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Small Group Private Tour Specialist

Plan your Italy adventure with the small group private tour specialist. Escape overtourism and discover the back roads and authentic small towns with us. Kathy and Vernon create your perfect trip, with off-the-beaten path destinations, activities from walks and bike rides to city tours and shopping, and expert-led culinary adventures.

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Food and Wine

Any tour of Italy is incomplete without indulging in the amazing food and wine. But to truly appreciate It requires an understanding of the regional history, culture and geography. All become part of your adventure with Kathy, chef, food blogger, and Certified Italian Wine Professional, and Vernon, mountain guide, MS in European Literature and avid history enthusiast.

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Your Unique Adventure

Not all private trips are custom. Most tour companies don't have the flexibility to deviate from their set itineraries, so there are always compromises. With Kathy and Vernon, your adventure will be as unique as you are, and your itinerary will be personally designed us to meet the desires and varied interests of your group.

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The ItaliaOutdoors Difference


Truly Personalized Service and a Custom Plan for Every Trip

Kathy and Vernon

NO MIDDLEMEN

You communicate directly with Vernon and Kathy. We know your dreams for an Italy adventure, we’ll have it ready for you when you arrive.

No Group Too Small

SMALL FOOTPRINT

Our small footprint allows us to travel like locals and enjoy spontaneous adventures as we explore the path less traveled.

 

Custom Plan

UNIQUE ITINERARY

Each tour itinerary is unique and serves as a framework for an exceptional journey, where a thoughtful plan adjusts to your pace.

 

Authenticity

KNOWLEDGE

We focus on just a few select tours to provide an exceptional level of regional knowledge and an unforgettable authentic experience.

Travel after COVID-19: How do you wish to travel in Italy when we are able to return? In a small private group of your family and friends? Plenty of outdoor explorations? Off the beaten track destinations far from tourist crowds? Private cooking classes, wine tours, small intimate hotels? That's how we've been traveling for ten years. Plan your adventure in Italy with Italiaoutdoors Food and Wine, the custom tour specialist.

Customize Your Adventure - Food - Wine - Walk - Hike - Bike

With Italy's "Best Local Guide 2013"

Read about our tours in Adventure Cyclist August 2015

Our passion is creating intimate, personalized active food and wine adventures that explore an authentic Italy
- its outdoor beauty, its hidden back roads, its small family producers, its traditional wines, at your preferred pace.
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Located in Feldthurns, with a panoramic view of the entire Valle Isarco (Eisack Valley), lies the vineyards of Garlider. The Kerschbaurmer family owns 4 hectares of vineyards here, on a sunny mountain slope, and produces several wonderful whites as well as a few excellent reds.

valle isarco custom walking tours italy
Valle Isarco, Italy


This is the northernmost wine region in Italy, located on the Austrian border. Traditionally, this region chiefly produced reds (80%) such as Portugieser, Zweigelt, Lagrein, and Schiava. Many younger winemakers have set up shop here, with a focus on innovation and production of high quality wines. Fresh, cool nights, warmer days and good breezes give these white wines a fruity, subtle aroma, an elegant dryness and attractive mineral palate. Today the ratio is reversed, with 80% of the production white wines, predominately Muller Thurgau and Sylvaner, along with Gewurztraminer, Gruner Veltliner, Kerner and Pinot Grigio.

Christian Kerschbaumer currently cultivates his parent’s winery, Garlider. Kerschbaumers philosophy is to play with the wines as little as possible during the winemaking process, maintaining the character of the vines, and allowing one to taste the grapes and the terroir.  He uses organic cultivation techniques and prefers the use of indigenous yeast in his wine cellar. The Garlider Gruner Veltliner has received many awards, from Gambero Roso, Guida ai Migliori Vini d’Italia, and Le Guide de L’espresso.

garlider klausner wine private cycling tours italy
Garlider Klausner Laitacher

 

 

Garlider produces some red wines as well, a Blauburgunder (Pinot Noir), and the Garlider Klausner Laitacher. I recently tasted the latter, the Garlider Klausner Laitacher 2007. The Klausner Laitacher name refers to the only red wine covered by the Valle Isarco DOC designation, and refers to a blend of the local indigenous reds, Schiava/Vernatsch and Lagrein. The Garlider Klausner is comprised mostly of Schiava with a touch of Lagrein. It is a brilliant garnet red, with a dark fruit aroma. A bit bitter, with mineral components, with hints of red berries and tart cherry, it has a nice acidity.  It is an excellent foil to any dish with speck or prosciutto, or a meat ragu over gnocchi.