Frascati: Pasta Cooking Class & Minardi Vineyard Wine Tour

Handmade pasta laughter old cellars and family wine in Frascati

You’ll roll pasta with locals inside a centuries-old Frascati farmhouse, taste family-made wines straight from their cellar, share laughter over homemade lunch, and leave feeling like you’ve been part of something real, even if your ravioli isn’t quite round.

Step-by-step itinerary

Pasta cooking and wine tasting tour

• Meet at Frascati station
• Drive to family farmhouse
• Cook fresh pasta with chef
• Learn traditional pasta recipes
• Enjoy guided vineyard and farmhouse tour
• Taste three family wines
• Have lunch with pasta and local food
• Return to Frascati station

The experience

You step off the train in Frascati and it’s like the air smells different: somewhere between fresh-cut grass and wood smoke. We met at the little station, where our host Marco waved us over, already grinning. I’d barely had time to get my bearings before we piled into his car (five minutes, tops) and drove past rows of vines that looked almost too neat. The Minardi farmhouse is older than most countries. I remember touching the stone walls, cool even in June, and thinking about all the people who’d cooked there before us.

Marco’s family didn’t waste time. His aunt handed me an apron (I fumbled tying it), and suddenly we were making ravioli dough from scratch while their chef, Lucia, teased us about our technique. “No, more pressure!” she said, laughing as flour puffed everywhere. There was music playing (something Italian and lively), and Marco’s dad kept refilling everyone’s glasses with this light white wine that tasted like apples. The kitchen smelled like eggs and wheat and something sweet I still can’t name. I didn’t expect to laugh so much just kneading dough.

After we finished shaping fettuccine that looked… well, let’s say ‘rustic’, Marco led us out to the vineyard for a walk. He told stories about his grandfather hiding bottles during the war (I’m still not sure if he was joking). The old cellar is more museum than winery now: dusty bottles lined up behind iron bars, sunlight slanting through tiny windows. We tasted three wines sitting around a battered wooden table, passing plates of cheese and these fried artichoke things I could eat forever. Lunch was loud, everyone talking at once, and maybe it was the wine but everything felt easy.

I keep thinking about that moment when Lucia handed me my own plate of ravioli and winked. It wasn’t perfect but nobody cared. It tasted like effort and being welcomed in by strangers who felt like friends by dessert. On the drive back to Frascati station I realized I hadn’t checked my phone once all afternoon.

What’s included

Your day includes pickup at Frascati station after your short train ride from Rome, transfers to Marco’s 17th-century farmhouse among the vineyards, a hands-on pasta masterclass with recipes to take home, guided tour of old cellars and vines (now more museum than working winery), tasting of three family wines plus one tavern wine, full lunch with appetizers and desserts. All before being dropped off again at Frascati station for your return journey.

Before you book

Days and timesTuesday, Thursday, Saturday and SundayDeparts at 10:30

Book up to12h before

AgesAdult (17 to 75 years) · Senior (76 to 90 years) · Youth (6 to 16 years) · Under 6: can't be booked

GroupUp to 15

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 2 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Minardi Historic Winery Tours

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (6 to 16 years). Children under 6 can't be included in the booking.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

How do you get to the Minardi Vineyard from Rome?

You take a 24-minute train ride from Rome Termini to Frascati station. Pickup from there is included.

Is lunch included in the pasta masterclass & wine tour?

Yes, lunch is included along with appetizers, your handmade pasta dishes, local sweets, and wine tasting.

Are transfers from Frascati station to the farmhouse provided?

Yes, internal transfers between Frascati station and the Minardi farmhouse are included.

Do you need cooking experience for the pasta class?

No experience needed: the hosts guide you through every step of making traditional ravioli and fettuccine.

What wines are included in the tasting?

You’ll taste three boutique family wines plus one tavern wine during your visit.

How long does the whole experience last?

This is a half-day trip including travel from Rome to Frascati and back via train plus time at the farmhouse.