The renowned Tuscan food, wine, and art tour coordinator Filippo Bartolotta is from Florence and there he created, in collaboration with the American Vanessa Held, Le Baccanti Tours, specialized in luxury vacations to all destinations within Italy and unique wine, gourmet, fashion and art events. Experiencing the Italian way of life is the yearning for thousands of Americans who grew up with the dream of ‘La dolce vita’, and Bartolotta and Held make these dreams come true creating memories of landscapes, aromas, and flavors all rigorously Made in Italy. The idea is to accompany the dreamers to the discovery of food, wine, fashion, and art with a customized, tailored approach.
One of the most appreciated experiences offered by Bartolotta himself is ‘The Amazing Italian Wine Journey‘ during which he tells, through the tasting, the stories of producers capable of transforming intuitions into concrete projects, with stubbornness, taste, and courage. Starting from wine, it was natural to move onto the amazing culinary experiences that Italy has to offer, and soon the idea spread to fashion, art, and the most diverse experiences. Le Baccanti now organizes incredible customized trips: a truffle hunt in the Langhe, trips to discover the best saffron in the world – also known as ‘Red Gold’ -, a visit to a master cheese maker to find out how the burrata is made, a trip on the slopes of Etna to collect pistachios.
Plenty of American celebrities have been able to savor Italy living for a few days as a local without sacrificing either privacy or comfort. Actress Jessica Alba asked for a cooking class, while the Obamas enjoyed tailored wine tasting tour; other celebrities who have enjlyed Le Baccanti services include Dustin Hoffman, Emma Thompson, Bryan Adams, John Malkovich, Stephen Colbert, and Eminem.
Ilona Catani Scarlett