A Culinary Journey through tuscany with Maria Groß
Experience an extraordinary gourmet journey through authentic Tuscany with Maria Groß and Matthias Steube. Five days filled with flavour, real encounters, and personal insights – far from mass tourism, deep in the heart of Chianti.
Welcome to Tuscany
Tuscany with a soul, far from the expected, very close to the essentials: When people travel who have a flair for taste, encounters and authenticity, the result is more than just a vacation. Memories are created. This is probably the best way to describe the five-day trip with Maria Groß and Matthias Steube to the east of Tuscany - a format for a maximum of six guests that doesn't sell a plan, but a feeling. No sightseeing marathon, no overcrowded hotspots. Instead: hidden mountain villages whose names you would have to google - if they even existed digitally. Winegrowers who open their doors just for us. And hosts who turn their second home into a stage for special moments.
Who guides us through Tuscany?
Maria Groß, Germany's famous star chef with heart, courage and opinion. And Matthias Steube, gourmet and culinary strategist. Together they are not only a culinary dream team - they have created a lovingly restored retreat in Tuscany, next to their Bachstelze in Erfurt. Away from the noise. And that's exactly where this journey begins.
A temporary home - with real encounters
Our starting point: Loro Ciuffenna, a medieval village between Florence and Arezzo. This is where Maria and Matthias pick us up - in their private shuttle, always with a smile, often with an anecdote on their lips.
What follows is not a well-planned adventure tour, but a feeling of arrival. Every day is different. Tailored to the weather, the season - and sometimes simply to your mood. And this is not a promise, but a lived philosophy: “Everything may, nothing must.”
Highlights to hold onto
- Wineries with character
Whether in Chianti or tucked away behind rows of cypress trees – the family-run wineries we visit aren’t showrooms. They’re real working spaces, full of life and personality. We taste vintages straight from the barrel, meet the winemakers, and learn why wine here isn’t a product – it’s a personality. - Cooking like friends
One sunny afternoon in the courtyard, wine in hand, herbs being chopped. Maria and Matthias are grilling Bistecca alla Fiorentina and Salsiccia, and we’re right there beside them – laughing, tasting, talking. There’s no performance, no pretence – just good food, great company, and an atmosphere of genuine closeness. - Flavours worth remembering
We visited four carefully chosen restaurants – each an ode to Tuscan cuisine. Sometimes rustic, sometimes surprisingly refined. And yes, we found the best gelato in all of Tuscany. Food that lingers – real dishes, real ingredients.Of course, an authentic cooking class was a must. Together with Maria and Matthias, we made pasta from scratch – rolling, filling, shaping. We didn’t just knead dough – we shared stories, drank wine, laughed together, and savoured every bite we created.
Culinarily, the trip was a tribute to Tuscany’s true heart: honest, often forgotten dishes that rarely appear on restaurant menus. We tasted:
– the crispy, little-known Schiacciata di Chiassaia
– the rich, nutty Castagnaccio chestnut cake
– handmade Pici, shaped the traditional way by hand
– Fagioli al fiasco, beans slow-cooked in wine flasks
– and countless other specialties that only taste right where they were bornEspecially touching: some of these foods – like the region’s famous unsalted country bread – aren’t even sold to tourists. They’re made only for locals. And yet, we were invited to try them. A gift not to be bought, but to be earned through curiosity and respect.
- Hidden villages & true moments
One day we hiked through a mountain village that doesn’t appear on any map. Another time we found ourselves sipping espresso in a garden overlooking the Valdarno. It’s these moments – not the perfect photo – that remain.
What makes this trip so special
- A maximum of six guests - no mass tourism, just personal interaction
- Private guidance from Maria and Matthias - charming, humorous, human
- All-round carefree - everything organized without being rigid
- Culinary curation - from breakfast to late wine with depth
- Freedom included - a whole day at leisure, with tips from insiders
- Accommodation with soul - e.g. at Simona, a friend of Maria and Matthias, with a garden, pool and breakfast under the trees. For example at Simona's, a friend of Maria and Matthias, with a garden, pool and breakfast under the trees
- Every trip is different - and anyone who thinks they can only experience this trip once is mistaken. Because new highlights and insider tips are integrated each time, so that you can become a repeat offender
Conclusion: A new sense of Tuscany
This trip was not an escape. It was an arrival. With ourselves, with great hosts - and with a region that is more than just a postcard motif. When you experience Tuscany with Maria Groß and Matthias Steube, you don't memorize sights. But flavors. Voices. Laughter. And the art of taking your time. Welcome to Tuscany - not like in a travel guide. But like with friends.
© Alexandra Gorsche
