Private Insider Wine & Gastronomy Experiences
Hosted by Chef Marcus & Jamie Guiliano
Amarone – Parmigiano Reggiano – Traditional Balsamic – Grappa – Verona – Lake Garda
Private custom travel also available for groups, families, and culinary clubs.
Travel through two of Italy’s greatest food and wine regions, from the aging rooms of Parmigiano Reggiano and the centuries-old balsamic attics of Emilia-Romagna to the Amarone hills of Valpolicella, the grappa distilleries of Bassano, and the shores of Lake Garda.
Most travelers visit Italy through its famous landmarks. We prefer to experience it through the people who make it extraordinary.
The cheesemakers who wake before dawn to craft Parmigiano Reggiano. The families patiently aging Traditional Balsamic Vinegar for decades. The winemakers drying grapes to create Amarone. The distillers preserving centuries of grappa tradition.
Jamie and Marcus have spent years building these relationships. Not with tourism offices or reservation desks, but with families, owners, and producers. That changes everything, because the most memorable moments are rarely listed in guidebooks.
Modena, Parma, Bologna, Verona, the hills of Valpolicella, Soave, the volcanic Colli Euganei, Bassano del Grappa, Sirmione, and the shores of Lake Garda.
Private winery visits, owner-hosted tastings, traditional balsamic estates, Parmigiano Reggiano production, Prosciutto di Parma producers, historic grappa distilleries, long lunches, boutique hotels, and slow travel shaped by chef-led hospitality.
Join a hosted Emilia-Romagna & Veneto departure, or ask us to design a private version for your own group.
Instead, private winery and artisan experiences, producer relationships, owner introductions, family hospitality, long lunches, small groups, and insider access. Because often the owner becomes your guide.
Expect chef-driven meals, vineyard lunches, long afternoons, and culinary moments shaped by the people, places, and traditions of Northern Italy.
8-day immersive itinerary
Each day is built around relationships with the families, winemakers, cheesemakers, and distillers who define these two regions. Hotels and select stops are confirmed closer to departure.
Touch down in the fashionable city of Verona, Italy’s epicenter of romance and taste, and settle in over a long Veronese lunch. From there the road leads to Modena and Paltrinieri, our partner in balsamic, before a culinary evening with Chef Guido, whose balsamic vinegar we proudly import, a foodie friendship for the books. Overnight at Castello di Viano.
The morning brings a privileged, private tour with Guido through his 200-year-old, family-owned balsamic estate, walking the attics where vinegar slowly concentrates over decades. The afternoon turns to Cantina della Volta for an enlightening Lambrusco tasting that reframes everything most travelers think they know about the wine. Dinner unfolds in the heart of Modena. Overnight at Castello di Viano.
Witness the artistry of Parmigiano Reggiano at Zanetti, from copper-kettle magic to aging rooms stacked with thousands of wheels. The afternoon moves to Galloni for a Prosciutto di Parma tour and lunch, with a behind-the-scenes look at the curing rooms and the prized Barolo barrel-aged prosciutto. Overnight at Castello di Viano.
Head to the captivating Vignalta winery in the volcanic Colli Euganei, then explore historic Bassano del Grappa. As evening falls, exclusive grappa tastings await at Nardini, Italy’s oldest distillery, and Poli, followed by a feast at the Nardini family’s castle. Overnight at a boutique hotel in Bassano.
A full day in Valpolicella with tours and tastings at Corte Sant’Alda and Graziano Prà in Soave, punctuated by a late, luxurious lunch. Overnight at Villa Giona.
Morning visits to Ca’ dei Frati and Otello for tasting and nibbles give way to an afternoon pairing wine and cheese at Cantina Anselmi and Zenato. As the day winds down, stroll the medieval charm of Sirmione before a memorable lakeside dinner. Overnight at Villa Giona.
The morning begins inside an actual aging cave at I Sapori del Portico for a cheese tasting, followed by a light lunch and tasting at Tenute Ugolini. The evening is spent wining and dining at Tenuta Santa Maria, the famed Bertani estate. Overnight at a boutique hotel in Verona.
A picturesque tour and lunch at Le Fraghe in Bardolino, on the shores of Lake Garda, leads to one last memorable winery visit at Monte del Frà in Custoza. Overnight at a boutique hotel in Verona.
Expect wines shaped by drying lofts, volcanic soils, and Northern Italy’s deep relationship with food. Amarone della Valpolicella, Valpolicella Classico, Ripasso, Recioto, Soave, Lugana, Bardolino, Custoza, Prosecco, and Lambrusco, alongside the region’s great artisan foods: Parmigiano Reggiano, Prosciutto di Parma, Traditional Balsamic Vinegar, and grappa.
Only 8–14 guests are invited into this hosted experience. Leave your details and Marcus or Jamie will personally share more tour details.
Your details are used only to follow up about the Emilia-Romagna & Veneto hosted journey or private travel request.
