Food, Wine & Brews
Can we tempt you to dive in and savour the local cuisine?
Food glorious food!
Tasting different foods is a delicious opportunity to learn about the ingredients and the flavours that inspires the local dishes.
Take the chance whilst travelling to find out the necessity of certain foods eaten by different communities; their harvesting seasons; how they sustain productivity; the improvising of mixing seasonal products to create their favourite tasty traditional recipes.
A local foodie experience can be arranged for you by Ciao Travel either privately or in a small group. this touring opportunity applies in select destinations around the world, with either a qualified chef or local cook, in their home, restaurant or cooking school.
Taste, discover and learn about the preparation of local foods: be it olive oil, cheese, meats, chocolate, cakes, breads, coffee, honey, fruits, vegetables, sushi, seaweed and the exotics, that may seem possibly unimaginable!
Ciao Travel’s Foodie Tours in Italy
Italy is a treasure trove for excellent food loved by people all around the world. Together with our local representatives a tour can be arrange for you in many of the regions from north to south. You will discover a food variety that exceeds the famous ‘pizza and pasta‘! Tomatoes that taste sweet when picked off the bush; vegetables prepared with a whole new meaning to eating your greens; mushrooms pungent in aroma and flavour that make a ‘rissotto‘ taste like a dish from heaven; the list goes on and on with meats, seafood and a whole lot more; and often prepared by “Nonna” and her recipes past down through the family over time.
"Italy is a land where there is never a lack of good food", as first described by the XIV century writer Giovanni Boccaccio that is country was forever the “The Land of Milk and Honey”.
Australia
Food production and variety in Australia today is known to be high quality and of the freshest in the world, with a choice of multi-cultural influence from various cultures from around the world.
The Australian bush is a food bowl! How about opting for a wonderful experience, to try “Bush Tucker” in the company of a local custodian. The Aboriginal people of Australia have survived in this land for over 65,000 years and love to share the stories of their culinary nourishment and medicines found in the bush. This inspiring knowledge has been proudly past down by their ancestors and still for many an ongoing tradition.
The enthusiasm to try foods of other nationalities is always a passion for us.
Cooking Courses
Our Cooking classes in Italy and Europe all take place in either the cooks homely kitchen or hosted by qualified chefs restaurant or cooking school.
Cooking classes are for everyone, so even the kids can join in on the fun!
The classes provide an excellent insight into local food and beverage matching. This is the opportunity to understand the preparation, ingredients selected and the traditions.
How would you like to visit a local market? This is a fun introduction to purchasing the right produce required for your course recipe; this makes for an exceptionally interesting and experience and we can tailor that into your cooking class where possible.’
At the end of each Cooking Class, you will sit down to the delicious meal that you have prepared yourself, accompanied by local wines.
Cooking Class can be part of your itinerary when travelling beyond Australia and Europe with Ciao Travel.
Cooking Class and demonstrations in many other countries around the world is a wonderful introduction into the food and preparation. Be sure to ask us if you are interested in joining a class whilst on holiday.
Truffle Hunting & Tasting
Truffles are an acquired taste but finding them is fun!
What about a Truffle Hunt with a local farmer and their dog? Join a farmer and his trusted friend to hunt for truffles in their local forrest, and if you are lucky you may strike the culinary gold. Your harvest is prepared back in the chefs kitchen for lunch.
Wine
Wine is more than a drink!
Wine is enjoyed more than any other man-made drink in the world, believe it or not, more than tea, coffee, beer and whiskey, but coffee is surely not far behind! For centuries wine has continued to fascinate and lure all who are seduced by its taste.
Historically the founding of wine goes back approximately 8,000 years to a region in the Caucasus Mountains, located between Europe and Asia. The Neolithic society of this region first made wine from wild grapes, then started cultivating the fruit to trade with the Mediterranean and Persian countries, later on, the trade branched into Europe and on to other parts of the world.
Is your preference of wine, a crisp white or a bold red?
A wine tasting tour can be part of your customized itinerary with Ciao Travel, when planning a visit to Italy, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and other world wine destinations.
Our tours provide the opportunity to join a local wine expert, sommelier and wine maker for the optimum understanding of their wine varieties from vine to glass.
A bonus addition on our tours is spending time in many stunning locations.
Winery Retreats – Stay, Wine and Dine
Winery Retreat stays in Italy, Europe, Australia and New Zealand for your full immersion into a wine growing region and leisurely time to enjoy the location and luxury accommodation, whilst sampling delicious wines and gourmet cuisine.
Contact us for more information on Ciao Travel’s Wine Retreats or click here
Whiskey and local Brews
Anyone for a wee drop of whiskey?
If you are not already a whiskey connoisseurs you could well be after one of our excellent whiskeys tours hosted in either Ireland, Scotland or Australia, on some fabulous locations.
Other beverage tasting tours, for those interested in sampling gin or cider, may be offered, depending on the location, along with sampling of local traditional brews or liqueurs, like snaps, coniac or sake for the more acquired taste and interest.
Scotland produces whiskey galore! And is home to more than twenty million casks of maturing whiskey, which is almost four for every person living in the country. The storing of whiskey in barrels will slowly evaporate at an approximate rate of 2% a year, and is famously known to as the “Angles Share”.
Local Brews
Experiencing a tasting of a local spirit or liqueur, that are made traditionally from local herbs or other products, is an opportunity to immerse into the understanding of the local culture. These brew tastings are often part of a tour.