Culinary discovery tour to Emilia Romagna

Your journey to the Food Valley has begun. We hope you had a pleasant journey. Your tour guide, together with host Claudio, look forward to welcoming you on the terrace with an aperitif at 19.00 pm. Afterward, you will enjoy your first dinner at your home in the agriturismo, where you can get to know your fellow travelers a little better. You have arrived in the region of slow food and fast cars.

Relax and enjoy the journey, knowing that our tour guide will assist you at every moment.

Today, you will get to know the immediate surroundings of your new home. In the morning, you will meet the sfoglina Marisa in her workshop in Castelvetro. Sfoglina are mostly ladies who make the delicious fresh pasta that you find everywhere in Emilia. You are her guest to admire her handiwork, but also to prove yourself. As a reward, you will have your homemade pasta for lunch.

After lunch, get to know the beautiful village of Castelvetro a little better on a guided walk before returning to your accommodation for a short break.

In the late afternoon, you will visit Francesco and his wife Laura's nearby winery. Francesco has mainly Lambrusco Grasparossa vines and will be happy to answer your questions about the myths of Lambrusco. After the tour and tasting, there will be salumi, tigelle, gnocco fritto, and Lambrusco—a match made in heaven.

Relax and enjoy the journey, knowing that our tour guide will assist you at every moment.

Early in the morning, you will head towards the Apennines to a Parmesan cheese producer who uses only the milk from his white Modena cows. You will learn how much milk is needed for a block of Parmesan, which milk is used, how the taste differs, and what you should look out for when buying Parmesan in the future.

Afterwards, we will go on a short culinary hike in the surrounding area. Depending on the season, you will find the famous Vignola cherry IGP or the blond chestnut here, as well as porcini mushrooms and many wild herbs. In the midst of these stunning natural surrounding, you will enjoy a lunch picnic from the cheese dairy.

The afternoon is yours to relax before we make our way to Castelvetro for dinner.

Today, you will travel to the dynamic and charming city of Modena, famous for the singer Pavarotti and its impressive churches. Modena Cathedral is one of the most important Romanesque buildings in Europe and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. However, our interest lies in the gastronomic and cultural riches of the city, and so you will meet with a local guide who will take you on a culinary walking tour of Modena. The walk ends at Modena's Mercato Albinelli, a historic covered weekly market, where you will all have lunch together.

In the afternoon, you will have time to stroll around Modena at your leisure. We will be happy to give you tips, but you can also just settle down in Piazza Grande square and people-watch, window-shop, or eat mortadella.

Back at the accommodation, enjoy a short rest before we visit the family's Acetificio. Claudio will tell you a lot about the Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena DOP and let you taste it. The thick and sweet-spicy vinegar speciality made from pure grape is stored in wooden barrels for more than 100 years. You will learn about the entire production process and see a variety of barrels of different types of wood that are refilled annually according to a special procedure.

Afterwards, Claudio will show you how different types of vinegar are used, and will also let you experiment for yourself. Dinner will then be served at the agriturismo.

Today, you will visit the Rocca di Vignola. Perched on a sandstone spur above the Panaro Valley, it is one of the most interesting examples of fortified architecture in Emilia.

We then continue to Savigno, the most famous truffle village in Emilia. You will fortify yourself with lunch before going into the woods with a local truffle hunter and his dog. Depending on the season, there are black or white truffles here, so you will always find something. At the beginning of November, the annual Pro Loco village festival takes place, which is of course a special highlight.

In the evening, linger in the charming atmosphere of Savigno and enjoy a wonderful truffle dinner at the Trattoria Amerigo.

Today, you'll learn all about prosciutto, lardo, and ham. As the guest of Gary and his family, you will be initiated step by step into the production of prosciutto. Gary will answer all your questions, even critical ones, and will also explain why prosciutto does not translate to ham. Hopefully you are hungry, because the family will let you taste everything with generous hospitality alla emiliana.

After this experience, you will go back to the accommodation for a short rest.

Tonight, the final Emilian cooking class is on the agenda. You have seen everything Emilia has to offer this week. Now soak up the techniques and little details from your hosts and enjoy this farewell evening with your new acquaintances.

A trip to Emilia is a culinary experience of the leisurely kind. But this area also boasts fast cars—the famous Ferrari is made less than 15 minutes from your accommodation, and Pagani or Lamborghini are also close by. However, you might prefer something a little more sound-friendly, in which case Pavarotti or Verdi could certainly excite you more. In any case, the area has a lot to offer and we are at your disposal with suggestions if you would like to extend your trip.