A message from Jim Rua:
About 25 years ago I decided that Café Capriccio should sponsor guided tours to interesting locations in Italy as part of our commitment to understand the great traditions of regional Italian cuisine. With this understanding my objective is to honor those traditions by serving vera cucina Italiana (truly authentic Italian cuisine) at Café Capriccio each and every day. Since our travel project began, we have returned to Italy countless times, and I have personally escorted hundreds of travel companions to every part of Italy. Our trips have been designed as holiday excursions with emphasis on history, culture, and cuisine.
Almost two decades ago I was with a group in Umbria that included my son Franco, then about 15 years old. Our guides were taking the group to Rome for a short visit before returning to the U.S. Franco and I decided to take a detour to Tuscany to visit a vineyard recommended by our Italian partner Giorgio Orofino as a potential location for future Café Capriccio travel programs. Giorgio thought we needed a vineyard home in Chianti. He was right. Mama mia.
We were instantly smitten by the beauty and grandeur of Fattoria Lavacchio, and we became fast friends with the Lottero family who own and operate it. Since then, I have escorted more than 1,000 Café Capriccio travelers to the vineyard and Franco and I have returned there countless times. During the past 20 years Fattoria Lavacchio has truly been our vineyard home in Chianti.
This photo shows Franco with our family members at Fattoria Lavacchio when he was about 17 years old. We had already been visiting the vineyard for several years.
Fast forward, the photo shows Franco conducting a ravioli cooking class at the vineyard with Chef Mirco Malevolti in 2016.
In 2019 Franco and Carli McCoy will begin a series of Café Capriccio excursions designed for individuals who wish to experience the Tuscan organic lifestyle and learn the ancient secrets related to all aspects of traditional Tuscan agriculture, wine and olive oil production, salumi, and of course cooking.
About Fattoria Lavacchio. The history of the farm dates to 1700 when it was established by the Florentine noble family Petruzzi. In 1800 it was acquired by the Strozzi noble family who occupied the estate until 1978 when it was purchased by its current owners, the Lottero family, originally from Genoa.
Fattoria Lavacchio is situated in the Chianti Rufina area, about 20 miles from Florence.
It consists of 110 hectares, of which 44 hectares are olive groves, 21 hectares are vineyards, 6 are wheat, and 9 are wooded forest where you can find truffles! There is also a large productive green garden with fruit, vegetables and chickens. Fattoria Lavacchio was the first farm in Chianti Rufina to develop organic growing programs and to produce wines without sulfites. The farm has been constantly evolving by combining traditional organic methods with the most advanced technology in order to ensure the highest quality of production. At present Fattoria Lavacchio produces 100,000 bottles of organic wine annually and it produces a substantial volume of olive oil from more than 8,000 olive plants.
This web site will contain information about our new travel itineraries, including how you can join our groups. I know that travel to Italy is a dream for many food enthusiasts. I hope to see you on one of our exciting excursions. Buon Viaggio, Jim Rua, Café Capriccio
This photo shows Franco, Carli, and the Rua children on the Ponte Vecchio in Florence last summer. Our family has strong ties to Tuscany and we are eager to develop new travel programs that focus on traditional and regional cuisine, organic agriculture, farming of livestock respectful of the local ecosystems, and related aspects of traditional Tuscan culinaria.