Parmigiano Reggiano Tour & Lunch in Gargallo near Modena

Watch cheese turn from milk to aging rooms, then eat what you learned about

A Parmigiano Reggiano factory tour and traditional Emilian lunch near Modena in Gargallo, where you watch cheesemakers turn fresh milk into DOP cheese using centuries-old methods, taste it at different aging stages, and then sit down to a home-cooked meal built around the cheese, cured meats, warm tigelle bread and local wine. The experience runs three hours total and includes the factory visit, tasting, farm shop access, lunch with dessert, Italian coffee and a digestif.

The experience

Gargallo's working Parmigiano Reggiano dairy opens its doors to show you how the cheese actually gets made. You'll watch expert cheesemakers handle the curds, cut and stir them, and move through the steps that have stayed almost unchanged for centuries. Then you walk into the aging rooms where wheels sit for months, developing the crystalline texture and sharp flavor that makes the cheese worth the price. A tasting session lets you compare younger and older wheels side by side, so you taste the difference time makes. The farm shop sits right there if you want to buy wheels or wedges to take home.

After the dairy, you move to a home kitchen for lunch. The meal centers on Parmigiano Reggiano (shaved, melted into dishes, or just broken into chunks) alongside Prosciutto, Coppa and Salame from the region. Warm tigelle bread arrives with spreads to go with the cured meats. A glass of Lambrusco di Santa Croce, the local red wine that's slightly fizzy and slightly sweet, runs through the meal. Homemade dessert, Italian coffee and a digestif close it out. Nothing here is plated for show. It's the food people in Emilia-Romagna actually eat at home.

What’s included

• Guided tour of a working Parmigiano Reggiano dairy in Gargallo.
• tasting of cheese at different aging stages.
• access to the farm shop.
• traditional home-cooked lunch with Parmigiano Reggiano, cured meats (Prosciutto, Coppa, Salame), warm tigelle bread with spreads, and Lambrusco di Santa Croce wine.
• homemade dessert, Italian coffee, and digestif.

Before you book

Days and timesSundayDeparts at 10:00

Book up to10h before

AgesAdult (9 and older) · Child (4 to 8 years) · Infant (under 4): free

GroupUp to 10

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 yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearby

Operated by Cesarine: Cooking Class

Is this one for you?The guide speaks English or Italian, so you can follow comfortably in whichever language you book. The three-hour pace (factory tour, tasting, then a leisurely lunch) suits anyone who wants to learn how the cheese is made without rushing through the meal.

Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Italian.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 8 years); Infant (under 4): free.

What exactly happens inside the Parmigiano Reggiano dairy in Gargallo?

You watch cheesemakers turn fresh milk into cheese using traditional methods, see the curds being cut and stirred, and walk through aging rooms where wheels develop flavor over months. A tasting session lets you compare Parmigiano Reggiano at different ages so you taste how time changes the cheese.

What does the lunch include after the factory tour?

The home-cooked meal features Parmigiano Reggiano, Prosciutto, Coppa and Salame, warm tigelle bread with spreads, and Lambrusco di Santa Croce wine. It ends with homemade dessert, Italian coffee and a digestif.

How long does the whole experience take?

The tour and lunch together run three hours, starting with the dairy visit and tasting, then moving to the home kitchen for the meal.

Can I buy cheese to take home after the tour?

Yes, the farm shop is part of the dairy visit, so you can purchase Parmigiano Reggiano and other local products before or after the tasting.