Chef Di Pirro’s classes suit participants of all ages and abilities. Small class sizes of between two and six participants ensure a personalized experiences and they all end with a meal based on  the dishes made by the pupils.

Chef Di Pirro will share his knowledge and passion for Italian cuisine by focusing on three dishes chosen for their rich Italian heritage. You will be introduced to a range of culinary techniques, including the art of making pasta from scratch and how to make a perfectly layered tiramisu.

Since the sixteenth century, the art of making traditional gelato has been passed onto each generation of Italians, with only ten remaining ‘Master Gelato Makers’ left in the world. Sergio Dondoli of Gelateria Dondoli  is one of them.

Located in the centre of Piazza della Cisterna in San Gimignano, Gelateria Dondoli is a world-famous gelato shop, for their original flavour creations: Crema di Santa Fina® (cream with saffron and pine nuts), Champelmo® (pink grapefruit and sparkling wine), Dolceamaro® (cream with aromatic herbs) and Vernaccia Sorbet.

Learn this treasured Italian skill from Sergio Dondoli himself. In each gelato-making class, you will prepare a fiordilatte (milk) and a seasonal fruit gelato. The best part? You get to eat them both at the end.

After around an hour of truffle hunting, return to the hotel for a special four-course lunch, prepared by our Executive Chef Giovanni Luca Di Pirro, who will organize pasta and meat courses with the fruit of your morning activity.

Enjoy lunch at Pavilion, overlooking the Chianti hills. The sommelier will provide a selection of specially chosen wines as part of your meal.

Spend an hour with our professional truffle hunter and his loyal Lagotto Romagnolo dogs – your guides to hunting for truffles around our estate. The woods at COMO Castello Del Nero are home to three types of black truffles: winter, hooked and summer.

The black winter truffle has an intense aroma with notes of hazelnut and turnip. The black hooked truffle is reminiscent of porcini and parmesan. The black summer truffle is somewhere in between the two, with a strong aroma.

The worldwide celebrated wine-region of Chianti was first outlined in 1716. Since then the area has been redrawn and divided into seven sub-areas: Classico, Colli Aretini, Colli Fiorentini, Colline Pisane, Colli Senesi, Montalbano and Rùfina. Wines labelled “Chianti Classico” come from the largest of these sub-areas in the original Chianti heartland.

COMO Castello del Nero's sommelier will share his knowledge of Chianti Classico wines during these hour-long tasting sessions. Each wine will be accompanied by a range of delicious Tuscan cold cuts and pecorino sheep cheese.

COMO Castello del Nero's guest may decide to visit Chianti and Tuscany's roads renting two of the symbols in matter of transport in Italy: a Ferrari for a luxury comfortable experience or an amusing Vespa to better enjoy colours and smells of the region.