Taste Tuscany
Taste Tuscany
5
About
Cooking Lessons - Learn to cook traditional Tuscan recipes including home made pasta - under the guidance of experienced Tuscan cooks. A very hands on experience for cooks of all levels. Even if you're not someone who cooks every day it's a fun day out with a great lunch and wine. Big choice of menus, including vegetarian. We cater for families too so don't be shy about coming along with your kids!
Duration: More than 3 hours
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.


5.0
5.0 of 5 bubbles72 reviews
Excellent
68
Very good
2
Average
2
Poor
0
Terrible
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Karen D
Winnipeg5 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2011 • Couples
We spent two quality days with Lesley in September. Our first day with Lesley was spent in a cooking class at a beautiful vineyard. Lesley and our instructor, Cecelia, guided us in making a wonderful meal, including the best gnocchi ever (!). After consuming the fruits of our labour, accompanied by wines from the vineyard, we travelled a short distance to another winery, where we ended our day with a tour and tasting. It was a fabulous day and much more enjoyable than just seeing another tourist attraction.
We also booked Lesley for a Chianti wine tour, which included lunch at a lovely estate. We would not have had the same experience had we done the tours on our own. Lesley's itinerary was well thought out, giving us a range of experiences from small and family-run to very large wineries - all of excellent quality. In addition to taking us to the wineries, Lesley provided us with a wealth of information about Italian food and wine, local culture, and other attractions in the area.
We booked the days with Lesley about two months in advance, and it was very easy to do through her website and by e-mail. Once in Tuscany, she picked us up at our accommodation and we had nothing to do but enjoy the days.
Our two days with Lesley were our best days in Tuscany, and we wish that we had booked more tours with her. We highly recommend Taste Tuscany.
Written November 27, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

STL-Sassy-Rho
Saint Louis, MO64 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2012 • Couples
We spent a week in Tuscany in March 2012, and this was definitely the best day of the week! My hubby and I joined Lesley for an entire day. The morning and early afternoon were spent cooking in her lovely little kitchen with Teresa (such a hoot -- and cheeky ) In the afternoon, Lesley drove us to Villa S. Anna for a wine tour and tasting with Simona. This day was one of the highlights of our first trip to Italy. Lesley's home is exactly like what we pictured - small, cozy, a fire going, the door to the terrace open to let the cool breeze in . . . just lovely. The food that we cooked (and, yes, we DID cook) was some of the best we had on the trip -- proof that good ingredients and simple preparation are all you need when you start with a good recipe. We lunched on Lesley's terrace. When I say "lunch" what I mean to say is we dined on a 7-course dinner that we prepared (alongside Lesley and cheeky Teresa). Fantastic food, lovely company, beautiful day in Tuscany. The visit to Simona was icing on the cake. Just the four of us strolling around her property, visiting her wine caves, and then enjoying tastes of her wonderful wines while she insisted we munch on the yummy cheeses and sausages from the area (because the lunch wasn't enough food for us!). Simona is such a class act - a lovely woman proud of what she and her daughters have accomplished (rightfully so) and eager to share her story, her company, and her wonderful vino with us. If you have any doubts about booking a tour or event with Lesley, put them aside. She paced the day exactly as we would have wanted it. It was like spending the day with an old friend ... one that you are eager to visit again and again!
Written April 23, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Michael H
Palm Coast, FL3 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2014 • Family
Five stars does not fully express how good our experience with Leslie was. Our family of five was staying at nearby resort this past month. Cooking class and lunch was one of the highlights of our trip. The menu options offered us the ability to tailor it to our preferences. As it turned out the goat cheese and onion tart, along with the homemade pici pasta with tomatoes and pesto were off the charts....and so easy to make. All the other dishes...a total of five...were incredible as well. Starting with the freshest ingredients we thoroughly enjoyed the fruits of our labor with a wonderful lunch on her back porch. I rarely write reviews, but had to this time because the experience Leslie provided is so deserving. if you are in the area, cooking and dining with Leslie is a treat!
Written July 13, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Silvia
Carterton, New Zealand17 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2014 • Couples
My husband and I were on our honeymoon in tuscany in May. I have always wanted to learn to cook italian so husband "forced" himself to join me. We were told there would be another couple doing the course on the day.
Lesley picked us all up from our accommodations to arrive at her place for the course. We had her and a nice italian lady (doesn't really speak English) to teach us to do a 3 course meal (we are still doing it now we are back home by the way). The meal was brilliant, and it was so nice to meet the other couple and we all sat around after the cooking to eat the food, enjoy the brilliant wine and to have a chat.
After 3 weeks in Italy it was just so lovely to meet other travellers, and to meet Lesley - she was able to give us a different perspective (English person living in Italy).
All in all it was such a great day, and one of our favourite memories of Italy (even husband agreed!!!)
Written June 30, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Andrew B
Calgary, Canada162 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2014 • Couples
We had a very memorable day of cooking and eating Classic Tuscan dishes. Leslie, the owner led the session that was instructed by Paula who is a card carrying Tuscan Nonna. We made bruschetta, gnocchi along with a very delicious Brunello braised beef stew and many other delicacies.

My fiancée and I picked the menu and participated in the cooking of everything at Leslie's home in rural tuscany not far from montalcino. We walks away with a recipe book, quenched appetites and a lot of great memories. I would definitely do that again and recommend others to try it also.
Written June 6, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ty H
Coventry, UK5 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2014 • Couples
Booked the cooking lesson with lunch for my birthday while we were in the area and I couldn't have wished for better way to spend my birthday.

The course is taught by a British woman - Lesley - who has been living in Tuscany for the last decade, with help from a a Tuscan woman - Paula - who, although not being able to speak any English quite happily talks away (an added benefit of some language practice while you're cooking).

We cooked la Riboleta (tuscan bean soup), tricolore gnocchi, filetto incrosta, caprese salad and tiramisu. The course was very much hands on and the course leaders only stepped in to demonstrate a technique or help if we were struggling with a particular step.

Lesley and Paula were both lovely and the meal was delicious. It was accompanied by some great local wines and great conversation. We had a wonderful time and would definitely recommend to anyone that enjoys cooking or eating.
Written May 14, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Mitchell H
Pittsburgh, PA27 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2013 • Couples
I am not one to write reviews but when I do, it is because the experience was either terribly bad or extraordinarily wonderful. In the case of my cooking class with Taste Tuscany, it was the later! Lesley took a group of 12 adults (6 couples- yep that's right, guys too!) and made us the chefs for a day. Lesley met us at approx 9:30 at our hotel and led us back to her home. We prepared pasta dough for ravioli, goat cheees tarts, pizzas, bruschetta, chicken liver pate, braised beef in Brunello wine sauce, tiramisu and a host of other dishes. We mixed dough,rolled dough through a pasta roller, made fillings, shaved chocolate, chopped liver, poured wine, cooked pasta, made sauces, poured more wine. (did I mention that we drank some wine?) Then we sat down on Lesley's back porch to enjoy a wonderful meal that we had all prepared ourselves with of course the expert and friendly instruction of Lesley and her lovely assistant. We are still talking about our experience with Taste Tuscany as it was one of the highlights of our trip to Italy. I would definately recommend Lesley and Taste Tuscany to any and all that wish to learn more about the cooking and taste of the Tuscan area. We departed with a book of recipes for the dishes we had prepared, but we also left feeling that we were a part of Lesley's family as she invited us in to her home and we left as friends. I appreciate her love of a beautiful country and a willingness to share it with others. If you love good food, good wine and good friends, then don't miss this! Well done Lesley, Hope to see you again!
Written December 6, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

sciarella
Anchorage, AK11 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2013 • Couples
My sister in law and I took this class in September 2013 and it was the most amazing experience of our 3 country, 2 week trip! Because booked the day first we were able to set the menu, which was ideal because I can't eat dairy (in Italy--boo!) We made crostini with mushrooms, pappa y pomodoro soup, homemade pici pasta with a spicy tomato sauce, bacon crusted breaded pork filet, caprese salad and an apricot crostada. It was one of the best meals I've ever eaten--and now I can make it all myself! The Italian cook was lovely, even though she spoke zero English. Lesley provided all the translation that was needed (which wasn't a ton--you can learn a lot with just hand motions) and we all participated fully. We chopped, grated, rolled, kneaded, stirred, etc. All the food was delicious, but simple enough for someone to make at home. It changed how I view lots of food because now I know the value of fresh, good ingredients. I'll never buy dry pasta again!
The food was amazing, but the environment was what made the day. It was fun! The great Aussies we were cooking with were fun, and we felt like we were at a party with our friends. Lesley's kitchen was charming and she fostered the conversation and just made it all seem more fun. Our hubbys came back for lunch (only 10 euro each) and we all sat and ate and drank wine on the back porch with amazing views. All and all an amazing day and a spectacular value. I looked at many classes in the area and all were much more expensive. This was perfect for us!
The only bad part of the day was getting there--Lesley doesn't exactly live on the beaten path. She picks up guests in a 10 km area, but we were in Montepulciano so we drove. Getting there took forever because we got lost--though we did see a lot of beautiful country on the way.
If you're looking for a cooking class, you found it. It was amazing. Do it!
Written October 1, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Praxus
Toronto, Canada167 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2012 • Couples
Called to arrange the tour; but the owner is no longer doing wine tours; just the cooking programs.
Tried to arrange one but they were all booked up. Too bad as they look good.
Written July 26, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

meganj_007
Redding, CA22 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2012 • Couples
We booked a one day wine trip with Lesley who took us to three wineries and included an excellent lunch at one of the wineries. The weather was cold with snow the day before our tour which made planning a bit challenging for Lesley. However, she went way out of her way and was able to book three wonderful tours and tastings at three wineries. Lesley met us at our hotel in Siena and drove us to our first winery were we met the lovely Sabine. We wanted Sabine to join us for the rest of the day but she had to work, darn! Sabine gave us a tour of the winery while explaining the wine making process. We then did a bit of tasting. The second winery was much smaller but just as fun and the host was incredibly sweet. We were allowed to taste wine directly from the barrel and had an excellent home made lunch right next to the wine barrels. The third winery was also wonderful. The host at this winery explained the experiment underway to discover if playing music to the grapes while growing has a positive impact. The results will be pubished later in 2012. All of the wine we tasted at the three wineries was supurb and Lesley was an outstanding tour guide. I wouldhighly recommend her to anyone interested in exploring the wineries in Montalcino. She is friendly and very knowledgeable.
Written February 14, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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