Discover Puglia: Food and Wine in Hidden Italy
Sunday, September 19th to Saturday, September 25th, 2021
Join Pascarosa and its team of Puglia specialists for a week of full immersion into the exquisite traditional cuisine of Puglia. According to National Geographic, " . . . Puglia boasts the best of southern Italy: the pace, the traditions, the beauty. Unconquered." And its food traditions are second to none. From world-class olive oil to a range of elegant, sophisticated wines, Puglia is Italy's best-kept secret culinary paradise. With deep roots in southern Italy's boot, we'll make sure you experience the very best of Puglia's bounty. And we keep it small, intimate and deeply local—no more than twelve guests per week—so you experience the magic in the company of old and new friends at a relaxed, casual pace.
Itinerary
Food and Wine in Puglia
Sunday, September 19th to Saturday, September 25th, 2021
Sunday
We’ll begin our week by gathering in your masseria, a grand Italian noble farmhouse converted into a luxury hotel, for an aperitivo and a welcome dinner in the masseria’s dining room.
Monday
We’ll start our first morning together with a visit to a centuries-old fortified farmhouse with an olive oil mill that predates Roman times. We'll learn all about olive trees and olive oil while touring this estate, concluding our visit with a taste of the organic olive oil made here. Next we head up the coast for a seafood lunch on the rocks featuring the exquisite bounty of the Adriatic. Caught that morning, you’ll learn why the cuisine of Puglia draws heavily on the ocean for its inspiration. From antipasti to fresh-caught sea bream cooked over an open fire, this is seafood like you’ve never experienced it. Then we return to our home base at the masseria for a little relaxation by the pool or in the gardens. Before dinner, we’ll learn about the breadth and depth of Pugliese wine, with a special focus on local varietals and traditional as well as modern local winemaking. Dinner is at a nearby trattoria.
Tuesday
Today we’ll dip over the regional border into Basilicata to visit the stunning town of Matera, the European Capital of Culture for 2019 and a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1995. Matera is unique in all of Italy for the sassi or cave dwellings that ring the central city. It’s also home to some of the region’s oldest wood-fired bread ovens, which we’ll visit to learn about pane pugliese. After lunch, we’ll take a guided walking tour of the famous sassi to appreciate this deeply evocative place. We'll head back to Martina Franca, participate in the time-honored southern Italian tradition called the passeggiata and enjoy an aperitvo all'aperto. Dinner tonight is fornello pronto, another local institution, in the elegant Baroque city center.
Wednesday
After a visit to the region’s largest weekly market where we’ll appreciate the bounty of local produce, we’ll visit an artisanal cheese producer and learn how mozzarella, ricotta and burrata are made by hand every day. Then we’ll spend most of our day with a pair of delightful grandmothers and their classically-trained chef sons in Martina Franca. Both generations are passionate advocates of the healthy Mediterranean diet, and they’ll share their secrets with us in a hands-on pasta-making class. After lunch, we’ll stroll through the meandering streets of Martina Franca, visiting its exquisite basilica, ducal palace and medieval alleyways. Dinner is on your own in Martina Franca.
Thursday
A visit to central Puglia is incomplete without a stop in Alberobello, “capital of the trulli.” Trulli are Puglia’s iconic cone-shaped roof stone dwellings that dot the landscape here; in Alberobello, they are concentrated into an urban village straight out of a fairy tale. Here there will also be time to visit a state-of-the-art modern olive mill and a hand-dyed, hand-loomed textile shop that exhibits the fine handwork for which this region is known. Next, we’ll visit an organic olive farm for a picnic lunch. We’ll also learn how to use local fruits, vegetables and herbs to make after-dinner digestive (limoncello, anyone?). Dinner is wood-fired oven pizza in picturesque Locorotondo.
Friday
We’ve saved the most spectacular sight for last: Polignano a Mare. Built along the craggy, limestone cliffs that face the Adriatic Sea, Polignano is often called the most beautiful town in Puglia. We’ll take a walking tour of its historic center, with plenty of time for wandering (shopping?) on your own. Then we return to our masseria for some well-deserved rest and relaxation before our final celebratory meal together.
Saturday
After breakfast at your masseria and perhaps a final stroll around the grounds, it will be time to say goodbye. We’ll send you home our sincere thanks and well wishes along with a booklet of the recipes you learned during your week in Puglia. With prior notice, we will be happy to make transportation arrangements to nearby airports (Bari or Brindisi) or train stations (Martina Franca or Bari). We’ll also help you plan an itinerary before or after your time with us.
Food and Wine in Puglia
September 19th to September 25th, 2021
What's included:
• all lodging (six nights)
• six breakfasts, five lunches and five dinners, all beverages (and wine!) included
• guided walking tours and museum admissions
• cooking classes
• winetasting
• visits to food artisans and product tasting
• all transportation
What's not included:
• transportation to and from Italy and the start of the tour and workshop (on request, we'll make airport transfer arrangements for you and advise you on air transportation)
• incidentals
• tips for drivers, tour guides, etc. (meal tips are included)
Cost:
Double Room: $3,900 per person
Single Supplement: $600
Reserve your place by making your deposit.
We'll get back to you immediately with more information, payment schedule and travel details.
If you'd like to get in touch to learn more before reserving, send us a quick note.
We'd love to hear from you!