Tuscan Pasta & Wine Experience in San Gimignano: Cook & Taste

An amazing evening in Chianti with Diana and friends

We were so lucky to have had an in-home class with Diana C. from Cesarine. We felt like we were making dinner with our oldest new friends, and we can't wait to go back and take another class with her on our next trip. We weren't sure what to expect. I didn't want an institutional-style cooking class, which is why we chose Cesarine, and from the moment we arrived, we felt welcomed into Diana's home. Diana truly gave us an incredible learning experience. Normally, her husband Alessandro helps with the class, but since he wasn't available that evening, her best friend Paola joined us instead. It ended up making the experience even more special. Learning the secrets of homemade pasta was so much fun. My grandmother passed away when I was young, and I lost many of the cooking skills she had begun teaching me. That's one of the reasons this class meant so much to me. Diana listened to my story and made me feel like part of the family as she guided us through the how's, what's, and why's of making several fresh pastas, 2 sauces, tiramisu, and bruschetta. Diana teaches and cooks with so much love, passion and patience that every moment was enjoyable. As it turns out, my partner David is a natural ravioli maker—his were absolutely perfectto! Mine - not so much. The best part came after the class, when Alessandro and Bernt (Paulo's husband) joined us and we all gathered together in Diana's yard to enjoy the meal we had prepared. We spent the evening indulging in wonderful food, excellent conversation, sharing great wine, admiring Alessandro's vintage Vespa and feeling like we weren't just visiting Italy—we were part of the family. If you're looking for an authentic, welcoming, and unforgettable cooking experience, we can't recommend Diana enough.

via Tripadvisor

Bucket list experience with friends

The location is beautiful, the host is knowledgeable and fun. It was a great bonding experience for our group of friends and the pasta delicious

via Viator

Viator and operator miscommunication frustration

The negative review is due to the fact that Viator seemingly failed to communicate with the tour operator. I went to bed the night before the event absolutely thrilled to go to this class with my wife the next day. Unfortunately either food poisoning or a stomach virus woke me up at 1 am. I reached out to Viator’s costumer service alerting them to the issue around 3 am. I understood this was within the 24 cancelation policy, and a full refund was likely not possible. I wouldn’t have written this review expect for the fact that the operator of the tour - who I never had the chance to meet - messaged em saying they waited for us to arrive and were sorry we couldn’t make it. I am sure the class would have been amazing; however the clear lack of communication between the company and the operator leaves me very much questioning booking any other trips. If I failed to arrive out of negligence, I get it, but to not be able to offer at least a partial refund seems weak at best.

Response from the operator: Dear Cody, We are truly sorry about what happened to you and we hope you are feeling ok. It is true that we do not refund last-minute (24h) cancellations, but if you had sent us proof (a medical record) of the fact that you have been sick, we would have refunded your booking. Unfortunately we cannot otherwise refund last minute bookings. We hope you had an amazing rest of vacation in Italy and that this experience did not spoil your holidays! We remain at your disposal

via Viator

A very memorable and fun experience!

Lara was an excellent teacher and created a delightful experience for us. Her recipes are delicious, her family is kind, and her home has a beautiful view of the Tuscan hills. The food was all local and fresh. We will be recommending this experience to family and friends!

via Viator

Above expectations!!!!

The best cooking experience of our lives. The food, views, and the welcoming of Laure and her family were above all expectations. This is an experience you don’t want to miss. Can’t wait to get home to try some of the recipes.

via Viator