Discover Undiscovered Tuscany with us in 2026
You may now know we’ve started a newsletter at the Olive Press Kitchen! Featured in our first edition is our new excursions that Chef Giuseppe is hosting in partnership with Italian Life—a Lucca-based podcast and tourist consultant. We are planning three different ways for you to join us in a week-long food and wine excursion discovering undiscovered Tuscany with us in 2026. The first is coming up soon and is almost sold out, May 24-30, 2026 called Tuscan Wine, Forests and Flavors. It’s not too late to join us. Treat yourself this Easter to an authentic Italian experience. You can learn more and reserve your spot for this retreat here. Experience undiscovered Tuscany this Fall If May doesn’t work for you, we’re offering another two other experiences to join with Chef in his favorite undiscovered Tuscany adventures. These two different retreats are focused on the most brilliant time in Tuscany, the fall when we harvest wine and olive oil. We will be journeying around the Strada di Vino & Olio in Tuscany (and in other regions with incredible olive oil and wine that you may never have heard about!). In each of these three personal experiences, Chef Giuseppe will take you on adventures to the places he loves most, including wine tasting from small vineyards, visiting an olive press in full operation from olives you helped pick, touring the beautiful walled town of Lucca and so much more. We’ll visit local resturants with authentic cooking whether they are Michelin star honored or a local trattoria that the locals rave about. And of course you’ll come to the Olive Press Kitchen for one of signature classes. Simply contact Italian Life info@italianlife.co to learn more about it. Tell them we sent you! Do you want to join our mailing list for monthly notifications? You can subscribe on our website or drop us a line at theolivepresskitchen@gmail.com.
Cooking Class in Tuscany at Writers’ Retreat
It’s never easy to leave the Mulino where everything in our professional kitchen is carefully in place. But when asked by Italian Life to lead a cooking class in Tuscany at its March writers’ retreat, we couldn’t help but say, “sicuro!” And then the fun (and a little bit of craziness!) ensued. The retreat was comprised of eight writers and a writer coach, each of whom had come to Tuscany to work as a group to elevate their writing while also enjoying the amazing culture, food and experiences of Italy. They all stayed at a villa together and clearly had built strong bonds and a sense of community over the week together, all of which helped make the Olive Press Kitchen cooking class in Tuscany a memorable, lively evening together. “It was like a true Italian family meal,” said Italian Life founder Andrew Sabatini. “Everyone in the kitchen, helping out and of course Chef Giuseppe trying to organize and teach all these different people. It was so much fun!” The class consisted of a gorgeous salad full of colorful additions like beets, goat cheese and lush tomatoes. The women got serious about making the Olive Press Kitchen Nudi… one of our favorites. Many of the early attempts didn’t mean Chef’s exacting standards. “Try again!” he said, showing again how to use the two spoons to shape the mini-football like pasta. A second course of fresh artichoke risotto helped complete the meal, along with local wines, cheeses and olive oil. The highlight for everyone was when Chef joined the family meal around the big table set for 12! “It’s never easy to cook with some many people in a different kitchen,” said Chef Giuseppe, “but these women were interested, happy, asking questions and wanting to learn. It was worth the challenges, especially when we were able to all sit down at the table together and enjoy what we made.” Food and wine lovers coming to cooking class in Tuscany in May “I’m very excited about some of these new things we are offering at The Olive Press Kitchen this year,” Chef Giuseppe said. “We started our newsletter. We are expanding our exploration into Undiscovered Tuscany with lesser-known wines, new flavors in the cooking class at the Mulino and co-hosting our first weeklong food and wine retreat in May.” During the retreat, which is already filling up, is called Tuscan Wine, Forest & Flavors by Italian Life, Chef Giuseppe will host a small group of foodies experiencing the regions best of food and wine. In addition to a cooking class in Tuscany, the group will visit Chef Giuseppe’s favorite restaurants, wineries and even go on a truffle hunt. Every detail is arranged. We will be involved in both a wine harvest week in September and an Olive Harvest week in October and November. We’re looking forward to having guests come and experience these ancient food traditions in a true “hands on” fashion. Last year Giuseppe was a guest on the Italian Life podcast talking about the local regional flavors here in Tuscany. If you missed it, have a listen now and be inspired to sample these things yourself with us in 2026. Use our contact form to learn more or sign up directly on the Italian Life website.
Cooking in Tuscany has never been better
With 20 years of experience cooking in Tuscany, the Olive Press Kitchen understands the timeless excellence of the regional cuisine. This is the celebration of the region we do, every time our guests arrive at the ancient mulino kitchen to learn cooking in Tuscany and the ingredients that make it special. But we will never be fully satisfied. We are constantly redefining and elevating what it means to learn cooking in Tuscany during your time visiting Italy. Which makes 2026 so special for us, as we’re elevating our offerings to reach an even loftier standing for our guests. We have three new exciting additions to our offerings to share with you: Elevating cooking in Tuscany for 2006 Chef Giuseppe has long been more than cook, but a true enthusiast for Tuscany. He is epitome of “undiscovered Tuscany,” often off on local adventures to enjoy the culture, the history and yes, of course, the culinary delights Tuscany has to offer. This diverse and deep knowledge led Italian Life, a Lucca-based podcast and tourist consultancy to ask Chef Giuseppe to lead a week long adventure for its guests, called Tuscan Wine, Forests and Flavors from May 24-30, 2026. During this carefully curated experience designed by the Chef, participants will: Limited to just seven participants, this exciting collaboration allows for those who have first experienced learning to cook at the Olive Press Kitchen or earlier in our Lucca location to now take that love of Italian food and wine to much deeper level. Contact us to learn more! Food and wine pairings in every class The Olive Press Kitchen cooking class has always emphasized the importance of tasting great extra virgin olive oil and sampling local wines with the food we create together by hand. But in 2026, we’re adding more “undiscovered” wines to our menus and spending a bit more time explaining and teaching how to truly experience the difference of a well-made local wine. In this class experience you don’t judge a wine by its label, but its flavor, which is the only way wine should truly be enjoyed. Chef Giuseppe, as a certified sommelier and Member of the Italian Wine Sommelier Association, is a proven expert to elevate your love of wine when you come to visit the Olive Press Kitchen. New creations with local cuisine We’ve always had our favorite menu items based on the season, but local knowledge and appreciation inspires creativity. Just one example, the Olive Press Kitchen still has the stone plate long ago used to turn the regional chestnut flour into baked delights in the kitchen’s historic fireplace. Our guests may enjoy many interesting new creations based on traditional recipes and methods long trusted for cooking in Tuscany. Classes are every Thursday and Saturday and limited to 12 people. If you’re planning your trip to Tuscany, drop us a line and we can help you organize your adventure at the Olive Press Kitchen.