Italian Wines & Haute Cuisine Gourmet Food & Sommelier Program Tasting, Pairing, Trends & Travel 1 WEEK FULL IMMERSION & INCLUSIVE OF LUXURY ACCOMMODATIONS, ALL MEALS, COURSE MATERIALS & CULTURAL TRAVEL TO ITALY'S TOP RESTAURANTS AND WINE & FOOD PRODUCERS Specially Presented in Tuscany, Italy with Epicurean Travel to Florence, Umbria, Chianti and more! October 15 - 22, 2011

Scroll down for the itinerary, cost and inclusions for this program or use the links to the left for information on ICI's other all inclusive programs

Benvenuti! Welcome to a very special travel program where you'll immerse yourself in the food, wine, art and culture of the exciting splendor of Italy. Michelangelo's Bacchus, Roman God of Wine Italian Wines & Haute Cuisine is the most inclusive one week gourmet food & fine wines' program in Italy. During seven days of interacting and traveling with master chefs and sommelier, you'll learn about, and taste, hundreds of delicacies and wines from every region of Italy. In Italy, dining and wines are a lifestyle not just a tech-sheet. In this unique program, guests are brought beyond the hype and are shown not just how to learn, but how to live, which is, after all, what Mediterranean cuisine and life is all about. During these entertaining and educational days, you will not only acquire skills for expert Italian Regional wine tasting but also realize a profound knowledge of Regional Italian and Mediterranean Cuisine, making you a better chef, consumer or restaurant patron. Pairing wines, understanding the truths and myths about "Italian food" and bridging the gap between classic Italian cuisine and modern standards of healthful eating are strengths that are rare even for experienced professionals. Through an examination of gustatory perception, ingredients, and flavoring techniques, participants discover how to pair wines with new dishes, meals and entire menus. No detail has been spared to give you the best of Italy. Precious white and black truffles, artisan cheeses and cured meats and dining experiences prepared by master chefs and in restaurants that visitors to Italy rarely see, all ensure the most exclusive wine and gourmet food experience anywhere. We design all programs with the integrity that food connoisseurs are accustomed to. Important amenities include dining experiences at diverse locations including an Italian Trattoria, two Enotecas and several unique restaurants. These special dining experiences are an integral part of the learning process demonstrating how classic Regional cuisines can be brought to higher levels with consideration to taste, modern alimentary principles and presentation. The sommeliers and chefs chosen for this program are masters, not only for their oenologistical and culinary expertise, but for their charisma as well. They are passionate and cultured professionals that understand that food and wine should be learned by the palate and the soul. Once reserved exclusively for processional chefs and sommelier, this is the only one week wine and haute cuisine course in Italy accredited by the Italian Institute for Advanced Culinary and Pastry Arts and instructed by master chefs and sommelier from the institute's Culinary Team. We look forward to having you here for this exciting wine, culinary and cultural experience.

Program Dates

•October 15 - 22, 2011

ITINERARY

Day 1
Arrival, check-in and welcome dinner in Monteriggioni, Tuscany

• Check in at hotel at Monteriggioni in Tuscany.
  
• Welcome dinner with ICI president John Nocita, chefs Walter Zanoni and Sabrina Mancin, sommelier Sylvia Vezzola and special guests including wine producers and an historian from the Tuscany region of Italy.
• Dinner at the resort presents guests with a traditional Tuscan feast featuring food and wines specially chosen for the grand occasion!
  
• Overnight at the hotel in Tuscany.

DAY 2
Pairing Wine & Cheese: The Foundation of Italian Haute Cuisine; Lunch Prepared by a Master; Cultural Travel to Siena, Tuscany

When they first stepped onto the Italian peninsula three thousand years ago, the ancient Greeks called it Enotria (the land of the vines). Inscriptions on the tablets of Eraclea, dated 4th century BC, states that a field covered with these vines was worth six times a plot of ordinary farmland. The Romans considered it a gift from the gods and were the first to export it... and both the Greeks and the Romans had little trouble finding something perfect to pair with it. Today Italians called them vino e formaggio and the rest of the world wants that which is still made in Enotria: wine and cheese!

During this colorful day, we'll take a journey through time from the extreme north to the extreme south of the Italian peninsula. Along the way participants will be introduced to several of Italy's finest wines and cheeses. We'll examine where they came from and more importantly, where they are going: where in Italy will be the next Tuscany or Piedmont; how to pair Italian wines and cheese; the difference between DOC, DOCG and IGT wines and more.

• Breakfast at the Hotel.
• Transfer to demonstration kitchen.
  
• Introduction of the sommeliers and chefs for the program.
  
• Overview of the course and Italian regional cuisine.
  
• Lesson begins with analysis and tasting of the lesser known raw materials necessary to construct authentic dishes in Regional Italian and Mediterranean Cuisine.
  
• Analysis and tasting:
  
  • Cheeses and Cured Meats: DOP
    
• Analysis and tasting:
  
  • Balsamic Vinegars, Olives, Sundried and Conserved Vegetables
    
• Distinguishing Classifications for Regional Italian Wines
• In-depth examination of Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oils including regional differentiation, gustatory perception and the proper methods which define the use of specific oils with particular cuisines as well as their positions in the menu.
• Infusing oils
  • Cold
  • Hot
  • Fast infusions
  • Infusing for long conservation
• Mediterranean Lunch
  • Mediterranean Cuisine remains one of the healthiest and the most requested in the world. It resists ‘trendy’ diets and refuses to conform from its naturalness. Guests will watch and dine as master chef Walter Zanoni demonstrates how to synthesize the simplicity of the Mediterranean with the complexity of haute cuisine..
• Afternoon visit to Siena a the medieval town located in the heart of Tuscany and just minutes from the resort, famous for its perfectly intact castles and many of the finest artisan food and wine shops in Italy
• Early evening return to the hotel.
• Dinner at the hotel.
• Overnight at the hotel.

DAY 3
Exploring an Open Air Market in Siena; Visit to Pienza, Tuscany

• Breakfast at the hotel
• Market Visit
  • Departure for Mercatino in Siena for shopping and tasting. A typical Italian open air market offers culinarians an insight to the country's most traditional aspects as well as an opportunity to browse foods, cheeses, wines and cured meats that are still produced by artisans, many of which are unavailable even in other parts of Italy less the world.
  • Participants compare and taste the difference between these products to those of the industrial sector and, most importantly, discover delicacies still unknown to most...
• Departure for Pienza
  • Having survived the dark ages, Pienza was named 'Utopia' at the birth of the Renaissance. The great thinkers of the time considered its architecture an design to be a perfectly balanced relationship between man and nature. Nowadays, this charming Tuscan town is best known for its bustling winding cobblestone streets, myriads of shops and, of course, its sublime wine and cheese at every corner.
• Lunch in a traditional trattoria in Pienza
• Afternoon free for shopping or for an aperitif in one if the many outdoor cafes.
• Early evening return and dinner at the hotel.

DAY 4
Pairing Wine & Truffles; Exclusive 'Wine Lunch'

• Breakfast at the Hotel
• Introduction to Truffles
  • Nero named them Cibus Deorum (food of the gods). Ancient Greeks believed that Venus created them as an aphrodisiac. Apicius in his 1st century thesis on culinary art dedicated an entire chapter to them. Gastronomic pioneer Brillat Savarin described them as "diamonds of cuisine". Others who have taken the time to write about them include Napoleon Bonaparte, Pope Gregory IV, Kings Louis XIV and Louis XVIII, Gioacchino Rossini, Queen Elizabeth II, President Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe.

    Truffles! Those who are familiar with them are in love with their unique aroma and exciting flavor. Those who have not yet had the pleasure of tasting truffles, know them as the white or black tubers that can cost as much as $6000 per kilogram.

• Truffles and Mushrooms
  
  • Introduction to truffles & wild mushrooms
    
  • Truffle Fact Sheet: identifying and distinguishing black vs. white
    
  • The truffle throughout the centuries: history and legend.
    
  • Where truffles come from
    
  • Truffle hunters
    
  • Preparing and preserving truffles
    
  • Cooking with Truffles
    
    
• Exclusive 'Wine Lunch'
  • Executive Chef Sabrina Mancin presents an intoxicating demonstration and lunch showcasing the techniques of cooking with wines. Advanced techniques such as infusing wines and aromatic wine reductions are made easy for enthusiasts. Several special dishes including a red wine risotto and Italy's famous Pere al Vino dessert are prepared and served alongside perfectly paired wines.
    
    
• Afternoon free
• Dinner at the hotel.

DAY 5
Visit to Florence; Dinner at a Famous Restaurant in Chianti

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Departure for Florence.
  • Founded in 59 BC by Julius Caesar as "Florentia," Florence (Firenze in Italian) was first built on the Arno river as a Roman colony. The commune of Florence was established in the 12th century. By the middle of the 13th century, Florentine merchants, whose prosperity was based on the woolen cloth industry, were established in trade and commerce. It was at this time that the 'florin' was used as the first gold cold in Europe. In the 14th century, Florence was one of the five largest cities in Europe, and the Palazzo Vecchio (city hall) was built by Arnolfo di Cambio and two churches, Santa Maria Novella and Santa Croce were erected.

    The rest, as they say, is history, a history as rich as anywhere else on earth. Florence is the birthplace of the Renaissance, of modern literature, art and even the Italian language itself. Michelangelo, Leonardo, Dante, Donatello, Masaccio are just some of the monumental names associated with this city. The list is endless. Even modern gastronomy derives many of its most important elements here thanks to the passionate devotion of Catherine De Medici and her love for food and fine dining.

    Today, Florence is the regional capital of Tuscany and the city is surrounded by delightful low hills, stunning architecture and picturesque bridges that cross the Arno river. Florence remains an important center for commerce especially for high fashion, leather goods, shoes, textiles, fine foods and wines, gold jewelry and, of course, art works from the past two thousand years.

• Before arriving in Florence, each guest will be given a program suggesting how to spend your leisure day and which places to visit in Florence. Since there is so much to see and everyone has his/her own taste, guests will be assisted in making this day personal and an English speaking guide will be available.
• Upon arrival, our first stop is Piazzale Michelangelo to view the panorama of this beautiful city from a hilltop.
• Lunch at a local restaurant.
• Suggestions include: the Duomo, Uffizi Gallery, Ponte Vecchio, Pitti Palace, Brancacci Chapel (Macasscio's great frescoes on the Life of St. Peter), Galleria dell' Accademia (Michelangelo's Statue of David-1504), Church of San Lorenzo (Interior designed by Brunelleschi), Unfinished Tomb for Lorenzo de' Medici by Michelangelo, featuring his Madonna and Child, etc.
• Dinner at "Cecchini"
  • Even before he started working with Anthony Bordain, Dario Cecchini was already a legend in Tuscany. Even as Tuscany is a gastronomic goldmine, it may best be known for its famous Florentine meat. Dario is the region's most famous butcher and his butcher shop (in the family for four generations) is still right next store to his award winning restaurant.
• Evening return to the hotel.

DAY 6
Wine Lesson: "The Customer is NOT Always Right" How to Order Wine in a Restaurant; Visit to Castello Banfi for a Wine Tasting of Brunello di Montalcino...in Montalcino

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Wine lesson "The Customer is NOT Always Right"
  • A satirical play on those that order wine in restaurants and those that never should...
• Lunch at the hotel.
• Afternoon visit to the wine estates of Castello Banfi for a tasting at one of Italy's best known producers.
  • 11 Consecutive Years ~ Italy’s Premier Vineyard Estate at the VinItaly wine fair
  • Winery of the Year by both Wine Enthusiast and Wine & Spirits Magazine
  • Top Ten Wines (Castello Banfi Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Poggio all’Oro) by Wine Spectator.
    • Perhaps most gratifying of all is the praise of neighboring vintners who acknowledge Banfi’s role in pioneering a new era in Brunello and bringing the wine world’s attention to Montalcino. Banfi has pioneered clonal research on the Sangiovese vine to produce a more consistently excellent Brunello di Montalcino, and reduced sulfites and histamines through more organic winemaking. Technological advances, including customized cooperage for more balanced wines, nitrogen bottling to eliminate the addition of sulfites, electro-dialysis to allow flavors to emerge, and development of fermenters that combine both stainless steel and wood, are balanced with a profound respect for tradition and deep expression of the local terroir and microclimate. In the end, at Castello Banfi, winemaker and nature partner to allow the wine’s natural pedigree to emerge in artful expression.
• Farewell dinner

DAY 7
Departure

• Saturday
  Departure

PRICE:

• Euro 2695 per person

THIS PROGRAM IS ALL-INCLUSIVE FROM THE TIME OF ARRIVAL TO THE HOTEL UNTIL DEPARTURE*

• contact us here to register for a masters’ course
  
  Special group rates available for colleges, associations, corporations and agents. Contact us here to inquire about eligibility.

*PRICE INCLUDES:

• Theoretical and practical lessons & all related costs conducted by the Italian Institute for Advanced Culinary and Pastry Arts and Professional Establishments. (30+ hrs. Full Immersion over 1 week)
• ICI Recipe & Techniques Manual
• ICI Wine Guide: Rule of Regionalism™.
  
• Accommodations at a 4 star hotel. (**Dbl. Occ.) 7 Nts.
  
• Complete board: All meals and wines included every day of the program.
  • Welcome dinner
    
  • Mediterranean Lunch presented by master chef Walter Zanoni
    
  • Lunch at a traditional trattoria trattoria in Pienza, Tuscany.
  • Lunch at a local restaurant in Florence.
  • Exclusive 'Wine Lunch'
  • Dinner at "Cecchini" in Chianti
  • One lunch at the hotel.
  • Five dinners at the hotel
  • Farewell dinner
    
• On-Site Lessons, Wine Tastings and Pairings and Gastronomic Travel
  
  • The Foundation of Haute Cuisine
    
  • Pairing Wine and Cheese
  • Walking Tour of Siena
  • Open Air Market Visit
  • Visit to Pienza
  • Pairing Wine and Truffles
  • Visit to Florence
  • Wine Lesson: 'The Customer is NOT Always Right" How to order wine in a restaurant.
  • Visit and Wine Tasting of Brunello di Montalcino at Castello Banfi in Montalcino.
  • 
    
• Certificate of Completion
  
• Tax and gratuities
  
• All meals include wines, bottled water, tax and gratuities.

*Price does not include airfare, airport transfers or other travel during free time.
**Price based on double occupancy. Single supplement is Euro 445.00 pp