COOKING CLASS AT CORSIGNANO.

The cuisine at Corsignano is a moment.  An atmosphere. A great memory.

Here the wonderful Tuscan cuisine becomes the protagonist. Its origins are far, its roots are deep.
Tradition plays its role and now, you, play yours with Elena, your guide for the day in the kitchen and Mario, your guide in the wine cellar. We are there to guide you through this adventure.

After a sip of good wine you will prepare with your hands items like: a delicious paté with vin santo, gnocchi with ricotta and herbs, tortelli with pecorino and nuts, homemade pappardelle with duck sauce, pappa al pomodoro, ribollita, chicken with balsamic vinegar, larded pork, rabbit with lemon, scottiglia, potatoes with capers,
flan of goat cheese and rucola, marmelade of onions and delicious sweets of nut tart with vin santo,
almond cantucci and chocolate cake. Have no fear, you will be excellent!!!

You will get a wine tasting of all our wines and olive oil, explanation and visit of the wine cellar.

During the meal, the wines of Fattoria di Corsignano are paired with each dish:

the appetizer is served with our I.G.T. Tuscan Red
the fresh pasta is served with our Chianti Classico DOCG 
the main course is served with our Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG
the dessert is served with our Grappa di Chianti Classico and Vin Santo

All our wines are included in the price.

This activity has a duration of five hours, lunch or dinner included.
For availability, prices and bookings please e-mail or phone +39 0577 322545..

And who are Elena & Mario?

Elena and Mario met 20 years ago.  She was a college student out for a bike ride in the Chianti hills and he was out for a motorcycle ride near his house.  They had much to talk about but they found that the most important thing was her love for food and his love for the wines of the Chianti. They realized, just as all Italians do, that the pairing of wine and food is like the pairing of two people who are perfect together.  One is just not the same without the other.

Elena learned to cook as all Italians do, at the side of her Nonna (grandmother).  Food for the Italians is a way of life and this is instilled in them from the time they twist their first spaghetti around a fork. Elena has brought this feeling to her classes.

Mario grew up in the hills above Siena in the middle of vineyards.  His family taught him not only about the wine but about the love one must have for the vines.  He has taken this knowledge and produces notable wines using ancient traditions and natural care. Fattoria di Corsignano is a boutique wine estate and the food of the area is very important because it is a marriage with the wine that is made.

Spending the day with Elena is spending the day with someone who will show you how to not only prepare dishes but also open the window on the emotions that go along with each dish. Not only will you make the dishes that have been a staple on Tuscan tables for hundreds of years, you will learn the history behind them

Did you see the movie Letters to Juliet? Do you remember the young chef, passionate and enthusiastic but not interested in getting involved with people? Well, for Mario & Elena, it is important to be "in touch" with people. Food is passion, o.k., food is enthusiasm, of course, but it is also getting involved with people. It is participation and most of all conviviality (the dictionary gives the definition of this word as "fond of feasting, drinking, and merry company" which is the feeling that Mario and Elena want to share). Tasting a glass of wine, cooking the onions until they become transparent, baking the cakes, all the while sharing experiences. Food is also sitting together around a long table like in the traditional Italian families.  Food brings people together!

Elena is not the only chef in the Fattoria di Corsignano kitchen. Cristina grew up in an Italian American family at the side of her Nonna learning the classic Italian dishes.  As an adult, she spent her time in the kitchen of notable restaurants. Sixteen years ago she moved to Italy to further her learning of all things of her heritage but even after all that time, she has never grown tired of the beauty that surrounds her in the Chianti hills. 

Together Elena and Cristina will show you the tricks that the older women in their lives have shown to them.

Elena, Mario and Cristina are the ones with whom you will create a unique, unforgettable Food & Wine Experience.

Why? Because they are the real thing, they love this land and its flavors and they want to be there, in that moment to cook with you and transmit their passion.

After a walk in the garden picking up seasonal fruits, vegetables and fresh herbs, you return to the kitchen in the old lemon house to prepare typical dishes from the Chianti Classico area of Siena using only the freshest and highest quality ingredients around. It is a pleasant and relaxing day learning the small secrets about making homemade pasta as well as other savory and sweet dishes rather than a hard-core cooking class.
 
After preparing with Elena and Cristina your four-course meal, you get to sit and enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Before the meal, we start with bruschetta drizzled with our Extra Virgin Olive Oil accompanied by our White Wine and then Mario will take you on a visit to the wine cellar which is the kiss that seals the marriage between food and wine!