The culinary season opened up the first week of June, 2011 with a week of local gastronomic exploration alongside Chef Monica Pope of t'afia in Houston as part of the Guest Chef Program. The school will run more Guest Chef trips this fall with Chef Liza Shaw, former chef/owner of A16 in San Francisco and Marisa Churchill, followed by a wine immersion program in November.

Download below full details about the 7 Day Puglia Culinary Immersion at La Cucina at Gelso Bianco - delicious Apulian regional cuisine

Several further bookings are on schedule for 2012. Week long culinary stays can also be accompanied by bicycle, walking or cultural tours proposed by Southern Vision Travel. Theses include guided and self-guided tours ofn Puglia, as well as full immersion wine experiences.

“The experience at Gelso Bianco is a full immersion into life in Puglia. Our guests get up and close with locals and expert artisanal producers that we are lucky enough to know personally. And, we have access to the freshest ingredients possible--right from the garden," says owner, Antonello Losito.

The region of Puglia is on the rise for European travel, especially for food lovers. With abundant healthy soil, a cuisine heavily based on vegetables and fresh fish and over 50 million olive trees, Puglia offers a true taste of the healthy Mediterranean diet.