Taste of Tuscany
May 22 - 30th, 2010
By the Glass tours are small group tours. To ensure maximum attention to our clientele we offer our tours to no more than 14 people per tour. We typically utilize 9 passenger touring vans with a maximum of 7 guests per van. Accommodations range from standard hotels but often utilize villas as they enhance the small group atmosphere we are striving for. Tours are designed to avoid the rigidity of the bus tour mentality and provide a convivial environment that is relaxing and entertaining.
Tour Cost
$3495/person/double occupancy – single supplement 18%
Inquiries/Reservations: info@winebytheglass.ca, call 902-488-9959
Includes
- 8 Nights Accomodations (7 Nights at Villa La Casa, 1 Night at Locanda Rosati)
- 8 breakfast, 5 lunches (includes wine)
- 8 dinners (includes wine)
- 1 sommelier led tasting
- 4 winery visits/tastings
- 2 cooking classes (1 classic Tuscan, 1 at Michelin star restaurant)
- Orvieto Underground tour fee
- all transportation costs
- villa wine (limited)
- restaurant tips, guide fees etc.
Not including meals not highlighted in itinerary, museum entrance fees not highlighted and additional tour expenses.
Itinerary
Day 1 ~ Saturday May 22nd
We’ll meet up at the international arrivals area of Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci - Fiumicino Airport; have a well deserved espresso before loading the van and beginning our Italian adventure. En route to our destination we pass through the rolling hills that mark the drive north from Rome, eagerly anticipating our first evening in Italy. We’ll grab a quick lunch enroute before heading to Tenuta Caparzo which will be our home in Montalcino for the next week. Your sommelier host will conduct a wine tasting to prep you for the week ahead followed by a relaxing meal at the villa.
Day 2 ~ Sunday May 23rd
After a night of feasting you may want to sleep in or simply lounge about the villa. However, for those who are interested, it’s worth the short drive to the Abbey of Sant’Antimo, which is considered one of Italy’s finest examples of Romanesque architecture and where monks still perform Gregorian chants. You can attend the 11:00 am mass or simply wander about and enjoy the grounds and olive groves that surround the abbey. At noon we’ll stop at a nearby osteria for a simple lunch before heading back to the villa to relax and await the arrival of Teresa Galli, who will lead us in our first cooking class. Be prepared to roll up your sleeves and work for your supper! We’ll enjoy a fine meal accompanied by wine before rolling into bed in anticipation of another day.
Day 3 ~ Monday, May 24th
Our first stop of the day is San Gimignano, a Unesco World Heritage site and the town of towers that looks like a Medieval Manhattan. Here you will have time to stroll along the narrow streets, admire the astonishing views and enjoy one of the “world’s best gelato” at Gelateria di Piazza in Piazza della Cisterna. There are great leather shops, artisan studios and art galleries to see. Walk up to Piazza Pecuri and you may be so lucky to hear the harpist playing in the open square. After our morning visit, we drive to nearby Fattorio Poggio Alloro, a family operated organic farm nestled amongst vines and olive groves. With the towers of San Gimignano as our backdrop, we’ll enjoy a lunch made entirely from the farm’s own produce and accompanied by Tuscany’s most famous white wine, Vernaccia di San Gimignano. We are then off to Chianti Classico region for a wine tasting at the famous Badia a Coltibuono. If time allows, we’ll stop briefly at Monteriggioni, one of the best known Italian walled towns before dining at a local trattoria.
Day 4 ~ Tuesday May 25th
We’ll leave in the morning for, Siena, a city of Etruscan origin and whose architectural and artistic glories are largely Gothic. One could spend the day wandering about the cobblestone streets, shopping and enjoying the sights from a café in the famous Piazza del Campo. It is worthwhile paying a small fee to visit the Cathedral in Piazza del Duomo – you will be awe struck by its stunning interior. Make sure to stop for an espresso at Nannini, a popular Sienese café that specialized in traditional cakes and speedy service. The foodies in the group might want to pick up some truffle oil at the Consorzio Agrario. In the afternoon we’ll experience fine wine and music by Mozart at the unique Brunello winery Al Paradiso di Frassina. This evening we’ll wine and dine at the villa and rest up for tomorrow’s cooking class.
Day 5 ~ Wednesday May 26th
We have an exciting day ahead of us, so you are welcome to sleep in or join the group for a leisurely visit of nearby Montalcino in the morning. We’ll have a simple lunch at the villa before heading to the heart of Chianti Classico to become a Chef for a Day at Badia a Passignano. This fourth century monastery where Galileo once taught mathematics is encircled by olive groves and vineyards today owned by the prestigious Antinori family. In the kitchen of this Michelin star restaurant we’ll learn how to execute classic Tuscan dishes under the tutelage of chefMatia Barciulli before dining on an amazing four course menu paired with wines selected by their master sommelier. This is a day to remember.
Day 6 ~ Thursday May 27th
We’re up early this morning for a quick cappuccino and croissant at the “bar della stazione” before boarding a train to Florence. This city was the cradle of the Renaissance and home to over half of Italy’s artistic and architectural treasures. How you choose to spend your day in Firenze is up to you and the possibilities are endless – whether you feed your soul in churches or your belly at the Mercato Centrale, you’ll surely enjoy the experience. Visit the famous open air market in search of textiles, paper and leather goods. If your tastes veer to the best things in life, let the latest fashions tempt you (though the high price tags may deter you) along Via Tournabuoni, before making your way to the river Arno and crossing the jewellery shop laden Ponte Vecchio. This famous bridge was built in 1345 and was the only one of the bridges spanning the Arno to be saved from the destruction of German bombs in 1944. While you tour this impressive city, your guides will be selecting the wine and groceries for the evening’s dinner back at the villa. We’ll even have hors d’oeuvres and wine on train ride - an experience in itself.
Day 7 ~ Friday May 28th
Today we’ll tour some of the prettiest villages and towns that make up Southern Tuscany. Our first stop is the spectacular hilltop town of Montepulciano, famous for its “Vino Nobile” made from Sangiovese known here as “Prugnollo Gentile”. We have a bit of an uphill climb into the town, but once you reach the top you’ll enjoy spectacular views and visiting its boutiques. We strongly recommend stopping at the Bottega del Rame for handmade copper wares. Just a few doors down from the coppersmith’s is a spectacular wine shop that is worth a visit. Next is Pienza – a quaint town with more great boutiques and home of Tuscany’s most famous cheese, Pecorino, made from unpasteurized ewes’ milk. We’ll have lunch at our favourite trattoria that makes incredible pici, classic homemade pasta similar to spaghetti. Then it’s a short drive to Montalcino where, for those who are interested, we have arranged a visit to Il Palazzone winery in Montalcino for a tour of the vineyards and tasting of a few vintages of Brunello. We’ll return to the villa and get dressed up for an evening at Boccon di Vino, Montalcino’s best restaurant with the most amazing views of the valley below. What a way to end a magnificent holiday!
Day 8 ~ Saturday, May 29th
It’s time to gather up your belongings and try to fit those last few purchases into your suitcase. We’re off to the hilltop town of Orvieto. We’ll have some time to get refreshed at our stunning agritourismo located just outside of town. We’ll venture into this historic city with more than 2,500 years of history. Be prepared for a bit of walk from our vans to the center of town as not surprisingly Orvieto wasn’t built with parking in mind. A number of escalators lead us to the main part of town. You’ll have time to enjoy lunch at one of the many trattorias that line the square around Orvieto’s impressive Duomo. Some might opt to shop, others looking for some exercise might venture to St. Patrick’s Well, where you can descend and ascend the 250 steps to see the water which took 10 years of backbreaking work to discover in the early 16th. As beautiful as Orvieto is above ground, much of its true history can be discovered underground. We’ll join a underground tour of the city to discover its full history from the time of the Etruscans, the Medieval period and Renaissance. We’ll return to our agritouismo for a delightful multi-course meal, where there will have time to share some great stories of our glorious week in the Tuscan and Umbrian countryside.
Day 9 ~ Sunday, May 30th
Rise and shine. Our journey is over. Your guides will take you back to the Rome airport, ensuring you have a safe start for your trip back home.