Taste Tour: Parmigiano Reggiano, Balsamic Vinegar and Lunch

About this tour

A five-hour exploration of two cornerstone ingredients in Emilian cooking: Parmigiano Reggiano and Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena. You'll visit a working cheese dairy and historic acetaia (vinegar maker), guided by the producers themselves, tasting aged varieties and learning how each is crafted. The tour wraps with a light lunch designed around balsamic pairings with local specialities, collected from Bologna city centre by shared transport.

Highlights

• Watch Parmigiano Reggiano being made from milk to wheel
• Taste cheeses at different ages, plus ricotta and caciotta
• Tour a traditional acetaia and taste aged balsamic vinegar
• Light lunch centred on balsamic vinegar and local foods
• Producers lead tastings—direct from the source
• Small group, maximum eight people
• Pick-up and air-conditioned transport included

What to expect

Expect to spend time on rural working farms where the actual production happens. A producer will walk you through the cheese-making process, then set out samples of Parmigiano Reggiano at different maturity levels alongside other local cheeses, with wine and water. The acetaia visit follows a similar rhythm: you'll see how balsamic vinegar ages in wooden barrels, then taste the results. Lunch isn't a traditional meal—instead, you'll sample small portions of regional foods chosen to highlight how balsamic complements them. Cellars can be surprisingly cold even in summer, so layer up.

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