Private Parmigiano Balsamico Parmaham en wijnproeverij

This was one of the most informative tours I’ve ever taken. My friends and I learned so much about Italian food culture, which made us appreciate Italian cuisine even more. Michelle was not only a wonderful guide but also an incredibly warm and welcoming person. I was amazed by the depth of her knowledge and her willingness to share it with all of us. The entire day was perfectly organized—from the 7:30 a.m. pickup to the 4:00 p.m. drop-off at our Airbnb. Everything exceeded our expectations. Highly recommended!

This tour was exceptional! Michele is like a walking encyclopedia of knowledge about the region and is so passionate and has so much pride in the treasures of Parma, Modena and Reggio Emilia. Each stop was fascinating and gave us a new appreciation for the labor and craftsmanship that go into the products they produce. The people behind the products were so kind and gracious with their space, knowledge and expertise. Lunch was at a beautiful winery. This has been our favorite tour of our 17 day Italy trip. It's one we will not forget!

We travel quite frequently and have completed many private and group tours. Michelle is "hands-down" the best guide we have ever had in any country. Having done a few walking food tours as well as a cooking class in other Italian regions, we were ready to dive deeper into the history and the "why" of the Emilia-Romagna region and its world famous specialty foods. We wanted a private day with a knowledgeable local (who spoke fluent English) and after a bit of research found Michelle (Artemilia Tours). We were in Milan for work so we popped on the 1.5 hr. train to Parma early one morning. Michelle and Guido (the wonderful driver) picked us up in a beautiful Mercedes sedan. Michelle who grew up in the area, filled us in on the history of the Emilia-Romagna area as we drove. Her passion for the generational producers of the areas was magnetic. We went first to a small (30 wheels a day) Parmigiano Reggiano producer. We were THE ONLY guests in the facility and got to experience actual production at all stages of the cheese and I can't even begin to detail the knowledge we took away. We ended our time with a tasting and the purchase of several different chunks of 1-3 year aged cheese (they even provided special storage bags so that the cheese will keep after opened). After the PR maker, we drove through the lovely countryside,learning more about the area, to what looked like a large home. In fact, this was one of the very few generational artisanal balsamic producers left in the region. This man's entire three-story, childhood home was filled with balsamic vinegar at different stages of processing. He and Michelle, took us through the home and explained the very regulated and stringent process of producing true balsamic vinegar. We sampled both 10 and 25 year vinegars and left with several certified bottles. From the balsamic maker we went on to Barbaterre to sample their full array of organic wine paired with local charcuterie, cheeses, breads and salads. The wine was so incredibly lovely that we ordered a case sent to the US. We each had 5-6 very good glasses of their wines which Michelle was able to explain in detail and to walk us through the notes of the tastings. After our 8 hour day of eating and drinking, Michelle brought us back to Parma where we then explored on our own for a few hours visiting her recommended places including the fantastic Galleria Nazionale di Parma museum which has AMAZING archeological artifacts and art. Michelle had more than "tour guide relationships" with each of these places: she clearly knew them all and revered their artistry. Her knowledge was deep and her excitement was contagious. Additionally, she had higher education in the history of the area as well as sommelier and balsamic vinegar tasting education. We highly recommend Michelle and her company Artemilia.

We booked the experience that includes the Parmigiano Reggiano Dairy, the Traditional Balsamic Vinegar Factory, and Lunch with a tasting of organic wines at the Winery. It was a fantastic experience! We had no idea of the hard work and ethical choices behind these products, especially when they are produced by small family-owned businesses with a closed supply chain like those selected by Michelle. This experience helps you understand how short supply chains are essential for ensuring a direct and authentic connection with the territory. The artisanal products we tasted express the characteristics of the soil and microclimate and are the result of choices that go against the logic of industrial standardization. The common thread that unites them is the promotion of agriculture that respects the environment and landscape, and the attention to the genuineness of the product. I would like to especially thank our guide Michelle for her great preparation, for her patience in answering our countless questions, and for allowing us an authentic experience of understanding work realities, people, choices, and values, during which we never felt like part of a guided tour or a tourist experience. We return home more aware of the importance of individual producers controlling the entire supply chain and how our choices as consumers impact the market. We are happy to have discovered realities that believe in respecting the land, biodiversity, and tradition. Thank you, Michelle!

We did the Parmigiano Reggiano, Balsamic Vinegar and Parma Ham Tasting private Tour (7hrs) and we had a fantastic time with Guido our driver and Roberta our guide. First, the car is very spacious and extremely clean and Guido is an excellent driver. We were offered complimentary bottles of water which were appreciated since it was 36 degrees on the day of the visit. Roberta is a passionate guide, her knowledge seems infinite and she is very sympathetic. We started with a private visit of a dairy farm to see all the operations from milk to parmigiano regiano followed by a tasting of 4 different ages of parmigiano regiano as well as fresh ricotta, still warm ( far better than anything we can find in the grocery stores). We then proceeded to a producer of authentic balsamic vinegar. Again Roberta was able to explain all aspects of the production clearly and included little known facts and stories that made it fun. We tasted different ages of balsamic vinegar and condiments. Our last stop was to visit a family owned company that produces prosciutto di Parma where we were offered a tasting plate of 3 different meats. This tour lasted 7 hours but it went by very fast because it was so interesting. If you are curious about food and tradition, this is just the tour that you need. We appreciated the fact that it was private ( just Roberta and us) every place we visited, the fact that we did not have to drive ourselves, the fact that we got to taste everything and did not feel pressured to buy anything and most of all the fact that we learned so much about 3 of Emilia-Romagna specialties. We highly recommend this tour.

An unforgettable day! We spent an entire day with Michelle discovering the culinary excellences of Emilia. The visit to the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese factory was one of my favorite parts. Being in the production room next to the boilers and witnessing the birth of the cheese was indescribable. My daughter loved being able to see and feed the cows. We even saw a newborn calf. I already knew traditional balsamic vinegar, but I had no idea how it was produced, a true revelation. I highly recommend including lunch in the winery with a wine tasting. I was surprised by the elegance of the classic methods, not only those made from Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc but also from Lambrusco grapes. I was already familiar with Lambrusco and had previously had the opportunity to taste some ancestral methods, but the one I tried in the winery with Michelle was by far superior. The real discovery was nonetheless the classic method Lambrusco; I did not believe that Lambrusco grapes could produce a wine with such a complex aromatic bouquet and fine, elegant bubbles. I appreciated the winery's corporate philosophy, based on a completely natural approach, respecting the ecosystem. I commend the careful selection of producers. It was a pleasure to discover their stories and taste their top-quality products. A special thanks to our highly knowledgeable guide, who accompanied us with passion and great professionalism. We will definitely return and recommend this experience to all our friends!

My husband and I had an incredible day with Michell as we traveled to farms and winery’s near Parma. Michelle is so knowledgeable and passionate about the local foods. She has long established relationships with premier producers that we could never have discovered on our own. And she is also great company. The perfect person to spent the day in the beautiful Parma countryside, visiting some of the world’s most delicious food providers.

It was not just a tour, but a real dive into the soul of Parma. Roberta accompanied us with a contagious passion, telling us the secrets of Parmigiano Reggiano, Parma Ham, vinegar and wine not as simple products, but as life stories. His kindness, sympathy and attention to detail made the day magical. If you want to discover the most authentic and delicious side of the area, look no further: Roberta is a rare pearl!

Definitely a highlight of our stay in Italy. Our party of two participated in the Private Parmigiano, Balsamic, Parma Ham and Wine Tasting Tour. We were staying in Bologna, and were transported to Parma for the start of the tour and then transported back at the end of the tour. It was fun, delicious and informative. Our guide, Michelle, was impressively knowledgeable about the food, history and culture of the region. Her established relationships with the local dairies, acetaie (balsamic manufacturers) and salumifici (ham curers) enabled us to seamlessly go behind the scenes and see how all of these products of Parma and Reggio Emilia are created. It was obvious to us how much she cared about the products and the processes of their creation. My favorite portion of the tour was the visit to the dairy to watch the morning processing of the milk in the production of Parmigiano Reggiano (and ricotta too!). This is a full day experience, jam-packed with information, but well-paced. Including travel time to and from Bologna (~1hr each way) it was approximately 12 hours. We definitely recommend including the lunch option. The food and conversation was great and we were introduced to a number of regional wines that we, sadly, are unlikely to see in the US anytime soon (all the more reason for a return visit!) The tour was easy to arrange, and Michelle was very responsive to questions during the booking process. We intend to return to the region and look forward to our next tour with Artemilia. We wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this tour to anyone who is looking to deep dive into the food of Parma and Reggio Emilia.

This tour was the highlight of our trip. We decided to do the full day tour with the dairy, ham and balsamic tours plus a vineyard tour with lunch. The lunch was the best meal we had in Italy. Michelle was an excellent host and, since she has relationships with the owners at all of the stops, we were really able to get close up and ask questions. Since it was private, we never felt rushed anywhere and we never had to deal with crowds. Everything was presented perfectly and we learned so much. We definitely have a new respect for all the work that goes into these special products from Parma. We would definitely recommend the tour and wouldn't hesitate to use this company again if we were back in the area.