guests as well as those not staying at Villa Bordoni.
The best part: you get to eat what you’ve cooked.
Each class ends with a dinner in the restaurant or in the garden, consisting exclusively of the dishes prepared during the course. After an afternoon in the kitchen, sitting down to eat your own creations takes on a whole new meaning. It’s the moment when the group—who didn’t know each other at the start of the class—finds itself sharing a meal like old friends.
Why do it in the fall?
Fall in Chianti is the perfect season for a cooking class. The days are getting shorter, the vineyards are turning shades of copper, and spending a few hours in a warm kitchen, surrounded by the aromas of sauce and bread, is the most natural way to experience the countryside. After the class, there’s still time for a stroll through the vineyards or a visit to one of the nearby villages, such as Greve or Montefioralle (see also: Two Days in the Heart of Chianti).
A memory to take home
Participants go home with recipes, cooking techniques, and something that’s harder to buy: the memory of a day spent cooking in Chianti—a memory they’re happy to share with friends, perhaps with a touch of humor about their first, imperfect attempts at tagliolini.
How to Book
The cooking school is open to both guests and non-guests. For information on dates and availability, please contact us at [email protected] or call +39 055 8546230. If you’d like to turn it into a weekend getaway, take a look at our special offers or explore our rooms and suites.