Custom Tours in Italy: Craft a Personalized Abruzzo Tour

Han is a wine expert who has traveled throughout Italy, but had not visited Abruzzo. Inspired by a Montepulciano d’Abruzzo tasted at an event, his dream was to discover the best little-known wines of the region with his family and friends.

Thanks to our strong connections in the Abruzzo wine industry, we managed to secure Han and the group more than just their requested rare bottles of wine. With a professional sommelier we organized a tasting of 10 of the best wines from Abruzzo, each paired with a traditional dish. We also organized a private dinner at a friend’s house who ages wines under the snow of the Gran Sasso. It was a fun night!

We enjoyed lunch in a cantina, or wine cellar, which opened exclusively for us and we had a tasting session of some of Abruzzo’s oldest sweet wine, ‘Vino Cotto’. We enjoyed sampling a range of deli selections at one of the best salumeria in Italy and we took a trip to some caverns which are unknown even to locals.

We also had the opportunity to try some of the best ‘arrosticini’, a skewered meat specialty of Abruzzo. We had a luxury seafood lunch with wine pairings at the Trabocchi, the abruzzese fishing constructions that have been converted to restaurants on the coast, in celebration of the last night of the trip.

Han had considerably more experience in the wine industry than we had, but we felt strong in our connections. We knew we could connect Han with local wine experts and discover some rare wines together for the first time. The group did not want to visit wineries, but taste multiple great wines at one location, paired with food. Han requested some rare bottles from historic wineries for tasting and to take back home.

An amazing itinerary focused on the gastronomy of the Abruzzo region, where we also got to taste some special wines we thought wouldn’t be possible to taste. The group was even supposed to come back in June 2021, but it was postponed due to covid until a further date.

Ellen and her friends had their flights to Greece canceled and contacted us to arrange a tailored tour to Matera in the Basilicata Region, a Unesco World Heritage Site. Their main wishes involved authentic experiences with outstanding food and wine, a flexible itinerary and space for half a day of hiking and at least one cooking experience with a local.

The group was picked up from their accommodations and driven to Matera. We first experienced the bread-making of Matera in a historic bakery, then made the iconic Caciocavallo cheese at the home of locals, before hiking to the Unesco site with a guide and geologist who became our friend! We also went to a local Nonna’s home to make orecchiette near the border of Puglia, visited a historic winery that cultivates native grapes, and had fabulous meals & wine throughout the trip!

Matera is becoming a popular destination and it was hard to find authentic experiences to do in and around the town with the short time we were given (2 weeks). For an outsider It was hard to connect with locals and experience the local culture.

“This was the best trip of my life. Marino took I and two friends to visit the ancient city of Matera. He designed the entire trip according to our interests. Each experience included a personal rather than tourist oriented approach. We visited with cheese makers in their small business, a young wine producer who discovered and renovated a century old wine production facility, a bread making company that told us the ancient history of the place and its relationship to bread. A tour of the national park opposite the city with a geologist who explained the evolution of the terrain and the reasons it has been one of the oldest continuously populated places on earth. An evening in the mountains making and eating our own pasta with people who love people. I could go on… Furthermore, Marino himself is an incredibly good sport. He is all of 27 years old with the wisdom of an ancient. He spent 5 days with 3 women in their late 50’s’ and 60’s and we all had a great time. He arranged everything perfectly and adjusted seamlessly if needed. He is special and if you want the best vacation of your life, contact Marino.”

Ellen S.
USA