Olive oil workshop & tasting experience at your villa
Cooking Classes Duration: from 2,5 to 3,5 hours
Rates
THE “GREEN” GOLD OF TUSCANY DIRECTLY AT YOUR VILLA
Do you want to get immersed in the traditions of Tuscany by simply sitting in the comfort of your Tuscan holiday home? Are you curious about the use of olive oil in the local cuisine and you want to learn more about it? Yes, it is all possible! Our expert and knowledgeable guide will come to your place and share with you everything you need to know about one of the symbols of Tuscany: extra virgin olive oil!
The heart of Tuscan culinary tradition
When we mention extra virgin olive oil, we mean local culture, traditions, history, heritage and lifestyle. This is what it will be all about. Our olive oil expert will come to your villa and share with you all the secrets for the excellent local production of extra virgin olive oil in Tuscany. We will talk about the life of olive trees, the different varieties of olives, the harvesting and the production process, the best methods for preservation, the uses in the cuisine and much more.
Comparative Blind Olive Oil Tasting
We will organize a comparative blind olive oil tasting session in the dining room or on the terrace of your villa.
Thanks to this fun and engaging blind tasting, you will be able to recognize the differences between a high-quality olive oil, made with care and passion, and a commercial olive oil produced on a large scale with little attention to quality. The experience is conducted using special olive oil tasting cups. In addition, two aromatic olive oils will be tasted too, with special flavors of lemon, chili pepper, garlic or orange. Your will learn about how they are made and what they match best.
Some bruschettas are included in the experience, prepared by the olive oil expert in your kitchen. Your kitchen will be left tidy before the end of the experience.
Full meal formula
You can opt for our full meal option in case you want to associate our olive oil experience to lunch or dinner. Our olive oil expert coming to your villa will be accompanied by a local chef. The chef will bring all ingredients and tools and will use your kitchen to prepare some traditional dishes, in which extra virgin olive oil is one of the most important ingredients. While the chef is preparing the meal in the kitchen, our expert olive oil story-teller will arrange a tasting experience with a blind test (as described above), revealing all best features of good extra virgin olive oils. While thoroughly talking about the best use of EVOO in the cuisine, the expert will have many chances to answer any of your questions on the theme. The full meal formula is composed by 3 typical dishes + a dessert, all olive oil based, where olive oil is used in different ways. Some local wine is included to make the experience complete. Before leaving, our staff will tidy up and clean your kitchen. Vegetarian or vegan options available on request.
You will learn how to use the olive oil in the right way in the preparation of food, so much that you will feel an olive oil snob!
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR ALL MEAL SERVICES
WHAT TO EXPECT FROM US
At Arianna & Friends, our cooks are not just culinary experts; they are friendly local individuals who bring the warmth of family cooking to your table. Rather than serving elaborate dishes, they craft meals using cherished traditional recipes, creating an experience reminiscent of home.
Our cooks arrive equipped with fresh ingredients, prepare the meal on-site, serve, and conduct a thorough cleanup, leaving your kitchen and dining space as they found it. Bread is always included, as well as a salad along with the second main courses when they don't include vegetables already.
We provide in-home chef/cooking services and bring our own utensils and tools. However, we utilize the villa’s resources to set the table and serve the food. Tables, chairs, cutlery, glasses, or plates are not included. Additional arrangements can be made at an extra cost with an external provider.
WHAT WE ASK OF YOU
• Access and Timing: Please, ensure permission for our cooks to access the villa and kitchen. Please, ask the villa manager/owner BEFORE booking the service. Confirm that the villa is accessible at the agreed-upon time to avoid additional fees for waiting time. You find this information in the confirmation voucher.
• Preparation: Please, Leave the kitchen clean and free from personal items for prompt service. Additional cleaning time will incur an extra fee.
• Table Settings: Provide the correct number of table settings for your party size (chairs, cutlery, glasses, tableware). We will utilize only what is available.
• Punctuality: Please, be at the table on time; delays will result in extra charges.
• Service Gaps: if you book a full formula service, where the staff serves the food at the table, we plan for a 10-20 minute gap between the serving of one course and the serving of the next one, to keep a relaxed and natural service. Delays from your side due to unplanned situations will be charged extra.
• Extended Services: Please, inform us in advance if you plan to have a long dinner with additional activities such as speeches, singing and dancing. We’ll provide a personalized quotation for extended service hours.
• Children’s Meals: If serving children first, expect an extra hour of service, charged accordingly.
• Menu choice: You are asked to choose a single menu for the entire group. Each course counts as one dish. For example, a three-course meal means choosing three dishes.
• Different menu choice: Our menus are intended to be the same for the entire group. We are happy to accommodate genuine allergies and dietary restrictions if communicated in advance. Multiple variations, personal preferences, or special requests may involve an extra charge, as they require dedicated preparation and additional staff to maintain our standards of service and quality. Any additional charge will depend on the complexity and number of alternative dishes required.
• Allergies and Restrictions: Communicate any food restrictions or allergies at the time of booking. Last-minute changes are not possible.
Extra Charges:
Delays result in a €15/half-hour (€30/hour) charge per staff member
This is a list of specialties that you are likely to sample during this experience. Please, note that these are just some examples of what can be prepared. Our booking staff will send you detailed information.
For this service you will meet some of the Tuscan friends involved in your wine tasting experience. Please, see below which friends you are likely to encounter.
The total rate for this service varies according to the number of people in your party and
the distance of your villa from our premises in Terricciola (Pisa area).
Check rates in the table below.
OLIVE OIL WORKSHOP at your villa WITH bruschettsa (2,5 hours)– Rates 2026 – |
|
|---|---|
NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN YOUR PARTY |
TOTAL RATE |
| 2 persons | € 340 |
| 3 persons | € 370 |
| 4 persons | € 400 |
| 5 persons | € 430 |
| 6 persons | € 460 |
| 7 persons | € 490 |
| 8 persons | € 520 |
| Extra adult | € 30 |
| Extra child or teen | € 25 |
VILLA LOCATION
TRAVEL COSTS (per party, not per person)
• No fee if your villa is within a 25-minute drive from our office in Terricciola (e.g., Palaia, Lari, Peccioli, Terricciola, Chianni, Pontedera, Molino d'Era).
• € 70 for a 30–45 minute drive (e.g., Volterra, Montaione, San Miniato, Fucecchio, Gambassi, Castelfalfi, Pisa, Fauglia, Buti, Vicopisano).
• € 120 for a 50–70 minute drive (e.g., Vinci, Lucca outside the walls, Livorno, Rosignano, San Casciano V. Pesa, Viareggio, Montespertoli, San Gimignano, Colle V. Elsa, Pomarance area).
• € 160 for a 75–90 minute drive (e.g., Lucca inside the walls, northern Lucca area, some Chianti villages, Siena, Follonica, Fiesole, Florence outskirts, Sesto Fiorentino).
• € 180 for Florence center including parking fees
• For locations more than 90 minutes away (e.g., remote Chianti villages, Arezzo area, southern coast), please request a custom estimate. An overnight stay may be required for the staff, which involves an additional fee.
• For parties over 20 people, travel fees may increase depending on the number of staff needed to ensure the best service. The exact cost will be confirmed at the time of booking.
OLIVE OIL WORKSHOP at your villa WITH FULL MEAL (3,5 HOURS)– Rates 2026 – |
|
|---|---|
NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN YOUR PARTY |
TOTAL RATE |
| 2 persons | € 500 |
| 3 persons | € 550 |
| 4 persons | € 600 |
| 5 persons | € 650 |
| 6 persons | € 700 |
| 7 persons | € 750 |
| 8 persons | € 800 |
| Extra adult | € 50 |
| Extra child or teen | € 40 |
VILLA LOCATION
TRAVEL COSTS (per party, not per person)
• No fee if your villa is within a 25-minute drive from our office in Terricciola (e.g., Palaia, Lari, Peccioli, Terricciola, Chianni, Pontedera, Molino d'Era).
• € 70 for a 30–45 minute drive (e.g., Volterra, Montaione, San Miniato, Fucecchio, Gambassi, Castelfalfi, Pisa, Fauglia, Buti, Vicopisano).
• € 120 for a 50–70 minute drive (e.g., Vinci, Lucca outside the walls, Livorno, Rosignano, San Casciano V. Pesa, Viareggio, Montespertoli, San Gimignano, Colle V. Elsa, Pomarance area).
• € 160 for a 75–90 minute drive (e.g., Lucca inside the walls, northern Lucca area, some Chianti villages, Siena, Follonica, Fiesole, Florence outskirts, Sesto Fiorentino).
• € 180 for Florence center including parking fees
• For locations more than 90 minutes away (e.g., remote Chianti villages, Arezzo area, southern coast), please request a custom estimate. An overnight stay may be required for the staff, which involves an additional fee.
• For parties over 20 people, travel fees may increase depending on the number of staff needed to ensure the best service. The exact cost will be confirmed at the time of booking.
Rates include
- A private English speaking olive oil tour guide and olive oil expert. Also available in French, Spanish, German
- Snacks or full meal prepared on the spot
- Wine (only in the full formula)
- Extra virgin olive oil and condiment oils
- Setting of the table and presentation of extra virgin olive oils
- Final cleaning of the kitchen
- Taxes
Rates do NOT include
- Extra courses beside the snacks
- Extra courses beside the full meal
- Extra wine
This activity does not present any particular physical challenges. However, if you have any accessibility needs — whether mobility-related, sensory, cognitive, or any other requirements — please let us know in advance and we will do our best to accommodate you.
LOCATION OF ACTIVITY:
This service is delivered to your villa in any location in Tuscany within 90 minutes driving from our premises in Terricciola, Pisa area. For destinations located between 30 and 90 minutes from our premises a surcharge applies, depending on distance and cost of transportation for our staff. See more details in the rate table.
MEET-UP LOCATION:
Our olive oil expert meets you directly at your villa at an agreed meeting time. Please, provide us with full details on the location of your accommodation.
TYPE OF SERVICE:
Our staff prepares some bruschettas or little snacks like focaccia with cold meats and cheeses. In the full formula, a whole meal is prepared. All foods are local and all recipes are traditional. We prefer to use seasonal ingredients only but we are happy to accommodate all requests.
DURATION OF SERVICE:
This program takes 2 or 3 hours according to the option you choose.
AVAILABILITY:
Available all the year through from Monday through Saturday.
LANGUAGE:
The service is provided in English. Spanish, German available upon request with no surcharge.
FOOD RESTRICTIONS:
The foods served during this activity might contain gluten, lactose, nuts and alcohol. If you have any food restriction, please inform our booking staff during the booking phase.
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