Hello folks. Just wondering if anyone knows of any organized Guided Food Tours across different regions of Italy. We are specifically interested in doing a guided tour to experience food and wine. While we are willing to accept tours that include stops at the more non-food related touristy hotspots if they are already incorporated into the tour, we are not seeking those destinations out as part of the trip we are interested in. We are specifically interested in traveling across Italy, experiencing all the wonderful foods but we would really like to find an organized, guided tour with English speaking guides, as opposed to going it ourselves. I appreciate your responses and thank you in advance.<BR><BR>Jim<BR>

Hi Mirth: Most of the food and wine tours I've heard of are one-week programs focusing on specific regions of Italy. I don't know of any tours that crisscross the country (but would love to hear about them if you turn up some interesting sources in your search). Here are a few web sites that you might want to check out initially: www.theinternationalkitchen.com www.cuisineinternational.com<BR>www.lidiasitaly.co m<BR>www.shawguides.com<BR>Good luck, and keep us posted on your plans as they take shape! <BR>

Hello Jim, Go to my favorite Italy site at www.initaly.com and click on " Travelling to Italy" and then " Tours" to find a private tour company called Italian Horizans. She has only small groups and has a great one planned for 3 regions in late Sep. Good luck !

hi mirth,<BR>I've heard of a tour organizer for food tours when I was in Florence ([email protected]). GOOD LUCK

Try Adventures Abroad www.adventures-abroad.com. they had an excellent tour through Tuscany with cooking lessons, winery tours etc.

I would check out the following magazine - Bon Appetit, Gourmet, Travel & Leisure and Conde Nast Traveler - both the mags and their websites. Each have done stories on foodie trips to Italy. Also I would contact some of the great Italian restaurants in the city you live in. I have found that true Italian cooks tend to return to Italy for inspiration very few years. Also see if a culinary institute for a major city can help you identify one as well. Enjoy - its well worth the effort.

Hi<BR>The parent organization for the magazine<BR>La Cucina Italiana is called something like the Italian Cultural Institute, or some such. Anyway, a friend of mine took a food and wine tour via that organization a couple of years ago.<BR>It was a small group, fewer than 10 people, and that particular tour concentrated on northern Italy, esp<BR>around the Lakes. They stayed and ate at top-drawer places. My friend's only criticism of the tour was that too much time was spent in the minivan going from place to place--I don't see how to get around that.<BR>You might want to contact the magazine's website to get through to the organization.