We’ve just arrived in the Cotswolds, but part of my heart still lingers in the green wheat fields of Tuscany’s Val d’Orcia.
We’ve traded the cypress-lined roads and cascading vineyards that tumble across the rolling hills of Chianti for the English countryside’s honey-colored stone cottages, ancient hedgerows, and soft spring light.
Mike is driving, as usual, though now he’s on what he says is the right side of the car and the wrong side of the road, which makes driving even more of an “adventure.”
We’re in a rather interesting Chinese rental car. It’s a cheap car that feels like a luxury car, and has all the luxury bells and whistles, including a rooftop window that frames the soft English sky and somehow makes driving feel like a playful ritual.
And yet, even here, we are still glowing from Tuscany and its golden sunsets.
We are both filled with a deep, almost overflowing sense of joy and gratitude after completing our inaugural Tuscany Gastronomad Experience, a journey rooted in culinary travel, meaningful connection, and the delicious gastronomy, and inspiring beauty of place.
In truth, this experience has been more than a decade in the making, ever since we first lived in Florence and began exploring the rhythm, beauty, and soul of Tuscany.
Tuscany is one of those rare places whose beauty cannot be measured, fully explained, or truly captured.
You can photograph the rolling hills, the vineyards of Chianti Classico, the hill-perched villages, and the stone farmhouses illuminated by golden light. And yet, somehow, the essence of Tuscany always escapes the frame. You have to be there to see it, feel it, and let it embrace you.
What makes Tuscany extraordinary is not just the landscape, but the people.
It’s the passionate and inspiring food artisans, farmers, winemakers, shepherds, cooks, and makers whose generational knowledge has shaped one of the world’s most iconic and celebrated gastronomic regions.
From Brunello di Montalcino to Chianti Riserva to pecorino producers in Pienza to biodynamic vineyards tucked into quiet hillsides, Tuscany reveals itself slowly, generously, but never all at once.
One Tuscan farmer shared something we’ll never forget: if you visit Tuscany and see only one place, you haven’t seen Tuscany. To understand Tuscany, you must explore all of Tuscany.
And this is exactly what we do on our Tuscany Gastronomad Experience.
We move beyond the expected. We uncover the hidden. We discover the extraordinary.
We guide you through Tuscany’s richness, from Chianti and Val d’Orcia to Montalcino, Montepulciano, Pienza, Cortona, and the places in between that are both iconic and quietly hidden. We open doors that are rarely opened. We gather around tables that feel personal, intimate, and alive.
We spend time with visionary food producers and exceptional winemakers who define Tuscany’s rich culinary heritage, and who personally welcome us not as visitors, but as friends.
We taste the very best organic, biodynamic, and low-intervention wines. We cook in storied kitchens. We share long, beautiful meals rooted in the farm-to-table traditions of the region.
We stay in a historic Tuscan castle that feels as though it belongs in a fairy tale, its story spanning nearly a thousand years. Now reimagined with understated luxury and deep comfort, it sits atop a glorious hill with sweeping views over Tuscany, offering a true and unforgettable sense of place.
The Tuscany Gastronomad Experience is magical and transformative.
And what made it truly special was our group, our Gastronomad friends. Each person brought such curiosity, openness, grace, and genuine appreciation for every moment: every shared table, every glass of wine, every conversation, every hidden corner we had the privilege to enter.
Their presence and thoughtfulness transformed the journey into something beyond extraordinary. Their beautiful souls connected deeply with the land and the spirit of the place. So did the connections formed with our local friends: the winemakers, chefs, farmers, and artisans who welcomed us into their worlds with open arms and generous hearts.
We are reminded of something simple and profound.
Beauty is not only found in the landscape. It is found in kindness.
It is the kindness of people, the warmth of a welcome, the generosity of a table, and the pride in sharing one’s life’s work that touches us most deeply.
This is what inspires every Gastronomad Experience we create.
We design each journey to be not only beautiful and delicious, but meaningful. To offer something lasting. To give you not just memories of what you saw and tasted, but of who you met, how you felt, and what stayed with you long after you returned home.
Tuscany gave us all of this.
And for that, we are endlessly grateful.
From the Cotswolds, with love,
Amira
P.S.
It is the kindness of people that makes the world turn, nourishes my soul, and makes my heart feel so full.
The day after our Tuscany Gastronomad Experience came to a close, our dear friend Julia, whom many of you have met alongside Charlie on other Gastronomad Experiences, sent us a spontaneous email that touched my soul deeply and brought the sweetest tears of joy to my eyes.
Their generous words are a beautiful reflection of what these journeys mean to us, and of the connection, warmth, and friendship that make Gastronomad so special.
Julia and Charlie kindly agreed to let us share their note here. We feel beyond lucky for our wonderful Gastronomad family, especially these two beautiful kindred spirits.
Dear Amira and Mike,
As you know, we often say that our favorite Gastronomad Experience is the last one we've done. Last night we were talking about how absolutely perfect what you did for The Tuscany Gastronomad Experience was: the places we went, the food we ate, the producers with whom we got to spend time and learn from, the driving, the lodging, the EVERYTHING.
You also know we've done a lot of these and that we spend time in our "default world" learning about food and wine. But what we were saying we love so much about these Gastronomad Experiences is being reminded how much more there is to learn and then learning more from people like Count Sebastiano, Martina, Lorenzo, Bianca, and really every single person we met.
From our arrival where we first met with a real Count who took us on a tour of his centuries old family farm and then shared his beautiful wine and that delicious lunch with us, to the pasta making class after truffle hunting and seeing how we can change the pasta we eat, to that brilliant cheese experience, spending the day at the pasta factory and another class with a sunset at the wine-producing part of the family and the olive oil experience with Bianca, the view from Innocenti that contributed to my premature crying tears of joy, the beauty of the Brunello that made you, Amira, cry, and that last amazing meal with a sunset that we all tried desperately to capture only to be reminded that your picture-taking, Mike, is not only far-superior to ours but also necessary, to the comfort and beauty of our room for the week (plus the napping hotel) - no one ever going to believe us when we try to explain this Experience. It was beyond magical and that doesn't happen without time, effort, and resources.
We are both so deeply grateful to you two for what you've chosen to do with your lives by creating The Gastronomad Experience. You changed our lives in 2019 and you do again and again with each Experience. And of course by making it accessible to us, you were even more generous.
Something shorter is probably what you need for a testimonial/the website, so we can work on that, but in the meantime, as we sat at the wine bar yesterday and then later on at a fabulous restaurant that carried the Count Sebastiono’s wine, and we realized we knew about the Tuscan wines on the lists and could discuss and enjoy the experiences more deeply than a week ago, we thought we would just share how we felt. Eternally and deeply grateful and full of love for you and your work and friendship.
We're going to solidify plans for us to go on the May 2027 Prosecco Experience soon and will keep you posted, of course. Please give us a heads up when it looks like you will be in California with time for pizza in San Francisco.
So much love,
Julia and Charlie
