Celebrity Chef Massimo Mele Joins Carolinasusi Italia Tours' 2016 Gourmet Tour of Italy

Sydney-based celebrity chef, Massimo Mele, will get back to his Italian roots, joining a newly-designed culinary journey through his homeland with Carolinasusi Italia Tours in October 2016.

Guests will have their tastebuds skilfully led through Italy's renowned Emilia-Romagna and Le Marche regions where they will be treated to cooking classes among other delights. With Massimo's farm-to-table food philosophy and his experience of working in Italy, picking and cooking with his own produce, the group will receive a truly authentic Italian gastronomic experience, with Massimo "cooking up" some surprise experiences along the way.

Born in Tasmania and raised in Naples, Massimo's early years were spent around the women in his family preparing food, shaping his inherited love for cooking using the finest produce. He returned to Tasmania at aged 8 and worked in the family restaurant, La Bella Napoli where his love of Italian cooking flourished. Massimo's experience in some of Australia's top Italian restaurants and his string of culinary achievements both domestically and internationally, has earned him the title of an award-winning celebrity chef.

Departing Rome on September 30, 2016 and finishing in Milan, this 13 night, 14 day gourmet Italian food and wine adventure featuring celebrity chef Massimo Mele, is available for $9,545 per person twin share – book before Feb 28, 2016 and receive 10 per cent off. The trip includes a personalised guided journey, airport transfers, bus transport, hotel accommodation, authentic Italian meals including breakfast daily, nine lunches and five dinners.

Also included in the journey for guests are two unforgettable cooking classes, four exceptional wine tastings, cheese and olive oil tastings, truffle hunting, an exclusive biological garden tour, a canal boat trip, a must-see visit to the Ferrari Museum, entry to the impressive Castello Estense and a host of money-can't-buy experiences in local Italian homes.

Visiting some of Italy's most coveted culinary destinations, the gourmet trail begins in Ascoli Piceno in the heart of Le Marche. With six nights based in this produce mecca, the group is immersed in the true Italian foodie culture, taking in the quaint villages of Offida for a tasting of the region's outstanding Passerina and Pecorino wines, Ripatransone for an invitation-only wine tasting and a trip to the seaside town of Grottammare for a delectable seafood lunch.

While in Le Marche, guests are whisked off to a secret location in the Sibillini Mountains to meet a truffle hunter and his dogs before tasting these prized delicacies in the village of Montefortino. A stroll through the local Ascoli Piceno markets enables the group to gather essential ingredients for the first cooking class in a local Italian villa with a renowned local chef and added expertise of Massimo Mele.

The journey continues to Bologna, the epicentre of the Emilia-Romagna region, where the next seven nights are spent exploring the surrounding destinations of Comacchio, Modena, Parma, Valle di Castrignano and Ferrara.

Highlights in Emilia-Romagna include gathering ingredients at the local markets for the second cooking class, sampling fried eel in Comacchio or "Little Venice", known for its network of canals, meeting a local artisan and sampling his balsamic vinegar from barrels in his attic in Modena and a visit to the iconic Ferrari Museum. Guests also taste Italy's famed parmigiano cheese in Parma and prosciutto de parma in the Valle di Castrignano before enjoying a final tasting of the famous Lambrusco wine from the UNESCO protected Renaissance city of Ferrara.

These small group tours of no more than 20, enable guests to be fully immersed into the Italian way of life and be treated to exceptional experiences surrounding food, wine, art, culture, shopping, scenery and a plethora of exclusive experiences while meeting local Italian families and artisans.

Enquire now about special discount offers for Carolinasusi's other tour experiences, including 10 per cent off September and October, 2015. For information and bookings visit www.carolinasusi.com.au or call Donna at Savenio Travel on 1800 770 599.