ANDERSON -— For travelers, the thought of Tuscany inspires images of rolling hills, Italian villas and wine.

For Rob Ratcliff, Tuscany means great food.

As culinary manager at Olive Garden, 4118 Scatterfield Road, he recently spent a week dining on traditional food, visiting local wineries and training at Olive Garden’s Culinary Institute of Tuscany.

“I went out in the morning, looking out over these groves of olive trees. I could not see anything in the distance except for estate-looking buildings that are working wineries,” said Ratcliff. “It was almost breathtaking scenery. There’s nothing like it in the U.S.”

Each year, Olive Garden selects approximately 100 managers to travel to Italy to enhance their culinary skills. The experience is designed to bring the genuine Italian dining experience alive for managers and take it back to their restaurant teams and guests.

Ratcliff worked under the direction of Olive Garden’s executive chefs, learning the traditions of Italian cooking by refining skills in ingredient selection, the secret of layering sauces, perfecting al dente pasta and creating the most flavorful meals.

“When people cook pasta at home, they make it soft — there’s no bite to it,” said Ratcliff. “They want it to bite back in Italy. ‘Al dente’ simply means not completely done. It’s soft, but there’s a firmness to the middle.”

The group also spent time visiting Olive Garden’s Riserva di Fizzano restaurant and the Rocca delle Macie winery, Olive Garden’s partner and one of Italy’s leading producers of Tuscan wines. There, in the scenic rolling hills of Castellina in Chianti, Italy, the class learned about the history and tradition of Italian winemaking, learning firsthand of the important role wine plays in the Italian meal.

 ”The passion that Italians have for food, wine and the entire dining experience defines how they live life ... with enthusiasm and generosity,” said Ratcliff, 55, and the married father of two.

The group visited an open-air market, buying meat, vegetables, spices and herbs. From there, everyone returned to prepare a meal that turned into 13 courses.

“We probably ate out twice a day. Every restaurant we went to, there was a mom, dad, sons, relatives. When they say, ‘When you’re here, you’re family,’ that’s exactly what that means,” said Ratcliff, who has been with Olive Garden for six years.

He added, “They talk about what flavors mean and what you expect from a dish. That’s what you’ll get from me from now on.”

“When you describe things to each other or a guest, don’t describe it as if it’s an ingredient list. Describe it as if you’re talking to your best friend. Talk in terms of warmth, atmosphere and food.”