Lake Como Wine Tasting & Italian Food with Sommelier

Four Wines, One Sommelier, and Why Lake Como's Food Tastes Different Here

You taste four carefully selected Italian wines guided by a professional sommelier, learning about grape varieties, regions, and winemaking as you go. Local cheeses, prosciutto, and mozzarella pair with each glass. The tasting happens in Como's center, 10 minutes from the train station, and non-alcoholic options are available if you prefer them. No transport to arrange, no schedule pressure. Just wine, food, and someone who knows how to talk about both.

Step-by-step itinerary

Wine tasting and local food experience

• Walk 10 minutes from San Giovanni Station
• Enter Capitan Drake wine shop
• Taste 4 selected Italian wines
• Listen to sommelier's wine explanations
• Enjoy Italian gastronomic specialties

The experience

The sommelier is already pouring when you arrive at Capitan Drake, a wine shop tucked just steps from Como's old city walls in the center of town. Four glasses are lined up on the counter: each one representing a different region, grape variety, and story about how Italian wine actually gets made. You're standing in the kind of place locals know about, the kind that doesn't need a sign outside because the people who belong there already know where to find it. It's a 10-minute walk from the train station, close enough that you don't need to arrange transport, far enough that it feels like a real discovery.

What happens next isn't a lecture. The sommelier talks you through each pour (the tasting notes, where the grapes come from, why this vineyard does things differently than the one next door), but it's conversational, not formal. You're tasting as you go, and between glasses come the Italian specialties: prosciutto crudo that's been aged the right way, a selection of cheeses, buffalo mozzarella that tastes nothing like what you buy at home. The food isn't decoration. It's part of how you understand the wine. A glass of something bright and mineral tastes completely different when you follow it with salt and fat. That's the point. If you don't drink alcohol, they have soft drinks and other non-alcoholic options ready: no one's left out of the experience.

The whole thing unfolds at its own pace. You're not rushing between five stops or checking your watch. You're in one room, with one expert, tasting your way through Italian wine and food the way someone who lives here actually does it. Wheelchair accessible, all surfaces level, public transport a few minutes away if you need it.

What’s included

Your experience includes a selection of four carefully chosen Italian wines, tasting notes and guidance from a professional sommelier, Italian gastronomic specialties (prosciutto crudo, cheese selection, and buffalo mozzarella), and non-alcoholic beverages if you prefer them. Vegetarian options are available upon request.

Options for this experience

2 options

Four-wine tasting with meatGuide in English or Italian · 16:00 and 18:30Lasts 1 hour. Four wines paired with cured meats, cheeses and Italian gastronomic specialties

Four-wine tasting with vegetarian foodGuide in English or Italian · 16:00 and 18:30Lasts 1 hour. Four wines with vegetarian options

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Lasts 1h, runs every day except Wednesday and Sunday at 16:00 and 18:30, from € 65.50 per person, with a live guide in English and Italian, in groups of up to 12 and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesEvery day except Wednesday and SundayDepartures at 16:00 and 18:30

Book up to1h before

AgesAdult (18 to 90 years) · Under 18: can't be booked

GroupUp to 12

Live guideEnglish and Italian

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.

Prices and times updated 2 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportPets welcomePublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancy

Operated by Capitan Drake

Is this one for you?This works well if you want to understand Italian wine without the formality of a large group tour, and you're staying near Como's center or arriving by train. The sommelier's expertise and the food pairings make the difference between tasting wine and understanding it.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Italian.

Is this suitable if I don't drink alcohol?

Yes. Non-alcoholic beverages and soft drinks are available, and guests who don't drink alcohol are always welcome.

How far is Capitan Drake from Como train station?

It's a 10-minute walk from Central train station San Giovanni and the lakefront.

What food is included?

Italian gastronomic specialties including prosciutto crudo, a selection of cheeses, and buffalo mozzarella. Vegetarian options are available upon request.

Is the wine shop wheelchair accessible?

Yes. All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible, and transportation options are wheelchair accessible as well.

Can I bring a service animal?

Yes, service animals are allowed.

How many wines do I taste?

You taste 4 carefully selected Italian wines, each representing different grape varieties, regions, and winemaking traditions.

Do I need to arrange my own transport to get there?

No. Public transportation options are available nearby, and the wine shop is a 10-minute walk from the train station.