Workshops in 2025
(Plus two very special ones I will spill the beans about)
Subscribers please note: I’m pausing paid subscriptions for a few weeks so I can concentrate on getting my manuscript in for my seventh cookbook, The Japanese Pantry! Thanks for your understanding, regular posts will continue next month. If you’re interested in recipe testing, by the way, send me an email to go on the list!
If you’ve been thinking of getting away to Italy this year for a workshop and being immersed in Italian food and wine culture, I have a whole lot of new workshops to share with you this year!
Our culinary workshops are designed for people who love Italian food and wine and want to delve deeper into the culture and traditions of our little corner of Tuscany (and beyond).
Some that I’m particularly excited about this year are the enfleurage workshop with Mia LaRocca (read her interview with me here), where we delve into the ecology of luxury and explore bistecca fiorentina, leather and perfume making (we will also be hosting her for a one day beeswax candle making workshop in March), the first taste of real San Miniato artichokes (worth waiting all year for) in April and sharing some ancient, midsummer Tuscan rituals with you in June. The photographs below are from workshops in October and November, I don’t think I need to say much about why this is my ultimate favourite time of the year other than two words: white truffles.
April 7-11 — Artichoke workshop at Enoteca Marilu, Tuscany
April 13-18 — The Lagoon workshop in Venice
May 12-17 — The Lagoon workshop in Venice
May 21-24 — Enfleurage workshop with Mia LaRocca
June 23-27 — Midsummer workshop at Enoteca Marilu, Tuscany
July 7-11 — Summer workshop at Enoteca Marilu, Tuscany (1 spot left!)
September 8-12 — Wine harvest workshop at Enoteca Marilu, Tuscany
October 13-17 — Autumn workshop at Enoteca Marilu, Tuscany
November 18-22 — White Truffle workshop at Enoteca Marilu, Tuscany
What do we do in our workshops exactly?
Each workshop is highly seasonal and highly local, and so the exact itinerary and format for each workshop changes according to the seasons. We introduce you to our extremely local food artisans: the farmers, the 4th generation Slow Food butcher, the brothers who grow their own ancient grain wheat and bake bread in their handmade woodfired oven, the winemaker or fig farmer. We may even pop into the studio of a letterpress printer or ceramicist in the nearby ceramic town or don beekeeping suits to do a deep dive on beekeeping on a beautiful farm near Florence.
We go hunting for truffles in the woods because we are lucky enough to live in an area where there are different varieties of truffles in different seasons: black summer truffles, autumn white truffles and spring bianchetto truffles all grow locally to San Miniato.
We will cook together, taste wine together, you'll get your hands covered in flour, learning about local traditions on the way. We eat and drink together, tasting natural wines chosen by Marco and visiting our favourite trattoria in the countryside for a long Italian lunch to give you the full Tuscan experience.
We have designed this intimate workshop for a group of 8 people to run from morning to late afternoon, giving you free time in the evenings (other than our first evening together where we will prepare you a special aperitivo and dinner in the Enoteca) to go and explore, rest or sample one of the great restaurants in town.
What some of our guests have said about our workshops:
“I am still reminiscing about our week in July. I have pictures posted all around me. It was an amazing experience and I want to thank you both again for putting it so well together. It was the perfect window into not just the culinary world, but life and culture of San Miniato and Tuscany. The people involved and making new friends was a big part of it - must be that your energy attracts compatible minds. This was one of the best and most enlightening travel experiences I’ve had.” — Dino
“What you have created is very special and unique and unlike any other workshop or experience I've ever participated in. San Miniato and your community are amazing, but I really think it's down to the warmth and generosity you bring to the experience.” — Dana
“I wanted to thank you so much for this incredible week…. You can Marco are such incredible and gracious hosts. You never made us feel rushed and you let us ask as many questions as we wanted. It’s not often you find someone as talented as you who is also so giving with her time. I can’t thank you enough. My heart feels full and certainly my belly does as well!” — Amanda
Cooking classes and wine classes in Tuscany
If you’re just looking at spending the day cooking together or doing a wine lesson, then come along to one of my market day cooking classes, held Tuesdays throughout the year (other than August when it’s just too hot). Check the calendar for availability here.
Marco runs these great wine classes where I cook lunch for you while you’re learning and tasting many great natural wines — our next one will be April 24.
Here are things to do in San Miniato if you’re thinking of making a stay out of it (there are also lots of great places to eat in our town), and some ideas on using San Miniato as a base for exploring Tuscany. You can also find more info on our FAQ page and also read more about our classes on the Sydney Morning Herald or Financial Times.
If you’re timing your visit with markets, note that San Miniato has a small but rather charming flea market every 1st Sunday of the month and a small but cute Slow Food farmers market every 3rd Sunday of the moth.
Read more about the Venice Lagoon workshops here below and why this part of Venice is so incredibly special:
Back from the Venetian Lagoon
I’m just back from my Lagoon Workshop, five nights of being lulled to the sound of the water lapping on Burano’s canals (below, from my window at Casa Burano). It's hard to put into words the feeling of being on the lagoon, that shallow inland sea that is truly the heart of Venice. For me, it is a truly magical place and one of the many reasons I love s…
Finally, I have three other special workshops that will be ready for registration soon but I can tell you now they will be for November and December 2025, respectively:
November Dates TBC — Still Life retreat in Florence with two dear friends, author Sarah Winman and art historian Paola Vojnovic
December Dates TBC — Japan: a culinary experience in the mountains of Nagano
I’ve got an earlybird waitlist going for anyone who wants to be let known about when these two workshops are open for registration first!
Def early bird interest for Japan :)
Early bird interest in Japan please! I visited for the first time in late 2023 and have been dreaming of going back…😍