I can't wait for my fall trips to Italy and Spain! My first tour is in the beautiful village of Strada in Chianti in the heart of Tuscany. We'll stay at my friend Maria Luisa’s villa called Il Leccio during the harvest. The villa has been in her family for 8 generations. The rooms are painted with frescoes and overlook the vineyards. We’ll pick tomatoes from the garden, use her fabulous fruity virgin olive oil and cook thick bistecca alla Fiorentina in the kitchen hearth.

Then I head to sunny southern Spain for a week at the beautiful Hacienda de Oran just outside of Seville. If you’ve haven’t been to Spain, you have to come along. This trip isn’t to be missed. We’ll go tapas hopping, see flamenco, make paella outside and eat under the stars. We’ll travel almost to the border mountains of Portugal to taste Iberico ham, reputed to be the best ham in the world.

And the best part…. All you have to do is book your flight and we do the rest. We pick you up at the meeting place and take care of everything: accommodations, food, wine, excursions and classes. Come alone or with a friend! Contact us at journeys@joanneweir.com or 415.262.0260 with any questions.

Come cook with me!