Walking and Tasting Tours in Emilia-Romagna

Acid Trip and Parmigiano Experiences

For Italians, the Emilia-Romagna region is synonymous with good food. In 2015, the American magazine Forbes conferred an international award to the region for its gastronomic excellence, further confirmation that Parmigiano Reggiano, Parma ham, balsamic vinegar and tortellini are gastronomic treasures. Reggio Emilia is one of the most important cities of the region and is located 150 km from Milano, 120 km from Verona, 220 km from Venice and 160 km from Florence.

WalkItaly believes that “less is best”, so our tasting tour focuses on two gems: Parmigiano and traditional balsamic vinegar and walking between two places where they are produced!

Walking and Tasting Tour in Emilia-Romagna - Parmigiano Reggiano

One day guided Tour: discovering traditional balsamic vinegar and Parmigiano Reggiano

This walking and tasting tour takes place in an area not far from Reggio Emilia and includes a visit to a top-rated acetaia (a place where vinegar is produced and aged) and a Parmigiano Reggiano dairy founded in 1900 and member of Slow Food Presidia.

This is a walking and tasting tour in the world of traditional balsamic vinegar and Parmigiano: two key ingredients in Italian cuisine. The tastings at the acetaia and caseificio (Dairy) are led by a certified taster and ranked as ‘Grade 1 – Tasting for the General Public’ (a ‘Grade 2 – Tasting for Professionals’ can be organized on request). The acetaia is officially recognised as a learning centre by The University of Gastronomic Sciences of Pollenzo.

Balsamic vinegar is now consumed the world over, in fact 95% of the product is exported overseas, and it is not used just for salad dressings! During the visit, you will learn how it can enhance the flavour of a wide variety of sweet and savoury dishes.

If you would like to learn more about vinegar, we recommend the book Acid Trip by Michael Harlan Turkell, winner of the IACP Cookbook Award for Culinary Travel.

Walking and tasting tours in Emilia-Romagna - Italian Vinegar

Acetaia San Giacomo – Certified Taster

Parmigiano. The concept of naming foods after their place of origin dates back to the Roman Empire. Even after the fall of Rome in 476 AD, people on the Italian peninsula continued to follow that practice. During the middle ages, monks in the area around Parma were the first to produce a distinctive hard cheese. ‘Casaro’ is the name of the head of the team in charge of Parmigiano making, the origins of the word probably being related to the name ‘Caesar’. A visit to a Parmigiano dairy is a serious matter: operations start at 8 am and the temperature inside the dairy is between 21 and 23 °C; disposable gowns will be provided.

Walking and tasting tours in Emilia-Romagna - lunch in a vineyard

Useful Information

This is an easy walking (4+4 km) 1-day tour for small groups (up to 10 people) in the countryside following small, tarmac roads with limited traffic and crossing some industrial areas. The tours take place throughout the year, but require booking at least 7 days in advance. There are no tours on Sundays and Tuesdays, nor from July 1st to August 20th when it is too hot for walking. Further details about the tours will be given after your booking has been confirmed.

Price per person starts from €250. Groups of fewer than four people are welcome, with a surcharge for each person. The price includes:

Meeting at Reggio Emilia Alta Velocità Railway Station at 08:15 and transfer by people mover or minibus to Campagnola Main Square
or
08:15. Meeting at Campagnola Main square if you have your own car. Welcome coffee in a café.
Short drive to the dairy.
08:30. Arrival at the dairy.
08:30 – 10:00. Dairy – guided tour: see, understand, taste and buy Parmigiano.
10:30 – 12:00 Stroll from the dairy to a restaurant.
Lunch in a trattoria. Prices do not include alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks and gratuities.
01:30 – 15:00 Stroll from the restaurant to the acetaia.
15:30 – 17:00. Acetaia – guided tour: see, understand, breath, taste and buy traditional balsamic vinegar.
Transfer to Reggio Emilia Alta Velocità by people mover or minibus around 17:30 (arrival time) and end of the Tour.
Entrance fees.

Reserve your place on this tour!

No payment is required at this point.

Fill out the booking form below and we will get back to you to confirm availability. If we have spaces available on your chosen date, we will ask you to send 50% of the total at least one week before.

Please note that you will receive an email with the option to sign up for the Walk Italy Tours newsletter.