12 SPOTS AVAILABLE

Join Chef Paolo Laboa and his partner and Solo’s wine guy, Jesse Bania, on a brief tour of Paolo’s home region, Liguria, followed by the main event in Sardegna! The gorgeous coast overlooking the Ligurian Sea is where age-old cooking traditions were met with passion and inspiration to create much of Paolo’s unique culinary style. Meanwhile, flying together over the Tyrrhenian Sea will commence our visit to the Island of Sardegna. The beauty of Sardegna brought many conquerors and cultural influences to its shores over the centuries, and we look forward to exploring how this weaving evolution created a culinary tradition unlike anywhere else in Italy.

By joining us for this experience, you will share the best food and taste through a special variety of wines at local hidden gems and featured producers we work closely with while learning the stories that lie behind them all. If you have a love for Italian food and wine and an interest in learning as you travel, you are in for an amazing opportunity to do so!

YOUR CHEF & GUIDE:

Paolo Laboa’s love for the cucina started in his mother's kitchen, where he learned the secrets of real Genovese cooking. After many achievements and adventures, including winning the World Pesto Championship, Paolo has found his new home in Portland, ME. Here he and his wife Mercedes live with their two children and run Solo Italiano, a much-loved pillar of the farm to table tradition in Portland. Paolo is very excited to share his home country and region and its cultural culinary traditions with you on this special trip!

Jesse connected naturally with Paolo and the mission behind Solo Italiano on the day it opened its doors. He went on to become the wine director of one of Portland’s most exclusive and unique wine lists as well as Co-Owner and friendly face of the restaurant. He LOVES Italian wine and has built Solo’s program around the natural connection it has to food, origin and atmosphere. He has traveled extensively around the world. He will be your tasting buddy, translator and travel partner. Ask him any question you might have along the way; he will be your pocket guide.

ROUGH ITINERARY:

Wednesday, 6/10/26:
Arrive at your hotel in Camogli, check-in and meet up with Paolo and Jesse for an aperitivo hour to meet your traveling companions and review plans for the delicious week to come! We will share our first dinner together that night with a seafood forward meal where we start each of our trips.

Thursday, 6/11/26:
We will lunch in Recco, sampling their special DOP Focaccia (served in Solo Italiano as “Focaccia di Recco”). We will then spend afternoon back in Camogli for some relaxation before dinner together.

Friday, 6/12/26:
We will commence travel as a group to Sardinia via Genova’s airport. We will fly to Sardinia (Olbia airport) together, picking up new vehicles there before continuing on to our accommodations.

Saturday, 6/13/26 - Tuesday 6/16/26:
Our main accommodations (4-5 nights) will be in Alghero. This is our first trip to Sardinia, so specifics of what will be done (and where and on which days) are still being developed. We plan to fully immerse in Sardinian food and beverage culture in a similar spirit in which all our trips are known. This will include farm and winery visits/tours, a potential fishing expedition, relaxation and sightseeing time, locally authentic meals together and, of course opportunity for spontaneous experiences, which Paolo and I are now well-known for discovering. See my note on “final itinerary“ below…

We are strongly considering at least one night in the South of the island. There is a winery that we would like to visit in Nuoro and we would also organize another food-oriented stop should this develop onto the itinerary. Given that it makes more sense for us to say goodbye and depart to relative destinations from Cagliari (there are simply better departure options from this airport), this is a likely development.

Wednesday, 6/17/26:
Check out of your final accommodations and savor one last meal (breakfast) with the group. We will be transporting the group to the Cagliari airport for departure. Flights to Rome, Milan or Munich are equally possible from here.

FINAL ITINERARY WILL BE EMAILED PRIOR TO DEPARTURE AND PROVIDED IN HAND WHEN WE FIRST MEET. ROUGH ITINERARY WITH DEPARTURE AIRPORT WILL BE INCLUDED WITH SECOND EMAIL WE WILL SEND TO YOU THE SECOND WEEK OF MARCH. THIS WILL ALLOW YOU TO PURSUE YOUR FINAL FLIGHT BOOKINGS.

PRICE:
$7,750 per person double occupancy room
$8,750 per person single occupancy room

YOUR TRIP INCLUDES:
7 nights accommodation including taxes
9 shared meals per itinerary (incl. gratuities)
Continental breakfasts as offered by accommodations
All scheduled wine tastings
All transportation per itinerary, incl. flight from Genoa to Sardinia
All additional sightseeing/admissions per itinerary

DOES NOT INCLUDE:
Airfare or travel to and from Italy and our initial/final meeting/departure locations. There will be some free time built into the schedule for relaxation or personal exploration. All meals and activities therein are the responsibility of the guest(s).

CONDITIONS:
Trip guaranteed departure is based on 10 paid attendees. Our group size will be 16 persons max, including Jesse, Paolo and any Solo staff.
*Travelers must be at least 21 years of age.

RESERVATIONS:
To secure your spot(s) on the trip please fill out the form below and submit your deposit of $2,500 per person.

Payments can be made by check or major credit card. Credit cards will be subject to a 3.0% processing fee.

CANCELLATIONS:
If you must cancel your trip reservation with us before 3/1/2026 you will receive a full refund of your deposit minus a $1,000 cancellation fee. After 3/1/2026, your deposit will be nonrefundable. Once the final balance is paid, it will also be nonrefundable. Final balance will be due 5/1/26.

Please consider taking travel insurance to help cover any unforeseen circumstances that may arise. For insurance information please visit InsureMyTrip. Your credit card company may also offer trip protection for such a purchase automatically, as another option to explore. In the event that our boarders close anew or other federal restrictions stop us from traveling, we will work with participants where insurance/trip protection doesn’t cover deposits and final balance payments.

TRAVEL NOTES:

In addition to purchasing travel insurance, we also recommend packing light to the extent that you are comfortable. You may be staying overnight in different towns throughout the week. Having that personal item be a day bag is also helpful for your daily adventures.

RESPONSIBILITY:
Solo Italiano and Paolo & Jesse Bania accept no responsibility for any delayed departures or arrivals, missed connections, loss, damage, or injury to person or property. We reserve the right to change the itinerary and substitute arrangements of any equal value, if circumstances warrant change.