Join us for a food and wine tour in Italy’s beautiful Emilia-Romagna region in north-central Italy! A culinary vacation in Emilia Romagna is a paradise for true food lovers. The rich food culture, delicious wines and history found in these two regions are worth a deeper dive and truly important if one is to understand Italy. The area is elegant, wealthy, and urbane, filled with open and friendly people.
Culinary tour
The tour of Emilia-Romagna extends our popular Bologna tour, combining it with three days in the country on a beautiful wine estate. Our week-long stay in this beautiful region will include 4 nights in the classic city of Bologna, studying and eating the most famous foods of Italy. Our four days will be filled with visits to see food production, a cooking class with a focus on fresh pasta, walking tours of the cities of Bologna and Parma and lots of amazing meals. The next three nights will be on a lovely wine estate in the heart of Romagna with visits to Faenza for ceramics, Gambettola for fabrics, a winery tour and tasting, and a day exploring the ancient Byzantine mosaics in Ravenna.
Why a week in Emilia Romagna?
There’s so much to see! Originally separate regions, Emilia and Romagna became joined administratively in 1947. The people of these two regions, recognizing their cultural diversity, still think of themselves as either Emiliano or Romagnolo. The western part of the region, Emilia, is known for its amazing fruit orchards, industry, fancy cars and quaffable Lambrusco wine. The capital city of Bologna has leaning towers, medieval architecture, miles of loggias covering the sidewalks and the oldest university in Europe. The people are true gourmands, and it is in Emilia that the most iconic DOP foods originate: Prosciutto di Parma, Parmigiano Reggiano, Aceto Balsamico di Modena, and Mortadella di Bologna. The pastas include tagliatelle or lasagna with Bolognese ragu, as well as the stuffed pastas tortelli, cappelletti and tortellini.
The wines of the west are Lambrusco. They are fruity, fizzy and pair well with the rich foods of Emilia. The wines of the east are Sangiovese based and tradition says that the ancient birthplace of the sangiovese grape may very well be here in Romagna.
The eastern half, Romagna, was originally part of the Byzantine Roman Empire, evidenced in the amazing byzantine mosaics of Ravenna. Due to the geographical barrier of the Appenines and a shared coastline on the Adriatic, Romagna aligned itself with the Marche to the south, rather than to Florence and Tuscany. Rimini is famous for its beaches and nightlife and the ancient salt flats of Cervia are still in use today. Beautiful vineyards, ancient artisan products like ceramics and hand-stamped fabrics, tie the old together with the new in Romagna.
Spring is the perfect time to visit the area with flowers and vineyards in bloom, warm sunny days and pleasant nights. Click here to sign up!
Highlights of our week:
- Seven nights accommodation in Bologna (4 nights) and Romagna wine estate (3 nights)
- Visits to Parmigiano Reggiano cheese making facility, Prosciutto di Parma or Modena and Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale.
- One cooking class highlighting regional Emilia Romagna pasta and ragu specialties
- Visits to area cities and towns including Bologna, Parma, Faenza and Ravenna
- Winery tour and tasting
- Visit to small fabric and ceramic artisans
- Transportation to all scheduled events
- Breakfast, all lunches and dinners are included