Small Group Reggio Half-Day Food & Wine Tour with Local Producers
Description
Discover the flavours of Reggio Emilia on this half-day small-group food and wine tour. Meet at 8:30 am at Reggio Emilia Central Station (Piazzale Guglielmo Marconi) and set off to visit family-run producers, tasting some of the region’s most famous specialities. Your journey begins at a Parmigiano Reggiano dairy farm, where you’ll watch the cheese-making process and enjoy a guided tasting, followed by a visit to an Acetaia to discover traditional balsamic vinegar and sample its rich flavors. To complete your foodie experience, you can choose between a tasting of local wines or cured meats, allowing you to tailor the tour to your tastes. You can also extend your tour with lunch at a local restaurant and a walking tour of Reggio Emilia’s city centre, including the Tricolour Museum. Perfect for food lovers seeking an authentic, behind-the-scenes culinary adventure, this half-day tour gives you a taste of Reggio Emilia’s finest flavours in just a few hours.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Parmigiano Reggiano is a hard-paste, long-aged cheese. Its ingredients are natural and simple: real cow's milk, rennet, the producers' professional experience and natural ageing. The Caseificio Boiardo produces on average about 30,000 wheels of Parmigiano Reggiano per year, together with other fresh cheeses such as ricotta, mozzarella and other dairy products, all made following the ancient traditions. During this first stop, you'll have the unique opportunity to see the Parmigiano Reggiano production in every single step, from the milk collection to the ageing process. After the visit, you'll have the opportunity to taste some exquisite samples directly from the production.
The Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Reggio Emilia is obtained thanks to a very long ageing (minimum twelve years) of the boiled must of local grapes, in a series of small barrels made from different woods with graduated sizes, according to annual decanting and periodical refilling. The Acetaia Picci is situated in a 17th-century courtyard in Cavriago, near Reggio Emilia, a place of unforgettable charm. During the visit, you'll have the chance to understand the ancient process of making traditional balsamic vinegar. After the visit, you'll savour the intense, delicious aromas of the balsamic through a very detailed tasting experience.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(23)
This was a great way to visit some local producers of regional specialties. Alessandro was a great guide and very friendly. First we toured the Parmesano Reggio factory, saw it being made, and tasted 3 ages. Then we visited a small balsamic producer and the owner did a guided tasting with us. Finally we went to a small family vineyard and did a wine tasting with the owner. It was the perfect way to immerse yourself in the region. Alessandro gave just a great recommendation for lunch afterward too.
We loved our tour with Valentina. There was a true local flavor and she had a rapport with all the producers. She also explained the traditions really well. Pick up and drop off were easy. We were able to sample everything and bought some great gifts. There was no pressure to buy. Our kids loved it as well. It was an ideal half day.
Alessandro was our guide through the Reggio Food Tour, despite of being a really expert on the matter, providing useful information and helping clarify the process of production of the parmigiano reggiano, the balsamic and also the wines, Alessandro was really kind, attentive and commited to give us the best experience ever. This tour is highly recommended by me and my family. We had lots of fun while getting to know how these amazing products are produced, trying them and seeing with our own eyes all the steps taken to produce the best italian parmigiano reggiano, balsamic and wines.
Amazing experience! It's a must-do. When it came to booking, I had a few queries. Alessandro responded promptly and comprehensively, instilling the confidence to secure the tour for my husband and me. Alessandro told me that Valentina, our tour guide, would contact me. Two days before the tour, she texted me to ask if I had any questions and to arrange the pick-up at Reggio Emilia's train station. She was punctual on the day tour, and we had the exciting experience of starting our tour at 8:30 a.m. with another couple, setting the tone for a well-organized and enjoyable day. We visited three factories: cheese, cured meats, and balsamic vinegar. Each experience was unique, and Valentina was well-informed about each process. She responded to all our questions and was very passionate about each product. We met the factory owners and had product testing and the opportunity to buy products. It was exquisite to see the owners working along with the employees and how proud they are of their products. The tour pace was very comfortable—not too slow or rushed. We had the time to enjoy it. At the end of the tour, Valentina gave us recommendations for lunch at a local restaurant. She kindly made a reservation and even drove us there! Five stars! You won't go wrong with this tour. Thank you, Valentina and Alessandro!
Alessandro and our tour were incredible! He accommodated our large family, had lots of information at each site, and answered every question! He also went out of his way to organize a lunch reservation for after the tour and recommended a beautiful vineyard for us to visit later that day!
The tour was absolutely beautiful! It was just me and my mother because it is low season so we were so pleased having Alessandro all to ourselves listening to stories of the land, producers, Italian life. Would highly recommend this to everyone! Felt like you were in your local friend’s car as he explained about his passionate town.
Thanks to you and your mum! You were exceptional guests and I loved showing you my hometown and its products!
This was a lovely tour with Alessandro. He was an excellent guide, very knowledgeable and interesting. The parmesan cheese factory tour was fascinating! We had an amazing day!
Alessandro was friendly, personable and really informative at all three stops we went to - a mid -size Parmigiana producer, a family owned salami producer, and a balsamic vinegar producer. The family owned businesses were special and not things you would likely have access to on your own. The reason I gave this 4 and not 5 stars is because I don't think this is a very good value for what it is, it felt overpriced.
We are so happy that we booked this tour! Our guide, Lisa, was amazing and gave us such a personalized experience. She picked us up from the train station in Reggio Emilia and we first toured a dairy to see how Parmigiano Reggiano is made - and taste cheeses of various ages. Then we were off to see how Aceto Balsamic Tradizionale is made - the custard with the aged balsamic was fantastic! We had added on the wine tasting and were able to see a family winery and taste some fantastic Lambrusco and local wines. We ended our day at a small, gorgeous Osteria in Bibbiano that we never would have found on our own and had a fantastic traditional local lunch. Lisa answered all of our questions, was so friendly and kind, and we were able to purchase cheese and balsamic (in 100 ml bottles) to take home to the US with us. We have a greater appreciation of all of these products and the hard work and pride that goes into their production. We will be talking about this tour and our experience for a long time - I can't recommend it enough!
Hands on , family run operations! Enjoyed Lisa as well. She was a great host thank you so much was great
