Culinary Tour of Italy Focuses on 'Slow Food'

Good news for foodies: In April 2011, Perillo Tours will launch their exclusive culinary and cultural tours of Italy selected in cooperation with Slow Food Italia, introducing two itineraries to four regions in Italy: Piedmont & Italian Riveria, and Tuscany & Umbria. These tours will focus on the local food and beverage products of each of the regions, specifically sustainable cuisine. Pricing for its two tour itineraries, which collectively have 12 departures between June 17 and October 21, ranges from $4,290 to $4,590 per person, double. Alternatively, individual trips can be booked through ItalyVacations.com for travel at any time of year.
 
The itineraries, which are for 12 days to Piedmont & Italian Riviera, and 13 days to Tuscany & Umbria, explore the regions’ culinary traditions, landscapes and historical heritage. As these tours are created with respect to the Slow Food Italia approach, guests will have the opportunity to sample traditional foods and beverages and other local delicacies from recommended producers. Guests will also be eating at restaurants which have been included in the Osterie D’Italia Slow Food Guide, and have a chance to visit Slow Food Earth Markets, which is where small-scale producers and farmers can sell their products directly to consumers.
 
Highlights include:
The wines of the Barolo vineyards & Barbaresco hills, the Montébore cheese, and Monterosso al Mare anchovies [Piedmont & Italian Riviera].
Garfagna Biroldo (blood sausage), Orbetello Bottarga (salted fish roe), Carmignano dried figs, and Pienza Pecorino cheese [Tuscany & Umbria].
During the tours, participants will get to explore the Uffizi Gallery in Florence to the Basicila of St. Francis in Assisi, the Duomo Cathedral in Turin where the Holy Shroud is kept, and UNESCO World Heritage sites of the Cinque Terre, the Gulf of Poets, and San Gimignano as examples.
 
Group Tours, which are kept to a smaller size, range from 10 to 25 people riding in luxury motor coaches. Single supplements are available. Perillo Tours also offers its guests the option to extend their stay by arriving early or departing late. The tours have been crafted to balance abundant activity with plenty of free time.
 
The prices include all costs aside from gratuity for the guides and airline flights: Arrival and departure airport transfers in Italy; all accommodations in first-class historical residences and charming hotels; a daily buffet breakfast, several lunches and dinners at “Osterie d’Italia” typical Slow Food Italia restaurants; meals based on traditional regional dishes, including a selection of regional wines; a Slow Food Italia welcome at the hotel; several tastings of Slow Food wines and Presidia products, as well as tastings of regional foods and wines; one cooking lesson dedicated to the region’s cuisine followed by dinner; one Slow Food Italia gift; one Slow Food – Terra Madre presentation kit; entrance fees to all churches and museums; professional tour directors, enogastronomic experts and licensed local guides; baggage handling for the full duration of the tour; hotel taxes, hotel service charges and all tips for hotel and restaurant personnel.

For more information, visit www.perillotours.com/slowfood.