Wine and Extra virgin olive oil tasting in Lucca, Tuscany

The star of this Lucca experience is not the wine alone. It is the chance to taste four extra virgin olive oils side by side and learn why they smell, taste, and feel different. Fausto Borella, founder of the Italian Academy Sommelier of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, leads the session at his Maestrod’olio Academy, an 18th-century apartment with views toward the city walls.

I like the small-group format, capped at 15 people, and the way the tasting moves into a proper light lunch rather than ending with a few sips and a sales pitch. The pasta, dessert, and coffee give the lesson a warm Tuscan finish. The main drawback is timing: the experience currently runs Monday through Wednesday from noon to 2 p.m., so it may not fit every Lucca itinerary.

Key points at a glance

• Four olive oils, tasted with guidance: Learn about cultivars, production, flavor, and health benefits before comparing the oils.
• A meal with a view: Appetizers, pasta, dessert, and coffee follow the tastings in a historic apartment.
• Fausto Borella’s specialty: The host founded the Italian Academy Sommelier of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and personally teaches the subject.
• A calm break from restaurant roulette: You avoid choosing a hurried city-center meal and get food with an educational side.
• Small-scale setting: The experience is limited to a maximum of 15 people, though the booking details also describe it as a private activity for your group.
• Easy two-hour plan: Meet at Corso Garibaldi 52, then finish back at the same location.

Why an olive oil lesson belongs in your Lucca plans

Lucca is an easy city to enjoy on foot, with its medieval walls, compact center, and handsome churches. It is also easy to eat here without thinking much about what is on the plate. You order pasta, pour on some oil, and move along.

This experience asks you to slow down and pay attention to one of the basic ingredients of Tuscan cooking. Extra virgin olive oil is not just a condiment. Its character can change with the olive variety, growing conditions, harvest, and production method. A guided tasting gives you a way to notice those differences instead of treating every green-gold bottle as the same.

The setting helps. You are not seated at a standard restaurant table in the middle of the city center. You meet at the Maestrod’olio Academy, housed in an 18th-century apartment. From there, you can look toward Lucca’s medieval walls, the city’s cathedral bell tower, and the historic theater.

That view adds a sense of place without turning the activity into a sightseeing tour. The focus stays on food and wine, but the room gives you a pleasant visual reminder that you are in Lucca, not at a generic cooking venue.

Meeting Fausto Borella at the Maestrod’olio Academy

Fausto Borella founded the Italian Academy Sommelier of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and runs the Maestrod’olio Academy in Lucca. His work centers on olive oil education, tastings, private events, and food and wine consulting.

The instruction is offered in English, French, and Spanish. That matters because the tasting depends on discussion. You will want to understand the terms used for aroma, bitterness, pepperiness, freshness, and balance. A language you are comfortable with makes it easier to ask why one oil feels sharper than another or why an oil works better with a certain food.

The experience is presented as a small-group activity with a maximum of 15 participants. That is a useful limit for a tasting, since a crowded room can make it hard to hear the host or compare notes. At the same time, the practical information also describes the activity as private, with only your group participating. Those descriptions do not line up perfectly, so I would confirm the group arrangement when booking if privacy is important to you.

You meet at Corso Garibaldi 52 in Lucca. The activity ends at that same meeting point, which keeps the logistics simple. It is near public transportation, and confirmation is provided when you book.

The four-oil tasting, one flavor at a time

The first major part of the session introduces the world of EVO, the common abbreviation for extra virgin olive oil. You learn about cultivars, the olive varieties behind the oil, along with basic production methods and the health benefits associated with extra virgin olive oil.

Then you taste four different oils. This is the most useful part of the experience for anyone who buys olive oil at home. A single tasting can be pleasant, but side-by-side comparison gives your palate a reference point. You can notice which oils are mild, grassy, bitter, peppery, or more forceful.

The point is not to memorize fancy tasting terms. It is to learn what you like and what quality can taste like. Some people expect the best oil to be completely smooth and neutral. A fresh extra virgin olive oil can instead have bitterness and a peppery finish. Those sensations are not automatically flaws. The lesson helps put them in context.

You should also come prepared for a food-focused class, not a full olive harvest demonstration. The available details describe instruction about cultivars, production, and health, followed by tasting. They do not promise a visit to an olive grove, a mill, or a bottling facility.

That distinction is important. If you want to see how olives are picked and pressed, this is not that sort of excursion. If you want a practical introduction you can use at a market or restaurant, the two-hour format makes more sense.

Appetizers, pasta, dessert, and coffee

After the olive oils, the experience moves to wine tasting and a light lunch featuring traditional Tuscan cooking. The food is more than a small snack, but it is best not to picture a long multi-course feast. The meal is designed to support the tasting and give you a relaxed finish.

The food details available from the experience include substantial appetizers, a pasta lunch, dessert, and coffee. The pasta gives the session a clear Tuscan shape, while dessert and coffee stretch the ending into a proper after-lunch pause.

This is one reason I see value in the experience. You are not paying only for a lecture and a few drops of oil. You receive a meal, wine, a historic setting, and a lesson that can change how you approach Italian food for the rest of your trip.

The meal also makes the activity useful for people with different levels of interest. A serious food enthusiast can focus on the oil and wine. Someone who is less technical can enjoy the meal, the view, and the social pace. You do not need to arrive as an expert.

The description calls the lunch light, so plan accordingly. If you are looking for a long, lavish lunch with many courses, this may feel modest. If you want a well-timed midday meal that adds meaning to what you are eating, it should fit nicely.

The wine portion keeps the tasting grounded in Tuscany

Wine follows the olive oil lesson, giving you a second way to think about local flavor. The available information does not list particular wineries, grapes, or vintages, so you should not book this expecting a detailed winery presentation or a vertical tasting of several years.

Instead, consider the wine as part of a larger food lesson. Olive oil, wine, bread, pasta, and dessert all belong to the same table. Tasting them in one sitting helps you think about how Tuscan ingredients work together rather than treating the wine as an isolated attraction.

The session is especially suited to people who enjoy learning through food. You get enough structure to understand what you are tasting, but the meal keeps the event from feeling like a formal classroom.

What the two-hour schedule really means

The experience lasts about two hours and is scheduled from noon to 2 p.m. That makes it a natural lunch stop. You can spend the morning walking Lucca’s walls or visiting the cathedral area, then head to Corso Garibaldi for the tasting.

The fixed schedule also creates a limitation. It is currently listed for Monday through Wednesday only. If you have a short stay in Lucca, a Sunday arrival or a Thursday departure could make the timing difficult. Check the operating date and time before arranging the rest of your day.

Two hours is long enough for a meaningful introduction, but it also means the session will move at a steady pace. You will taste several oils, hear about olive varieties and health, sample wine, and eat lunch in one sitting. There is unlikely to be time for a long detour into every part of Italian food culture.

I like that restraint. Lucca rewards a relaxed walking pace, and a compact food experience leaves room for the rest of the city. Just avoid scheduling a major attraction at exactly 2 p.m. in another part of town. The activity ends at the meeting point, and you will want a little breathing room after lunch.

Is the $116.36 price worth it?

At $116.36 per person, this is not a budget lunch. The value depends on how much you care about food instruction and how you use the meal.

If you simply want to eat pasta in Lucca, you can spend less at a restaurant. The price becomes easier to justify when you count the full package: a hosted olive oil lesson, four EVO tastings, wine, appetizers, pasta, dessert, coffee, and a setting with views of major Lucca landmarks.

You are also paying for access to a specialist rather than just ordering a bottle from a menu. Fausto Borella’s work is centered on extra virgin olive oil, so the session has a clear point of view and a subject deeper than standard food sampling.

The price is strongest for couples, families, and small groups who would otherwise spend their lunch trying to choose among tourist-oriented restaurants. It can also be good value for anyone who plans to buy Italian olive oil after the trip and wants to know what to look for.

The value is weaker if you dislike structured tastings, do not drink wine, or want a large meal. You can still enjoy the food and lesson, but part of the experience’s purpose is comparing oils and learning the language around them.

Who will enjoy this Lucca food experience most?

I would recommend it first to people who like understanding what they eat. You do not need previous knowledge. Curiosity is enough.

It suits:

• Food-focused visitors: You get a lesson, local products, wine, and a traditional lunch in one stop.
• Couples and small groups: The apartment setting and limited group size should feel more personal than a large food tour.
• First-time olive oil tasters: The four-oil comparison gives you a clear starting point.
• Visitors avoiding generic city-center meals: You eat at a dedicated academy rather than picking a restaurant at random.
• People with a midday gap: The noon to 2 p.m. schedule fits naturally between morning and afternoon plans.
• Multilingual groups: Instruction is offered in English, French, and Spanish.

I would hesitate if your priority is a farm visit, a full winery tour, or a long cooking class. None of those are described as part of the experience. This is a tasting and lunch lesson in Lucca, not a countryside production tour.

Service animals are allowed, and most people can participate. If you have a specific mobility or dietary need, ask before booking, since the available information does not spell out those arrangements.

Booking advice and cancellation timing

This activity is often reserved well ahead of time, with an average booking lead of 41 days. That suggests you should not leave it until the last day of a short Lucca stay, particularly because the schedule is limited to Monday through Wednesday.

You receive confirmation at booking, and a mobile ticket is provided. Free cancellation is available if you cancel at least 24 hours before the start time. Cancellations or changes made inside that 24-hour window are not refunded or accepted.

The experience requires a minimum number of participants. If the operator cancels because that minimum is not reached, you will be offered another date or experience, or receive a full refund.

Should you book it?

Book this if you want a food lesson with a real lunch attached, not just a quick tasting. The four-oil comparison, Fausto Borella’s olive oil focus, the views from the 18th-century apartment, and the pasta-to-dessert finish give the experience a clear identity.

Skip it if you want a countryside drive, a vineyard visit, or a long formal meal. The best match is a visitor who has two hours at midday, enjoys learning at the table, and wants to leave Lucca with a better sense of what extra virgin olive oil should taste like.

FAQ

Where does the olive oil and wine tasting take place?

It takes place at the Maestrod’olio Academy at Corso Garibaldi 52, 55100 Lucca, Italy. The academy is located in an 18th-century apartment with views toward Lucca’s medieval walls, cathedral bell tower, and historic theater.

How long does the experience last?

The experience lasts about two hours, from noon until 2 p.m.

Which days is the experience available?

The listed schedule is Monday through Wednesday, from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.

How many olive oils will I taste?

You will taste four extra virgin olive oils.

Is lunch included?

Yes. The olive oil and wine tastings are followed by a light lunch featuring traditional Tuscan cooking. The food details include appetizers, pasta, dessert, and coffee.

Who leads the experience?

Fausto Borella, founder of the Italian Academy Sommelier of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, personally leads the activities. The experience may also be hosted by Genva, who is identified as a hostess in the available guest feedback.

Is cancellation free?

Yes. You can cancel for a full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours before the experience start time. Changes or cancellations made less than 24 hours before the start are not accepted or refunded.