Private South Tyrol Cooking Class, Winery & Distillery Experience

What You’ll Experience

Spend a full day immersed in the food and drink culture that makes South Tyrol unlike anywhere else in Italy. Franz Lageder — certified South Tyrolean Gourmet Ambassador and former head sommelier at the 5-star Relais & Châteaux Hotel Grödnerhof — leads your group through a family winery, a hands-on cooking class, and a traditional alpine distillery, with hotel pickup and drop-off included from start to finish.

South Tyrol sits at the crossroads of Italian and Austrian tradition, and nowhere is that more evident than at the table. This experience is designed for travelers who want more than a meal — who want to cook the food, understand the wine, and come away with a genuine feel for the region.

Morning: Winery Tour & Tasting

Your day begins with a private visit to a respected South Tyrolean winery. Franz leads the tasting himself — walking your group through 5–7 wines alongside local accompaniments, with the context that comes from someone who has spent a career in this region’s wine culture. Depending on the winery, expect to taste some of the varieties South Tyrol does best, including Gewürztraminer, Lagrein, and Pinot Grigio.

Midday: Hands-On Cooking Class in Bolzano

From the winery, you continue to Bolzano for a four-hour cooking class built around the dishes that define South Tyrolean home cooking. You’ll prepare each one yourself:

• Kaiserschmarrn — shredded caramelized pancake, a staple Alpine dessert
• Speckknödel — bread dumplings made with South Tyrol’s signature cured speck
• Schlutzkrapfen — hand-rolled pasta parcels filled with spinach and ricotta
• Gröstl — a hearty alpine skillet of potatoes, herbs, and savory meat

When the cooking is done, your group sits down to eat the meal together. Franz selects wine pairings for each course. Printed recipes for all four dishes are included to take home.

Afternoon: Distillery Visit & Tasting

Your final stop is a family-run distillery producing the fruit brandies and grappa that South Tyrol has been making for generations. Franz guides the tasting and provides the background that turns a spirits flight into something genuinely informative. It is a fitting close to a day spent moving through the region’s culinary traditions from one end to the other.

At the conclusion of the tour, Franz drives your group back to your hotel.

Pricing per person

This is a private experience. Pricing is per person and based on group size. All winery fees, cooking ingredients, wine pairings, distillery tastings, printed recipes, and transportation are included. There are no additional costs on the day.

Group Size	Price Per Person
4 guests	$589
6 guests	$489
8 guests	$429

Now booking 2026 dates. Availability is limited — Franz works with a small number of private groups per season.