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

How can I even begin.... the tour was SENSATIONAL! Worth every single penny because what you are going to see is priceless. We had the tour with another couple - so 4 people in total. COVID-19 rules are thoroughly respected, so no need to worry about these at all. The guide was Alesandro....a guy that cannot be described in words. A lot of passion, a lot of knowledge and a very funny man! You will love it. We had a wonderful start to the day at the Parmigiano factory, then had an amazing breakfast at the Aceto balsamico factory (and a lot of Lambrusco), then moved to the prosciutto factory where we had a nice introduction and walkthrough of the process. The highlight was definitely the last meal of the day in a wonderful Italian country-side setting. More than 13 courses and a lot of wine, it's all I can say. DO not hesitate to book this - it's definitely worth it and it's a way to support local communities as well. Will definitely come back again! Grazie Alesandro & Giorgio

We had a great time on this tour and the owner/guide plus driver were very professional! Learned a lot about how Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and Balsamic Vinegar is made as well as what to look for in the products. It was also a pleasure to taste the cheese in the factory and the different Balsamic Vinegars. Highly recommend walking away with a bottle of Balsamic and cheese if your travel allows! There is A LOT of food on this tour so recommend pacing yourself (breakfast + lunch + wine, plenty all around). Visiting the Prosciutto factory was also quite interesting to see/smell the spices and aging. The farmhouse lunch is absolutely phenomenal to include the view overlooking the fields. We were even given the opportunity to saber our wine bottle!

Amazing experience with a wonderful host! Alessandro knows all there is to know about food in Bologna, and Is a very gracious host! We experienced the production of Parmesan cheese, prosciutto, and high end balsamic vinegar. Great views of the Emilia Romagna countryside at lunch and as you travel to each location. None of these places felt "touristy" and i genuinely felt like it was a one-of-a-kind experience. They are not pushy about buying products, but trust me... The food is so good that you will want to bring it home with you! Not mention, this is a fabulous activity to do on a 90degree hot day, because you are in air-conditioning in the van and the prosciutto facility! We left with full bellies and a great appreciation for artisanal food.

The whole tour was wonderful. The tour guide Alex has a lot of energy and the wine & food flowed all day.

We booked this tour after another operator cancelled on us the day before and I’m so glad! This was an amazing experience with a fantastic guide. Alessandro was amazing! We were picked up and drove to the Parmesan factory where you put on protective equipment. After an educational tour- seeing the cheese be made and visiting the warehouse- we had breakfast. It was coffee, water, Lambrusco, cheese, meat, and sweet pastries. From there, we went to a prosciutto maker, then to a farmhouse for the lunch and balsamic session. The lunch was incredible! There was SO MUCH FOOD and it was delicious! We also tried a bunch of kinds of meat from the factory before lunch. We had bubbly, more Lambrusco, white and red wine at lunch. Finally, we learned about balsamic and tried some different kinds. I would highly recommend the tour to anyone! Such a great value and amazing tour guide!

Fantastic food tour. Riccardo was brilliant. Really good fun. Would highly recommend for anyone travelling in or around Bologna.

I’ll start with saying that we travelled to Bologna a very short time after the COVID restrictions were lifted. And we booked this trip on the afternoon when we arrived, for the next day. So I have quite a bit of understanding as to why it may not have been as perfect as the reviews said it would be. We were the only actual tourists on the trip. The other two people with us were on a social media promotional tour and it seemed that they were definitely the focus of the trip. Our guide was very friendly and knowledgable about the tour, and did make a good bit of effort to talk to us, however for most of the trip we felt a bit like an English couple tagging alongside an Italian private tour. The visits to the parmigiano reggiano and prosciutto factories were great - very educational and it was super to see how these places work. The advertised “breakfast of champions” was a pot of yogurt and a plate of (very delicious) fresh parmigiano reggiano cheese. It wasn’t exactly what we expected, although there was plenty of wine to go with it. Lunch was delicious and definitely lived up to the hype. Plentiful pasta, I think seven courses in all, and it was certainly worth the wait. Wine was also on tap with the lunch, and although it was seemingly endless, it was just one type. Again, not the “wine pairings” that were advertised. The last part of the trip was meant to have been the trip to the balsamico of Modena outlet. This was an afterthought, and we had about two minutes in a garage at the lunch restaurant. Although, again, it was delicious to taste. The trip ended early and we were back in Bologna after just under 9 hours, when the trip is advertised at 10. All in all, this wasn’t the gourmet food experience that we had expected. I’ve got sympathy with the organisers and I wonder if, had it not been post-COVID, we had booked a little earlier and there were more people on the trip, maybe it would have lived up to expectations? Our experience wasn’t worth the near £320 that we paid for two people.

The factories we visited were very interesting and to see the time and effort that goes into making each of these was good. Lunch was ordinary and our group carried on into the night after the tour which was great. Ariana our guide was excellent and very welcoming. She emailed us photos she had taken of the day and she was more than willing to share information about Bologna and Italy.

Ricardo was very knowledgeable and energetic! I especially enjoyed the cheese making portion or the tour and the lunch was great!

Even with a 7am pick up, it was worth every minute. If you’re a food and wine lover this is a must tour. Parmegano Regaño producers first, then Balsámico then Percuitto producers all with thorough explanations of the processes and viewing of the stages. Perfectly done. The tastings were exceptional with more snacks than we could eat with Wine every time. Lastly lunch was great. A lot of food, great food, the Chef Patty was great and accommodating for an allergy. Great atmosphere. Above all, Ricardo our guide made the day. Very knowledgeable, funny and warm friendly individual. He made us feel at home. Thank you for a memorable day. The driver was great too.