Italian Luxury Vacations

Jovial Foods offers unique culinary getaways that are tailored to people with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity. The weeklong trips provide a stress-free way for people traveling with food sensitivities to enjoy a foodie retreat in Italy. The getaways feature hands-on cooking classes with jovial’s founder Carla, who has lived outside of Modena, Italy for twenty-five years. Everything about the trip is 100% authentic, and Carla knows how to balance the needs of American travelers with the Italian lifestyle that she has learned to love.

Offered in the spring and fall, Jovial’s Culinary Getaways take place in the beautiful rolling hills right outside of Lucca, in one of the most spectacular villas in Tuscany. It has become part of Carla’s mission to make traveling for people with celiac disease and other dietary restrictions fun and exciting, rather than daunting and inconvenient. This is why so many culinary alumni are so supportive and grateful for this trip, and why guests often return. «We’ve had guests return to the getaway since our start in 2012, so we take great pride in knowing we’ve got something special», Carla explains.

This year Jovial Foods, Inc. is giving away a free all-inclusive trip to the Fall 2015 Culinary Getaway.  The winner and a guest will join Carla for a week of cooking, relaxation, and exploring the surrounding countryside. This contest is running from now until June 30, and the winner will be announced on July 1, 2015.

Carla is no stranger to the world of food allergies.  When she learned that her daughter, Giulia, suffered from gluten sensitivity, she was determined to find a way for her to eat foods she could flourish with.  This journey included discovering the ancient grain, einkorn, and coming up with artisanal crafted gluten free foods. This trip is a way for people to forget their restrictions and sit back, relax and just enjoy the food and scenery!

Carla Bartolucci and her Italian-born husband Rodolfo first began their work in the natural products industry in 1995, when they began distributing the bionaturae brand of organic foods. The mission of their new brand, jovial, is to change the future of farming by creating consumer demand for ancient and heirloom varieties of food. The jovial brand also specializes in the production of certified organic, artisan-crafted gluten free foods.