Bologna Food Experience: Factory Visits with Gourmet Lunch and Wine Tasting

The tour was very informative and conveyed tremendous passion for the local food production on show. It ended with a superb meal featuring home made pasta dishes and a great range of wine. Thoroughly recommended.

This experience was AMAZING! Alessandro and his team (including "Grandpa" Cosimo) made us feel like a part of their family. We learned a lot about the production of parmigiano reggiano, balsamic vinegar, and prosciutto and enjoyed the opportunity to sample all of them. One member of our group is vegetarian and the staff made sure there were numerous meat-free (and delicious) options. The meal at the end of the tour was our best food experience in Italy! We would highly recommend this experience to anyone - and we look forward to touring with this group again when return to Italy!

Every positive review is correct! This was definitely a highlight of our 2 week trip. We learned so much, enjoyed amazing tastes and had lots of fun doing it. Thank you Alessandro for an amazing day!

This is by far the best food experience we have done in Italy so far! We learnt a ton about the production of parmesan, balsamic, and prosciutto, and the lunch at the end had the best pasta I've ever had. I wish I could eat the fresh ricotta everyday ^^;;

This tour was outstanding; definitely the highlight of our trip. Our guide, Alessandro, was fantastic. Not only was he informative, but funny, which we needed for the early morning pick up. The breakfast and lunch were so good. Three different types of pasta, plus prosciutto tasting, 6 different wines and dessert. As others have said, go hungry! The tours were very interesting. We will never look at parmigiano regianno, madena balsamic, and prosciutto the same way. I highly recommend this tour.

Our tour guide Alessandro was amazing. This trip was worth every penny. Beginning with the factory tour of how parmigiana reggiano is made to the quaint breakfast outside the oldest balsamic vinegar factory to the amazing lunch to finish off the day. Everything was perfect! Highly recommend!

What a day! An early start in a comfortable mini van, direct from the hotel with a lovely friendly driver. Taken first to watch the process of cheese making, fascinating stuff very ably explained by 'Alessandro the elder'. A lovely kind man who explained each process so well. We were then transported to a nearby lovely old farmhouse and Alessandro introduced us to art and skills of Balsamic vinegar production, passed down the decades by the same family. Really interesting and we then had a wonderful tasting session, followed by a hearty breakfast outside overlooking rolling hills and vineyards, washed down with the regions unique red Lambrusco... Very palatable. After a relaxed breakfast we had opportunity to purchase any balsamic vinegar we taste tested and this was very relaxed with no hard sell at all. Next we were driven about 20 mins to the Prostuitto production building (please forgive my spelling!!! 😜... Not sure I got it right!?). Here Alessandro the elder handed us into the capable care of 'Alessandro the younger'. A proper crazy fun guy with loads of enthusiasm and even though I'm vegetarian and not the least interested in the ham, well I have to say that Alessandro still drew me in and the tour was again completely fascinating. Ok so Alessandro claimed he could turn veggie into a meaty eater 😜and no this didn't happen but hist delivery was brilliant and I learnt lots of fascinating facts. Alessandro assured us that their pigs have to be happy too. Now came our short walk to Alessandro the younger's on site restaurant. Airy and wonderfully quirkily decorated (chosen by Alessandro himself) this was a wonderful experience. We were then treated to a multicourse delicious meal and I don't mean small plates either. Deliciously cooked pastas ensued, paired with delicious wines which flowed generously throughout our feast. The wine pairing was ably explained by the wonderful Riccardo. He regaled us with fun facts and interesting info but delivered with a great sense of fun.... The more so as the wine continued to flow. The feast was a sublime end to our day and we were rolled back to our comfortable transport back to the hotel. What a wonderful day and very heartily recommended. It would be almost rude not to partake in a good food and drink tour in a city such as Bologna. I will definitely do it again and one of our fellow trip gooers was on her 3rd tour and she's all the way from New Zealand!

This entire tour was amazing! Alessandro and the entire crew are fantastic hosts. He is extremely knowledgeable and we learned a great deal about Parmesan Reggiano, Traditional balsamic and DOP prosciutto production. The day gets even better at a private expertly prepared luncheon with delicious prosciutto, pasta, matching wines and tiramisu. We would recommend this tour to everyone!

Alessandro and Ricardo were absolutely brilliant. We had a fantastic time. We were a part of a group of 21 people. The day started early but it was worth the early get up. We had plenty of food and drink throughout the day and couldn’t fault the experience. Great value for money. Would 100% recommend.

This was a 10 out of 10 for my husband and me. It has everything you’d hope for on a food and wine tour. Great food, great wine, hilarious and engaging tour guides- and lots of vino. If you are on the fence, do yourself a favor and make the reservation- it will be a highlight for sure.