Corso di Domenica Sera

Sunday Night Wine Class

Turns out one of the best ways to get to know Southern Italy is with a corkscrew.

Spend a highly-pleasurable and intimate evening with an Italian-trained sommelier as he pours 10 of the best wines of southern Italy: Sicily, Calabria, Puglia and Basilicata. Then pair the wines to a rolling 5 course southern Italian family-style feast, making new friends from all over the world.

• Learn about the DOC and DOCG wines of Basilicata, Puglia, Sicily and Calabria and enjoy 10 of the best
• Enjoy the 10 wines paired to a 5- course southern Italian family-style feast in a private home
• Learn to understand the relationship between wine and place and why Italian wine labels rarely mention the genetics
• Learn to navigate Italian wine shelves, both in Italy and in your town: How producers transmit information through bottle shape, labelling and even choices of closures
• Learn to critically taste wine, focusing on persistence, minerality, bitterness and tannins
• Learn to critically taste extra virgin olive oil. Understand why so much of the world’s oil is fraudulent
• Learn to critically taste olive oil, not on food but isolated in ISO international olive oil glasses. You’ll learn to ascertain both merits and defects. You’ll learn about olive oil fraud and the role that supermarkets play
• Finally grasp the history of amari (Italy’s after dinner drinks). Guided tasting of 3 and then be given an empty 4th glass to visit what must be Southern Italy’s largest private amaro bar
• Take away our Southern Italian wine booklet as well your individual wine placemat with all of your tasting notes

Friday Night Wine Class: Short Cooking Courses, Lecce, Italy

Taken from TripAdvisor

  • ‘We joined The Awaiting Table cooking class in Lecce and had the best time, maybe the best food we’ve ever eaten. Cooking it ourselves made the whole experience unforgettable and speaks volumes about how hands on and authentic the class is. It’s hard to believe such a magical cooking adventure exists’!
  • ‘We first met Silvestro during a one-day class back in October 2021 as part of a Puglia food tour. Even then, we were blown away by his depth of knowledge, his passion for Salento’s culinary traditions, and the way he paired incredible food with exceptional local wines. That brief introduction left a lasting impression—so much so that we knew we had to return for the full week-long experience. This time, we brought friends along, and it exceeded every expectation’.
  • ‘Conversations flowed just as easily as the wine: from the nuances of olive oil and amari, to the complexities of wine classification, to the art of Salento coffee and gelato. Silvestro is witty, welcoming, and incredibly knowledgeable. Whether you’re an accomplished cook or an enthusiastic beginner, you’ll feel at home in his kitchen’.
  • ‘One of the unexpected highlights was the camaraderie among the guests. Despite our varied cooking backgrounds, we all clicked and have become great friends. Sharing the joy of cooking and discovery in such an intimate setting really brought us together’.

Logistic at a Glance:

When: Sunday nights, before week-long courses. Check Cooking Class Calendar for dates

Length of course: From 17:00 to around 22:00

Taught in: English

Perquisite: No prior wine training needed

Cost: 245 Euro. *195 Euro per person with discount code

Meeting point: Under the column in Piazza Sant Oronzo. See map below. DO NOT COME DIRECTLY TO THE SCHOOL

Parking: Via Adua (see map below). Arrive in Lecce early

The Awaiting Table Cooking School Map

Walking: You’ll need to walk about 2,000 steps but there is very little standing involved in this course

Diet restrictions: We can offer gluten free pasta. Alert us when booking

*Discount code: (See FAQ below)

Q: Do we cook or even make pasta in this class?
A: No, this is a wine, olive oil and amaro class, with wine-paired feast. You will not cook during this course. This class is designed for those that want some cultural context before our week-long classes. The classes are open to everyone and are first come, first served. Reserve yourself with an email.

Q: I already know primitivo and drink it at home. Does Puglia produce other wines?
A: The majority of primitivo is exported and bottled outside of of Italy every year, and it has been for hundreds of years. It’s always been a mostly-for-export wine and by no means indicative of the regional wines here in Puglia. In this class only 1 (of 10) of the wines is genetically primitivo.

Q: I’m not taking the week-long class starting the next day. Can I still come?
A: Of course. While this class is open to everyone, it’s designed to give cultural, historical and geographical context to the week-long class that begins the day afterward. This class is especially valuable for those new to Southern Italy or those of Italian background

Q: Do I need any wine training to sign up for this course?
A: No. Everyone is welcome

Q: If I am taking the week-long class that starts the next day, am I already automatically reserved for this course?
A: No. You’ll need to book this course with an email. We send out links to it when anyone books the week-long course that starts the next day.

Q: *What is the discount code?
A: It’s ‘I love Ciccia’. Mention it when booking.

Corso di Domenica Sera

Sunday Night Wine Class

Turns out one of the best ways to get to know Southern Italy is with a corkscrew.

Spend a highly-pleasurable and intimate evening with an Italian-trained sommelier as he pours 10 of the best wines of southern Italy: Sicily, Calabria, Puglia and Basilicata. Then pair the wines to a rolling 5 course southern Italian family-style feast, making new friends from all over the world.

• Learn about the DOC and DOCG wines of Basilicata, Puglia, Sicily and Calabria and enjoy 10 of the best
• Enjoy the 10 wines paired to a 5- course southern Italian family-style feast in a private home
• Learn to understand the relationship between wine and place and why Italian wine labels rarely mention the genetics
• Learn to navigate Italian wine shelves, both in Italy and in your town: How producers transmit information through bottle shape, labelling and even choices of closures
• Learn to critically taste wine, focusing on persistence, minerality, bitterness and tannins
• Learn to critically taste extra virgin olive oil. Understand why so much of the world’s oil is fraudulent
• Learn to critically taste olive oil, not on food but isolated in ISO international olive oil glasses. You’ll learn to ascertain both merits and defects. You’ll learn about olive oil fraud and the role that supermarkets play
• Finally grasp the history of amari (Italy’s after dinner drinks). Guided tasting of 3 and then be given an empty 4th glass to visit what must be Southern Italy’s largest private amaro bar
• Take away our Southern Italian wine booklet as well your individual wine placemat with all of your tasting notes

Friday Night Wine Class: Short Cooking Courses, Lecce, Italy

Logistic at a Glance:

When: Sunday nights, before week-long courses. Check Cooking Class Calendar for dates

Length of course: From 17:00 to around 22:00

Taught in: English

Perquisite: No prior wine training needed

Cost: 245 Euro. *195 Euro per person with discount code

Meeting point: Under the column in Piazza Sant Oronzo. See map below. DO NOT COME DIRECTLY TO THE SCHOOL

Parking: Via Adua (see map below). Arrive in Lecce early

The Awaiting Table Cooking School Map

Walking: You’ll need to walk about 2,000 steps but there is very little standing involved in this course

Diet restrictions: We can offer gluten free pasta. Alert us when booking

*Discount code: (See FAQ below)

Taken from TripAdvisor

  • ‘We joined The Awaiting Table cooking class in Lecce and had the best time, maybe the best food we’ve ever eaten. Cooking it ourselves made the whole experience unforgettable and speaks volumes about how hands on and authentic the class is. It’s hard to believe such a magical cooking adventure exists’!
  • ‘We first met Silvestro during a one-day class back in October 2021 as part of a Puglia food tour. Even then, we were blown away by his depth of knowledge, his passion for Salento’s culinary traditions, and the way he paired incredible food with exceptional local wines. That brief introduction left a lasting impression—so much so that we knew we had to return for the full week-long experience. This time, we brought friends along, and it exceeded every expectation’.
  • ‘Conversations flowed just as easily as the wine: from the nuances of olive oil and amari, to the complexities of wine classification, to the art of Salento coffee and gelato. Silvestro is witty, welcoming, and incredibly knowledgeable. Whether you’re an accomplished cook or an enthusiastic beginner, you’ll feel at home in his kitchen’.
  • ‘One of the unexpected highlights was the camaraderie among the guests. Despite our varied cooking backgrounds, we all clicked and have become great friends. Sharing the joy of cooking and discovery in such an intimate setting really brought us together’.

Q: Do we cook or even make pasta in this class?
A: No, this is a wine, olive oil and amaro class, with wine-paired feast. You will not cook during this course. This class is designed for those that want some cultural context before our week-long classes. The classes are open to everyone and are first come, first served. Reserve yourself with an email.

Q: I already know primitivo and drink it at home. Does Puglia produce other wines?
A: The majority of primitivo is exported and bottled outside of of Italy every year, and it has been for hundreds of years. It’s always been a mostly-for-export wine and by no means indicative of the regional wines here in Puglia. In this class only 1 (of 10) of the wines is genetically primitivo.

Q: I’m not taking the week-long class starting the next day. Can I still come?
A: Of course. While this class is open to everyone, it’s designed to give cultural, historical and geographical context to the week-long class that begins the day afterward. This class is especially valuable for those new to Southern Italy or those of Italian background

Q: Do I need any wine training to sign up for this course?
A: No. Everyone is welcome

Q: If I am taking the week-long class that starts the next day, am I already automatically reserved for this course?
A: No. You’ll need to book this course with an email. We send out links to it when anyone books the week-long course that starts the next day.

Q: *What is the discount code?
A: It’s ‘I love Ciccia’. Mention it when booking.