Presunto Parmigiano Parmigiano Balsâmico Privado e Degustação de Vinhos

How can a tour to see some cheese and ham be life changing? Well, have Michelle as your tour guide! She has completely changed my experience in Italy. She toured us around a Parmigiano factory, where somehow she went into such incredible, and eye opening detail about the handmade painstaking craft of making cheese wheels. We were allowed to walk and experience every part of the factory from the on-site dairy farm, the giant vats where the cheese was first formed and the several rooms afterwards where the cheese is aged. Through her eyes, we are able to experience the passion and dedication these cheese experts have passed down for generations, taking pride in everything they do. From there we went to a balsamic vinegar tasting, where the owner himself works every part of the process. She showed us the rooms he ages the vinegar, original to his grandfather and those that came before him. Next we went to a vineyard, where we saw the natural wine making process, and had a delicious lunch- no one was hungry! Finally we went to a Parma ham factory where we saw the process of salting and curing the meat, met with the owner and her two sons who run the factory. It was truly a special day, to see entire lives dedicated to something that you mindlessly might pick up at a grocery store. No pesticides or chemicals all day- just like they made it originally- using regenerative farming as always intended. Michelle and the places she chose were truly unique. If you are the fence and want to experience something, message her- you will not be disappointed.

Wonderful tour, the guide Michelle is wonderful, presents a lot of knowledge and explains everything in a light, pleasant way. The places we knew were amazing too, cheese making, reception, lunch at the vineyard and parma ham manufacturing. We realized that she is very dear in the places we went

I chose this full-day tour as a gift for my partner who is a food and wine enthusiast and it was the best choice I could have made! The first added value that you notice immediately is the customer care: Michelle responded promptly to every doubt I had during the booking phase, while Roberta accompanied us during the entire experience making us feel pampered and managing the time and atmosphere in an excellent way. At the end of the day it didn't seem real to us that 10 hours had passed! It was not a simple guided tour, but a real educational and sensory journey thanks to the transversal competence of the guide, who explained to us with precision the secrets of the production of Parmigiano Reggiano, Parma ham, Traditional Balsamic Vinegar and wines, showing us the artisanal processes in every phase. The explanations during the tastings were not limited to describing the flavors, but guided us in the analysis of the aromatic notes, teaching us to recognize the qualitative differences and the unique characteristics of each product. Each stop was then enriched by historical anecdotes and an explanation of the context in which these products were born, making the visit a true journey through time that made us appreciate all the delicacies we tasted even more. Highly recommended for those who want to go beyond the surface and understand the soul of these excellences.

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.