Fall Week 4

Benvenuti a Napoli! Dan and Maria extend a warm welcome as you arrive in the vibrant city of Naples.* Our journey begins with a quintessential Neapolitan experience—a stop for un caffè and a delicious sfogliatella, a pastry that originated in this historic city. From Naples, we make our way to the enchanting medieval town of Sant’Agata dei Goti, where our home for the week awaits: the magnificent 17th-century Palazzo Rainone Mustilli.

Nestled in the heart of Sant’Agata, the palazzo is surrounded by rich history and serene beauty. The chants of cloistered nuns can sometimes be heard emanating from the nearby convent. The palazzo is a short stroll from the original Mustilli winery, the birthplace of the renowned Falanghina wine. The Mustilli family, particularly Paola, will be our gracious hosts, offering us an intimate glimpse into their centuries-old winemaking tradition.

In the late afternoon, Paola and her daughter/sommelier Isabella, will lead us on a private tour of the original centuries old wine cellar, which is carved into the tufo rock and reaches a maximum depth of over fifty feet below the road surface. We’ll immerse ourselves in the winery’s history and participate in an exclusive wine tasting in the cantina, or wine cellar of the original winery, sampling some of the famous Mustilli wines.

After our tasting, we’ll head to a family-run pizzeria located in the middle of the historic center of Sant’Agata to start a hands-on pizza-making class. Under the guidance of Vincenzo our pizzaiolo, we’ll knead the dough and learn the secrets behind the perfect crust. Once prepared, the dough will be left to rise overnight, ready to be baked into your very own pizza tomorrow.

Afterward, we’ll return to the palazzo to relax before our welcome dinner, a true farm-to-table experience prepared by Signora Maria, a local contadina (farmer). Her dishes, crafted with ingredients from her farm, promise to be a highlight of our first evening together.**

*The program starts at noon on Monday at Naples Capodichino Airport, regardless of when you arrive in Italy. Dan and Maria will be at the airport arrival area between 10:00 am and noon.

We suggest that you plan on arriving in Naples before the first day of the program to be ready to enjoy the planned excursions from day one. We recommend the following hotels in Naples: Hotel San Francesco al Monte; Starhotels Terminus and Decumani Hotel de Charme

**Note: In Italy, dinner is typically enjoyed later in the evening, around 8 pm or so. We’ll be dining in true Italian style throughout our stay.

Today, we delve into the rich history and culture of Sant’Agata dei Goti. After breakfast, our day begins with a historical and gastronomic tour led by Rosangela, an enthusiastic local guide eager to share her hometown. As we stroll through the heart of the town’s historical center, Rosangela will share stories of the town’s past and its hidden treasures. Along the way, we’ll stop at family-owned eateries to savor local specialties such as the local taralli called “Nfrennule”, ravioli made with the prized “mela annurca” (apples only grown in this area), and pane cotto.

Our tour culminates with a lunch traditionally prepared for field workers, known as a “colazione.” Ours will be prepared by Marisa at her small gastronomic bottega using heirloom and local products. Marisa prides herself in offering products particular to the local farming area that are organically grown and ethically sourced. She will lead us in a journey of history and flavors. Our lunch will include exceptional bread made with stone-ground native non-GMO grains and an over thirty-year-old sourdough starter, allowed to rise slowly. The bread will be used to make two types of sandwiches, one with prosciutto from the famous black pigs of Casertano, that are semi-free range and a “pane e frittata” with eggs from a native species of ancient hens of the Sannio that are strictly free-range.

Our rustic meal will be served in the “Circolo Saticula” the local clubhouse where you will find the locals playing cards on most days, rather than the fields but still offers a truly authentic experience.

After this lunch, the afternoon is yours to relax and explore the town at your own pace. In the evening, we reconvene at the pizzeria we visited last night to complete our pizza-making adventure, making the pizza with dough we prepared the night before.

Today, we explore two villages of the Sannio region, each with its own unique charm. This morning after breakfast, we depart for Cerreto Sannita, a small town of approximately 4,000 people. The town itself dates back a thousand years but the buildings we see date back to “only” 1688 when the town was rebuilt after it was destroyed by a powerful earthquake. We will make our way, to the family-owned Mozzarella D’oro, a local and excellent fromagerie. Ana Cenicola and her family are opening their “laboratorio” so we can discover how milk is turned into the iconic mozzarella and other specialties.

After our mozzarella making excursion, we wind our way up to the Matese mountain region to Pietraroja.

We will have lunch and visit yet another family-run establishment, a prosciuttificio (where prosciutto is made) in this tiny hamlet. Here, the Di Biase family continues the centuries-old tradition of producing prosciutto, creating what has become the gold standard in the Sannio region for this delicacy. We will have a tour of the cellars where the prosciutto is cured in a controlled environment. Our lunch will feature their famous prosciutto and other local specialties cooked by the Di Biase husband and wife team, in the tiny kitchen of the prosciutteria and will be served in the cozy, ancient home turned museum/restaurant that has been lovingly maintained by the family.

Dinner tonight is at an excellent osteria in the historic center of Sant’Agata, where we’ll enjoy a tasting menu showcasing the best of the region’s culinary offerings, including the much-loved pasta e faggioli.

Today’s adventure keeps us close to our home base but transports us to what feels like a different world, the Sannio countryside. After breakfast, we will be guests of Amelia and her husband at their family-run agriturismo located on a panoramic hill surrounded by lush greenery and centuries-old olive trees and vineyards for an authentic and rewarding experience. Their commitment to organic farming and the production of high-quality, tomato passata, “sotto aceti” (pickled canned vegetables), and olive oil makes this a haven for food and nature lovers alike. We’ll start the day by making dough for sourdough bread using local flour and the family’s decades-old sourdough starter. The dough we prepare today will rise slowly overnight and be baked fresh tomorrow morning when they will graciously deliver the warm loaves to us at the palazzo.

We’ll also bake boules prepared yesterday by Franco, Amelia’s husband, and allowed to rise overnight and enjoy them with our lunch, which we’ll prepare with Amelia. After picking vegetables in the garden, we’ll create a traditional pranzo that reflects the daily meals of families in the Sannio region.

After returning to the palazzo for some rest we walk to the Cantina for another hands-on activity that should not be missed: a pasta-making class. Signora Maria will be our guide. We’ll learn the art of crafting pasta by hand, which will become the heart of our cena, or dinner.

It does not get more authentic than today’s adventure! After breakfast, we travel to San Lupo, yet another village in the Sannio and where Dan and Maria have their home. We are greeted by Adele at her B&B Le Coste in this tiny hamlet, where we will participate in the olive harvest in the surrounding olive orchards! We will pick olives, lunch under the trees, and go to the mill to make oil.

The oil is processed continuously during the harvest to accommodate all the growers in the area. While we wait our turn to make oil from the harvested olives, we will be enjoying specialties made for us by the bread shop in town. Concetta, Antonio, and Giuseppe run the family shop and will be making us a typical lunch for day laborers helping with the harvest. Lunch will include their delicious breads! Local wines will accompany our rustic meal, including some award-winning ones.

In the afternoon, we’ll walk to the nearby mill, learn about the process of making olive oil, including the making of different grades, and watch olives be pressed into olive oil-that enduring staple of the Mediterranean diet. Afterwards, we will return to Le Coste for a tasting with a local expert in olive oil.

Our evening will be a real treat. We will have a celebratory dinner, which is often done in the Sannio to conclude a successful harvest. We will dine at Le Coste with a dinner prepared for us by a local cook, which will be sure to feature olive oils from the area!  If weather permits, we will be eating under the stars surrounded by olive trees while being serenaded with traditional Italian music!

No visit to the Sannio is complete without experiencing a traditional mercato, or outdoor market. On Saturday an excellent mercato takes place in Telese Terme. The bustling town becomes even more alive with an outdoor market, where locals shop for everything from fresh produce to artisanal goods, clothing, and more. After breakfast, we’ll spend the morning browsing the stalls, soaking in the vibrant atmosphere and, in all likelihood, picking up a few treasures to take home.

After the mercato we’ll stop at the studio of Salvatore Troiano, a talented local artist who transforms clay into modern interpretations of traditional Neapolitan symbols, such as the horn and the Pulcinella mascot. His pieces are interpretive and exquisite.

After all the shopping, we drive to nearby Melizzano for lunch at a delightful restaurant with contemporary Mediterranean-style decor in a valley of the Sannio. Be prepared to be wowed by exceptional dishes based on traditions but with the creative twist of Chef Angelo. His cuisine is based on zero-kilometer ingredients. His menu today will highlight the season’s best available products.

After a day of shopping and eating great food, we head back and relax at the palazzo. Tonight’s supper will be arranged by Maria and Dan for delivery to the palazzo. It will include one of Dan’s favorite treats-frittatini di pasta; cooked short pasta shapes formed into a patty and deep fried. They come in several flavors here including the classic Napoletana, cacio & pepe, and carbonara. We will be sure to include a classic dish or two like eggplant parmagiana as well, all accompanied by Mustilli wines.

November is all about olives and olive oil. So much so that many “sagre” and “feste” are dedicated to this liquid gold. Cerreto Sannita is no exception. But they make it a month-long celebration. They host the “Domeniche dell’Olio” or Olive Oil Sundays. The main piazza is filled with olive oil, olives, olive wood items, and food stalls. Our lunch will be the delicious offerings in the booths in the piazza all centered around the just pressed extra virgin olive oil. This is also a great place to buy artisanal products. Maria treasures a gorgeous olive wood cutting board that she bought several years ago.

After lunch we will walk a short distance to the Ceramic Museum. Cerreto is known for its master ceramicists and potters who maintain traditional pottery making techniques and color palettes. The museum is housed in a 17^th century building originally built as a convent for cloistered nuns. Through the years it has also served as a monastery and even a jail. Today, it houses this gem of a museum, the town hall, and a courtyard which is often used for concerts and art exhibits. After a brief tour of the Ceramic Museum, we meet a master potter for a demonstration of these traditional pottery methods.

We return to the palazzo for some leisure time before we gather for our farewell dinner at a restaurant in the heart of Sant’Agata dei Goti, inside the Palazzo Viscardi. This restaurant is the creation of the siblings Gabriele and Gianna Piscitelli and offers an elevated dining experience. Chef Gabriele will prepare a creative menu based on seasonal ingredients. The wine selection is extraordinary, and Sommelier Gianna will share her extensive knowledge and provide excellent suggestions. This dinner will serve as a fitting end to our unforgettable week in the Sannio.

We have our final breakfast together before departing for Naples Capodichino Airport. Time to bid farewell to the Sannio and return home with memories of a week filled with history, culture, and incredible food. Safe travels and arrivederci!