Italian Food Experience...an A+ experience!

We had pre-arranged a food tour called the "Italian Food Experience" after a recommendation from a friend and rave reviews on Trip Advisor.  We were picked up by Alessandro at our hotel as scheduled at 7:05 AM (on time and prompt; his long-time girlfriend is German).  Alessandro made reference on numerous occasions to Italian time and german time as there is a vast difference!  From the moment we met him we knew we were in for a great day.  Our driver, Fabrizio, was the quintessential Italian; immaculately dressed in trendy clothes (including scarf) aviator shades (worn inside and outside), long stylish hair, cigarette and phone always in play. 

We headed out of Bologna toward Modena for our tours.  Alessandro kept us entertained as he told us about our day; the animation and excitement was such fun.  We arrived at the Parmigiano Reggiano factory, donned our stylish outfits and headed in for our tour.  We got to see and participate in the process and upon completion we tasted the cheese along with cherries, strawberries and of course Lambrusco wine.

Back into the Mercedes mini vans and 8 Italian minutes (15 German minutes) we arrived at a privately owned Balsamic vinegar producer, Villa San Donnino.  This is an amazing process and gave us a much higher regard for true aged balsamic vinegar.  Made from cooked grape must and aged 12-100 years (only getting better and more expensive with age).  We tasted the difference of each on fresh ricotta cheese and also on gelato!

Back into the mini vans and off to the proscuitto factory to see how my favorite lunch meat is made.  Arriving into what seems to be a residential area behind a non-descript gate we arrived at Modena Proscuitto.  The fascinating process of salt curing the hind quarter of pigs made me wonder how that all got started.  The entire process takes 14-30 months and creates a fantastic product; which we got to sample (along with more Lambrusco wine).


A short drive to a little restaurant for out Italian "light" lunch.  There was nothing light about it; full use of butter, cream, cheese and other delicious ingredients and more food than anyone should eat.  Every dish was prepared hot and tasted fantastico.  The wines started off with a light sparkling white, then another, then onto the red wines which never stopped flowing...good thing we are being chauffeured around.  Lots of laughs, entertainment and fun for the rest of the afternoon.  Alessandro said our group was one of the best since we all joined in and had fun.  A little later than usual we took group photos and piled back into the van for a ride home.  A quick, "pull over right here!!" stop for some pictures; a very surprised elderly Italian man ended up joining in some pictures.

We were all very satisfied with our tours, meal and drinks.  We were ready to do some walking around to work off some of the light lunch.  We climbed the 498 steps to the top of one of the church towers to get a fantastic view over the city. We all gave in before heading back for bed to a little gelato for dinner; the end to a perfect day.

Ready to enter the Parmigiano Reggiano factory

Fashionably dressed as usual

Animated Alessandro telling us about making the cheese

Guiseppi - The Big Cheese

Testing the consistency with his hand 

Stirring 

Checking the consistency and temperature

Finished and setting for 2 days

Salt bath

The color distinguishes the different stages 

Finished product with DOP stamp of approval

Top is grade 1 and bottom with lines is grade 2

Cutting the cheese in two

Lifting the cheese from the bottom of the vat

Bill getting a lesson

Breaking the seal to lift the cheese up from the bottom

Ed gets a turn

To think he hates to cook!

I'm ready to turn over the stove to him now I know he can cook

Elizabeta (her Italian name) with a sample just after its made - no taste yet!

Two different aged cheeses

Tasting cheese and enjoying some sun

Neighboring vineyards

Beautiful scenery near the cheese factory

Balsamic tasting

At least five barrels per battaria

Alessandro explaining the aging process - 12 years at the minimum

Open barrels unlike wine

Taste test - balsamic over ricotta cheese and then later gelato

both were surprisingly good

Very old and very expensive balsamic vinegar

Balsamic country - a big drop in round about

Driving by cherry orchards

Consorzio del Proscuitto di Modena

Proscuitto in various stages - First

After 3 months

After 7 months

Almost finished....

Final touch with lard sealing the end

Taste test

Yummy torta fritti

Christoph and Fabrizio - our drivers

Elizabeta found a wine she enjoyed!!!!

Gelato with chocolate - cleanse the palate

Wild Strawberry liquor

Deep breath and go!

Ooooooh!!!!

Now that was hysterical

Our new friends Dean-o and Jen (Gina - Italian name)

Espresso - delicioso!

Cheers

Down the hatch!

The entire group posing for one last picture before going our separate ways

Oh what a meal we had

Cute!

My Italian Stallion

A jump out of the car to take photos of a castle near Modena

A cute little Italian man that never saw us coming

Maybe the best day of his life - oh, he was cute!

Cars are small here

But buildings are tall

Torre Asinelli

We climbed the tallest one - 498 steps

A picture of various Italian buildings - the middle two are in Bologna

Up we go...

Views from on high