Iconic Tuscany
Food, Culture and Tradition
Pistoia
“We can’t wait to explore Tuscany with the Fourchette community, savoring incredible food and generous hospitality while connecting with local makers. After experiencing Danielle and Michelle’s thoughtful, personal approach to travel on a food journey through Northern Italy, we’re thrilled to partner with Vita Casalinga and share their insider’s view of the region, its food, and its traditions.”
– Meredith & Brahim
SUMMER 2026
June 19 – 25, 2026
June 18 – 24, 2027
with Fourchette
PROGRAM DETAILS
Day 1
DAY 1
A Historical Welcome
Benvenuti to Pistoia. You’ll check in to a beautifully restored Renaissance palazzo in the heart of the city, our home base for the week. Once you’re settled, we’ll set out on foot through the historic center with local architect Paolo, who has spent his career studying and preserving buildings like the ones we’ll walk past. We’ll close the evening with a welcome dinner together, the same unhurried, generous hospitality you already know from a night at Fourchette.
Day 2
DAY 2
Market Morning & Traditional Cooking Secrets
Market day in Pistoia is a beloved local ritual, and we’re joining in. Stalls selling clothing, shoes, linens, plants, kitchenware, household goods, and unexpected finds fill Piazza del Duomo and spill into the surrounding streets. In nearby Piazza della Sala, the focus turns to food, with fresh local cheeses, seasonal vegetables, fish, and the ingredients Pistoiesi are shopping for that day. After getting oriented, you can browse independently or continue roaming the market together before we regroup and head to our first hands-on cooking experience of the week. The afternoon is yours to rest, wander, or dine at one of the spots on our curated restaurant guide, all within walking distance.
Day 3
DAY 3
Antique Treasures in Lucca
Today takes us to Lucca, a walled Renaissance city known for its art, history, and enchanting everyday Italian life. We’re here for its celebrated antiques market, one of the most important in Italy, where vintage treasures and design pieces fill the cobbled piazzas and surrounding streets. Here you will find special pieces with choices from linens and silverware to chopping boards and vintage art, furniture and jewlery as well. After a light lunch in the historic center, we’ll explore the city and its ancient walls, now a tree-lined promenade offering beautiful views over Lucca’s rooftops and gardens. In the afternoon, we’ll learn to prepare a traditional local sweet enjoyed for merenda, the Italian afternoon snack. The evening is yours to relax, explore, and dine back in our hometown of Pistoia.
Day 4
DAY 4
Cheesemaking on the Farm, Art & Wine
We’ll spend the day with cheesemaker Stefano, learning about his regenerative farm and the ancient tradition of sheep’s milk cheesemaking. It’s the kind of story you might hear from the Fourchette team back at the shop, but today you’ll hear it directly from the cheesemaker himself. After lunch in his stone trattoria, we’ll continue to 15th-century Villa Celle, home to one of Italy’s most important private collections of environmental art. With exclusive access, we’ll walk through the villa’s romantic park, discovering works by world-renowned artists created specifically for the landscape and historic buildings. We’ll finish with a tasting of the estate’s wines before returning to Pistoia, where the evening is yours.
Day 5
DAY 5
Wine, a Medici Villa & Tuscan Ceramics
We’ll begin the day in the Tuscan countryside at a 16th-century villa and organic winery that once served as a Medici hunting lodge. We’ll visit the cellars, learn about the estate’s ancient winemaking techniques, and enjoy a leisurely lunch paired with their wines. In the afternoon, we’ll continue to Montelupo Fiorentino, renowned for more than seven hundred years of ceramic artistry. We’ll visit a special workshop where internationally recognized names come to discover, commission, and create ceramic pieces. You’ll meet the artisans, learn about their craft, and shape a ceramic piece of your own to have shipped home. The evening is yours once we return to Pistoia.
Day 6
DAY 6
Day 7
DAY 7
It’s Departure Day
Arrivederci! We hope you’re returning home with a few new favorites, a few new friends, and an even sharper eye for the kind of quality Fourchette has always been proud to bring you.`
YOUR GUEST HOSTs: Meredith & Brahim
Meredith and Brahim met in Paris in 2008 and spent years living and traveling across Europe, falling for a way of living built on long meals, chic design, and real respect for the people behind the food and the craft. Back in the States, they brought that spirit home to Clinton, NJ, opening Fourchette in March 2013 with a small selection of French cheeses, infused olive oils and vinegars, and table linens from France. The shop has since grown into curated homewares, cookbooks, and candles. The pair opened a second location in Beach Haven in 2020. Throughout their 14 years in business, the mission has remained the same: seek out the people doing it right, and bring a little of that home to share.
This trip is your chance to travel alongside Meredith and Brahim, back to the kind of place that shaped Fourchette in the first place. Expect real conversations with the farmers, cheesemakers, and artisans of this corner of Tuscany, the kind of access that doesn’t happen on a typical tour, plus the eye for design and cheese expertise you already know and love from the shop.
PRICE
The price of the “Iconic Tuscany” Tour for 2027 is 5,900 euros per person for double occupancy/6,900 euros per person for single occupancy. Tour is limited to 12 guests.
MORE ABOUT YOUR ACCOMODATIONS
Palazzo Puccini in Pistoia will be exclusively ours for the week! This beautifully restored 16th-century palazzo, once home to famed writer Niccolò Puccini, blends historic charm with modern comfort. With frescoed ceilings, antique furnishings, and a central location, it’s the perfect base to explore Pistoia’s medieval squares, churches, and rich culture. Each room offers a private bathroom and modern amenities like air conditioning, TV, and Wi-Fi, while the attentive hosts ensure a personalized, memorable stay. Please note, due to the unique nature of our carefully chosen accommodations, we reserve the right to adjust lodging to best suit the group’s needs, but rest assured, all options are of the highest quality and offer an authentic local experience.PAYMENT
Reservations are secured by deposit on a first-come, first-served basis. Only a down payment of 25% is needed to reserve your spot, and monthly payment plans are available for the remainder. The cost is divided evenly by the number of months left before the trip with final payment needed 60 days prior to departure. Reserve your spot and we will send you a link to make your deposit and receive a full itinerary with all locations and timing for the day. Prior to making your deposit, you may also use the reservation form to ask any questions you may have.
DATES
Spring 2027
June 18th to 24th
SPRING 2026
May 29 – June 5, 2026
June 18 – 24, 2027
with Fourchette
WHAT’S INCLUDED
• 6 nights
• Optional group Zoom call for packing tips, general trip planning for before and after tour, Q&A
• All group meals throughout the tour, including wine at each meal.
• Private driver throughout the tour
• Daily cooking experiences – some are hands-on, some are demo style, and some are tastings. You are always welcome to just watch (and eat!) if preferred.
• Visits to local farmers & tastings
• All tours and experiences
• Tips for bus drivers and guides (we want you to just relax and enjoy the moment so we have taken care of this)
NOT INCLUDED
• Airfare
• Travel & health insurance
• Shopping and personal expenses
• Food, drinks, and snacks that are not included in the itinerary
• All other expenses incurred during free time
TRIP FAQ
Cooking experiences
We will be immersed in food and wine during the week. Some of the experiences are hands-on, some are demo style, and some are tastings. You are always welcome to just watch (and eat!) if preferred.
Physical Activity
This is an active trip. Be prepared for lots of walking, cobblestones, stairs, and long, exciting days!
Rest time
This is a busy tour as we want you to get the most experiences that you can, however, rest time is important too! While we will be out most of the day, there will be quiet moments of downtime built in to allow for slow and leisurely moments to be sure you are soaking it all in. This is not a jam-packed trip to say you saw it all – this is about experiences you will keep with you for a lifetime.
An Exclusive and Inclusive Experience
Unlike most tours available, our tours are limited to 12 people. Why is this so important to us? This allows for a more intimate and personalized experience enhancing the quality of interactions and ensuring that everyone’s questions and needs are addressed thoroughly. A smaller group fosters a stronger sense of camaraderie among participants and facilitates deeper connections and more meaningful interactions with the locals you will soon call friends.
Food & Drink Allergies
Wine is culturally served at all meals – however there will always be an option for a nonalcoholic beverage like clean spring water, sparkling water or a nonalcoholic aperitivo. Italy is a wonderful place for people to visit with dietary restrictions as options are all around, however on this trip we are visiting local farmers and experiencing unique tastings that include regional cheeses, meats and seafood. For this reason this particular trip is not suitable for vegans. We will be organizing amazing vegan friendly tours so stay tuned!
Flight & Airport Tips
The closet airport is Florence Airport (FLR-Peretola). We’d recommend you fly in at least 2-3 days prior to the start of the tour to acclimate to the time difference. We will meet the group at the hotel day one of the trip for a welcome aperitivo. Additional details will be provided after booking. We are happy to discuss more details on ideas for other places to see before or after the trip on our Group Zoom Call.
Luggage
Please plan to travel with a maximum of one suitcase per person, plus a carry-on and personal item as needed, as our transportation cannot accommodate more than one large bag per guest.
Payment, Refunds and Travel Insurance
How does booking work?
Your spot is reserved once the 25% deposit is received. Each trip is officially confirmed once the minimum group size is reached, and all guests will be notified at that time. We recommend waiting to book flights until confirmation is sent.
What happens if a trip does not run?
If a trip is unable to operate due to not meeting the minimum group size, all payments made, including your deposit, will be fully refunded.
What is your cancellation policy if I need to cancel?
You may cancel within 48 hours of booking for a full refund of your deposit. After 48 hours, the deposit is nonrefundable and nontransferable. The remaining balance is due four months prior to departure.
If you cancel after the 48 hour grace period, we are happy to offer a credit toward a future Vita Casalinga trip as follows:
• 90 days or more prior to departure: 100 percent credit
• 30 to 90 days prior to departure: 50 percent credit
• Less than 30 days prior to departure: no credit available
Do you recommend travel insurance?
Yes. Travel insurance is strongly recommended and is not included with your booking. Coverage may include medical care, trip cancellation or interruption, theft, and lost property.
You may explore coverage options through TravelEx Insurance, including Cancel For Any Reason upgrades. Please note that TravelEx currently requires policies to be purchased within 15 days of paying your deposit to access the widest range of coverage options. Requirements are subject to change, so we recommend contacting TravelEx directly to select a plan that best fits your needs.
