Italy

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Tasting Tour

Our journey begins in Florence, the capital of Italy’s Tuscany region and our base for visiting various Tuscan estates and wineries. Florence is a city rich in history with stunning art and architecture. We’ll tour the city while enjoying all of its culinary delights, including: Antipasto Toscano (crostini with assorted toppings), pasta al Cinghiale (wild boar), Bistecca alla Fiorentina (Florentine Steak), and Schiacciata Fiorentina (spongy yellow cake).

For an authentic Tuscan experience, we’ll visit one of the oldest organic farms in the hills of Tuscany to take part in a 3-course cooking class with a local chef – and don’t worry, you’ll get to eat what you cook, of course!

We’ll also take a day trips to the gorgeous hill towns of Montalcino and San Gimignano. Montalcino is famous for its pinci pasta (fat spaghetti) and Brunello di Montalcino wine, considered one of Italy’s best-known and most expensive of red wines (DOCG). San Gimignano is known for its white wine, Vernaccia di San Gimignano (DOCG), produced from a grape grown on the sandstone hillsides of the area. You’ll learn about viticulture and winemaking!

We journey next to Bologna, deemed the ultimate Italian foodie destination, and nicknamed la grassa (the fat)! Our visit to Bologna – tasting mortadella, fresh egg pasta (tortellini in broth is a regional favourite), authentic Bolognese sauce, tigelle (bread), Lambrusco (a regional fizzy red wine), and gelato – will satisfy all of your food cravings! We’ll tour the city’s food markets, including the famous Quadrilatero. We’ll also visit Fico Eataly World, a foodie theme park with workshops, restaurants, farming factories, an orchard and vineyard for tasting and learning about the “culture, traditions, and craftsmanship that make Italian food the most famous in the world”. The 20-acre complex embodies the wonders of Italian food and its biodiversity. We’ll have a behind-the-scenes tour of the park and participate in take a course in fresh pasta making!

Our next stop, not far from Bologna, is Modena, known for its world-famous balsamic vinegar. We’ll learn about the historical importance of this precious juice, while visiting the Museo del Balsamico Tradizionale (which also offers tastings!) as well as how balsamic is produced, visiting a traditional acetaie, or vinegar producer.

Parma is our next stop, a city renowned for its Prosciutto di Parma and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Both products are authentic to Parma and PDO/DOP-certified. We’ll visit a prosciuttificio to learn about the delicate process of prosciutto-making from start to finish: the specific breeds of Italian pigs raised on designated farms, the 100% natural, air dried, and hand-salted by salt master, and aged for a minimum of 400 days! We’ll also visit a dairy farm and watch the various phases of cheese making.

For a DAILY ITINERARY, please contact our office.