We take care of you!
I have received so many words of thanks via email recently that this time I decided to share them with you quoting the words of Helen Keller, (for those who do not know of this exceptional woman, click here!)
"The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. You must feel them with your heart. "
I often tell my "students" how integrated and fascinating our work is, how happy we are to finally meet them when they arrive following months of preparation which involves designing the right menus to meet their requests and choosing seasonal, quality products. I like to share with them what goes on behind the scenes which makes our experience together so rich. When I meet guests, we are already a little like family to one another, because during our correspondence, we have revealed pieces of our lives to one another. I tell them how the weather is in Chianti, if the grapes have ripened, if something important happened in the region, and they tell me about who they are, about their family, and how happy and excited they are to finally be realising their dream of coming to Italy and Chianti. One of the places I love most in Chianti is definitely the Fattoria Santo Stefano in Greve in Chianti, so much that it is often the location I choose for our cooking classes.(click here to go to the link of the Farm ) Elena and Stefano Bendinelli, brothers and owners dedicate themselves with passion and enthusiasm to the company that was bought by their father in the post-war period.
When you arrive at the Farm, you will feel as if you have stepped back in time - almost a hundred years!
Borgo di Santo Stefano was what we would today call an eco-village where people lived, worked and produced much of what was needed to sustain themselves.
As it has been restored with great care, all you need is a little imagination and you can still 'hear' the noise of the blacksmith repairing the cart, the farmyard animals, the carpenter who builds the table for the kitchen and the farmers who work in the vineyards and olive groves.
Today times have changed, and the village has been transformed into an agriturismo, a real one in the countryside, where they produce a quality, wholesome Chianti wine and where the extra virgin olive oil is still harvested by hand and the cakes for breakfast are really baked in the kitchen.
You can enjoy all this gorgeous food and wine along with a breathtaking view - some of the sunsets I have experienced here are among my favorites - a moving silence, the welcome of Elena and the professionalism of Agostino.
We are waiting for you in Chianti, the authentic Chianti, where food is still grown locally, goods produced with care and where we cook together.
