AMALFI 2022-SOLD OUT

Itinerary and Objectives/Outcomes

Day 1: Saturday, October 22: Learn from a Local Dietitian – Garden and Greenhouse Tour (Total 3 hrs. CEUs)

Transfer from Naples airport or Naples train station to your accommodation, the lovely 5* Relais Oasi Olimpia.

Check into your deluxe room.

• The group will have a quick meeting for introductions and then you’ll have time on your own. If you are not jet-lagged, you may wish to take a short walk into Sant’Agata to do a little exploring. This is a charming little town; perhaps stop with the locals for a coffee and one of the pastry specialties of the region, or just stroll along the old streets.
• Tonight, tour the gardens and greenhouse and meet with a local dietitian to learn about the gastronomy of this part of southern Italy. Giovanna Paturzo is a PhD certified Italian dietitian who was born and raised in the area, and who has spent her 20-year career studying and working in the fields of biology, applied nutrition, and dietetics.
• You will learn about the local heirloom tomato varieties like Fiascone (Tomato Re Umberto) and Cuore di Bue, as well as about seasonal foraging, varieties of Italian apple trees, and terraced gardening. Dinner of local cuisine at the hotel’s elegant restaurant, Villa Oasi. (3 hours of educational credits)
• Overnight.

Educational Objectives and Outcomes (3 hours): 

Interact and learn about the training, research and work being done by a well-respected PhD dietitian-nutritionist in this region of Italy. Learn about the climate and sustainability of the garden and greenhouse of our villa, which has a small carbon footprint situated above the Gulf of Naples and Gulf of Salerno.

Attendees will:

a) Understand how dietitian-nutritionists are trained in Italy and what types of research, clinical and other opportunities exist for science-based nutrition experts/biologists/PhD nutritionists.

b) Learn about the most common dietary issues and chronic diseases in this region of Italy

c) Understand the climate and soil conditions and how the environment influences sustainable local farming

d) Partake in a grounds tour and understand crops in terraced and greenhouse farming, unique to this coastal region that sits high above the intersection of two gulfs

e) Learn about methods of organic and conventional farming in this Campania region and about the history of its biodiversity

f) Enjoy and understand the components of a meal that is “zero kilometer”

Experts: Giovanna Paturzo, Nutritionist and PhD

Day 2: Sunday, October 23: Cheesemaking & Cooking Class (Total 6 hrs. CEUs)

• A lovely buffet breakfast awaits you.
• In the morning you will head to a local farm for an Amalfi Coast food tour, where they produce top quality local cheese, such as mozzarella, provolone, and caciotta. Visit the agriturismo farm, Il Turuziello, meet the animals, including those whose milk is used in the cheese production, and then settle in for a cheese-making demonstration! A light tasting lunch will follow, including the wonderfully fresh cheese and other products from the farm. (3 hours of educational credits)
• Return to the hotel for a bit of free time before your first cooking class. If you would like, you could schedule a massage in the massage room (Advance reservations at least 48 hours in advance is required).
• This evening at 5:00 PM, your first cooking lesson, featuring such dishes as grilled eggplant parmesan, Caprese-style ravioli (made with local cheese), Neapolitan-style veal roll (braciole), and a surprise dessert. The class will be followed by dinner based on your culinary efforts with local wine. (3 hours of educational credits)

Educational Objectives and Outcomes (6 hours): 

3 hours: To immerse oneself into life and operations at a multi-generational family-run agriturismo cheesemaking farm. Meet the cows and learn about how they are managed and fed. The master cheesemaker will demonstrate how to make fresh cheeses like mozzarella. You’ll understand how a variety of local fresh and slightly aged cheeses are made. Hear about the history of cheesemaking and how local organically produced cheeses fit into the healthy Italian Mediterranean diet. Enjoy a tasting that features the products of the farm area.

3 hours: To partake in a chef-led hands-on cooking class that results in a delicious dinner made with local ingredients served with complimentary local wine.

Attendees will:

a) Understand the types of fresh cheeses that are staples in the Campania region

b) Learn about how slightly aged cheeses are produced and stored from farm to table

c) Observe a fresh cheesemaking demonstration

d) Learn about the different types and uses of local cow cheeses

e) View how cows are fed and milked, and live happily on the grounds of the dairy farm

f) Taste and enjoy the flavors of local cheeses that come from the local diet of the animals

g) Cook alongside our chef and prepare a traditional meal made with local ingredients like eggplant that includes Caprese-style ravioli, rolled veal and a surprise dessert. Learn about each ingredient and its importance in the local cuisine.

h) Dine and learn: Enjoy the meal with a paired local wine from the Campania region. Learn about the local wine and what grapes are used to make the wine.

Experts: Benedetto De Gregorio, whose family has owned and operated the dairy since it started (originally in 1965 but as the Agriturismo il Turuziello in 1999), Head Chef Giuseppe Miccio of Villa Oasi restaurant, Sommelier and assistant chef Giovanni Cioffi of Villa Oasi restaurant.

Day 3: Monday, October 24: Cooking Class, Olive Harvest & Amalfi Exploration (Total 6 hrs. CEUs)

• Fantastic buffet breakfast followed by your second cooking class. The class will feature Sorrento-style potato gnocchi, Mediterranean-style duchess potatoes, stuffed peppers, and panna cotta. (3 hours of educational credits)
• After class, depart for an Amalfi Coast exploration.
• Your first stop will be for an olive oil tasting, accompanied by your Italian dietitian Giovanna Paturzo, at a local olive farm. The farm, Frantoio Gargiulo, has been producing top quality olive oil for three generations. The harvest, predominantly of the Minucciolo olive variety, will most likely take place during your visit, and you can taste the olive oil fresh out of the press. (3 hours of educational credits)
• Next, explore the Amalfi Coast! Amalfi is a town that seems to have climbed up from the sea like froth and crystallized onto the land. The town is dominated by the impressive Duomo, rivaling in size to the cliffs that rise up behind it. You can sit and observe in the Piazza Duomo or wind upwards through the cobblestone streets, exploring the little shops along the way. The town is also famed for a particular variety of lemon. Ravello is a charming town also perched on the cliffs overlooking the sea. It is home not only to the best Amalfi ceramics, but also the lovely gardens of the historic Villa Cimbrone. Time in both Amalfi and Ravello to explore and learn about the local gastronomic traditions.
• Return to the hotel for a bit of relaxation before dinner based on your morning culinary efforts with wine.
• Overnight.

Educational Objectives and Outcomes (6 hours):  

3 hours: Cook alongside our chef and learn how to prepare a Sorrento-style meal with a focus on local potatoes. Italians combine two starches–potato and wheat–to make the region’s famous gnocchi. Prepare potatoes in other Mediterranean-style ways and learn about the local varieties of potatoes. Learn how to prepare Neapolitan stuffed peppers. Discussion of types of carbohydrates that are staples of the diet and how Italians would never give up this way of eating for fad diets.

3 hours: To understand the history of olive oil and varieties of olives in this region; and how local olives and olive oil differ from other regions of Italy. To participate in harvesting olives and view the operation of a modern-day press. To tour the remains of an ancient olive farm. To tour the olive and fruit grove/garden of the farm. To taste a variety of extra virgin olive oils including organic and DOP; and flavored oils made with ingredients from the farm.

Attendees will:

a) Take part in preparing a Sorrento-style meal using local varieties of produce to prepare specialties of this region–a true garden to table experience

b) Gain knowledge about biodiverse varieties of local fruits and vegetables from this terraced region of the Mediterranean

c) Understand the importance of biodiversity, and why organic farming is a way of life in this region

d) Learn about the use of local products in traditional dishes

e) Witness the modern-day olive harvest and learn about the full range of harvesting techniques

f) See the pressing process at a local mill; and learn how to taste olive oil for freshness and quality

g) Learn about the different varieties of olives in this region and the predominant Minucciolo olive variety, how they are grown, soil conditions, health benefits and how and when they are harvested

h) Tour an ancient olive mill and compare it to the modern mill.

i) See how fruit trees are grafted to produce different types of fruit on the same tree

Experts: Chef Giuseppe Miccio of Villa Oasi restaurant, Frantoio Gargiulo, now in its 3rd generation, at the olive oil estate; Dietitian-Nutritionist Giovanna Paturzo will be the guide at the olive oil farm. 

Day 4: Tuesday, Oct 25: Pompeii and the Ancient Roman Diet, Vineyard Experience & Dining at a World- Famous Michelin Restaurant (Total 8 hrs. CEUs)

• Breakfast.
• In the morning, head to Pompeii with a 2-hour guided tour of the archeological ruins. Your guide, Giovanna di Gennaro, is a licensed cultural and historical guide with many years’ experience. She will also discuss the diet of the Ancient Romans and how its traces are alive in southern Italian gastronomy. (2 hours of educational credits)
• In the afternoon, depart for the Casa Setaro winery on Mount Vesuvius. Enjoy a tour and tasting with the owner, Massimo Setaro, and Sonia the assistant and cousin of Massimo. Learn about the local wine called Lacryma Christi, a wine that harkens back to the time of the ancient Romans and is produced from the grapes that grow in the volcanic soil of Vesuvius. Taste the Lacryma Christi del Veusvio DOC organic line. This wine includes three variations in rosé, white and red, which vinifies the native vines of Caprettone, for white wine, and Piedirosso, for rosé and red wines. This classic line of wines involves fermentation in steel. Before the tasting, you will be introduced to the sustainable philosophy of Casa Setaro, visiting the vineyards and the cellar, with an explanation of the production processes. Giovanni Cioffi, sommelier will be leading the discussions about the wines of this region. Enjoy a wine tasting and lite lunch. (3 hours of educational credits)
• Return to the hotel around 4:30 PM. You’ll have some time to relax before dinner at the famed Michelin starred restaurant Don Alfonso 1890, one of the most special experiences of your week. One of the family will explain how the world-renowned restaurant takes Mediterranean flavors and re-presents them in new ways. Visit of the wine cellar, built into an ancient Etruscan well and tunnel, which is also where they prepare house-aged cheese and salumi. (3 hours of educational credits)
• Overnight.

Educational Objectives and Outcomes (8 hours):

2 hours: Tour a world heritage site-Pompei, once a thriving and sophisticated Roman city, Pompeii was buried under meters of ash and pumice after the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D. The preserved site features excavated ruins of streets and houses that you will explore. Imagine life in this ancient city and learn about the diet and lifestyle of the Ancient Romans.

3 hours: Learn about the traditional grapes and wines of this region. The winery produces mostly local wine called Lacryma Christi, which dates back to the Romans made from Piedirosso and Caprettone grapes. Tour the vineyard and learn about harvesting and organic winemaking. Lunch and learn about food and wine pairing.

3 hours: Meet with a family member from one of the most famous Michelin restaurants in Italy. Learn about the history of food in this region and how a restaurant can hold onto traditions while creating new ways to represent foods of this region. Learn about how and where they farm food in the area for use in the restaurant. See how they store an enormous collection of prized wine and cheese in an underground Roman cave. Enjoy a Michelin meal and wine pairing and learn about innovative cooking techniques used to elevate the traditional cuisine of this region.

Attendees will:

a) Be guided through Pompeii, a cultural tour at a world heritage site. Imagine ancient Roman life before the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D when this city was lost

b) Understand bustling life in an ancient Roman city by walking through the streets, homes and ruins that were uncovered after being buried for nearly two thousand years

c) Reimagine the food markets and rediscover the diet of the Ancient Romans and how its traces are alive in southern Italian gastronomy

d) Learn about grape varieties and the origins

e) Learn about wine production in this region and how it differs from other regions of Italy

f) Find out how much wine is produced and how much is exported vs. sold locally

g) Learn how to taste wine like an expert wine taster

h) Find out about local organic wine production

i) Learn how to pair wines with a light Mediterranean lunch

j) Visit a cave through an ancient Roman tunnel to where 25,000 bottles of precious wines are stored

k) Understand how traditions are not lost, just elevated to create innovative and healthy food preparations that make this world-renowned Michelin 2-star establishment known as one of the best culinary experiences in Italy

l) Experience a southern Italian Michelin food and wine dinner with an explanation of preparations and how they relate to traditional ways

Experts: Giovanna di Gennaro, a licensed cultural and historical guide; Massimo Setaro, owner of Casa Setaro winery on Mount Vesuvius and his cousin and assistant Sonia; Livia Iaccarino (matriarch) & Mario Iaccarino (head of house and son) of the Don Alfonso family; Assistant chef and sommelier Giovanni Cioffi will lead and assist with the wine education at the vineyard.

Day 5: Wednesday, October 26: Cooking Class & Digestive Liqueurs and Jams (Total 7 hrs. CEUs)

• Breakfast.
• Right after breakfast join assistant chef Giovanni Cioffi for a walking food tour of Sant Agata. Visit a general market, fish market, meat market and bakery. (1 hour of educational credit)
• Return to the Relais for your third cooking class with lunch to follow based on your efforts. The class will feature a homemade fettuccine with a seasonal preparation, potentially mushrooms foraged from the garden, along with baked squid, local fish in potatoes and carob cake made with olive oil. (3 hours of educational credits)
• In the early afternoon, around 2:30 pm, enjoy an optional excursion to Sorrento by foot or taxi (or Positano by taxi), where you can shop or explore on your own. (Please note that Positano is quite hilly and includes a lot of climbing.)
• In the late afternoon, around 6:00 pm, enjoy a class on digestivi, or digestive liqueurs, such as finocchietto (made with fennel) and the classic limoncello. Learn about the difference between Amalfi lemons and Sorrentine lemons, and start preparing the digestivi, which you will continue the next day. Also learn about making jam. The property has over 100 apples trees featuring three varieties of apples, which will be in season during your stay. (3 hours of educational credits)
• Dinner at the hotel.
• Overnight.

Educational Objectives and Outcomes (7 hours): 

1 hour: Walk to Sant’ Agata town with assistant chef Giovanni Cioffi, to explore the markets where the locals shop.

3 hours: Participate in a fresh pasta-making class featuring fettuccine. Prepare a traditional sauce served with this pasta. Learn about foraged foods from the garden. Prepare Sorrento-style bake squid with local potatoes and learn the secrets to making a southern Italian carob cake.

3 hours: Partake in a class about digestive liqueurs and make your own with local fennel and lemons. Prepare jams using a variety of apples from the orchard on the villa’s property.

Attendees will:

a) Experience the food markets where locals shop to buy their daily seafood, meat, bread, vegetables, grains, gelato and other specialties guided by a local chef of the community (Giovanni Cioffi)

b) Take part in preparing the pasta dough, then prepare a seasonal sauce using ingredients foraged from the garden

c) Learn about local seafood such as red squid from the surrounding waters and cook it in a healthful and traditional way

d) Prepare local fish with potatoes; and southern Italian dark chocolate mousse

e) Understand the history and health benefits of digestive liqueurs

f) Learn how to make these liqueurs the way they’ve been made for over 100 years using local fennel for finocchietto and lemons for limoncello

g) Practice the customs of the wealthy Sorrento families from the island of Capri who always offered a taste of limoncello to their most illustrious guests

h) Prepare jams from a wide variety of apples from the property’s apple orchard

Experts: Head chef Guiseppe Miccio assisted by Giovanni Cioffi

Day 6: Thursday, October 27: Boat trip to Isle of Capri & Pizza Making (Total 5 hrs. of CEUs)

• Breakfast.
• Today will be a full day visit to the enchanting isle of Capri. Weather permitting, you will head out on a ferry boat to the magical island that has beguiled visitors for centuries. Your guide, Giovanna De Gennaro who accompanied you to Pompeii, will lead you on your exploration. You will have an English-speaking guide to help you, but transportation costs on the island are paid locally (usually 5-10 Euros per person for bus or funicular). (3 hours of educational credits)
• Today’s lunch will be on your own on the island.
• Return to the hotel mid-afternoon and make pizza dough in the kitchen with the chef. While the dough rises, learn about the different flours used in the area for bread and pizza making, about the tomatoes, cheese, and toppings. You will also finish your tasty liqueurs from the day before. After the dough rises, finish making your customized pizza, which you will then enjoy for dinner. (2 hours of educational credits)
• (Please note that in the event of bad weather, Capri excursion will be replaced by an alternate excursion.)
• Overnight.

Educational Objectives and Outcomes (5 hours):

3 hours: To explore the Bay of Naples and the Island of Capri, near the southern entrance to the Bay of Naples, Campania region, southern Italy. It lies opposite the Sorrento peninsula, to which it was joined in prehistoric times. The island is a single block of limestone of only four-square miles rising up to1932 feet. Learn about the inhabitants and their diets in prehistoric times and how the island later became a Greek colony and then a resort for emperors in the early years of the Roman Empire. Learn about Caprese cuisine, which includes local seafood that surround the island.

2 hours: Learn how to make a traditional Neapolitan pizza and how the type and amount of each ingredient plays an important role. Understand the origins of Naples-style pizza and why this is considered the original pizza.

Attendees will:

a) Learn about the local seafood from the fisherman as we cross over to the island of Capri through the Bay of Naples. Numerous fish species like conger eels, groupers, sargo, red goldfish, and mullets are found in the surrounding waters.

b) Explore the cuisine of Capri and learn about the traditional Caprese salad, Ravioli Capresi, Torta Caprese and other specialties that focus on the fresh seafood, vegetables and of course olive oil

c) Understand why Capri has gradually become one of the most popular resorts in southern Italy, famous for its magnificent scenery and mild climate in which vegetation flourishes despite a general lack of water

d) Learn about the agriculture (grapes, olives, citrus and other fruits) and how an undersea aqueduct was completed in 1978 to bring fresh water from the mainland to support these activities

e) Prepare a traditional Neapolitan pizza and learn how pizza margherita originated in Naples. Understand what qualities make a Naples-style pizza and why this healthy pizza is famous worldwide

Experts: Giovanna di Gennaro, a licensed cultural and historical guide; Chef Guiseppe Miccio assisted by Giovanni Cioffi

Day 7: Friday, October 28: Farewell

After our final group breakfast at the hotel, our team will shuttle you to Naples Airport and bid you Arrivederci!

According to current flight schedules the group transfer will arrive at Naples Airport at around 9:00 am. If this is too late for your flight, you will need to make alternative arrangements. Our tour operator will be on hand to assist anyone with additional transfers. (B)

Arrivederci (Farewell):

• Breakfast.
• Transfer to Naples airport or Naples train station.

INCLUDED IN THE PROGRAM

• Six nights in deluxe 5* accommodations with ensuite bathroom
• Arrival/departure transfers from Naples airport or Naples train station (the group will be organized into 3 transfers each way)
• Daily breakfast
• Six dinners
• Lunches as per the itinerary
• Local wine, water, and coffee with all included meals (Please note that other beverages and drinks consumed outside of mealtime are not included)
• Three hands-on cooking lessons plus digestive liqueurs and pizza-making classes
• Excursions and food artisan visits as per program
• Transportation and guides
• Dedicated English-speaking escort for all activities
• WiFi at the hotel
• Pending approval by CDR, The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics for 35 CEUs (Continuing Education Units)
• Taxes and service charges (a small local occupancy tax must be paid locally)
• Gratuities are not included and are at the discretion of the guests

Our itineraries are selected with great care to provide the best possible experience. We regret that once a trip is under way, changes cannot be made to the itinerary. Sometimes, due to circumstances beyond our control, it is necessary for us to make some adjustments to the schedule. However, all the elements of the trip are always included, and, in the event a substitution needs to be made, it will always be of equal or higher quality.

To register please email Peg Kern at [email protected]                  For questions, contact us using the form below. You may also email: [email protected]