Vineria Del Carmine — Local services in Perugia

Overall: Vineria del Carmine is easily one of the greatest dining experiences in all my travels. The ambiance is very charming. The food was heavenly and the wine amazing. The staff is very welcoming, friendly and extremely knowledgeable. It was truly a magical experience. I almost don't want to tell the world because I want to keep it for myself and my friends but it's too nice to keep a secret.

Once in a while, as travelers, we get lucky and we stumble upon a beautiful place slightly off the beaten path which offers not just great food but also an unforgettable experience that will forever leave a beautiful mark in us. I found out about Vineria Del Carmine through a local friend who happens to know David, the Estate Manager.

Here's a more detailed explanation of how we found the place and why we love it and why we'll keep coming back.

The Why: I am a lawyer based in New York City and I had this random idea of bringing friends to Umbria. I've been in Umbria a few times and I love it so much that I always want to come back. Celebrating a birthday dinner is certainly good reason to ask people to fly to Italy. So, I asked local friends for recommendations. That's when David & Chrissie were introduced to me. I reached out via email and they've been very helpful with the whole planning from that time on until the day of the dinner.

The How: Chrissie handed me to Rachel, the events coordinator. Rachel is amazing at planning. Because some of my guests were coming from different cities/countries, it was difficult to estimate how many people could really make it (also, people RSVP 'yes' and then cancel last minute) Rachel was very flexible with this variable. Planning a dinner that involved guests flying trans-Atlantic is bound to encounter issues (especially during this unusual time of travel cancellations/delays and with the pandemic still a concern). The original RSVP was around 20 people. Unfortunately, some guests had to cancel last minute because of travel problems and flight rate hikes. Rachel was able to accommodate these changes as they were happening. I would reach out to her and she always had a potential solution to offer. In the end, we had 8 people (2 from NYC, 1 from Paris, 2 from Luxembourg, and 3 Umbrian locals). This actually made it a more intimate experience for us. The staff were still able to show us an amazing time despite the turnout.

The What: We really didn't know what was in store for us expect we knew the place was beautiful and we would have a nice sunset in nature. It's one of those beautiful places where you wouldn't mind eating a cracker because the views make up for it. BUT this was not our experience. We went to Vineria just for the ambiance but we got a lot more than that! For starters, we experienced Michelin-level dining quality. It was more than we bargained for. Much, much more! The gastronomic experience was unexpected but a welcome surprise and became a highlight of the evening. The chef, Delfo, has worked as an executive chef for Heinz Beck and was a sous chef of the first and only (still) 3-starred Michelin restaurant in Rome. Delfo brought his culinary expertise and added his own touch to our dinner that we all finished the meal thinking we reached the heavenly heights of gastronomy. The food was really that good!

Flexibility: Half of us were late for dinner and David, Rachel, and the rest of the crew were very flexible. They even offered to go and get the others in case they were lost. While waiting, David gave us a tour of the vineyard.

Knowledge: The products of a restaurant are its food and drinks, so having a thorough knowledge of the food in the restaurant is part of providing excellent customer service. Rachel and the whole staff were very familiar with the menu, especially the wine offerings, that they were able to answer questions about everything.

The staff did their best to make our dinner an exceptional dining experience. We were already guaranteed a beautiful sunset over amazing scenery. And they still managed topping that with excellent food...

A beautiful place to taste delicious wines and enjoy great food.

We did a truffle hunt with an external “hunter,” which unfortunately was a bit disappointing. It only lasted 30 minutes and was mostly just watching the hunter find a few truffles along about 200 meters at the edge of the vineyards. We missed being involved in the process and had hoped to learn something about truffles during the hunt—where and how they are found by the dogs, or for example, how the dogs are trained. Unfortunately, this was not the case. We were able to ask a few questions, which were translated by a guide from Chiesa del Carmine, and the hunter answered them. The guide from Chiesa del Carmine was very friendly!

The hunter left and handed the truffles over to the kitchen, where they were used in the cooking, but we didn’t get to see any of that. We asked if we could see the truffles, how they were washed, and how they were prepared in the dishes, but unfortunately we were not allowed to see the kitchen. That was a shame, because it would have given more of a feeling that they were cooking with your truffles.

To make it more of a truffle experience, we think it would be more enjoyable to be more involved in the truffle search, with an interactive guide who explains the process and where and how to find them. Some background information about the dogs would also have been nice. Additionally, 30 minutes is quite short, especially since it says online that the hunt lasts 60 minutes. If we had been able to hand in the truffles ourselves and see how they were cleaned and prepared, it would have been a top experience.

The dinner afterwards was of high quality. You get about five courses, with truffles incorporated into every dish. We found the truffles lacked flavor, but that might be due to the season (May). During dinner, there’s also a wine tasting, which is fun because they compare different vintages.

All in all, it was a nice experience, but for €360 we expected the truffle hunt and truffles themselves to be more central, instead of it being mostly a luxurious dinner and wine tasting with a short 30-minute truffle search...

This beautiful Vineria offers a wine and culinary experience like no other. If we could give a 6-star rating, it would be for Vineria del Carmine. My husband and I were golfing and wanted to visit a local winery. Vineria del Carmine has outstanding reviews, so it was an easy choice for us, and after our experience, we know why. This spot is a true hidden gem of Umbria. Upon arrival, we saw people outside on a beautiful terrace enjoying food and wine. Let me note that we did not have a reservation. However, when we walked in, David was very happy to greet us, and the staff was gracious enough to talk to the chef about extending lunch past 3:00 so we could order food with our tasting. Words cannot express how thankful we are that the chef accommodated our late arrival for lunch. Hands down, the best food we have had our entire time visiting Italy. Mattia was our sommelier; he was knowledgeable, kind, and answered all of our questions. The wine was so delicious, we even ended up ordering 12 bottles to ship back home.

*food pictured - • Parmigiana di zucchina nera con bufala affumicata, basilico, fiori di zucca e parmigiano croccante • Tortellini al basilico con mozzarella di bufala, riduzione di pomodoro, gel all'aceto e mela verde, kimono salato • Plin di lepre marinata al limone e timo con salsa acida allo yogurt, gel di agrumi, carote croccanti e...