Wine and olive oil tasting in Lucca: 4 tastings with lunch

Taste four oils and two wines in a room overlooking Lucca's medieval walls

A wine and olive oil tasting in Lucca held in an 18th-century Academy apartment, where you taste four extra virgin olive oils, learn about cultivars and health benefits, then move through a wine tasting and light lunch of handmade pasta and Tuscan starters. The host, an Italian Academy Sommelier and Evo expert, leads all tastings personally in English, Spanish or French.

The experience

The Academy sits in a restored 18th-century apartment inside Lucca's old town, with views across the medieval city walls to the cathedral bell tower and the historic Theatre. You start with an introduction to extra virgin olive oil (the cultivars, production methods and what the oils do for your body), then move into a structured tasting of four Evos, each one different. The host, Fausto Borella, an Italian Academy Sommelier and food and wine consultant, leads the whole thing personally, so the pace and the detail shift to what you want to know.

After the oils, a wine tasting follows, pairing with a light lunch built around handmade mayonnaise and traditional Tuscan starters, then tomato sauce pasta made with one of the oils you just tasted. The meal is not a separate course but part of the tasting itself: a way to understand how the oils and wines work in actual food. The whole experience runs about two hours and stays inside the Academy, so there is no travel time once you arrive.

What’s included

• Tasting of four extra virgin olive oils.
• wine tasting.
• handmade mayonnaise and traditional Tuscan starters.
• tomato sauce pasta with extra virgin olive oil.
• personal instruction from an Italian Academy Sommelier in English, Spanish or French.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish and French

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 if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 12 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Accademia Maestrod'olio

Is this one for you?Book this if you're based in Lucca's center or arriving by train. The Academy is in the old town with public transport access, so tastings and lunch happen where you're already staying rather than requiring a countryside trip.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English, Spanish and French.

What exactly do I taste during the olive oil part?

Four different extra virgin olive oils, each one chosen to show different cultivars and flavor profiles. The tasting includes an introduction to how the oils are made, what makes them distinct, and their health properties before you taste each one.

Is this just tasting or do I get to eat something?

You eat a light lunch during the tasting: handmade mayonnaise and traditional Tuscan starters, then fresh tomato sauce pasta dressed with one of the oils you tasted. The food is part of how you learn, not a separate meal afterward.

Where exactly in Lucca is the Academy, and how do I get there?

The Academy is in an 18th-century apartment inside Lucca's old town, with views of the medieval walls and cathedral. Public transportation options are available nearby, and the location is wheelchair accessible with accessible surfaces throughout.

How long does the whole thing take?

About two hours from start to finish, including the olive oil introduction, the tasting of four oils, the wine tasting, and the light lunch.