ITALY UNEXPLORED TOURS

As a (retired) cooking teacher I was afforded many holidays, so you can imagine, I took advantage of these to travel abroad - many times. I have been to many countries, attending cookery schools in San Francisco, New Orleans and have catered for events in New York, San Francisco, Buzios, Brazil. Such is the extend of my passion and experience with food.I had been to Italy a few times, but after meeting Vincenzo, I realised I had an addition to my bucket list.... his Italy Unexplored Tour. As a retiree, you can imagine, I don't have much disposable income, but committing to this venture was a no brainer!I decided to spend a few days in Rome before and after the trip. I remember wandering around in the early hours of the morning (jet lag has it's benefits) and thinking just how wonderful this country was. To begin our tour, we were picked up in Rome by Vincenzo's colleague and we collected more guests from the airport. Already, I felt that this was the beginning of a life changing experience.Before I go into too much detail, I'd like to express that some of the experiences I had on this tour were the best I have ever had … and as I’ve mentioned, I've been around!Our first stop was the beach at Pescara where Vincenzo - an natural group facilitator made us all feel very comfortable - of course helped with some local pizzas and some beautiful wine from the Zaccagnini winery in Abruzzo.And if that wasn't enough for us to help us feel like locals, we we're whisked away to his family's home for a degustation dinner with matching wines. This is when we, the tour guests, knew that we would all be life long friends. I was the only Aussie on the tour but suddenly the world became a very small place. We had a new family.After that day and for the next 8 days, I did not see anymore tourists but I believe I experienced things that many tourists yearn for but never experience.We were treated like very special people by Vincenzo and the other specialised tour leaders and indeed the folk who lived and worked in the amazing places we visited.Each day we thought that things could not get better, but they did.On one occasion, after a short bus ride through the beautiful countryside of Abruzzo, we arrived at the medieval village of Santo Stefano di Sessanio, Vincenzo treated us to a hands-on cooking demonstration and then we climbed ( an easy climb) up to Rocca Calasio - a castle dating back to the year 1000. There we were met by Giovanni, a falconer with his awesome birds and pet wolves.We experienced the winged and majestic beauty of these birds. Descending from the climb, we were greeted with a glass of champagne and we were entertained by a string quartet. We proceeded to have a beautiful picnic dinner of local food all while watching the spectacular sunset over the Gran Sasso mountain range.I won’t call this my favourite day, because each and every day was filled with such magic and life changing events.Don’t leave it too late to let Vincenzo open your heart and mind to the hidden treasures of this awesome country.

What a trip!! Add this to your bucket list.Everyday brought a new exciting excursion and we loved each one of them. Organization was spot on and food was fabulous.Vincenzo and Suzanne are amazing hosts.We highly recommend this trip

We've just returned from an amazing trip to Italy and I would like to give a big shout-out to Vincenzos plate!! We had an amazing time, ate amazing food, drank amazing wine, and saw amazing historical places. It was a small group that we traveled with and It felt like we had been friends along. Every destination was special—from lunch in a 12th century village to grandma's home. I would (will) do it again without hesitation. AND I only put on 3 pounds! Bravo Vincenzo & Suzanne!

From the moment we pulled up to the hotel in Pescara to meet Vincenzo and his family, we felt like family! The week was full of delicious food and wine experiences, touring the beautiful countrysides of Abruzzo, learning about the history of the area with the help of historian Antonio who accompanied us throughout the trip , and enjoying the new friends we met on the tour. Vincenzo and Suzanne are such lovely people and just as authentic as we expected from all the time we have spent following him on his YouTube and Facebook sites. Even when the boat trip to the islands was cancelled due to high winds, Vincenzo found new experiences I would not have traded! We visited a caring family business that makes the best arrosticini in the region (Macelleria Agricola F.lli Pompa) and we made authentic chitarra pasta in the quaint picturesque home and B&B of Marisa. Highlight from other days included a visit to Anversa degli Abruzzi which is a fully sustainable farm community where we learned to make pecarino cheese, beach time with our new friends complete with more food and drinks, a visit to the famous pasta maker at alla Chitarra Antica who generously gave us a taste of his pecorino-filled pastries and pasta, tours of castles and towns with the help of Antonio and lovely tour guide Giulia, eating Vincenzo’s father Paulo’s amazing seafood meal after touring a picturesque winery, enjoying Nonna’s and Vincenzo’s mom’s and Paulo’s cooking at a beautiful home complete with relaxing pool time, touring and eating an incredible truffle lunch in a beautiful medieval town, enjoying the views while eating lunch at B&B il marchese del grillo whose owner is delightful! We enjoyed a sparkling wine while listening to Abruzzo composer Tosti’s keyboard music before a fun experience dining on the Trabocco. On market day, we enjoyed eating the first of two porchetta dishes! Paulo made an equally delicious porchetta for our final meal! After the first day, I realized there was no need to eat ho-hum hotel food because the days were packed with a feast for the eyes and stomachs! While the days were full of food, wine, and sightseeing, the most special memories were those created with our new friends and family! We laughed, sang to guitar music played by our dear musician friend on the trip, and really got to know and enjoy new friends…. relationships, most of which I anticipate will last for years to come. We are already speaking of a reunion thanks to the warm family atmosphere that Vincenzo and his family and the people of Abruzzo have created! I could not recommend this tour more highly for those who wish to experience an authentic look inside a beautiful area of Italy not often toured! The people of this region are kind, generous, and want nothing more than for you to experience the land they love and call home.

This was an EXPERIENCE of a lifetime! Not just a trip, a tour, or a vacation, but rather an EXPERIENCE of all the best that Italy is - friends, family, great food, excellent wine, breathtaking scenery and fascinating history. Vincenzo, Suzanne, Little Sebastian and their family made this an experience that will stay in my heart for always. Perfectly planned and masterfully executed, this week was precious! Thank you.

Magical. Vincenzo’s tour of Abruzzo Italy is magical. My wife and I were asked if we wanted to go with our good friends on the tour as they were fans of Vincenzo’s recipes and his social media, and we said sure, chuckling “its Italy, how bad can it be”? Yet, we knew almost instantly upon arrival we had made the right choice, as even the ride from Rome to Pescara was fun meeting everyone. First, it is an intimate tour with ten guests, and it is only done a few times a year. Secondly, Vincenzo, his wife Suzanne, and the tour guides are having fun and making you feel like family. They took care of every detail and were able to pivot seamlessly when the weather dictated a change in plans. This is much more than sightseeing, it is immersing into the Abruzzo culture and forging new friendships. Among the countless beautiful experiences, we had dinner with Nonna (Vincenzo’s grandmother) and immediately fell in love with her and her handmade pasta. We swam in the Adriatic Sea and explored medieval villages. We learned to make cheese and pasta on a mountain top, and watched a summer shower roll up the valley. We enjoyed a delicious truffle infused lunch in a medieval inn with a huge castle above our head, we were served an amazing seafood bonanza perched on a renaissance era fishing camp turned restaurant (Trabucco). A celebrated pianist and opera singer sang just for us, and we ate delicious porchetta handmade by Paolo, Vincenzo’s father.Abruzzo is stunningly beautiful and Vincenzo and his crew created an unforgettable curated adventure for us. We will always remember the friends we made and the fun we had together. And, that is magical.

Words can truly not describe the Italy Unexplored Tour experience! I was hesitant at first on what to expect from a group tour, but you can tell Vincenzo and the team put their heart and soul into making this a tour you will never forget. It was the perfect balance of highly curated excursions throughout the region of Abruzzo and amazingly authentic interactions with locals, whether that's Vincenzo's family or passionate business owners. The love that Vincenzo, and the people of Italy, showed us on this trip was unlike anything I have ever experienced before while traveling internationally. Vincenzo has fostered an amazing community of foodies throughout Abruzzo and you can tell it brings him immense joy to share these relationships with the tour group. Because of this, our group of ten strangers from all over the world instantly bonded over the amazing food, Italian culture, and appreciation for Vincenzo's Plate (and not to forget the Zaccagnini Wine that accompanied the meals -- very important!) By the end of the tour, it was visible that everyone on the trip left a changed person. For eight days, we explored a region like the locals. We laughed, cried (I think it was the great wine and food!), and connected with our new foodie family in some of the most awe-inspiring locations. Everyone on the trip knew we were on a very unique, once in a lifetime, adventure together. But lucky for us, Vincenzo's Plate expanded their tours to Tuscany and we already reserved our spot for next year. I would consider myself to be a seasoned traveler, but I have never experienced an individual like Vincenzo or a trip like the Italy Unexplored Tour. It was an all-around amazing experience and an adventure we will remember forever! We can't thank Vincenzo enough for opening his heart, country, and family to us on the Italy Unexplored Tour!

There aren’t enough superlatives to describe my time/our group’s time with Vincenzo, Suzanne, Antonio, Giulia and their extended family… An indescribable week of family, culture, history, new friends and, of course wonderful local food.So much time spent digging in to Abruzzian history and culture. We had an uncommon amount of time to dig in and really learn about that slice of Italian ‘heaven’.Thank you, thank you, thank you.Your friend Dan

Wonderful experience! Although the food and the sites were spectacular, it is really the people and the warm family atmosphere that made this trip so special. A big thanks to Vincenzo, Suzanne, and the whole group for putting this together-- they did a fabulous job. Highly recommended! Do this tour!

Trip of a lifetime off the beaten path. If you want to experience the heart of Italy touring with Vincenzo and his team is the way to go. Every day was an incredible adventure. A group of strangers from around the globe quickly became part of Vincenzo’s family. We explored the hidden treasures of Abruzzo and were embraced by Vincenzo’s family and the locals. The food was extraordinary, a true gastronomical experience not to be beat! Looking forward to our next adventure.