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Overview

Culinary Small Group Tour of Italy

This small group tour of Italy is a gastronomical journey to the province of Umbria, nicknamed “The Green Heart of Italy”, known for its unique local cuisine and fine wines. This region not only features luxuriant natural landscapes and a verdant countryside, but also plenty of old cities lined with cobblestone streets, breathtaking cathedrals, and a few ancient fortresses. The journey starts off in Orvieto, whose cathedral is a gothic masterpiece, followed by Todi. After this, you’ll follow in the footsteps of Saint Francis of Assisi, explore the Etruscan walls, 16th century palaces, and chocolate factories of Perugia, and visit Spoleto, best know for its Festival of the Two Worlds. You’ll also walk along the shores of Lake Trasimeno as your journey into the heart of this fascinating region continues.

Throughout this 8-day culinary tour, travelers will have plenty of opportunities to sample some fine wines and/or other typical local, Slow-Food-approved products, and visit many of the area’s wine cellars, bakeries, pastry shops, farms, and markets – all among the best Italy has to offer!

Contact Uniktour’s Italy expert for more information on this superb small group tour of Italy’s fine cuisine!

Itinerary

Day 1| International flight

Day 2| Arrival
Arrive at Rome airport and afternoon’s collective transfer to the hotel Posta dei Donini in San Martino in Campo, near Perugia. The transfer departure time is scheduled at 16.00 hrs. Time to settle in, meet tour escort and welcome dinner of traditional local fare and Slow Food Presidium products from Umbria where there will be an introduction to the tour. During the evening there will also be an introduction to the Slow Food philosophy, the activities of the association and the Terra Madre Foundation. Overnight.

Day 3| Orvieto - Todi
Morning visit to Orvieto, situated on top of a rock offering the most splendid of views. Tour of the city, including the Duomo Gothic Cathedral and a visit to the Palazzo del Gusto, head office of the Enoteca Regionale of Umbria where there will be a guided tour and wine tasting of Umbrian wines accompanied by some local fare. Before heading off there will be a short visit to the Adriano pastry shop to try the best of Orvieto’s typical cakes and desserts, including chocolates made with chillies and saffron. An afternoon visit to Todi, a splendid medieval town, where it is pleasant to wander around and discover the old monuments and craftshops including the Macelleria Fraolini (butcher) that produces traditional salamis and roast pork with oven baked breads. A visit to the Caseificio Montecristo (cheese producer) in Pian di Porto to sample the baby Pecorino cheeses made with fresh milk. Return to the hotel and overnight.

Day 4| Assisi - Bevagna - Montefalco
Morning guided tour of Assisi, including the Basilica of St Francis and a quick stop off at the Forno dei Fratelli Sensi bakery in the heart of the town which offers home produced Umbrian specialities. Continue on to Bevagna, an ancient medieval town that has held on to its traditional characteristics. Free time to discover the town. On to Montefalco, another splendid town situated on top of a hill, offering spectacular views over the Umbrian hills. Visit the city and taste the famous Sagrantino, a new DOGC wine. Visit the ancient olive groves - over 3,000 plants - belonging to the Romanelli family to discover the different plant varieties and the techniques used in the production of the extra virgin olive oil, along with a tasting. A break at the Azienda Rosati, to buy the locally produced cold cuts including Capocollo, dried sausages and salami, as well as traditional cakes (which change according to the season). Return to the hotel and overnight.

Day 5| Perugia - Città di Castello
A morning visit to Perugia; perched on a hill, it is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful towns in Italy. A visit to the Perugina chocolate museum, famous for its Baci Perugina chocolates. Stop off at the historical Pasticceria Sandri pastry shop and the Bottega delle Erbe Aromatiche with over 6,000 different herbs and other products. Afternoon departure for Città di Castello, in the Tiber valley; a tour of the city and the Fratelli Giulietti Salumifico where you may sample the local salamis including the Mazzafegati (Slow Food Presidium). Visit to the Il Girasole grocery store: a classic grocery shop specialising in salami, cheese and typical local cakes and desserts and a Slow Food Presidia business. Back to Perugia and dinner with the dishes of the traditional Umbran cuisine at the Osteria La Lumera. Return to the hotel and overnight.

Day 6| Spoleto
Departure for Spoleto and a tour of the city. Stop just outside the city for a treat at two tiny villages in the Umbrian hills. The first stop is at the Leonardi bakery which specialises in natural yeast breads; visit and sample the fare. The second is the Castello di Poreta; visit and sample the extra virgin olive oil. In the afternoon, return to Foligno and walk through the old town centre stopping at the Central Bar for a top quality ice cream with some amazing and original flavours such as the Sagrantino wine one. Return to the hotel and overnight.

Day 7| Solomeo - Lake Trasimeno - Castiglione del Lago
Departure for Solomeo, situated on the slopes of a hill almost half way between Perugia and Lake Trasimeno. A visit to the old hamlet which has preserved its original Medieval layout to this day, thanks to a careful and intelligent restoration project. A visit to Bruno Cucinelli’s old craftshop selling handmade top quality cashmere products. Departure for Lake Trasimeno, one of the largest in Italy, to visit some of the characteristic towns around the lake such as Magione, Castiglione del Lago and Passignano. Dinner will be hosted in a traditional local restaurant, the Acquario in Castiglione del Lago where traditional dishes, including the Fagiolina del Lago (Slow Food Presidium) will be served. Return to the hotel and overnight.

Day 8| Umbertide, Gubbio
Departure for Umbertide, a wonderful old city where there will be a guided tour of the Slow Food Earth Market and a lesson on the season’s vegetables, fruit and local produce, followed by lunch at the Trattoria Nonna Gelsa, located in the countryside near Umbertide. Transfer to Gubbio, yet another important small city that defines the ancient Umbrian civilisation. Gubbio is famous for the Corsa dei Ceri, which takes place annually on the 15 May. Back to the hotel where there will be a tasting of a selection of local wines.

Day 9| Departure
Early morning collective transfer for the Rome airport. Arrival at the airport at 10.00 hrs.


SLOW FOOD PRESIDIA AND OTHER RECOMMENDED PRODUCTS
Participants will have the unique chance of sampling several Slow Food Presidia products - high-quality, traditional foods and beverages at risk of “estinction” - and other local delicacies from Slow Food recommended quality producers, such as:
- the baby Pecorino cheese
- the extra virgin olive oil of the Montefalco area
- the Mazzafegato sausage
- the natural yeast breads of the villages near Spoleto
- the extra virgin olive oil of the Spoleto area
- the fresh produce of the Umbertide Slow Food Earth Market

HIGHLIGHTS
The Lake Trasimeno Bean is tiny, about the size of a grain of rice. Soft, buttery and flavourful, the dried beans are eaten boiled and seasoned with a little extra-virgin olive oil. The fresh beans (cornetti) are sautéed with tomatoes and garlic. Cultivated on the terraces around Lake Trasimeno, they were popular until the 1950s, but have nearly disappeared since then.

The Mazzafegato sausage is made from the leftovers of a pig after preparing other cured meat products. The meat is coarsely minced and cured with salt, pepper, small amounts of garlic, lemon and/or orange peel and fennel flowers. It was born out of the necessity to make full use of the entire slaughtered pig, but thanks to the ability of skilled butchers, who have made a virtue out of this necessity, the product was born that is appreciated by connoisseurs.

The Sagrantino di Montefalco wine is named after the grape from which it is made. Cultivated for centuries on the hills of Umbria, Sagrantino is considered autochthonous, although there are various theories as to its origin. Some believe it to have come from Spain, others say it was imported by the first Franciscan friars, and others claim that it was brought into Italy by the Saracens. The Sagrantino may not be made available for consumption before having been aged at least 30 months, of which at least 12 months in wooden casks.

TYPICAL RESTAURANTS FROM THE “OSTERIE D’ITALIA” SLOW FOOD GUIDE
Tour participants will taste the delicious, authentic dishes of the regional cuisine eating at restaurants selected among those recommended by Slow Food in the “Osterie d’Italia” guide, small “trattorie” that still use fresh, local produce and traditional recipies for their dishes:
- Trattoria l’Acquario
- Osteria La Lumera
- Trattoria Nonna Gelsa

WINERIES AND MORE
Tour participants will also have the opportunity to sample wines and/or local typical products at wineries, bakeries, pastry shops, farms, fresh produce markets and more, such as:
- the famous Sagrantino wine
- the wines and local fare of the Palazzo del Gusto, Enoteca Regionale dell’Umbria winery
- the Baci and other chocolate pralines at the Perugina Chocolate Museum
- the salami and other cold cut specialities of Orvieto
- the typical traditional cakes and pastries of Perugia

POINTS OF INTEREST: ART, HISTORY, CULTURE & NATURE
During the tour the participants will not only discover delightful food and wines but also the most interesting monuments, works of art, churches and natural landscapes of the region:
- Orvieto, situated on top of a rock offering the most splendid of views, with the wonderful the Gothic Cathedral
- Todi, yet another splendid medieval little town full of ancient buildings and tiny streets
- Assisi, a spiritual place home of the Basilica of St. Francis
- Perugia, perched on a hill, undoubtedly one of the most beautiful ancient towns in Italy
- Spoleto, a veritable jewel, full of ancient churches and buildings, where the famous Festival dei Due Mondi is held every year
- Gubbio, the medieval little town built on the side of Mount Ingino, with the monumental basilica that preserves the incorrupt body of St. Ubaldo, patron saint of the town
- Lake Trasimeno, one of Italy’s largest lakes and the characteristic towns and villages around it, such as Magione, Castiglione del Lago and Passignano

Budget

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Other fees

Lodging

SLOW FOOD AND THE TERRA MADRE PROJECT

Slow Food is a global, grassroots organization with supporters in 150 countries around the world who are linking the pleasure of good food with a commitment to their community and the environment.
A non-profit member-supported association, Slow Food was founded in 1989 to counter the rise of fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions and people’s dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from, how it tastes and how our food choices affect the rest of the world. A series of overlapping groups and entities make up the Slow Food network:
- more than 100,000 members in 153 countries
- 2,000 food communities in the Terra Madre network
- more than 10,000 small producers involved in Presidia projects

Members join one Slow Food Convivia, local chapters who are working autonomously to defend their culinary culture and to support a more sustainable food future, spreading the Slow Food philosophy and making it real. More than 1,300 Convivia around the world form the backbone of Slow Food.

Eight countries have national branches that have been established to coordinate Slow Food activities, organizing events and projects with a deeper knowledge of the needs of their members; after Italy, where the association was born, Slow Food branches were created in Switzerland, Germany, USA, France, UK, Japan and The Netherlands.

Slow Food’s headquarters plans and promotes the movement's development worldwide. The association is led by the Board of Directors, Slow Food’s founder Carlo Petrini is the president.

The Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity was founded in 2003 in partnership with the Tuscany Regional Authority to support Slow Food's projects that defend food biodiversity and traditions by working with groups of producers, with a particular focus on developing countries. Key projects are Presidia, Ark of Taste and Earth Markets.

Terra Madre is a project conceived by Slow Food, the philosophy of which evolved over the the organization’s history and crystallized at its realization that “eating is an agricultural act and producing is a gastronomic act.” Slow Food had always stood for the pleasures of the table, for the importance of good-tasting food, and for the defense of cultures facing growing homogenization as a result of today’s so-called modern rationales regarding production, distribution, and economies of scale. It was where these “rationales” were leading that brought Slow Food to realize the need to protect and support small producers, and to change the systems that put them in danger by bringing together those players with decision-making power: consumers, educational institutions, chefs and cooks, agricultural research entities, NGOs, etc. It became clear that it is only through repeated, cumulative, local action, following a guiding global vision, that a significant impact can be achieved.

Thus Terra Madre was born: To give voice and visibility to the rural food producers who populate our world. To raise their awareness, as well as that of the population at large, of the value of their work. To sustain their ability to work under the best conditions, for all of our good and for the good of the planet. For these reasons, constructing a global network—with information-sharing tools, the means to learn from each other, and opportunities for collaboration in many ways—seemed invaluable. We must continue to have fertile lands, lands on which sprout and grow plants and animals appropriate to those environments, rather than needing to be pumped full of chemicals to make them thrive artificially. And we must also continue to have the people capable of stewarding these lands, to have their know-how, so we can have food that still carries the tastes of our youth.

The inaugural gathering of Terra Madre launched the network in 2004 in Torino, and was on an unprecedented scale. This first edition brought together 5000 producers from 130 countries and shone global media attention on their crisis. The second edition was in 2006, and incorporated an additional 1000 cooks, from renowned to modest, but all aware of their role relative to high-quality food producers. Also in attendance were 400 researchers and academics, seeking to bridge the theory of their work with hands-on practice.


SLOW FOOD PRESIDIA

The Slow Food Presidia are sustainable food production initiatives which build the capacity of a group of producers in order to improve production techniques, develop production protocols and find local and international markets. To date, more than 300 Presidia have been created around the world, involving over 10,000 small-scale sustainable farmers. Each Presidium supports a quality product at risk of extinction; uses traditional processing and/or agricultural methods; and safeguards native breeds and local plant varieties.

The Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity selects products for inclusion in the Presidia project by evaluating the following two aspects of the product:
- Is the product relevant to the gastronomic culture of the regions of production, linked to local identities, and produced in well-defined areas with specific geographic/climactic/cultural characteristics?
- Is the product of Taste, Environmental, and Social Quality?

The product must taste excellent – this is the only way to guarantee that anyone who tastes the product will experience the pleasure of taste, which is a fundamental aspect of the Slow Food philosophy. All told, there are at least three main elements that are important to evaluate while considering a product’s taste quality: balance, origin, and complexity: Balance means harmony between the aromas and flavors typical to a product; Origin refers to the product’s expression of particular taste qualities linked to its area of origin; Complexity refers to the positive development of the flavor of a product during the course of a tasting.

In general, a product must be as natural as possible. This does not mean ‘organic’, the product does not need to be certified, but sustainable, made in a way that does not damage the environment, animal welfare, and the health of consumers who eat it.

Social Quality is the most recent addition to the Slow Food approach to Presidia, linked primarily to the development of the first Presidia in Africa and South America. In these countries, it is enormously important to consider certain aspects of production linked to social equity in determining quality. The activities of the Presidia must respect indigenous people and promote the cultural identity of the producers. Discrimination linked to social position, nationality, gender, religious or political belief, ethnicity, etc. are not allowed, and the use of child labor is forbidden. One more aspect of Social Quality is a fair price for a product, and the Presidia to work to promote the commercialization of food products that can bring wider social improvement through a fair price for products.

In synthesis, a Presidium product must be good, clean and fair.

There are 193 Italian Slow Food Presidia from more than 1300 small producers: farmers, fishermen, butchers, sheperds, cheese-makers, bakers, pastry cooks, etc.

The Ark of Taste project was launched to rediscover, catalog and promote foods which are at risk of extinction, but have productive and commercial potential and are closely linked to specific communities and cultures. Today the Ark lists more than 900 unique foods from 50 countries around the world that are threatened by industrial standardization.

The Foundation’s most recent project is the creation of a network of Earth Markets – places where small-scale producers and farmers can sell their products directly to consumers. These farmers’ markets are run according to certain Slow Food principles and are overseen by a community management group.


OSTERIE D’ITALIA TYPICAL RESTAURANTS’ SLOW FOOD GUIDE

Osterie d’Italia Slow Food is a comprehensive region-by-region guide to the most interesting and typical small restaurants of Italy.

In this special guide, the experts at Slow Food identified the best local places to eat, providing over 1,800 profiles of traditional taverns, agritourism farms, wineries, trattorie and typical restaurants.

Consistently with the Slow Food philosophy, the recommended places to eat are those that have deep roots in the territory, that propose dishes which are typical of the local culinary tradition, that use only fresh, locally-produced quality ingredients to prepare their dishes, that offer good selections of wines, that are welcoming and with a friendly atmosphere.

Gaining the right of being listed in this guide is no easy feat and the quality must be always guaranteed, since the Slow Food experts monitor the respect of the afore-mentioned criteria at least once a year.

Overview

Italy – a land so rich and varied that the villages and small towns have as much to offer as the big cities. Practically everywhere you go in this country, you encounter history, art, folklore, gastronomy, and tradition: every visit is an opportunity for reflection – or simply a chance to enjoy yourself! Italians have managed to enter the modern age without having to let go of their creativity, their love of beauty, and their traditions. Between the archeological sites, cathedrals, churches, ancient houses, and statues, there are over 100,000 monuments to discover. As for Italian cuisine, each region has its own savory specialties waiting to delight your palate. Of course, Italy’s big cities also have much to offer: the eternal city, Rome, with its wide avenues and famous Squares. Venice and its charming canals. Florence and its unique arts scene. Pompeii, a fascinating Roman archeological site. These cities will capture your imagination and invite you to discover more and more of romantic Italy. Villa rentals, self-drive tours (freedom), train travel (freedom), private guided travel, customized travel…Uniktour brings you to Italy on your own terms! Contact one of our travel specialists today for more information on how to get started on your trip to Italy!

Tourism

Eat well. Drink better.
Long live the spaghettis, pizzas, tomatoes, olive oils, espressos and cappuccinos! Is that all Italian cuisine has to offer? Of course not! Italy has thousands of succulent dishes, hundreds of gastronomic specialties, and countless savory local products, thanks to a modern agro-industrial system that has managed to maintain traditional flavors, savors and values (even dietary!).
Quality and freshness are the basic ingredients to Italian specialties and all their variations: from fonduta Piedmontese to Sicilian caponata, from risotto Milanese to mozzarella di Campania, from the Venetian “risi e bisi” to the Roman porchetta, from the Ligurian “trenette al pesto” to beef Florentine, to lasagna emiliane or Abruzzo spaghetti chitarra, the list is endless! In fact, one reason many travelers come to Italy is to get to know (and sample!) its fine cuisine. There is no shortage of choice when it comes to where to eat: world-renowned restaurants in the big cities, countless trattorias lining the streets of every village, taverns and bistros scattered across the country. The latter personalize traditional dishes and allow visitors to rediscover typical agricultural products (spelt wheat, barley, corn, vegetables, olive oil, etc.) in a savory cuisine that manages to be gentle on the waistline! As for wine, Italy has caught up to countries with an older and more established wine culture. These days, in no way do Italian wines pale in comparison to those of other countries. There is plenty of variety and quality to choose from: whites, reds, rosés, straw wines, muffatos (with a characteristic moldy aroma), sparkling wines, etc. In Italy we eat and drink like nowhere else on earth!

Geography

The Italian peninsula is located north of the Mediterranean basin, with the Tyrrhenian Sea to the West, the Adriatic to the east, and the Mediterranean to the south. Italy counts some of the Mediterranean’s largest islands as its own, including Sicily and Sardinia. While the Alps line the borders with Switzerland and France in the north, a long mountain chain with an average altitude of 1,000 m running from north to south occupies the central part of the peninsula and the northern part of the country: the Apennines. No industrial or economic activity of importance has developed in these rugged regions. A rich agricultural area is found in the north of the country, in the valley of the Po. Other plains are located next to coastline. Once swamplands, they were drained and made viable to allow agriculture and tourism to flourish. Tuscany offers beautiful scenery with green hills sprinkled with small country homes and characteristic cypress trees. In the south, some of Europe’s last active volcanoes still grumble: Etna in Sicily, Vesuvius close to Naples, and Stromboli in the Aeolian Islands.

Culture

Already during the reign of the Etruscan civilization, Italy was a well-known geographical territory, as evidenced by ancient manuscripts on display in museums, particularly those of Tuscany and Latium. Though this is where the main remnants of Etruscan civilization were found, this ancient culture was also present in Umbria, Campania, and certain areas of current day Emilia-Romagna and Lombardy. Starting in the third century BC, Italy was the land of the Romans, under whose rule the peninsula was unified (as was much of Europe).

The word Italy appears on a coin dating back to the first century BC, made by a confederation of peoples who were revolting against Rome. This money was found in ancient Corfinium (now Corfino, Abruzzo), capital of the Italic confederation. Rome’s longstanding domination (from the 3rd century BC to the 5th century AD) has left an unmistakable mark in Italy: roads, aqueducts, temples, monuments, cities, bridges, theatres, etc. All reminders of a distant past that is still extraordinarily present all across the country. After the fall of the Roman Empire, Italy was invaded and dominated by foreign forces for many long centuries, mostly in the north and in Sicily. Thanks to the development of independent cities in the centre and in the North such as Venice, Florence, Sienna, Genoa, and Milan, Italian arts and commerce flourished and helped the country prosper and develop into a rich civilization. In the period that followed, the small independent states were unable to resist invasions by larger states such as Spain and Austria. Only the small kingdom of Piedmont managed to remain independent. After a brief Napoleonic occupation, it became the driving force behind the Risorgimento, a movement that paved the way for the definitive unification of Italy in 1870 under the rule of the house of Savoy. After the Second World War, a referendum abolished the monarchy and established a Republic in 1946. The rest is current history. To be continued.

Climate

Italy’s Mediterranean climate changes with the seasons and varies considerably between regions. Summers get longer and dryer as we travel south, reaching temperatures of 40°C at the lower end of the peninsula. In the southern regions of Calabria, Apulia, Basilicata and Campania, the summer drought can extend for more than its usual five months, from may to September. Sicily and Sardinia also suffer from this temperate aridity. In both the Apennines and the natural boundary formed by the Alps to the north, winters are colder and harsher with temperatures dropping below 0°C. In the north, particularly in the valley of the Po, the climate is continental, with cold winters (between 0°C and 10°C) and warm summers (30°C) and more precipitation than in the rest of the peninsula.
The best times to visit Italy are spring and autumn, avoiding July and August, when temperatures can become unbearably hot, unless you stay on the Adriatic coast (25°C). During the winter, ski resorts in the Italian Alps offer similar skiing conditions to those found in their French and Swiss equivalents.