Taste of Lake Como: 4 Wines Paired with Local Cheese Charcuterie

Como’s best wine lesson may happen away from the lakefront, inside Capitan Drake, a wine shop on Via Francesco Benzi. In about 90 minutes, you taste four wines, sometimes five, alongside prosciutto, cheeses, buffalo mozzarella, and other Italian snacks while a sommelier explains what is in your glass and why it works with the food.

I like the small group limit of 12, which gives the tasting a social feel without turning it into a noisy crowd. I also like the practical tasting notes and the clear focus on regions, grapes, fermentation, aging, and food pairing. The main consideration is that the experience is held in a shop rather than a vineyard, and some sessions can include different tasting options at the same table.

Key points to know before booking

• Four wines with Italian food pairings: Expect 4 to 5 glasses, plus prosciutto crudo, cheeses, buffalo mozzarella, bread, and other typical snacks.
• A real wine lesson: The sommelier covers grapes, regions, production methods, serving, and pairing rather than simply pouring and moving on.
• Hosts may include Sandu or Giuseppe: Both are praised for clear explanations and a warm manner, though the host can vary.
• A social Como activity: You sit with other wine lovers, with a maximum of 12 people in the group.
• Bottles can be shipped home: Wines are available for purchase after the tasting, with worldwide shipping.
• Allow extra time if you want more wine: Some sessions offer an upgrade to a longer tasting with up to seven wines for an additional charge.

A wine tasting with more substance than a quick pour

Many wine tastings give you a small glass, a vague description, and a polite goodbye. This one aims higher. The sommelier talks through each bottle, explaining where it comes from, which grapes were used, how the wine was made, and how to taste it with food.

That makes the experience useful even if you know little about wine. You do not need to arrive with a trained palate or a list of Italian regions memorized. The explanations are meant to help you notice what is in the glass, not test you on wine vocabulary.

The selection can focus on wines from different parts of Italy, including Lombardy and other regional producers. The shop also carries Italian and international wines, so the setting gives you a wider sense of what is available beyond the bottles most visitors see in restaurants.

Sandu is one of the hosts associated with the tasting, and Giuseppe has also led sessions. The strongest praise centers on their ability to explain winemaking and grape-growing in plain terms. Sandu is noted for a personal presentation style, while Giuseppe is praised for pairing wines with meats and cheeses and explaining the production process.

Since the exact host and bottles can vary, you should think of this as a guided tasting format rather than a fixed four-bottle menu. That is useful for repeat visits, but it means you should not book expecting one specific vintage or grape.

Meeting at Capitan Drake in Como

The meeting point is Capitan Drake, at Via Francesco Benzi 19, in Como. The tasting begins a few minutes after the scheduled meeting time, so arriving early gives you time to find the shop and settle in.

The venue is a wine shop filled with bottles from Italy and around the world. That setting helps the tasting feel connected to real wine buying. You can see the range of bottles around you, ask about wines beyond the tasting, and decide later if you want to purchase something for dinner or ship a favorite home.

It is worth noting that this is not a countryside winery visit. You will not be touring vineyards or walking through a cellar. The appeal is the instruction, the food, and the chance to compare several wines in a comfortable shop setting.

The location is near public transportation, but getting around Como can be harder during busy periods. One visitor had trouble finding a taxi on a crowded Saturday. If you are visiting on a weekend, allow extra time for the journey and do not cut your arrival too close.

The activity ends back at Capitan Drake, so it is easy to continue into Como afterward. You can make the tasting part of a city-center afternoon rather than setting aside an entire day.

What happens during the 90-minute tasting

The session starts with an introduction from the sommelier and then moves through the wines one by one. You receive a glass, hear about its region and grapes, taste it, and pair it with food from the board.

The official format includes four wines, with 4 to 5 glasses listed as the expected range. A fifth wine may appear during some sessions. The tasting is not simply four unrelated samples. The food is chosen to show how wine changes when you eat it with salty cured meat, creamy cheese, mozzarella, bread, or other small bites.

You may be asked to notice the wine’s aroma, body, acidity, sweetness, or finish. The sommelier also explains serving methods and suitable pairings. That makes the lesson immediately useful when you order wine in Italy or shop for a bottle at home.

The food is described as a mix board of typical Italian products. Expect prosciutto crudo, a selection of cheeses, buffalo mozzarella, and other snacks. Some sessions have also included grapes, bread, homemade tiramisu, or a dessert wine, but those extras are not guaranteed as part of the basic format.

Come ready to eat something. The portions are more than a token cracker and a single olive, and the tasting can last longer than the stated 90 minutes if the group continues talking or adds wines. One session ran for about three hours, so you may want to avoid planning a tightly timed museum visit immediately afterward.

The food pairing is half the point

The charcuterie board gives the tasting a distinctly Italian feel. Prosciutto adds salt and a delicate cured flavor. Cheese brings fat, creaminess, and often a sharper edge. Buffalo mozzarella offers a soft, milky contrast.

These foods do more than keep you from drinking on an empty stomach. They help you understand why a wine feels different with food. A crisp wine may seem softer next to cheese, while a fuller wine can feel more balanced beside cured meat.

I like this part because it gives you something concrete to remember. You may forget a grape name, but you are more likely to recall that a certain wine worked well with mozzarella or that a cheese changed the taste of a glass.

The food is generous enough that the tasting may function as a light meal. Still, it is not presented as a full dinner. If you are hungry after a long day around Lake Como, plan a proper meal later.

A few sessions have included tiramisu and dessert wine, which can add a pleasant finish. Treat that as a possible bonus rather than a promised course. The confirmed food offering is the Italian mix board with meats, cheeses, and mozzarella.

Why the sommelier matters

The sommelier is the main reason to book this rather than simply ordering a glass at a Como wine bar. You get context for each bottle, including the winery, growing region, grape varieties, and winemaking steps.

The explanations are also aimed at ordinary drinkers. You can ask questions even if you have little wine experience, and the format works for people who already know a fair amount. A group with almost no wine background was made to feel comfortable, while more experienced tasters appreciated the detail about regions and production.

Good wine instruction should help you make decisions later. This tasting does that by covering three practical questions:

• What is this wine made from?
• How was it produced and aged?
• What food should I serve with it?

You also receive tasting notes to help refresh your memory at home. That is a small but useful inclusion, especially after four or five wines begin to blur together.

Hosts have been praised for being friendly as well as informed. That matters in a group setting. You are sharing a table with people from different countries, and the atmosphere appears to depend as much on conversation as on formal instruction.

If you prefer a quiet, private tasting with no interaction, this may not be your ideal choice. The social side is part of the design. You may be seated with couples, families, or solo visitors, and the group can become quite talkative.

Group size and the social side

The maximum group size is 12. That is large enough to meet people but small enough for questions and conversation with the sommelier.

Several sessions have brought together people from across Europe and other parts of the world. The shared board and structured pours give everyone an easy subject to discuss. Even if you arrive knowing nobody, you have the wines and pairings as natural conversation starters.

This format works especially well for couples and solo visitors who want an evening activity that is more social than a restaurant meal. It also suits a family group with adult wine drinkers, provided everyone in the group is comfortable sharing a table.

There is one point to understand before you book. The basic tasting and any upgraded tasting can occur alongside each other. The first part is the same, but guests choosing a longer option may continue with more wines, potentially up to seven, for an extra charge.

That arrangement caused some confusion for one booking. If people at your table choose an upgrade, you may see additional bottles poured that are not included in your package. Ask at the start what your package covers and what an upgrade costs. That simple question should prevent awkwardness.

The value of $79.24

At $79.24 per person, this is not the cheapest way to drink wine in Como. You could buy a bottle and snacks for less, especially if your goal is simply to eat and drink.

The value comes from the teaching and the range. You receive four to five wine pours, a substantial selection of Italian food, guided explanations, tasting notes, and a social setting. You also avoid ordering several bottles at random and hoping they pair well with dinner.

For someone interested in Italian wine, the price is reasonable when you count the sommelier’s time and the number of samples. It is especially useful early in your trip, when the tasting can help you choose bottles and restaurant wines later.

For a casual drinker who wants one glass with a view, it may feel expensive. Lake Como has plenty of ways to spend an hour, and this is a lesson as much as it is a tasting.

The possibility of buying wine afterward adds value for serious wine fans. Capitan Drake can arrange worldwide shipping, so you do not need to carry bottles through the rest of your Italian trip. Shipping costs and purchase details are not included in the tasting price, so ask before committing to a large order.

Who should book this Como tasting?

I would choose this experience if you want to understand Italian wine rather than simply sample it. It suits couples, friends, solo visitors, and small family groups who enjoy food, conversation, and a relaxed lesson.

It is also a good choice if you are new to Italian wine. You will learn enough about grapes and regions to make restaurant orders with more confidence, and you can ask basic questions without needing prior experience.

Wine fans will appreciate the chance to compare bottles from different Italian regions and perhaps buy a favorite to ship home. The range is not limited to one local producer, which gives the tasting a broader reach.

You may want to skip it if your main goal is a vineyard visit, a lake view, or a private tasting. Capitan Drake is a city wine shop, and the activity stays there. The setting is convenient and practical, but it does not provide the scenery or rural atmosphere of a winery outside Como.

Also think about timing. You may be served enough food to count as a light meal, but do not assume it replaces dinner. And because the group can linger, leave a little space in your schedule afterward.

Booking, timing, and useful details

The experience is offered in English and uses a mobile ticket. Confirmation arrives at booking, and free cancellation is available up to 24 hours before the start time. Changes or cancellations inside that 24-hour window are not accepted for a refund.

The activity is generally booked about 31 days ahead. That does not mean you must reserve a month in advance, but it is a useful sign for planning during busy Lake Como dates.

Service animals are allowed, the meeting point is near public transportation, and most people can participate. The group limit is 12, which helps keep the session manageable.

Arrive with a little extra time, especially on a busy Saturday. Confirm the address, ask about the included wine level, and check whether the group is offering an optional upgrade. If you want to buy bottles, leave room in your budget for the wine and shipping.

Should you book it?

Book this tasting if you want clear wine instruction, generous Italian snacks, and a friendly table setting in Como. The sommelier-led format gives you more than a quick sample, and the food makes the lesson easy to follow.

The main tradeoff is the setting. You are visiting a city wine shop, not a vineyard, and the tasting options may differ between people at the same table. Ask a few questions at the beginning and you should know exactly what you are receiving.

For wine lovers and curious eaters, $79.24 is fair value for four to five pours, food, guidance, and the chance to ship bottles home. For everyone else, it depends on how much you want the lesson. If you would enjoy learning why an Italian wine works with prosciutto or cheese, put this on your Como list.

FAQ

Where does the wine tasting take place?

The tasting takes place at Capitan Drake, located at Via Francesco Benzi 19, 22100 Como, Italy.

How long does the experience last?

The scheduled duration is approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes. The tasting may continue longer if the group remains to talk or chooses additional wine.

How many wines are included?

The standard experience includes a selection of four wines, with 4 to 5 glasses listed for the tasting. A longer upgrade may include up to seven wines for an additional charge.

What food is served?

The tasting includes typical Italian food such as prosciutto crudo, a selection of cheeses, buffalo mozzarella, and other items from a mixed board.

Is the tasting offered in English?

Yes. The experience is offered in English.

How large is the group?

The maximum group size is 12 people.

Can I buy wine after the tasting?

Yes. Wines are available for purchase after the experience, and worldwide shipping is offered.

Is public transportation available near the meeting point?

Yes. The meeting point is near public transportation.

What is the cancellation policy?

You can cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours before the experience start time. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours before the start time are not accepted for a refund.