8-day culinary wine tour Puglia, Italy

Program

DAY 1 ARRIVAL PUGLIA, ITALY (D)

Today you fly to Puglia, Italy. After arrival at the airport of Brindisi or Bari you will get a private transfer to a historical and charming “masseria” in the heart of Salento. Surrounded by green hills, ancient olive trees and crystal clear air, this old farmhouse will be your accommodation for the next few days. Welcome dinner.

Overnight.

DAY 2: COOKING ATELIER AND VISIT TO OTRANTO (B, L, D)

After breakfast, enjoy your first cooking class in the cooking studio of the Masseria that follows the ancient traditions of Apulian cuisine! After lunch private transfer to Otranto, the easternmost city in Italy.

The historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and you will explore the winding streets and boulevards. You will see the famous beautiful castle and the cathedral. After this you travel back to the masseria. After relaxing and enjoying the surroundings you are expected for dinner.

Overnight.

DAY 3: LECCE, THE BAROQUE CAPITAL (B, D)

After breakfast you will get a private transfer to Lecce. Here you will meet your guide and visit this amazing city, also known as “Florence of the South”. In Lecce you can admire the dazzling details of Baroque architecture. You will also have some free time here for shopping and lunch.

In the afternoon you take a walk among ancient olive trees and you get a guided tour to visit a frantoio. A frantoio is an olive oil factory. You will learn more about the processes of making premium olive oil here. An olive oil tasting follows. After this you travel back to your masseria. After some nice rest and recovery, you are expected for dinner.

Overnight.

DAY 4 – GALLIPOLI (B, L, D)

Today, after breakfast, it is time to enjoy one of the most famous Italian wines: “Negroamaro”. You start your day by visiting a historic wine estate founded in 1900 in the territory of Leverano. Their wines tell a quality story based on the best varieties of native and non-native grape varieties from the Salento area. You take a walk through the vineyards and the cellars with a wine expert. Taste the unique wines served with local products.

In the afternoon, your journey continues to the pretty fishing town of Gallipoli. Relax and enjoy a walk through the beautiful centre. On the way back to your accommodation, stop at a unique winery where their wines are sourced exclusively from native vines: negroamaro, primitivo, malvasia nera and verdeca. Get to know the techniques and processes of winemaking and don’t miss the opportunity to taste the wine directly “from the source”. After this, travel back to the Masseria and have some free time. Then you are expected for dinner.

Overnight.

DAY 5 – OSTUNI AND ALBEROBELLO (B, L)

In the morning, after breakfast, you will have a private transfer to Ostuni, also known as the “White City”. Here you will enjoy your second cooking workshop and learn how to prepare local bread and focaccia. You will also learn how to dose ingredients to make “orecchiette”, homemade “ear” shaped pasta typical of this region.

After lunch, transfer to Alberobello and visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Zona dei Trulli. These small whitewashed houses with conical roofs are unique to Puglia. In the afternoon, stop at one of the oldest and most award-winning wine cellars in the Apulian area, born around the turn of the 20th century. It is an important example of how modern production can be combined with classic structures. Enjoy a wine tasting and visit the Alberobello Wine Museum, an interesting example of twentieth-century industrial architecture. You spend the night in a real, charming trullo.

Overnight in Alberobello.

DAY 6 – EXPLORING THE VALLE D’ITRIA (B)

Today you will visit Valle d’Itria, one of the most popular and attractive areas of Puglia. First stop in the beautiful town of Gioia del Cole, famous for its cheese production. You visit a local cheese factory and taste the delicious mozzarella!

Transfer to an old farmhouse in the rural area near Gioia where the owners work to increase the reputation of “Primitivo”, a native grape used for the production of quality wines in this area. This wine estate is surrounded by a unique landscape with typical dry-stone walls, soft oaks, and vineyards, an authentic landscape that you can only find in Puglia. Enjoy a wine tasting before returning to Alberobello. On the way, stop in Locorotondo, one of the most beautiful towns in Puglia with a proudly preserved, easily walkable centre, and a calm, relaxed atmosphere. At the end of the day, travel back to your accommodation and relax.

Overnight.

DAY 7 – MATERA AND THE SASSI DISTRICT (B)

Today you can choose.

First possibility :

In the morning, after breakfast, you will be transferred to Matera, one of the most beautiful Italian cities. On the way you will make a stop in Altamura, a beautiful and elegant city that you should not miss. Its origins date back to the 5th century BC and are built in a mixed architectural style: Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque melange present a very impressive main square, Piazza del Duomo. This is the heart of the city where narrow streets, numerous palaces, churches and small claustri- are characteristic of Altamura. You will be amazed at its beauty and elegance. Altamura is known throughout Italy and has had the EU quality certification Denominazione d’Origine Protetta, or DOP, analogous to the DOCG for wines since 2005.

Second possibility:

This morning, on your way to Matera, you will visit a local wine farm specializing in synergic agriculture. The current wine cellar is built of tuff, a magmatic rock and is surrounded by 23 hectares of vineyards with local varieties, including Aglianico, Fiano Minutolo, Primitivo, Negroamaro and Greco Bianco. You will meet the owner, enjoy a walk through the vineyards and a wine tasting.

Following option one or two, arrive in Matera in the afternoon and meet your local guide. He will reveal the secrets of the city and the “Sassi”, the beautiful neighborhoods of Matera, which are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. It is a system of houses carved out of the steep slopes of a deep valley with surprising and unusual features called the “Gravina”. After the visit, you can enjoy a tasting of some local specialties. Tonight you will sleep in a charming hotel built in the typical rock caves.

Overnight in Matera.

DAY 8 – DEPARTURE (B)

After breakfast, and depending on your flight times, get a private transfer to Bari or Brindisi airport for your flight back home… or extend your trip to one of Italy’s other beautiful wine regions and islands such as Sicily, Umbria or region to your liking. Ask us about the possibilities.