Our Journey

What commenced as a small Italian eatery in the Southern Highlands of NSW, Australia, Bottega B became a vehicle to explore the foods of regional Italy - one region at a time. Then developed a passion  for Italian culture, history, food and more.

With French roots, Portuguese sensibilities, Australian laconicism and a love for authenticity, Bottega Ventura was conceived.
Join Fiona and Antonio as they take you to hidden places in Italy, France and Portugal.

Italy - we focus solely on the east coast of Italy along the Adriatic - Molise and Abruzzo. Ancient towns, complex histories, traditional foods and methods, unparalleled craftsmanship, great wines and unseen destinations. These regions are mountainous and largely untouched. Mostly small towns with huge hearts, this is a region for slow food and slow tourism - stroll the old streets, pause at breath-taking views, savour a coffee in the piazza, observe the steady work of producing fine foods by hand or in small quantities for local consumption. Meet the makers of traditional crafts that have lasted generations - in some cases more than 30 generations!

France - we're visiting Gascony and Pays Basque along the Atlantic coast in the SW of the country. This is an under-explored area of hearty foods and unique wines. Think foie gras, cassoulet, duck magrit, Armagnac and cheeses.  And let's not forget Dartagnan (no, he's not food) as this is the land of the three musketeers! 
If Tuscany is your dream, let us take you to Gascony and you'll be in heaven on earth.

Portugal - where everyone thinks of seafood and coastline, big waves in Nazarre, picture-perfect castles in Sintra, Lisbon's historical centre and Porto's steep paths and port caves. But there's much more to this small country. 
We'll take you east towards the Spanish border in the Alantejo and Centro regions. Breathtaking landscapes, stupendous wines,  Moorish influences, olive oil tastings, unique foods and traditional artisanry.

Bottega Ventura is a travel company focused on small group tours to remote and unexplored parts of Italy, France and Portugal. We offer market day experiences, small farm experiences, language lessons, cooking lessons, history and art excursions, and archaeological excursions.

We limit groups to 10 people with individual rooms in bespoke hotels and BnBs. We provide all transport and accommodation and all meals apart from one lunch and one dinner at your discretion.
Our tours are ten days and nine nights in parts of Italy and France that are little travelled and rarely crowded.
With our local and experienced guides, your travel package is a complete and immersive experience in the history, culture, language and food of the countries.
Join us in 2026 and beyond