Cooking, Wine, & Grape Harvest in Abruzzo
6 NIGHT TRIP
Discover Abruzzo, Italy’s best kept secret, where ancient traditions meet farm fresh flavors. This immersive food and wine experience blends hands on cooking with seasonal grape harvesting, coastal beauty, and authentic Italian hospitality. Savor local cuisine, sip exquisite wines, and create unforgettable memories in one of Italy’s most authentic and unspoiled regions.
Traditional cooking classes with local mammas
Grape harvest experience and picnic in the vineyards
Olive oil tasting at a historic grove
Fish cooking on a trabocco over the Adriatic
Ricotta-making at a local sheep farm
Explore medieval villages and castles
Pizza and tiramisù class in Vasto
DAY 1: ARRIVE IN VASTO – BENVENUTI IN ABRUZZO
Upon arrival at Rome Fiumicino airport, meet your private driver for a scenic transfer to the coastal town of Vasto in the Abruzzo region. Check in to your hotel in the historical center and meet your guide for an overview of the week’s adventures. Enjoy a welcome dinner in a traditional local restaurant featuring regional specialties. Overnight stay in Vasto.
DAY 2: COOKING WITH MAMMA & VASTO HISTORICAL CENTER
After breakfast, take part in a hands-on cooking class led by a local mamma. Learn to make fresh pasta and sauces from scratch. Sample dishes may include pasta alla chitarra with meat sauce, cavatelli with vegetables, and Abruzzo’s signature biscuits, tarallucci. Lunch will follow the class. In the afternoon, explore Vasto’s old town, including the Loggia Amblingh, medieval castle, cathedral, and Piazza Rossetti. Meet local artisans and learn about their crafts. Dinner and overnight stay in Vasto.
DAY 3: FISH COOKING CLASS ON A TRABOCCO & SAN GIOVANNI ABBEY
Enjoy breakfast before heading to a trabocco, a wooden fishing platform perched over the Adriatic Sea. Learn about traditional fishing methods with your host Rinaldo, then join Maria in preparing a seafood meal with the morning’s catch. Dishes include marinated anchovies, octopus in tomato sauce, and pizzelle with homemade jam. After lunch, visit the nearby San Giovanni in Venere Abbey, a hilltop monastery overlooking the sea. Dinner in Vasto. Overnight stay.
DAY 4: GRAPE HARVEST, WINE TASTING & OLIVE GROVE EXPERIENCE
After breakfast, transfer to a local vineyard to join in the grape harvest. Walk through the vines, help gather grapes, and tour the cellars. Enjoy a guided wine tasting followed by a rustic picnic among the vines. In the afternoon, visit a multi-generational olive grove and learn how award-winning DOP olive oil is made. Sample different varieties during a guided tasting. Dinner in a local restaurant. Overnight stay in Vasto.
DAY 5: RICOTTA-MAKING & ROCCASCALEGNA CASTLE
Start the day with breakfast, then visit a working sheep farm. Learn how to milk sheep and make fresh ricotta in the creamery. Enjoy a traditional lunch featuring the cheese you helped create. In the afternoon, travel to the medieval castle of Roccascalegna, dramatically perched on a rocky outcrop. Explore the fortress and surrounding village. Return to Vasto for dinner. Overnight stay.
DAY 6: PIZZA & TIRAMISÙ COOKING CLASS
After breakfast, enjoy the morning at leisure. Relax on one of Vasto’s beaches, browse local shops, or join an optional excursion. Lunch is on your own. In the afternoon, participate in a fun and delicious cooking class where you’ll learn to prepare traditional Italian pizza, bruschette, and tiramisù. Enjoy your homemade creations for dinner. Overnight stay in Vasto.
DAY 7: DEPARTURE
Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to your next destination or to Rome airport for departure. Arrivederci!
NOTE: This itinerary is subject to changes based on service availability at the time of travel.
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