Meet your host for the evening, a highly trained sommelier and industry expert, on the steps of San Carlo ai Catinari church in the heart of Rome. Together with your group of no more than 18, follow your sommelier to a nearby wine tasting library. Lined with books, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and, of course, bottles of fine wine, this intimate and specially designed room offers the perfect setting for your 2-hour Italian tasting.

Pick up a wine glass and mingle with your fellow ‘tasters’ as you take your place around the large, square table. Listen to your sommelier talk about the country’s winemaking heritage and learn about its place in Italian history and culture while the first of the wine samples is being poured.

Throughout the course of the evening, sample six of Italy’s finest and best loved wine varieties, including Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Rosso di Montalcino and barolo, each paired with delicious regional specialties such as succulent cured ham, salami, cheese and a selection of crostini (small slice of grilled or toasted bread with toppings). Savor the delicate bouquet of flavors in each wine as they dance on your tongue, and pick up tips from your sommelier on how to identify the varying aromas and ingredients. You’ll also learn how the dishes highlight different notes in the wine.

As the tasting draws on, discover how to tell if a wine is standard or complex, find out about the tongue’s different tasting centers, and take the opportunity to ask your sommelier any questions that you may have.

Your experience concludes outside the wine library, leaving you perfectly placed to enjoy dinner in central Rome, or put your newfound knowledge to the test over a glass of wine.