Italian Gourmet Grand Tour

After a morning of wine tasting, you will undoubtedly be famished, and lunch is in a medieval village right at the Rivalta Castle in a historic trattoria. Enjoy various local dishes like the traditional Pisarei e Faso bread dumplings with borlotti beans, tomato sauce, and pancetta, paired with exceptional wines from the region. After lunch, take a walk around the pretty little hamlet to get some fresh air.

In the afternoon, you will visit La Stoppa, an excellent historic wine estate. Elena Panteleoni and Giulio Armani have worked together since 1991, producing great natural wines. They use only indigenous yeasts, with long macerations on the grape skins, and no filtration. Their Trebbiolo wine entered the 100 Top Wine List by Wine Spectator.

And finally, you will head for Polesine Parmense, which is where you will be based for the next few nights. A historical, fairy tale castle awaits, Antica Corte Pallavicina. This supremely unique castle, owned by the Pallavicino family, originally dates back to the year 1400, and it was transformed into a working farm in 1700. Massimo (one of Italy’s top salumi producers, president of the Culatello di Zibello Consorzio, legendary chef, and a great-grandson of a farmer who cured hams for Giuseppe Verdi) and Luciano Spigaroli have tastefully restored the building to its ancient splendor. You have three excellent restaurants on-site for dinner tonight- a Michelin starred fine dining restaurant, the traditional and elegant Cavallino Bianco, or the laidback and easygoing Osteria del Maiale.

Lunch will be fun and elegant at Hostaria Da Ivan, focusing on local specialties. Sample dishes include Tosone fritto avvolto in pancetta (young and melty cheese, a secondary product of famous Parmigiano Reggiano, wrapped in bacon), Tortelli intrecciati di erbetta e ricotta (wild herbs and ricotta cheese pocket pasta), and Mariola, con purea di patate e mostarda cremonese (cooked salami, with mashed potatoes and traditional spicy fruit preserve). Superb wines will be chosen for you from the encyclopedic wine list. You will fall head over heels for Barbara’s cuisine and theatrical Ivan!

After lunch, enjoy a digestive “passeggiata” in the park of the nearby Colorno Ducal palace. The first garden was created in 1480, commissioned by count Roberto Sanseverino. Under Francesco Farnese, it became a mix of French and Italian-style garden, which was further modified by Duchess Marie Louise of Austria, who turned it into an English style garden.

After a relaxing afternoon, return to your hotel and visit the atmospheric on-site Culatello cellars. Massimo Spigaroli is considered the “King of Culatello,” and celebrities such as Alain Ducasse, Massimo Bottura, and Prince Charles of Wales select and age their Culatello here. At the end of the tour, you will sample the full range of estate produced salami, including differently aged Culatello, Parmigiano Reggiano, Risotto, and homemade cakes, all paired with Fortana red sparkling wine. The rest of the evening is yours to unwind at the gourmet relais.

Lunch is the highlight of the day: a 3 Michelin starred tasting menu at traditional Dal Pescatore. Founded in 1962 by Antonio Santini’s grandparents, it is still owned and run today by the same family. Enjoy refined, high-end cuisine, with recipes passed down over three generations. This will be a pleasant, nearly three-hour affair, so sit back, relax, and dig in!

On the way back to the relais, stop in pretty Cremona for a gentle stroll. Cremona is a classical-music lover’s dream for its musical history and traditions. Some of the earliest and most renowned luthiers were born and worked here, such as Giuseppe Guarneri and Antonio Stradivari.

Return to your hotel and the evening is yours.

After this fascinating tour and tasting, you have a fun visit in-store at the Galleria Ferrari in Maranello, an actual museum dedicated to Ferrari (this is the birthplace of this mythical car!). Learn all about the “prancing horse” and visit the museum, which is quite large. You can see over 40 real models such as Formula 1 race cars from many different decades. For Ferrari-philes, you can have a tour of Ferrari factory, and Fiorano track, experience Pit-Stop, and Scuderia Ferrari driving simulators, and take an onboard picture!

Next, you will head into the wealthy little town of Modena for a visit to the 11th century UNESCO heritage preserved Duomo, and relax over an aperitif of bubbly or vino bianco, outside if weather permits.

Lunch today is at the most ancient deli in the world, founded in 1605! Through a narrow doorway, from the deli shop, you will discover a nearly secret back room with only four tables. This family-run restaurant offers such a unique experience, with traditional mama’s style cooking.

After lunch, you will probably want to enjoy a short little digestive walk! Before heading to Bologna, you will visit a beautiful “Acetaia,” a real “Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena DOP” cellar. Here you will learn about the interesting history and production of this liquid gold and taste a few aged DOP Balsamic vinegar’s, including Collezione della Nonna. This is from the century-old battery which belonged to great-grandmother Maria. This is a treat!

This evening you will arrive in beautiful Bologna, one of Italy’s most fantastic cities with a real bohemian atmosphere. You will love the array of charming restaurants and wine bars. Enjoy a free evening on your own with our suggestions for dining.

After a private cooking class, sit down and enjoy the results of your efforts!

After some free time, you will enjoy a private guided walking tour of Bologna with a local art guide to take in some of the highlights such as the Two Towers, the Piazza Maggiore and Piazza del Nettuno, the Jewish Ghetto, and the fascinating 16th-century Anatomical theater of the ancient university (your guide will have a lot of anecdotes during this visit!). The evening is yours to enjoy the wonderful osterie of Bologna, many with live jazz music.

Carry on to the sleepy town of Ravenna, where you will be taken aback by the breathtaking 6th and 7th-century mosaics, all with your private art guide. These are some of the most gorgeous mosaics in the world. Located close to the Adriatic Coast, Ravenna is a town with a whole lot of history! The Roman Emperor Octavian Augustus built a port here, denoting the strategic importance of Ravenna, and later the city was one of the main hubs of Byzantine culture in Italy. You will learn all about the town’s history and visit some major highlights such as the mosaics of 5th century Galla Placidia (daughter of Emperor Theodosius), the Saint Francesco Basilica with Dante’s Tomb, the Basilica of San Vitale (with some of the best early Christian art in Italy) and more.

In the evening, after an interesting tour of Ravenna, you will return to your hotel and the evening is yours to explore Bologna on your own. It’s a fantastic city just to enjoy a stroll, it is small and easy to maneuver, and there are endless churches, palaces, and charming squares to discover.

After a refreshing morning walk, you will head to Rubano, close to Padua. Here a 3 Michelin starred lunch awaits! This exciting restaurant is a complete contrast to the traditional cuisine you’ve had until now. Chef Massimiliano Alajmo is a real innovator, and the dishes served at this restaurant are continually evolving. You will enjoy a complete tasting menu, featuring dishes like Mixed leaf soup with bean mozzarella, Mandarin and wasabi root Risotto with fish crudo, and brodo granita, olive oil galletta, juniper gelato, and balsamic vinegar.

Carry on to Venice(although you can stop en route to Padua if you’d like to break up the journey with a coffee and a few photos).

Upon arrival in Venice, you will say goodbye to your driver for a few days and board your private water taxi to your hotel, a luxury Palazzo right on the Grand Canal. Check into your hotel and enjoy the rest of the late afternoon and evening at your leisure, with our many suggestions for dining and sightseeing.

In the late afternoon, our art guide will meet you at your hotel, and you will embark on a fun two-hour walking tour, full of anecdotes and legends, from Marco Polo to Casanova.

The evening is yours to enjoy on your own; we recommend a private Gondola at sunset!

Lunch is up next at a traditional and warm trattoria in wine country, this will be a special treat, and apart from the fine wines selected for your meal, you will finish off with a digestive Grappa.

From Valpolicella, you will head into Verona. Your private art guide will take you on a short but interesting walking tour of Verona to show you the “Best of” from the marvelous Roman amphitheater (where the opera festival is hosted each summer) to the numerous pretty piazzas in Verona.

After the tour, head to your hotel, a beautiful Relais and Chateaux located in a vineyard. The evening is yours, and we highly suggest the hotel’s gourmet restaurant.

Enjoy a morning of wine tasting and follow with lunch right on the sparkling water of Lake Iseo. The food here is just fabulous, and you’ll try the flagship dish, Risotto al Franciacorta.

After lunch, enjoy a walk around the lake before heading back to your hotel. There is a great spa here, and you will have the rest of the day at leisure to take in spa treatments. The evening is yours to enjoy on your own, and we will give you suggestions for wine bars and top restaurants.

Carry on to a lovely family-run wine estate. In the restored farmhouse, you will taste a local menu, such as Pork shank with polenta, Montevecchia Caprini goat cheeses, and “Laciadei,” traditional apple fritters, all paired with Terre Lariane wines.

The next port of call is Lake Como! One of the most beautiful places on earth, you will marvel at the dramatic scenery and charming lakeside villages. Your base for these last few nights is a luxury hotel right in Bellagio, a historic and beautiful town located in the middle of Lake Como (the lake is shaped like an upside-down “Y”), across the waters from pretty Tremezzo. Check into your luxurious hotel which faces the lake, and enjoy the rest of the day to take in some shopping, walking, and sightseeing. Dinner is on your own in Bellagio, with our suggestions.

You will make a few stops, for example, to the immaculate gardens at Villa Carlotta, Villa del Balbianello, and Villa Monastero. Today’s lunch is a gourmet extravaganza at a Michelin starred restaurant, with great views of the lake. Enjoy superb food and wine pairing in the glorious setting. This is the good life!

The rest of the day is yours to enjoy Bellagio. Enjoy a nice walk down to the Punta Spartivento, where you will have amazing views, enjoying an aperitif at a charming wine bar to kick start the evening. The rest of the evening is yours in Bellagio.