The Chef & The School

Chef Antonio is well-known as the Italian Gourmet. He brings nearly four decades of authentic Italian cooking experience to the table.  He learned to cook in his mother’s kitchen on the Italian island of Sardinia. Among his many accomplishments, he is the author of the Betty Crocker Italian Cookbook.

He is an innovator and the father of the pizza biscotta, the twice-baked pizza. Chef Antonio joined Villa Bellezza in 2017 as our Food Service Director. The only thing that he likes more than cooking is talking food with people which makes him a great head of our cooking school.

Our cooking school, La Scuola, is a participation cooking school located in the Sala del Vino adjacent to the winery production building. Each class has an early social hour where class members can sample Villa Bellezza wines accompanied by antipasti.

We have different classes every month. Participation is limited to 20 students per class. Reservations are required. Among the most popular are “Eat Like an Italian,” “Fresh Pasta Making,” and “Pizza Making.” And when you attend a class, you won’t go home hungry.

In the summer, Chef Antonio conducts outdoor demonstration classes in the Piazzale Il Forno by the Chef’s garden—a great location for “Cooking with Herbs.”