Tasting Places - Le Marche, Italy

Le Marche, Italy

Fully Inclusive £580 + *flights, per person

(based on 2 sharing) Single supplement £75

2010 dates

5th - 8th November

12th - 15th November

13th - 16th November

A fully inclusive* 4 day break designed to give you a fascinating introduction to the autumn highlights of Le Marche. With the backdrop of the olive harvest you will gain an insight into the cultivation and production of the finest olive oils whilst enjoying delicious regional dishes at a carefully selected range of restaurants. The weekend includes an afternoon at an award winning vineyard where you will be introduced to top Marchigiani wines and learn about their production. You will spend a morning cooking with top academy chef Guida Stacchietti and eat your gourmet lunch at the eclectic Il Maniero art club.

.This luxury break is an opportunity to visit Le Marche, one of the most beautiful and undiscovered regions of Italy when it is, perhaps, at its most scenic. Autumn is the season of wine production and “new wine” of chestnuts and truffles, the trees are resplendent with red and gold foliage and, of course the olive harvest is in full swing.

On this relaxing break you, in a small group of no more than 12 people, will gain an insight into the cultivation and production of the finest olive oils.

In the rolling hills of central Marche, mid way between the Sibillini mountains and the Adriatic sea, olive production, like life in general still follows traditions observed for generations. The groves are generally small in a patchwork of vineyards, sunflower fields and rolling countryside. They are used mainly to produce the family’s supply for the year. One of the secrets you will discover is that this area produces some of the finest olives and oil.

You will have an opportunity to learn at first hand all about the cultivation of olives , the production of oil, to try your hand at olive picking, to visit a traditional press and observe the fascinating process of making extra virgin oil. You will see for yourselves the octogenarians perched in the trees and precariously loading their crop on the roof of the ancient Fiat 500 and understand that olive oil really does play a part in keeping the population healthy and agile. The heady aroma of the olive press is truly amazing, olive oil tastes at it’s finest when it is newly pressed and you will be the one of the few to experience the taste of the oil from the olives you picked, fresh from the press. Imagine your friends and family’s reaction when you serve the oil which you helped to produce at the dinner table.

Venues for lunch and dinner each day have been carefully chosen to give you the wonderful flavour of different cooking styles and techniques using olives from the region. You will try the local specialities for which Marche is famous along with a range of Marche wines and spirits. - it’s not just the olive oil which keeps the population healthy well into old age.

At the fascinating Il Maniero Art Club, surrounded by a surreal collection of inspirational artwork, you will have the opportunity to learn and participate in the preparation of local specialities under the friendly guidance and direction of Chef Guida Stacchietti. You will eat at some excellent restaurants, from a local hostaria to a coastal venue with stunning views and fresh local produce.

Set in beautiful countryside, accommodation is provided at a newly restored Marche farmhouse, Casal dei Fichi. Large luxury apartments provide modern comforts in a traditional setting.