Stefano’s wine tour was exceptional. I’ve been on wine tours throughout France, Italy and Spain, and what distinguishes the best guides from others is passion and expertise. It’s not a glorified driver, someone who drops you off from winery to winery and has the winery do their own spiel. Stefano is everything you’d want from a guide: A wine professional (He has a PhD in biochemistry), a wine enthusiast (He tastes every wine with you to give you his own tasting notes), a wine expert (He shares all the history and context of wines), and, most uniquely, a wine INSIDER. Every place we went, he walked me around freely, showing off every part of the process at a small winery, large winery, and co-op winery in villages you wouldn’t know to visit if you didn’t have a guide.
I was the only one on the tour this day, as 2 others cancelled last minute, but Stefano still ran the tour. Other guides, or large companies, would not do this. I am so thankful for his hospitality as well: He prepared appetizer bites including an incredible mozzarella local to his neighborhood.
He even has a wine shop in town, where he invited me after to do more tasting with other visitors.
Don’t hesitate to work with Stefano if you’re serious about wine and learning more about what makes Salento wines unique.