Wine And Food Tasting, Old Town

Wine and Food Tasting, Old Town, rated 4.5 across 122 traveller reviews.

Overview

This tasting takes place entirely inside La Strada del Vino Wine Bistrot, a wine bar on Via Giacomo Matteotti in Lecce's old town. There is no walking involved beyond arriving at the door. Guests sit down for an hour and a half while a guide pours four regional wines, each matched with a local speciality, and talks through what is in the glass.

The pairings described by past guests include cheese, bruschetta, salami with taralli, and a sweet bread served alongside the final wine, which is the more substantial of the snacks. In between pours, the host covers Puglia's winemaking history, the flavours to expect, and when each wine is best drunk. Reviewers repeatedly single out the guides' knowledge of local production, and several mention that the session turned out to be a social occasion as much as a lesson, with travellers from mixed countries sharing tables.

It suits anyone who wants a break from sightseeing without leaving the city, and it works well on a rainy day, as more than one reviewer noted. Groups run from as few as four people up to around twenty, and the venue is wheelchair and pushchair accessible. A vegetarian or vegan tasting is available, and a minimum of two people per booking is required.

What's Included

Itinerary

1. Arrive at the bistrotMeet at La Strada Del Vino Wine Bistrot, Via Giacomo Matteotti 23a, in Lecce's old town. Multiple start times are offered throughout the day.
2. Sit down and settle inGuests are seated in the wine bar, which looks onto a lane lined with traditional palazzi. The experience lasts one hour and thirty minutes.
3. Guided tasting of four winesA wine guide pours four different regional wines, explaining the flavours, production and best drinking window for each.
4. Local food pairingsEach wine arrives with a local speciality, with the final pairing being more substantial. Bottled water is provided.
5. End of experienceThe tasting finishes back at the meeting point, leaving the rest of the old town on the doorstep.

What To Expect From The Tour

A few practical points worth knowing before booking, drawn from the listing and from what past guests consistently report.

• Pace and format. This is a seated tasting, not a walking tour. Nothing is required beyond arriving on time and sitting at a table for the full session. One reviewer described it as a relaxing way to pass a few hours, and several called the atmosphere relaxed and friendly.
• Food is light. The pairings are small plates: reviewers mention cheese, bruschetta, salami with taralli, and a sweet bread with the last wine. The listing describes them as local specialities, and the final pairing is the more substantial one. Vegetarian and vegan tasting options are available.
• Group size varies. The listing caps the group at twenty travellers, but actual numbers fluctuate; reviewers report sessions of four people and of about fifteen. The listing sets a minimum of two people per booking.
• Language and content. English is the common language when the table is mixed, and reviewers have shared tastings with French and Norwegian speakers too. Expect a fair amount of detail on local wine production, and hosts are described as knowledgeable in most accounts.
• Timing and booking. A minimum of two people per booking is required, and the tasting runs at multiple times throughout the day, so it can slot around other plans. Booking confirmation is sent at the time of reservation.
• Getting there. The venue is on Via Giacomo Matteotti, near public transportation. No transport is included; private transportation is listed as not included. Wheelchair and pushchair access is available, and service animals are allowed.

Common issues. The experience needs a minimum number of travellers overall, and if that minimum is not met it can be cancelled, in which case a different date or a full refund is offered. The food is light, and one reviewer said it was just a light snack. Pacing and attentiveness vary, with single reviews mentioning slow service, a late host, and wines that did not impress. Cancellations by travellers must be made at least 24 hours before the start time for a refund.

Common Questions