Private Wine Tasting at Home in the Netherlands: Discovering Italian Wines with Viae Vini

Most wine tastings follow the same format. You go somewhere, a wine bar, a cellar, 
a restaurant, sit at a table with strangers, and work through a flight of wines 
chosen by someone else, in a setting that has nothing to do with where the wines 
come from.

It's fine. But it's not particularly memorable.

Viae Vini offers something different. A certified Italian sommelier comes to you,
to your home, your private event, your gathering of friends, and brings the wines 
of Le Marche with her. The tasting happens in your own space, at your own pace, with 
wines that most people in the Netherlands have never encountered and a guide who 
knows them intimately.

It's a private experience, and it feels like one.

WHO IS ILARIA AND WHAT IS VIAE VINI

Ilaria is the founder of Viae Vini, a name that means the roads of wine, chosen 
to reflect both the journeys that brought her here and the journey she invites 
others to take through the wines of her home region.

She grew up in Le Marche, a region on Italy's Adriatic coast that remains one of 
the country's best-kept wine secrets. After completing her sommelier training 
through both WSET and the Italian Sommelier Association, and following a Master's 
in Wine Marketing and Communication, she moved to the Netherlands with a clear 
mission: to share the wines of Le Marche with people who had never heard of them.

Her focus is deliberate and narrow. Not all of Italy. Not the famous names. 
Specifically the small, independent producers of Le Marche who farm organically 
or biodynamically, who work with indigenous grape varieties that exist almost 
nowhere else in the world, and who make wines that reflect a specific place 
rather than a global market.

These are wines with character and story. And Ilaria is exceptionally good at 
telling that story.

THE WINES OF LE MARCHE

Le Marche sits between the Apennine mountains and the Adriatic Sea — a region of 
hills, valleys, and a coastline that shapes the climate and character of everything 
grown here.

It is the home of Verdicchio, one of Italy's finest white grape varieties — a 
wine that can age surprisingly well and that produces whites of real complexity 
and mineral depth. It is also home to Montepulciano d'Abruzzo's northern neighbor, 
to Pecorino as a grape variety rather than a cheese, and to dozens of other 
indigenous varieties that are rarely seen outside the region.

Ilaria focuses specifically on natural and organic producers, winemakers who 
work with minimal intervention, who allow their wines to express the landscape 
rather than imposing a standardized style. The result is a selection of wines 
that taste genuinely different from what most wine drinkers encounter through 
mainstream channels.

Alongside the wines, she includes two organic extra virgin olive oils from Le 
Marche in every tasting, because olive oil and wine are inseparable in the 
food culture of the region and because tasting them together tells a more 
complete story.

WHAT THE TASTING INCLUDES

The Viae Vini private tasting includes five wines from Le Marche, selected to 
give a clear picture of the region's range, from crisp, mineral whites to 
structured, food-friendly reds, alongside two organic extra virgin olive oils.

Each wine is introduced with context, the producer, the grape variety, the 
farming approach, and what to look for in the glass. Ilaria brings tasting 
sheets and an aroma wheel, which help participants develop a vocabulary for 
what they're experiencing rather than just reacting instinctively.

The format is educational without being academic. By the end of the tasting 
you will understand what makes Le Marche wines distinctive, how to evaluate 
a wine with some confidence, and why organic and biodynamic farming produces 
wines that taste different from conventionally farmed alternatives.

Optional food pairing is available as an add-on, carefully selected dishes 
that complement the wines and demonstrate how the food and wine of Le Marche 
work together.

Professional wine glasses are available on request for groups who want them.

THE PRIVATE FORMAT

The private format is central to what makes Viae Vini work.

In a wine bar or a group tasting, there is always social pressure, to keep 
up, to sound knowledgeable, to not ask the question that might seem obvious. 
In your own home, with your own friends or colleagues, that pressure disappears. 
People ask the questions they actually want to ask. The conversation goes where 
it goes. The tasting takes the time it takes.

Ilaria describes her approach as creating a journey through wine with no map 
required, just a glass and the desire to discover something new. In practice, 
this means she adapts to the group. Some tastings become focused and educational. 
Others become long, relaxed evenings where the wines are a starting point for 
wider conversation about food, Italy, and the relationship between place and taste.

Both are good outcomes.

WHAT'S INCLUDED

- 5 wines from Le Marche, selected by a certified sommelier
- 2 organic extra virgin olive oils from Le Marche
- Guided tasting with introduction to each wine
- Tasting sheets and aroma wheel
- Professional glasses available on request

Optional add-on:
- Food pairing , €12 per person

Duration: Approximately 2 hours
Group size: Minimum 4, maximum 12 participants
Availability: Sundays, between 11:00 and 18:00
Languages: Dutch, Italian, English
Location: At your home or private venue anywhere in the Netherlands

WHO THIS IS FOR

The Viae Vini private tasting works well for a wide range of occasions and 
groups.

Friends who want an unusual and genuinely interesting evening together. Couples 
looking for a private experience that goes beyond a restaurant dinner. Corporate 
groups wanting a team event with substance and conversation. Anyone curious about 
Italian wine who wants to learn properly rather than just drink. Expats in the 
Netherlands who miss Italian food culture and want to reconnect with it.

No wine knowledge is required. Ilaria has taught complete beginners many times 
and takes genuine pleasure in introducing people to wines they had never 
considered before.

HOW TO BOOK

The Viae Vini private wine tasting is available through Farmiyo — a platform 
connecting travelers and locals with authentic farm and food experiences across 
Europe.

Book the private wine tasting → farmiyo.com