Today we took a local food tour with a company called ITALIAN DAYS FOOD EXPERIENCE. This is a tour of local food products for which the region is known. Alessandro picked us up at 7:30 am and we headed out of town to the . countryside.
Our first stop was a dairy cooperative that makes Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, aged for up to 48 months, and a number of other byproducts like fresh yogurt (really delicious), which we sampled with a bubbly, fruity wine called Lambrusco.
Each cheese wheel is tested by tapping with a small hammer to determine whether there are any air pockets. If there are, the wheel is not given the highest rating.
The cheese wheels are aged in this room for up to 48 months.
Next was a Balsamic Vinegar producer with vinegars aged anywhere from 12 – 200 years. We sampled several vinegars, including a 40 year old one, but I didn't strike my fancy.
Next was a vineyard/winery/B & B and trattoria for a tour, wine tasting and lunch of local products, including the food items we had seen on our tour, along with copious amounts of their wine.
Our final stop was a prociutto factory, but I had seen enough after about 15 minutes. The sample was good, but I was still too full from the ample lunch to enjoy more than a thin slice.
It was a full day of discovering and tasting.
sounds like an awesome trip so far....
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