Richard McGraw
Toronto, Ontario Canada
October 2004

Hello Umberto! My wife Gayle and I had a fantastic time at your Villa Delia! Our stay and activities could not have been better organized. And while we are definitely coming home a few pounds heavier, we truly appreciated the full range of food experiences that we had during our stay.

The accommodations and housekeeping were first class and the Villa is in a very beautiful setting. (We can't understand why you were so reluctant to buy the property). Our time with your sister Marietta every morning was fun and informative. She as you know has a marvelous smile! She works very hard and always was very well prepared. Silvano is also very organized and kept everyone laughing.

Carla who I gather is new this year was a perfect compliment to Silvano and managed all of the eccentricities of the guests very well. I also want to mention Sabrina who helps out at night. Her english was quite good and her attitude fabulous and happy! Every staff member had the right attitude.

I know this letter might sound like someone paid me to write it, but I am a businessman and sometimes a very critical one, but I have not overstated one observation. I thought you might appreciate the feedback even if it isn't news to you. The experience was terrific and above our expectation. I know I speak for everyone who was in our group. First class all the way!!!!

Marg Van Wielingen & Greg Durst
North Vancouver B.C Canada
September 2004

Just a short note to let you know how much we enjoyed our stay in Tuscany. Everything was FANTASTIC, WONDERFUL, FABULOUS. From the first class accommodation, wonderful meals (oh my gawd we loved the turkey with chili peppers), generous and warm hospitality shown by staff, it was truly remarkable. I also appreciated you organizing a fan for my room, which was waiting for me upon arrival.

We had the pleasure of dining with Umberto one evening and of course took numerous photographs of the occasion. Thank you for recommending Le Fonticine Restaurant in Florence, which was also fabulous. We got hooked on the veal chops which we ate three nights in a row.

Thank you again Kim for the first class service and attention. We will certainly recommend the Villa Delia to all our friends.

Judy & Dave Horman
Waterloo, Ontario. Canada
May 2004

Dave and I just returned from the cooking school at Villa Delia - May 24 to June 3 and would like to say that it was a fabulous holiday!

Marietta, Silvano, and Carla made this holiday a bit more special. Marietta is a very cheerful and polished chef able to teach anyone something. Silvano is special with his tours and his ability to make eveyone feel welcome and wonderful. His colourful vests, ties and Italian watches made each evening interesting - and more important he made the group a special group with his drinking songs and attention to every detail. The language barrier simply wasn't a barrier! Carla as a interpreter is very very good! Because she likes cooking, her translation in the cooking school was excellent but she was also more than great on the tours keeping us together and happy. She is an important part of the special feeling that Villa Delia gives to all.

This holiday was one of our best holidays! The Villa and the tours were great but the staff made the holiday very special.

John and Gail Sharoun
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
June 2004

I felt compelled to write to you , because my wife and I , just returned from the most enjoyable and amazing vacation experience of our lives.

Gail and I have had the good fortune to travel fairly extensively , throughout North America and Europe over the last number of years. We have had some really great trips, but nothing like this. We had always wanted to attend a Tuscan cooking school, and spent sometime doing some searching around. On business trips to Vancouver, we have eaten at Umberto's Restaurants on several occasions and through that and word of mouth , came to learn about Villa Delia. (see www.umberto.com ).

We booked and were prepared to have a really enjoyable experience. Little did we anticipate , it would be absolutely spectacular. It is very rare in our consumer oriented society, to have anything exceed expectations but Villa Delia certainly did that easily. From the first welcome , through the cooking classes, the tours, the meals, the restaurants, the amazing staff and all the people involved at the Villa, we were absolutely blown away . Everyone there is dedicated to making your time very special. The key part is they all do it so naturally and sincerely , wanting you to genuinely enjoy the rich history, heritage and culinary excellence of the Region.

Silvano has boundless energy and is the consummate host, we couldn't envision anyone better suited for his job and more happy doing it. Marietta 's cooking classes are a gem. She loves the food, loves to teach, and is just a pleasure to be around. Her meals are outstanding. I described the experience to a friend as attending 3 Italian weddings a day for the whole time you are there, not only for the food and wine but for the fun.

Carla and Silvano arrange the tours and attend with the group. As with the other staff, Carla is amazingly accommodating to everyone's needs and wants and keeps the tours lively and entertaining. On top of all of that , we met some very nice people in our class and are already talking about a reunion event, some time in the future.

We could go on and on, the point being, we encourage you to look into Villa Delia on behalf of your readers, they may enjoy learning about it and someday partaking of the wonderful hospitality. You certainly get more than your money's worth.

As a matter of interest . enclosed is a copy of our itinerary as a sample of what we enjoyed over our time there.

From a purely personal perspective, I can tell you, by the time the last few days of a vacation roll around, I usually start thinking about returning to work and my mind wanders back to work. Not only did this not happen but the last day, it was truly sad to leave and say Ciao Ciao.

Susan and David Bernstein
North Vancouver, B.C. Canada
April 2004

Villa Delia is a piece of heaven on earth. Many thanks to Silvano and Marietta for welcoming us into their home and that is truly how we felt. These 2 days have been the highlight of our stay in Italia. Thank you to everyone who made our stay the best!

Baci, Loree
Newtown, Ct, USA
April 2004

Dearest Silvano & Marietta and all the staff at Villa Delia, Our visit has been absolutely perfect-the experience has left me with so many wonderful memories ad recipes. All my clients and students in USA say thank you. I will share my knowledge with all of them. I hope to return soon.

Peggy Alvarez
Portland, Oregon, USA
April 2004

Loree and I had the time of our lives. I will never forget my time here and your wonderful hospitality. Everyone was terrific! The food, the classes, the excursions all great! Thank you for everything.

Moose and Doris Morin
Neapean, Ontario
October 2003

Have been back for a few days and wanted to tell you that the Villa Delia experience was absolutely wonderful.

Extremely well organized and the folks that run the show are very simpatico.

I hadn’t really factored in the après cooking school events but they added tremendously to the overall experience and were extremely well done.

Many thanks as have your other clients, we are singing the praises of an absolutely wonderful session.

Umberto showed which was not really expected but was an added plus.

Have a great winter.

Bob & Kay Lloyd
Los Altos, California
September 2003

We are headed home from our MOST FABULOUS trip ever! We have done a lot of really magnificent things in our travels over the years and our stay at Villa Delia ranks at the top of the list. It was just THE BEST. Everything was so first class and all of our friends loved it. Thanks for everything you did to make it so special for us.

Silvano and Marietta are the most exciting, exuberant, talented, energetic, larger-than-life, engaging, personable, and professional duo we have ever met. Surrounded by the talents of Guissi (who made everything perfect for everyone every moment of the day), Gina (a wonderful addition to your talented staff, seemed like she had been there forever), Francesca (a bright spot each day in the kitchen), Allesandra (made everyone feel like they were in their own home) and the rest of the marvelous staff, each day was better than the one before. The Villa’s physical beauty and wonderful accommodations set the tone for a great 10 days in Tuscany. We were all in tears when it was time to leave. We truly felt like we were leaving our family. All anyone could talk about the last few days was "our next trip back". The Villa and entire Villa staff was just above and beyond all expectations.

The special things that were done for us were fabulous. The Antinori trip was exceptional and enjoyed by all. The music one evening at the Villa was a highlight and helped us feel the flavor of your Tuscany. Needless to say the cooking classes were superb, loved by all, (even those who were hesitant about it before the trip) and the great meals at the Villa and the wines were even more than we ever expected. The beautiful smile on Marietta’s face for hours in the kitchen will not soon be forgotten.

I could go on and on. It was just GREAT and we miss all the happy times we shared at your Villa Delia and can hardly wait to come back.

Joseph & Rosa Comas & Family
June 2003

This is just to inform you that we spent a wonderful time at Villa Delia. You were right.

The Villa is great and the people, Silvano, Marieta, Sandra... and Umberto are very nice and attentive.

We felt really at home thanks to their hospitality and kindness.

The location and landscape are also magical, the meals and wines excellent... in one word, everything was perfect.

My daughter Carla was also very happy and pleased with the swimming pool and with the people (she was really pampered since she was the youngest..)

Thanks for everything and perhaps we will be in touch again.

Barbara Crook "Barbarina"
Ottawa, Ontario
June 2003

We're just nearing the end of our second full day at Villa Delia. Umberto says he wants us to feel as if we're visiting his family, and that's what it's like. We feel as if everyone here is an old friend, from the staff to the other guests, and Umberto is the world's greatest host.

The cooking has been wonderful. The dishes we've helped prepare (or watched!) have included breadsticks, biscotti, meat broth, fresh tomato sauce, Gnocchi with two sauces (Gorgonzola and meat), baked turkey leg with sage and rosemary, tiramisu and Osso Bucco (which we're sampling tonight), the best Pesto we will ever taste in our lives, polpette (heavenly fluffy meat croquettes), and eggplant rolls called Involtini.

And that's just in two days!

Yesterday we visited Volterra, an Etruscan city with some remarkable archaeological artifacts as well as the ruins of a stunning Roman amphitheatre. Today we were in Pisa, where we ate at a wonderful restaurant called Sergio's, then climbed the 294 steps to the top of the Tower (yes, it's reopened!) and were dazzled by the view.

We're about to be treated to another spectacular meal, and then more adventures tomorrow. One of the guests, who travels a lot, told Umberto she'd never enjoyed a vacation as much at this one.

I second that emotion!

I've been wanting to come here for years, and it's even better than I had dreamed.

W. Schaub
Airdrie, Alberta
March 2003

What a completely fantastic experience Villa Delia has been, The staff, the classes, the food, the wine, the location all combined to make our stay a memorable and special one. This will definitely be a memory to be cherished for years to come. I thank you from my heart for all your hard work.

Arrivederci Villa Delia, I hope to be back! I will remember this with great fondness.

Stephen Wagner
Departures Magazine - New York
September, 2002

Pasta 101

Steven Wagner Thought he knew everything there was to know about cooking Italian, But that was before Villa Delia.

The train hurtles westward toward the sea. A pair of young American lovers in sweatshirts are engrossed in one another and the view of Tuscany from the window: undulating hills marked out by ancient walls; meticulously tended vineyards and olive groves; sunflowers, whole fields of them, in the ripe sunlight. It's a short ride on the Florence-Pisa line through Tuscany and a historical landscape unchanged since Michelangelo's, Leonardo's Puccini's time. Even the cows are epic: The Roman poets Virgil and Columella sang the legendary beauty of the snow-white Chianina cattle that graze across mossy green valleys.

No matter how many times I see it, Tuscany moves me in some profound way. It also makes me hungry. Luckily, I'm on my way to the Villa Delia Tuscany Cooking School for a weeklong immersion in the regional cuisine. After all, this area is as much about food as anything - cucina genuina, real cooking, the honest, basic fare that's at the very heart of the cuisine.

At Pontedera, a quiet industrial town just before Pisa, a driver collects six of us - the cooking school guests for the week. He drives us over the hills of Lari towards Ripoli, an exquisite village, and with real panache careens down one of the characteristic Tuscan strade bianche, or white roads, as these dirt roads are ironically called. Passing through an avenue of cypress trees, we arrive at Villa Delia, an ochre stucco house built in the early 17th century. It stands on 54 acres of farmland that is worked by owner, chef, and driving spirit Umberto Menghi. He will be our teacher and guide to the Tuscan good life.

I arrive skeptical, to be sure - perhaps even a tad arrogant. I was born and raised in Italy and I've always resisted cooking schools. What could I possibly learn that I hadn't already picked up from my mother, my aunt, or from Epicurean friends whose idea of a good time is to assemble at a long table somewhere in Italy and eat?

"Buon giorno, principesse!" Umberto Menghi greets us with the phrase from the hit film Life Is Beautiful. Roberto Benigni, who directed and starred in it, is a fellow Tuscan. This welcoming salutation - we are all, men and women, "principesse" - becomes a refrain throughout the week.

Allan and Kerry Morrison
September, 2002

Tuscan tradition and spirit are so alive and well at the Villa Delia. The Tuscan hills, the cucina di Marietta and Francesca and Silvano's generous heart have affected us so deeply and positively. Umberto's vision has greatly enriched our lives. The Villa Delia shall long be remembered as our " Casa Dolci Casa Tuscano " Mille Grazie for sharing it.

Ciao Baby!

John and Gerry Dyer
Calgary, Alberta
September 2002

We just completed our course here at Villa Delia and we would be grateful if you would pass on our comments to Umberto.

This has been and incredible and flawless experience. We are thrilled. We had high expectations on coming here and our experience superceded our expectations. The villa is marvelous; the organization of the cooking experience is exceptional; having the instruction in Italian and then translated into English adds a great deal to the character of the experience and maintained the sense of authenticity. The extent and variety of the day trips and site/seeing was far more inclusive than we had anticipated and extremely rich. As a result we gained an impressive appreciation for the area and the culture of Tuscany. Both the wine tasting and olive oil tasting were a terrific bonus. The variety of meals we experience in neighboring locations was terrific.

But most important we want to commend the quality of the people working here. They are truly exceptional. We travel a lot, and we have never ever been so impressed with the staff as we have been here.

We loved Silvano's energy and enthusiasm. His dynamic presence made a significant impact on all of us.

Marietta and Francesca were remarkable. Their skills, knowledge and talents were endless. The clarity of their directions and demonstrations were superior. Their delightful character, gentle, kind, warm, considerate and charming made it a joy to be in their presence.

The serving staff of Alessandra and Gabriella demonstrated the true meaning of service. They consistently were courteous, helpful, cheerful and obliging. They work very hard and were entertaining and pleasant in their interaction with us.

We had less of an opportunity to work with Vivan (one of the translators) and Antonetta but in the brief times we were together they were very effective.

We were also impressed with the transportation services and the driving skills of Ugo - always smiling.

And, finally, we cannot say enough about Giusy. She is one remarkable woman and there not adequate words to express our appreciation for her. Her translating abilities were outstanding because she not only communicated the appropriate words, but she maintained the tonality, the facial expressions and even the gestures of the speakers. Her verbal skills and facial expressions were captivating and her consistent presence demonstrated her total commitment to her work and the participants. She is truly a treasure.

So I am certain this communicates our enthusiasm for the experience. We are now a walking, talking living commercial for Villa Delia. We share our praises with everyone we meet and acknowledge that it is truly, a once in a lifetime experience. We are so glad we came.

Deb Faurot and Bill Bell
July 2002

You've seen the photos, now's here's our experience .... it's was worth every Euro Dollar!

Every morning was filled with learning Umberto's favourite recipes followed by a decadent two hour lunch at the Villa (or at one of Umberto's 'top pick' restaurants in Tuscany). Umberto arranged to take us all on an unexpected special visit to the Antinori Winery where we were hosted by Stephano on a tour of his family's vineyards and winery. To capture the exquisite tastes of some of Antinori wines, we all enjoyed an afternoon picnic with our entire group.

Other highlights of our journey included visiting Volterra, Pisa, Florence, Siena and Lucca either for touring, shopping, and/or dining. Most evenings we would dine at the Villa where the ambience was that of a five-star restaurant like Umberto's restaurants, Il Giardino's or Circolo's. We even had the luxury of sampling most of our favourite recipes, taught by Umberto himself, during our cooking classes.

For recreation, we could play tennis, hike through the vineyards or streets of Ripoli, swim in the Villa's deluxe pool or play Bocce, a game the Italians, including Umberto, are masters of.

We definitely want to relive the experience - maybe next year to Umberto's "Teeing Off in Tuscany" where he combines four days of golfing at some magnificent courses in the region, and cooking classes for four days.

Want to join us?

Dory Cumblidge
June 2002

What can I say except to thank you for arranging a most delightful experience for my daughter Brenda and me at Villa Delia!

We drove from Sienna and the directions and map you supplied were right on, but still it seemed that we came upon the entrance to Villa Delia very unexpectedly, welcoming us into a special world of it's own.

Everyone there, but most of all, Umberto and his family were friendly, warm and charming. We had a lovely lunch and afterwards enjoyed the privilege of being part of a lively afternoon of Bocce ball!

Thank you again for your interest and guidance in providing a most memorable experience in Italy for us.

Stephanie Levert
Baton Rouge, LA
May 2002

The Villa Delia Staff,
Words cannot describe the wonderful experience Villa Delia is. Much of it is due to the beauty and grace of the physical presence, but the real warmth and ambiance comes from you all, the staff. You made this a very special time for my son & I to share and I am sincerely grateful to each and everyone of you for your contribution. We will never forget our stay, and the friends we have made.

Many, many thanks!

Reesa Devlin,
Anmore, B.C.
May 2002

What started out as a food experience turned out to be a wonderful life experience, filled with wonderful sights, wonderful memories and wonderful friendships. Thank you Villa Delia for that and your wonderful hospitality, your great food and most of all your wonderful family giving us a home away from home!

Ian & Marci Walker
Toronto, B.C.
May 2002

This is such a beautiful place. Everyone is so kind. The food was excellent, the staff superb. We will always remember this.

Stephan Hillman
Colorado Springs, Colorado
May 2002

Ciao Villa Delia, A more memorable 30th Birthday, I couldn't ask for. Villa Delia, Siena and Silvano's drinking song will be with me for the rest of my life. From the treed tower of Lucca to the Duomo of Florence, Tuscany is even more beautiful than I could ever imagined.

Salute

Kathy Holliday
Toronto, Ontario
May 2002

What wonderful memories we will have of Villa Delia in Tuscany. Thanks for sharing so many great experiences with our group. The entire staff have been so friendly, caring and enthusiastic. "Salute" to everyone. Enjoyed the cooking school and learned so much from Marietta and Francesca. Thanks for sharing your expertise with us.

Best wishes to all,

Ed Braun
Vancouver, BC
May 2002

We were treated like royalty and fed to the bursting point. The food was fantastic, the wine was great, and the student cooks that were there at the time of our visit embraced us and made us feel right at home. By the time dinner rolled around we literally had to be rolled into the dining room.

Marietta and Sylvano were wonderful and friendly, the estate was picture perfect as a whole roll of film will attest. The room was spacious, comfortable, quiet and had a great view.

As for the rest of Italy, we put on 1000km (Italians know how to drive) we saw Venice (thanks for the tip on the Hotel Santa Chiara, Sandy), Pisa (went up the tower), Florence and points in between. We did a scenic drive through some of the Tuscan wine country and saw more beauty then words can describe. It's going to take many years of more visits to see it all if that's possible.

Jenny Narducci Davidson
Singapore
March 2002

Just a short note to let you know what a wonderful time we had with our friends and your family at The Villa Delia. The place itself is absolutely breathtaking and the lovely people you have running it made our stay one we will cherish forever. Silvano was the ultimate host, always so friendly, elegant and full of interesting stories and information. Giuseppina was always so pleasant and patient with our very loud and energetic group.

She was so easy to be around and w so well organized for all our day trips into the different cities. It was like hanging around with an old friend, she made it all so comfortable and wonderful for everyone. Marietta and her cooking lessons were a great way to start everyday. She made everything seem so easy and inviting, she was a dream to watch, especially with that sincere huge smile that never left her face, even when I'm sure she might have thought we were going to burn down her kitchen. All of your staff was so kind and welcoming and always very professional and helpful.

Both my husband and I can't say enough about how much we loved our stay in Tuscany. Thank you for creating such a special place and filling it with such lovely people. As much as we enjoy living in Singapore it was very hard to live Beautiful Italy. Who knows, if one day we find ourselves living in the boot close by to your Villa I may just turn up on Villa Delia's doorstep and ask if you'd like to put this Italo-Canadian to work doing something to welcome your guests and help out in ensuring they have as great a time as I once had there.

Thanks again for your hospitality and please pass on our regards to your Villa Delia Family.

All the very best to you and your team.

Betty-Ann Franssen & Peter Empey
Toronto, Ontario
March 2002

I just wanted to drop you a quick note and let you know what an absolutely fabulous time we had in Italy. We were a bit unruly at times so I'm certain they were glad to see us go at the end but Villa Delia was amazing as was everyone associated with it and the food, wine and excursions were outstanding! Margot was truly surprised and it was just a wonderful time.

Many thanks for a memorable week!

Kate Martin
New Zealand
December, 2001

Greetings to you all, this is a thank you from me for all the wonderful attention and happy times I spent with you all two weeks ago. I have just arrived back to New Zealand, after a whirl wind trip to London to see my son and his wife. I loved my time at the Villa Delia and have told so many people about it.

Thank you every single one, it was a piece of pure bliss for me. Who knows maybe I will be back one day. Please tell Marietta that I have already made the Pate and the Brodo with great success. Pass on my love and good wishes to everyone.

Maureen & Gabe Cardinall
Oakville, Ontario
November, 2001

Here it is the beginning of November and we are still talking about our trip to Villa Delia in July. It was wonderful, each day brought new surprises and of course fabulous food and wine. Marietta, Silvano and all the staff, you made us feel so comfortable and welcome, just like your family.

This trip exceeded our expectations and tops of list of "best vacation ever." We thoroughly enjoyed all our excursions, everything was "first class." Marietta, your love of food and cooking shines through all your classes, making it easy to learn from you.

Silvano, thank you for sharing your joy of Toscana.

Thank you all for the memories and thank you Umberto for Villa Delia. We have fallen in love with Toscana!

Dianne and Gord Craig
Toronto, Ontario
October 2001

Gord and I want to thank you for a holiday of a lifetime! We have had a simply wonderful time and "Thank you" doesn't seem to be quite enough but Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Our friends back home will certainly hear about your wonderful hospitality xxxxx 5 STAR!

Linda & David Morris
Edmonton, Alberta
October 2001

Thank you for the lovely time David and I enjoyed at Villa Delia last week. Your talents surely go beyond the kitchen door as you and your family created a magic atmosphere for learning, camaraderie and fun.

We especially enjoyed the relationship you have with your sister, Marietta and how you were able to bring joy to the hearts of those poor souls from New York who weeks earlier had been watching their countrymen diving from skyscrapers.

You are love. And you are loved.

Ray and Alevia Healey
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
October, 2001

Dear People of Villa Delia
We have taken too long before writing you back and in that time the world has changed so much from those wonderful days in July and August at Villa Delia.How happy we are to have shared your Villa in a more peaceful time and place.

First and most important, we want to tell you all yet again what a wonderful time we had with you and our 11 fellow Canadians and 2 American friends. We have communicated by email and all is fine with everyone. We all have tried many of Marietta's recipes and they have been a great success!! In our home we won't settle for anything but Marietta's pasta - no more store pasta for us.

Alevia and I experienced the most wonderful, peaceful and yet exciting vacation we have ever had, and our time at the Villa renews our love affair with Italy during our 40th wedding anniversary. You have one of the great escapes for people looking for something different yet educational and the Villa Team lead by Silvano and Marietta are gold medal winners.

So to Silvano and his songs and Grappe, Marietta the angel of the cucina and her able assistant Eva, the interpreters, guides and much fun Giusy, Vivian and Antonetta, the Mercedes man Ugo and Gabrielle, Veronica, Federica and any of the rest of the cast of Villa Delia I have omitted, Alevia and I THANK YOU FOR THE BEST TIME WE HAVE EVER HAD in a long and happy marriage.It was an experience that can't be repeated but we have decided to come back in 2 years with some of our family and have a new one. We hope many of you stay on at the Villa as you have become friends we want to see again.And Silvano, save some of the good wine for us - and the Grappe too!

On a different point, you will recall it could have turned out quite differently and we want to express our sincerest thanks for the many kindnesses and assistance you all showed to us, especially your help in resolving the many problems resulting from the theft of Alevia's purse at the Milano airport on our arrival. You made it much less of a problem than it could have been and you ensured the situation had no effect on the wonderful time we had in the Cooking School and the unforgetable trips throughout Toscana.By the way, the Policia returned some of the contents at Milano airport the day we returned to Canada - they were found in a town parking lot about 20 kms from the airport a week after they were stolen. It all worked out as well as could be expected, so thank you for that too.

Have a great winter, many thanks and Ciao to all - for now.

Donald & Margaret Donahue
October, 2001

In these troubled times how very blessed we were to have been guests in this little haven - Villa Delia. You are such remarkable hosts in making everyone feel so special and so welcome. Marietta was a wonderful teacher sharing her skills and secrets with us and calmly putting up with our "disasters." If Marietta is the soul of Villa Delia then Silvano is the life. The clown Prince of Villa Delia gave us such joy and many, many laughs. Who could forget the cheerleader with the pom poms at the Bocce Tournament.