The gorgeous Italian city of Verona has captivated imaginations for centuries and with good reason. If you’ve been to Verona, you know why William Shakespeare chose it as the setting for his most famous play- Romeo and Juliet.
But Verona is more than just a beautiful city. It is also 100% alive with culture, art and gastronomic delights. From quaint little cafes to high-end restaurants, this northern Italian city has an abundance of places to eat and drink. Like other destinations in Italy, the food and wine are sinfully good. But this article is not about Verona’s restaurants. It’s about all the fun food tours, tasting experiences and cooking sessions you can try out when you’re in Verona. Here are some options we recommend. Get ready to start eating and drinking!
1- Head to Valpolicella to taste Amarone
It is sacrilegious to be in Italy and not go on a wine tour. If you’re in Verona, venture out to Valpolicella for an informative and personalised Amarone tasting experience. What is Amarone, you ask? Amarone is a rich dry red wine made from partially dried grapes. According to wine enthusiasts, Amarone is a wonderfully unique red wine that rivals other renowned Italian wines such as Barolo and Brunello di Montalcino.
During this half-day guided visit, your hosts will pick you up from the city centre of Verona and drive you to Valpolicella in a comfy mini van. The hosts are lovely and have a great amount of knowledge on local wines. During the drive, they’ll regale you with stories about Valpolicella and its local wine-making traditions. The visit includes two wineries. At the first one, you’ll tour the wine cellar and learn about popular grape varieties in the region, soil quality as well as wine aging and storage techniques. Then comes the best best part… sitting around a table and tasting delicious wines from the area including the famous Amarone along with regional meats and cheeses. Feel free to walk around the gardens and vineyards to take some memorable pictures of these naturally gorgeous backdrops.
The second stop is a smaller, boutique-sized winery belonging to an independent local wine maker. Here, you’ll get to taste a few more impressive local wines with a variety of delicious snacks to pair.
Cost: From 95 Euros/ Person
2- Learn how to make authentic Italian pasta
You’re in Italy! Why not get your fingers doughy and learn some traditional Italian pasta recipes?
During this cooking class, your Italian host will share her family’s pasta-making secrets passed on from her grandmother. She’ll show you how to make fresh pasta dough from scratch and mould them into the famous Italian pasta shapes we all know and love: tagliolini, pappardelle, tagliatelle, farfalle, maltagliati to name a few. She’ll also teach you how to decorate and colour pasta. Fresh ravioli is also in the menu!
At the end of the cooking session, you’ll share a leisurely meal with your group over some Venetian wine Expect a three-course dinner, cooked with low to no salt or sugar. This means you’ll enjoy the true taste of real food on your palate. We highly recommend this tour!
All you need to take with you is your appetite! Everything else is provided.
Cost: From 68 Euros/ Person
3- Go on a trip to Parma
Food lovers, we’re sure you’re familiar with Parmigiano Reggiano and Prosciutto di Parma. These two culinary delights come from Parma and Emilia Romagna located just south of Verona. So why not go there and taste these yummy things at ground zero?
During this tour, you’ll discover the secrets of two of the most famous Italian exports: Parmigiano Reggiano and Prosciutto di Parma ( Parma Ham )
You’ll visit a traditional parmesan cheese factory and learn interesting tidbits about of one of the most cherished of all ingredients in Italy.
The Parmigiano Reggiano falls under EU’s protect food items cateory and only cheese producers in the regions of Parma and Emilia Romagna can use the word Parmigianino Reggiano. Pretty much like Champagne in France. Parmigiano Regiano dates back over 9 centuries and is still produced using traditional cheese-making methods.
You’ll get to see first hand how the cheese makers extract the cheese from milk vats and visit the shaping and salting rooms before going to the stagionatura where the cheese is matured and aged. You’ll get to observe the cheese makers at work and sample some delicious cheese with honey and local wine while savouring the sight and aroma of thousands of wheels of cheese.
After the cheese factory visit, you’ll head to a Parma ham factory to see how the meat is cooled, salted and rested. Here, you’ll taste some cold cuts with local wines such as Malvasia and more.
Cost: From 85 Euros/ Person
4- Create your own artisanal gelato
It’s no secret that Italians love gelato. They love it so much that they have an entire museum dedicated to it in the city of Bologna. Wouldn’t it be fun to have a crack at making your own version of this frozen dessert? Fortunately, travellers and tourists in Italy can sign up for amateur gelato-making classes almost everywhere in Italy
If you’re a foodie in Verona, we recommend this hands-on gelato workshop to learn the art of authentic gelato-making. During the experience, you’ll be making gelato from start to finish. Your host will work with you and walk you through the entire process step by step. You’ll learn the science behind Gelato-making as well as tips and tricks to achieve a creamy consistency. When you’re back home, you’ll have the pleasure of trying out your new-found skills on your friends and family!
Cost: From 39 Euros/ Person
5- Create your own Tiramisu
As we all know, Tiramisu is one of the most famous desserts in Italy and the world. This espresso-flavoured “dolci” is light, creamy and yummy! It is one of the most researched recipes on the internet. Don’t miss out on this chance to make an authentic Tiramisu with an Italian host.
During the experience, you’ll discover stories about the origin of Tiramisu. The host will guide you through the entire session. By the end of the class, you’ll know how to choose the right ingredients, common mistakes to avoid and most popular flavours to try:
- Pistachio tiramisù
- Strawberry tiramisù
- Classic tiramisù
Imagine being able to flaunt your amazing new dessert-making skills to everyone you know!
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