Italian gastronomy

Some trips are all about art galleries and architecture. Others revolve around switching off and soaking up the scenery. This time, though, it’s all about a proper food and wine itinerary in Italy. Here are five must-try first courses, each tied to a destination that deserves time on your itinerary. Start planning your food and wine trip to Italy and settle in for something memorable.

If you’re spending time in Italy, getting to grips with traditional pizza is part of understanding everyday life here.

Can a region be rebuilt with a handful of seedlings? In one Italian village, this is exactly what happened.

If you’re trying to get your head around the best supermarkets in Italy, it can feel oddly complicated at first.

Italy has long been considered a dream destination for foodies, but the latest data suggests that reputation is more than romantic nostalgia.

The best food in Southern Italy is bold, seasonal and deeply tied to history. Greek settlers, Arab traders and Spanish rulers all left their mark. Cooking leans on olive oil, vegetables, seafood and proper sun-ripened tomatoes rather than butter and cream.

Easter in Italy is less about chocolate bunnies and more about long, noisy lunches built around recipes people have been making for generations.

Easter in Italy is one of those moments when family and food take centre stage.

Living in an Italian wine region is very different to popping in for a tasting on holiday. Daily life runs on the rhythm of the vines, with tractors as your morning soundtrack and grape harvests filling the lanes in autumn.

Italian sparkling wine is a whole world beyond the usual Prosecco on the supermarket shelf. Italians talk about bollicine rather than “bubbly”, and each region has its own idea of what those bubbles should taste like. If you like Champagne‑style richness, there are proper traditional‑method wines.

Italian food culture goes far beyond recipes and restaurant menus. Several deeply rooted practices linked to farming, winemaking, cheesemaking and everyday rural life have made their way onto the UNESCO intangible heritage list.

Italy's national cuisine has now been added to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

If you ever needed an excuse to open a bottle of Italian wine, this is it.

Between the Alps and the islands, there are hundreds of appellations and thousands of wine producers in Italy.

Autumn brings truffle season in Italy, meaning weekend markets with licensed hunters selling truffles, chef demos and tasting “labs,”. Undoubtedly a highlight on the foodie calendar in Italy, you can expect truffle‑dog displays and occasional auctions.

Italy moves on unspoken rules and long‑standing habits. The ten things not to do in Italy are mostly about small courtesies—how you order, how you greet, and how you handle day‑to‑day travel.

There's a special moment at the end of a good Italian meal, when you're full and happy but not quite ready to leave the table. This is often when a small glass of something sweet and aromatic appears. In Italy, dessert wine isn't just an afterthought; it’s a cherished part of the dining culture.

Food is central to Italian life, and there's no better way to dive into that world than by visiting a local food festival. In Italy, these are often called a sagra, and they're fantastic, community-run events celebrating a specific local ingredient.

Autumn marks the grape harvest, and there’s nothing quite like soaking in the enchanting atmosphere among Italy's vineyards. Italy boasts an incredible wine heritage, with its rolling hills, plains, and terraced landscapes offering stunning backdrops for excellent wine production.

In 2019, the production of wine sold in the European Union (including sparkling wine, port and grape must) reached almost 16 billion litres.

The coffee bar or simply 'bar' in Italy is a real institution.

The countdown begins for the 53rd edition of Vinitaly. As it does every year, Vinitaly, the International Wine and Spirits Exhibition takes place at VeronaFiere between the 7th - 10th April 2019. Vinitaly is definitely the world's biggest wine fair: every year more than 4,0

Italy is more known for its wine than its beer, although there are some brands that have broken through into the international market to become recognisable household names, such as Moretti and Peroni.