Join Chef Paolo Laboa and his partner and Solo’s wine guy, Jesse Bania, on a tour of Paolo’s home region, Liguria, and neighboring Toscana. 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, as we head into Tuscany and Umbria, heartier cuisine, bolder wine and even Etruscan inspiration awaits us.

By joining us for this experience, you will share the best food and taste through a special variety of local wines 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:

Sunday, 11/8/26:
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. This is always Jesse’s favorite meal, and he will be sure to tell you why!

Monday, 11/9/26:
We will Lunch in Recco to sample their special DOP Focaccia, as served in Solo Italiano as “Focaccia di Recco.” Afterwards, we will return for a brief respite at the hotel (and perhaps a visit to their picturesque patio bar) before dinner at a Michelin-rated restaurant in Genova.

Tuesday, 11/10/26:
We will travel up the Ligurian Riviera coast to Imperia for a tour of Anfosso (our preferred Ligurian olive oil producer) with lunch to follow. Upon returning to Genova, you will have the opportunity to be dropped off in the city to explore; dinner will be your responsibility this evening. Paolo and I will stay in town for dinner as well, so we can take folks back at 10pm if they prefer not to take the train, which we can advise on as well.

Wednesday, 11/11/26:
We will depart our hotel following breakfast, making way to our agriturismo in Toscana, but stopping (to break up the drive) in Florence to lunch at a palace (!) and visit a local winemaker. We will arrive at our “castle” near Siena around dinner time. We will dine at our accommodations.

Thursday, 11/12/26:
We will tour and “taste the farm,” which features local agricultural products including Tuscan salami, olive oil, wine and other unique farm products. After the tour, we will take you to Siena for the afternoon and return to our accommodations for another meal next to a fire…

Friday, 11/13/26:
We will casually depart our agriturismo in the morning following breakfast and make our way to our stay in Bevagna, Umbria. En route, we may visit some wine friends in Seggiano. Later on, once we are checked in at our agriturismo, we will wind down before dinner and wine tasting with our winery hosts.

Saturday, 11/14/26:
This day will include a visit to a neighboring town (Assisi or Perugia) and hopefully a black truffle hunt! We will dine in Perugia that evening.

Sunday, 11/15/26:
Following breakfast, we will check out of our accommodations and make our way together to Rome to share hugs and say goodbye (for now). We will aim to have everyone to Rome’s international airport (Fiumicino) by 11am if folks want to book any afternoon flights. Some folks may want to spend the night (or two) in Rome since you are already there :)

PRICE:
$7,250 per person double occupancy room
$8,250 per person single occupancy room

YOUR TRIP INCLUDES:
7 nights accommodation including taxes
10 meals per itinerary (incl. gratuities)
All breakfasts as offered by accommodations
All scheduled wine tastings
All ground transportation per itinerary
All additional sightseeing/admissions per itinerary

DOES NOT INCLUDE:
Airfare or travel to and from Italy and our initial 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 8 paid attendees. Our group size will be 16 persons max, including Jesse, Paolo and Solo staff—no more than 12 paid attendees.
*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 5/31/2026 you will receive a full refund of your deposit minus a $1,000 cancellation fee. After 5/31/2026, your deposit will be nonrefundable. Once the final balance is paid, it will also be nonrefundable. Final balance will be due 9/1/26.

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.