Romagna Food & Wine Tour

Emilia-Romagna may be one political region – but culturally it contains two very different territories. Emilia, in the northwest – home to the foodie cities of Parma, Modena and Bologna – draws most of the attention, while Romagna, in the southeast, remains relatively undiscovered.

Osteria Bartolini insalata di mare salad of seafood - Food & Wine Tour Emilia-Romagna

Life in Romagna has a slower, friendlier (dare I say, almost southern Italian) pace, and it’s just as foodie as its better-known western sibling with its own regional specialties including fabulous Adriatic seafood. Here are five more reasons to immerse yourself in a food and wine tour of this fascinating pocket of northern Italy.

Cobbled street in Santarcangelo di Romagna - Food & Wine Tour Emilia-Romagna

Stay Residenza i Platani
The Medieval town of Santarcangelo di Romagna, on the ancient Via Emilia, is the perfect base for exploring Romagna. Especially when you stay in this beautifully restored ancient residence as I do on my northern Italian food and wine tours. Apart from comfortable accommodation, it houses the wonderful Ristorante Lazaroun, with tufa caves below it for ageing cheese and salumi.

Trattoria da Lucio Rimini 3 plates of seafood - Food & Wine Tour Emilia-Romagna

Eat Trattoria da Lucio & Osteria Bartolini
Adriatic seafood is the star of menus in coastal towns. Some, like Osteria Bartolini where we dine canal side in Cesenatico, keep it traditional with excellent fritti misti, insalata di mare (pictured above) and seafood pasta. While the more modern Trattoria da Lucio in Rimini has generated quiet a following for its dry-aged fish, simple charcoal grills and unusual flavour combinations. Guests on my Italian food and wine tour love them both.

Pandolfa Rosé Ginevra in bottle and glass - Food & Wine Tour Emilia-Romagna

Drink Azienda Agricola Pandolfa
A tour and tasting at this beautiful hilltop winery, between the Apennine mountains and the sea, is a highlight of any food and wine tour of Emilia-Romagna. We visit the vineyards by tractor-drawn cart, traveling through mule tracks, orchards, and vines; then walk through the ancient tunnel from the production cellar to the grand 18th-century villa for a guided wine tasting with the owner and winemaker.

San Leo Castle seen from a distance - Food & Wine Tour Emilia-Romagna

Drive San Leo & Lunch at Osteria La Corte
The drive to San Leo is almost as impressive as the first site of this fortified town on a high, impenetrable rocky outcrop (not far from the more touristy autonomous enclave of San Marino). For a great day out, stroll the cobbled streets, climb up to the fort and eat passatelli and other regional dishes with the locals at Osteria La Corte a rustic restaurant on the cobbled main street.

Casa Artusi Pasta Making close-up folding tortellino - Food & Wine Tour Emilia-Romagna

Cook Casa Artusi
A hands-on cooking class at Casa Artusi, named for 19th century gastronome Pellegrino Artusi dubbed ‘the father of Italian home cookery’, is a deep dive into the food culture of Romagna. At this living museum, library and cooking school in an old church, local ladies teach my food and wine tour guests to make the local flatbread, piadina, and traditional egg pastas that we then enjoy for lunch.

It’s impossible to visit Romagna without stopping by Ravenna with its splendid, UNESCO-listed Byzantine mosaics. We always take a couple of hours out of our food and wine touring to see these amazing sites with a private local guide – followed by more food and wine at Ca de’Ven (House of Wine) in a beautifully restored palazzo on Ravenna’s town square.

Updated 22 Dec 2023

Italy Food & Wine Tour Highlights

What Other Travellers Say

Janet (Tamworth, NSW, Australia)
Janet (Tamworth, NSW, Australia)
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Just back from the most amazing trip to Emilia-Romagna with Roberta. Not only the home of Prosciutto di Parma, Parmigiano-Reggiano & Balsamic Vinegar, but scenery to die for and more quaint and exciting restaurants and cafés than you ever imagined. And Roberta is just the person to help you discover and enjoy them! Her knowledge of the history of the region and its wonderful cuisine know no bounds and all added to the excitement of the trip. It was faultless - well organized and lots of fun!
Deb (Belconnen, ACT, Australia)
Deb (Belconnen, ACT, Australia)
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Wow, what a tour – I learned so much! Awesome fun traveling through Emilia-Romagna experiencing first hand some of the produce I've worked with over the last couple of years cooking with Roberta's recipe kits – the family are reaping the benefits now. If you're thinking of joining Roberta in future years get ready for an amazing experience.
Mark (Elizabeth Bay, NSW, Australia)
Mark (Elizabeth Bay, NSW, Australia)
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My wife and I recently joined Roberta's Emilia-Romagna tour. We enjoyed all the temptations offered and learned a lot about that part of Italy, especially its food and wine culture. What was most impressive was Roberta's local knowledge of people and places. The planning and effort she put into making the whole experience seem effortless was remarkable.
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