Food & Wine Tour Puglia

You will be picked up in Bari from your arrival point and taken to your accommodation.

For your time in Puglia you stay in the picturesque seaside town of Monopoli. The historic centre of Monopoli is a gem: it is lined with elegant baroque palaces of the noble families, evocative lanes amongst the whitewashed buildings, as well as a charming seafront and cute piazzas with the traditional ‘passeggiata’ in full swing each evening.

Over the next few days you’ll have plenty of time to explore Monopoli at your own pace, enjoying the sea views and being immersed in the local lifestyle.

Note: If selecting accommodation options B or C you will travel directly to those accommodation locations on the first day.

You will be picked up and driven to your first stop, the town of Locorotondo. Take the time to look around Locorotondo, an absolutely gorgeous town, in fact voted as one of the most beautiful
villages in Italy (“Borghi piu belli d’Italia”). It is perched on a hilltop and along its narrow lanes you feel like being in an earlier time.
Moving on to the nearby winery that produces wines that are are unique to the Valle d’Itria subregion of Puglia. The winery is family run, and focused on making quality wines expressive of the area. The traditional varieties that are grown include minutolo and susumaniello. You will be shown through the vineyard. The terroir provides the basis for these excellent wines – deep limestone soils combined with cooling breezes. You taste their range of wines following the visit.

Onwards to Alberobello. The picturesque Alberobello, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is a unique town with streets lined with ‘trulli’. In fact it is known in Italy as the “Capital of trulli”. Trulli are small stone houses with a distinctive conical roof, built 300-400 years ago. You will be fascinated by the evocative atmosphere of this place.

You will be picked up and driven to the town of Matera in the neighbouring Basilicata region. Visiting Matera, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is like a step back in time. In fact this is one of the oldest continually inhabited settlements in the world. The oldest cave dwellings go back to the Bronze Age.

In Matera you will meet a local expert guide to have the key sights explained during your private two hour walking tour. The town consists of houses carved out of the rock face along the side of a steep ravine.
Visit the ‘sassi’ cave area, and enter one of the typical houses built into the rock, showing the difficult existence in these conditions. Also visit a cave church hewn out of the rock, featuring Byzantine-style frescoes and with interesting histories as their usage has evolved and adapted over the years.
Note: some churches and museums charge for entrance in Matera, this is to be paid in cash at the time (€2-€3).

In the morning your driver will first take you to the olive grove. This family owned estate produces superior extra virgin olive oil from trees that are many centuries old.
This land has been worked for thousands of years – you are shown the remnants of the ancient Roman agricultural production here, along with items from habitation from the middle ages through until modern times.
After seeing the ancient trees, you enjoy a degustation of a range of olive oils. This allows you to compare the different tastes from the olive varieties grown here.

You will be then be driven to Ostuni, known as “la città bianca” (the white town). Ostuni is a cluster of whitewashed buildings perched on a hilltop overlooking the coast. Walking through the  narrow streets of Ostuni you have the wonderful combination of a long and fascinating history, along
with many excellent cafes where you can relax. Ostuni looks out to the coast over an expanse of olive trees. We advise keeping your camera at the ready!

Then you will have a special experience, taking a cooking lesson from a local chef. The focus will be on cooking typical Puglia dishes, first taking you through the types of ingredients used and their provenance.
The cuisine of Puglia is based on the produce at a very local level, so is different to the food from other Italian regions.
Seasonal vegetables, as well as focaccia and other breads, dominate this cuisine. All these are based on the abundant fresh ingredients as well as the ever-present extra virgin olive oil – a simple and effective cuisine.
Recipes have been handed down through the generations and are truly expressive of the Mediterranean diet.

Today is your last day in Puglia, we organise private transfers for you to your departure point in Bari.