Sestri Levante: Pesto Cooking Class & Wine Tasting with Chef

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.97 (170 reviews) 98% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/12

Duration1h

GroupPrivate

LanguagesEN · DE +5

Mobile ticketAccepted

Liguria’s flavors come alive with mortar pesto, bread baking, and local wines in Sestri Levante

You’ll crush basil in a marble mortar for real Genovese pesto, knead focaccia dough with olive oil-slicked hands, taste five Ligurian wines guided by a local sommelier, and share laughs over handmade pasta in Sestri Levante’s lively kitchen atmosphere. Expect to leave with new skills, full pockets (of snacks), and maybe even a little flour on your clothes.

Step-by-step itinerary

Cooking and wine tasting experience

Receive a glass of Vinaccieri wine
Learn history and anecdotes of pesto
Make Genoese pesto with mortar
Taste and take away your pesto
Choose and prepare pasta, focaccia, or fish dishes
Taste and take away your prepared dishes
Join sommelier-led wine tasting with local products

The Experience

The first thing I noticed was the clink of the marble mortar on the wooden table — heavier than I expected. Our chef, Paolo, grinned as he poured us each a glass of Vinaccieri white (“for motivation!” he said), and honestly, it did help me relax. The basil smelled sharp and green, almost peppery when I pressed it with the pestle. I kept glancing out at the narrow street below; people passed by chatting in that quick Genoese way, hands everywhere. It felt like we were tucked into someone’s home kitchen instead of a cooking school.

I’d never made pesto from scratch before — not real Genovese pesto anyway — and my arm got tired fast. Paolo showed me how to twist the pestle just so (“not too much force or you’ll bruise it,” he warned). My first batch came out chunky but tasted so bright I didn’t care. We tried our hand at corzetti pasta next; pressing those old wooden molds left little flour flowers on my fingers. There was laughter when I tried to pronounce “corzetti” right — apparently my accent is hopeless.

Later we tackled focaccia dough (sticky, olive oil everywhere) and then watched as Paolo worked with the day’s fish for a quick pie. The kitchen filled up with this buttery-sea smell that reminded me of summers by the coast. By then I’d stopped worrying about getting things perfect — everyone was just talking and tasting bits off each other’s plates. The sommelier arrived for our wine tasting (five bottles!) and told stories about Ligurian vineyards while we nibbled cheese and bread still warm from the oven. I left with a jar of my own pesto in my bag and flour on my shirt — no regrets.

What’s included

Your day includes a private cooking class in Sestri Levante led by a personal chef tutor; all ingredients for making Genovese pesto using a marble mortar (with a special jar to take it home), plus options to make fresh pasta like corzetti or gnocchi using traditional wooden molds.
You’ll also try your hand at baking real Genoese focaccia and Pane Marinaro bread (and take them away for snacking later), prepare two fish dishes depending on what’s fresh that day under chef guidance, enjoy an initial glass of Vinaccieri wine “for motivation,” then join a guided tasting of five local wines paired with cheeses and cured meats from their gastronomy selection.
Lunch or dinner made from your creations is available for an extra fee if you want to linger longer around the table.

Good to know

Wheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by LA SCIAMADDA DEI VINACCIERI - PESTO EXPERIENCE - CORSI DI CUCINA LIGURE - DEGUSTAZIONI DI VINO