A Spring Culinary Retreat in Emilia Romagna
14-19 April, 2027 — 5 nights, 6 days Culinary Retreat in Emilia Romagna
Explore the food and wine of Italy’s gastronomic heart with us in this new culinary retreat to Emilia Romagna. Led by cookbook author Emiko Davies and sommelier Marco Lami, we will discover the food traditions of the region considered by all Italians as the gastronomic heart of Italy.
This is the home of Parmesan cheese, of prosciutto, culatello (the kind of salumi), mortadella, tortellini and balsamic vinegar. We will have time to explore the beautiful towns of Felino, Modena and Reggio, visiting the local markets and enjoying delicious meals from classic trattorias of the area, and every evening you’ll relax in your curated rooms at Borgo del Balsamico, a B&B in a family residence built in the early 1800s that also happens to be a balsamic vinegar producer with generations of history.
We will also meet and discover the wine makers championing natural wine in this region, which is by and large also Italy’s industrial heart, so it can take a little digging to find the small producers. We will be taking you to discover the artisanal, handmade gems that can still be found — the organic farm making only two vats of Parmesan cheese with rare breed cows, the producers of Parma’s heritage pig, Nero di Parma, where the pigs are so free range they forage in the woods, and the two sisters who carry on their father’s 100 year old balsamic vinegar hobby, as well as the old school trattorias that have been making the humble dishes that are considered some of the most delicious food in the country for centuries.
We have developed this itinerary to show you our very favourite things:
Day 1: WELCOME TO EMILIA ROMAGNA
From 4pm: Arrival in Reggio Emilia and transfer to Borgo del Balsamico; settle in to to your rooms and relax or explore the beautiful gardens until we meet for our first dinner together.
7:30pm A light dinner - tortellini in brodo - with wine.
Day 2: PARMESAN DAY
9am: Departure for one of the only organic Parmesan cheese producers. Here, we will have a visit of the farm and the cheese making room to gain a better understanding of what goes into the process of making Italy’s most famous cheese. Afterwards, we enjoy a tasting of their cheeses.
12pm: Depart for the Castle of Felino and the Museo del Salame, followed by a traditional lunch at a trattoria. Felino is a charming hilltop village in the province of Parma, known for its rich historical, food and wine and natural heritage. It is famous for its Salame di Felino IGP.
4pm: Return to Borgo del Balsamico for an afternoon of rest.
Day 3: MARKET DAY IN REGGIO EMILIA
10am: This morning we head to the farmers market in the town of Reggio. The square is a delightful spot for coffee, a wander, some window shopping for some antiques. So we will take some time here for everyone to take it all in, before buying groceries to cook with later. Walk to lunch in a very traditional local trattoria famous for its bollito trolley.
3pm: We will visit a very small winery that produces delicious natural Lambrusco for a walk through the vineyards followed by a tasting.
4:30pm: Return to Borgo del Balsamico and the evening is yours.
Day 4: BALSAMIC VINEGAR DEEP DIVE
10am: Perhaps the biggest perk of this beautiful accommodation is that the attic is an Acetaia, a place for making traditional balsamic vinegar in centuries old barrels. We will have a tour of the Acetaia with the owner, Cristina, and learn all about this ancient art form and why it takes 12 years to make a bottle of true balsamic vinegar. Then we get to have a tasting of the various vinegars produced here — prepare to be blown away.
12pm: Hands on cooking class and wine lesson! We will cook together with the produce from yesterday’s market and we will produce a delicious meal for us to share, along with a wine lesson with Marco, focussing on indigenous grapes from Emilia Romagna.
You have the late afternoon/evening off to rest or explore.
Day 5: EXPLORING MODENA
9:30am: This day we head out to the neighbouring town of Modena, made famous by Osteria Francescana’s Massimo Bottura and his wife Lara Gilmore. We will explore the town, enjoy some delicious panini at the market and learn about what makes Modena so special in this region known for gastronomy. There will be plenty of free time here for an afternoon of exploring the town’s galleries or shopping and I will provide a guide for Modena at the start of the trip to inspire you.
5pm: We meet up for a drink at our favourite wine bar before an early dinner at one of Modena’s oldest restaurants and back to Borgo.
Day 6: ARRIVEDERCI
10am: Check out of Borgo and transfers to Reggio Emilia station, where we say our goodbyes.
Note:
Dinners — most of the evenings are “off” or a relaxed affair, this is because we know we will be eating quite heavy Emilian food for 5 days straight and we are mindful that some times people need a rest or only a light meal. We have a communal fridge in the dining hall which we will keep stocked daily with fresh fruit, local cheeses and cured meats, bread, crackers, something sweet, wine and tea, for a DIY casual supper. We can also give you details to order in pizza, if that is more your style.
Highlights:
5 night stay in a beautiful villa from the 1800s
Be part of a small, intimate group of 10, like-minded people
Visit an organic, small Parmesan producer
Visit the Museum of Salame
Experience the most traditional trattorias
Visit the Farmers market of Reggio Emilia
Visit a local natural winery
Experience a local balsamic vinegar producer (our host!)
Cooking class with a cookbook author of local, historical dishes
Wine lesson with sommelier Marco Lami
Visit Modena’s market, its historical centre and our favourite food spots
breakfast every morning, four lunches, two dinners plus fridges stocked with delicious snacks, cheese and wine for diy light dinners
All transport from the moment you arrive at Reggio Emilia station until we say goodbye.
Cost:From 2975 euro to 3,900 euro per person, based on your room choice and configuration.
More on our accommodation:
Because each room in Borgo del Balsamico is so beautifully curated and decorated and each of them are so different, you can choose your preferred room when you book — click on the link to see each room directly (first come, first served!). There are two main buildings in the Borgo, one is the 1800s villa with its tall ceilings and rooms named after favourite roses; the other is the cosy country house, facing the villa, which is where the balsamic vinegar attic is located. If you want to treat yourself, the Suites, Dalia, Dark Lady and Gelsomino, are particularly special. If you are traveling with a friend and don’t mind sharing a room, the best rooms suitable for two separate beds are the Dark Lady suite and the Magnolia room; the Queen beds cannot be separated. A beautiful buffet breakfast is included every morning in the stables, looking out towards the villa.
In the villa:
DALIA (Suite with 1 Queen bed) 3,900 single or 3,200 shared
BOULE DE NEIGE (1 Queen bed) 3,550 single or 3,025 shared
GERTRUDE JEKYLL (1 Queen bed) 3,475 single or 2,987.50 shared
DARK LADY (Suite with 2 Queen beds and shared bathroom) 3,475 shared only SOLD OUT
REINE DE VIOLETTE (1 Queen bed) 3,550 single or 3,025 shared
In the farmhouse:
CORTINA (1 Queen bed) 3,450 single or 2,975 shared
ORTIGIA (1 Queen bed) 3,450 single or 2,975 shared
GELSOMINO (Suite with 1 Queen bed) 3,900 single or 3,200 shared
MAGNOLIA (2 twin single beds) 3,500 single or 3,000 shared
GLICINE (1 Queen) 3,500 single or 3,000 shared
To book this culinary retreat, please email vino@enotecamarilu.com with your preferred room and number of guests.