The 12 Cooking Classes That Earn Their Price

1.A Brunello Cooking Class with Vineyards View Winery

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 221 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $313Our pick

Spend four hours at Castello Tricerchi near Montalcino, making filled pasta, handmade pici or tagliatelle, and a Tuscan dessert with a chef such as Alexandra or Jacomo. Tour the winery and cellar, then eat your meal with Rosso and Brunello pairings. Transport from Siena or Florence costs extra.

“This was an unbelievable experience - the views over the vineyard, the quality of the food, the amazing instruction, and the wonderful teacher. It could not have been a more enjoyable and worth it experience. Thank you!!”

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2.Matera: Pasta Cooking Class Old Farmer Style in Sassi Cellar

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 87 reviews · from $80Best value

Lorenzo and Chef Cosimo lead a three-hour pasta class inside Cava Marlò, a restored wine cellar in Matera’s Sassi. You’ll tour the cave, hear local food stories, prepare fresh pasta, bruschetta, and regional dishes, then sit down for a farmer-style lunch in a group of up to eight.

“Would so recommend the Pasta workshop, the best thing we have done in Matera! Lorenzo and Adeline were the best hosts in their newly refurbished 5 star Cave beautifully furnished and the perfect venue to enjoy the day. Our chef Cosimo was so knowledgeable and passionate about the food of the region. We learnt so much from him and are looking forward to preparing the dishes, especially the Cialledda salad at home. It was great learning how to make the pasta, especially the kneading and then production of the pasta shapes. Such a wonderful day with water and wine provided throughout the day interspersed with breaks for the food we…”

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3.Cortecorbo Irpinia-wines: tour of the vineyards- Cooking class- wine tasting

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 74 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $179

Travel from Sorrento to Cortecorbo Winery in Montemarano for a vineyard and cellar tour led by the winemaking family, then make pizza and Maccaronara pasta before tasting six Irpinian wines over a long countryside lunch.

“Antonia and Antonio are wonderful. We had the most amazing evening of pizza making, wine tasting, song and company. Worth the drive from Sorrento. Please go!!”

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4.Organic cooking class with a sommelier in an Olive and wine farm

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 69 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $143

Meet Alina at Fontanaro Organic Farm near Paciano for coffee, olive-oil and wine tasting, hands-on pasta making, tiramisu, and a buffet lunch. The class runs about three hours, welcomes children, and can accommodate gluten-free cooking with advance notice.

“Everything I expected and more…beautiful farm in the country, amazing food, and an incredible host patiently teaching us how to make delicious pasta and tiramisu. It was an amazing day”

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5.Irpinia Tour of the Vineyards, Cooking Class and Wine-Tasting

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 52 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $120

Travel from Naples to Cortecorbo winery in Montemarano, or meet there, for an English guided vineyard and cellar tour. With Antonia and the Cortecorbo family, you will make pizza and Maccaronara, then pair lunch with Taurasi, Fiano di Avellino, Greco di Tufo, and other local wines.

“Felt like we were part of the family business of making food and wine. Hosts went beyond all our expectations of what to expect.”

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6.Pasta Making Class at a 12th Century Winery in the Tuscan Countryside

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 25 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $179

Travel from Florence to a 12th-century winery with guides such as Alexa and Francisco. Tour the cellar, make pasta and sauce in an old country kitchen, taste the winery’s wine and olive oil, then eat your own lunch in a small group of up to 15.

“It was a nice ride to a beautiful countryside. The winery was quaint and cool. Our chef was friendly and fun, and we got to eat our food at a beautifully set table in a cool private rock room on a lower level of the winery. We all had a great time and now have a nice memory of Tuscany.”

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7.Rhodes: Winery Tour, Tasting and cooking with the Winemaker

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 21 reviews · 3 hours · from $93

Spend three hours at a Rhodian winery with Jason, walking the vines, tasting five wines, preparing Greek dishes, and sharing a generous meze meal. You will also learn how tsipouro is made. English and French are available, but you must arrange your own transport to the Google Maps meeting point.

“gezellige ongedwongen sfeer, eten heerlijk en je kon ook andere hapjes en drank bestellen. Jammer dat de groepen erg groot zijn.”

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8.Paella Cooking Experience & Winery Tour from Barcelona

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 19 reviews · from $89

Meet your bilingual guide at Port Olimpic, then ride to Alta Alella for a vineyard and cellar visit, four wine tastings, and a paella class. Round-trip transport, wine, and the meal are included. The group is limited to 12 people, though the meeting point can take a little finding.

“Very confusing finding the meeting point, directly in front of the casino but they aren't allowed to publish that, once found, everything was smooth sailing. The setting is beautiful. The wine tasted great. They were not pushy making you purchase anything. Prices were reasonable although shipping would be outrageous. The paella was a nutritious meal, tasty too.”

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9.Private Wine Tour and Pasta Making Class in a Winery

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6 reviews · from $321

Travel by private car from Rome to Antico Casale in Castelli Romani. Meet winemaker Alfredo, tour the vines and cellar, make traditional pasta with a chef, then taste three local wines with Roman pizza, garden produce, and lunch.

“Alfredo and his team were exceptionally warm and welcoming. As a guest, you personally connect with everyone there and the story of minardi. The cooking class was negromantiche but also fu and comfortable. It felt like hanging out with friends! Their passion for the food, the wine and the place is palm able and feels like a movie. We didn’t want to leave!”

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10.Vineyard and Winery Tour with Cooking Class

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 5 reviews · 4 hours · from $229

Walk Santorini’s ancient vines with wine guide Raphael, taste Assyrtiko and other island wines, then cook and eat traditional dishes in a 2.5-hour class led by Chef Chris. Hotel pickup, air-conditioned transport, and groups of up to eight keep the four-hour outing easy and personal.

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11.San Gimignano, Chianti with Winery Lunch & Cooking Class

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2 reviews · 11.5 hours · from $102

Travel from Florence with a multilingual guide such as Giovanni or Vincenzo, stopping in Castellina, Monteriggioni, San Gimignano, San Quirico, and Certaldo. Taste Chianti wines and oils, prepare a Tuscan meal, and enjoy lunch at Poggio ai Laghi.

“This was an outstanding experience and easily one of the highlights of our Italy trip so far. We spent over 9 hours touring Tuscany with our driver Giovanni, was fantastic from start to finish. He picked us up in a luxury Mercedes coach van that was extremely comfortable and perfect for a long day. Giovanni was professional, friendly, and very knowledgeable, and he paced the day perfectly. The absolute highlight of the tour was the winery experience, which exceeded all expectations and ended up being one of the best things we’ve done in Italy. That alone would have made the day worth it. In addition to the winery, Giovanni included…”

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12.Private Cretan Gastronomic experience Winery visit with Tastings & Cooking Class

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 2 reviews · from $207

Travel by private air-conditioned vehicle from Crete’s north coast to a local winery for five organic wine tastings, then cook and eat a four-course Cretan meal in Ano Archanes Village. The experience is private for up to four people and includes lunch, wine, and free village time.

“Fantastic organisation, car turned up as expected. Amazing picnic in the wine cellar Tour was very informative and fun, great knowledge.”

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