Approximate date: late May, 8 days 7 nights.
Theme: Classic Wines & Tuscan Views.
Where: Maremma, the Balestro Feast, Crete and Valdorcia.
Wines: Morellino, Ansonica, Brunello, Nobile.
Maremma (www.tuttomaremma.com/cartinageografica.htm), not far from Rome, is the region between Lazio and Tuscany that joins outstanding hilly and marine landscapes; here the Etruscan left their more impressive memories. We start visting the coast, and then inland the tombs and the entrenched roads around Sovana. We taste the Morellino di Scansano, Pitigliano, Ansonica dell’Argentario, and Monteregio di Massa Marittima wines. In Massa we see the Balestro del Girifalco (www.massamarittima.info/galleria/balestro.htm) games, a colorful reenactment of ancient warlike traditions. Driving quiet, swirling country back roads, we take a break at the isolated, mysterious S. Galgano Templar abbey, then we reach Valdorcia (www.parcodellavaldorcia.com) and the Crete di Siena. This luminous, ideal Renaissance landscape, with large fields, few sparse villages, wide panoramas, and natural hot waters, happens to be, almost by chance, the realm of the Montalcino and Nobile di Montepulciano wines. We alternates sightseeing and tastings at the better wineries and farmhouses, to give you a connaisseur experience of the two great Sangiovese wines.
The tour starts in Grosseto, and ends at the Chiusi train station, both directly connected with Rome. Or in Siena if you wish to extend your trip.

NEW
Late May early June 9 days 8 nights
Puglia Walking,
Trani, Matera, Alberobello, Lecce, Gallipoli, Otranto.
Castel del Monte, Primitivo, Locorotondo, Negroamaro, Verdeca.
Contact us for more details
info@italianwinetours.com

Late June-beginning July 8 days, 7 nights.
Tuscan Cities of Art.
Lucca, Florence, Arezzo, Siena.
Chianti Classico, Carmignano, Rufina, Nobile, Brunello.
There are more art masterpieces, in Tuscany than any other part of the world, there are Etruscan, Roman, medieval and Renaissance monuments, castles and beautiful villas. Much of this is the result of the existence in the middle ages, of several rich, and independent, city states competing to create the best churches and palaces, between a war an the next one of course, and to catch the best artists of those times. This tour is designed as a pilgrimage to four cities, which have been each one the capital of a proud little state for centuries, and which all preserve a splendid heritage of those golden times.
Lucca, (www.lucca.turismo.toscana.it/inglese/ing-home0.html) encircled by massive walls, has an elegant, quiet character, somehow snob, it was never conquered by any neighbor, only Napoleon succeeded. We visit its welcoming center, the majestic Duomo, and we go tasting the Colline Lucchesi wines, in a villa nearby. On our way east we’ll discover the fine Carmignano wines, and visit a romantic, noble estate.
In Florence we share our time between the unmissable cultural visits or simple sightseeing and shopping, and a short excursions to Greve to try the first Chianti Classicos.
We spend one day in Arezzo
(www.arezzocitta.com/tourist%20information.htm), rich city of goldsmiths and antiquarians, and the celebrated Piero della Francesca paintings, we taste the Colli Aretini wines, time allowing we may go see Cortona, where the Tuscan sun is always shining.
A full day is dedicated to the southern Chianti Classico, we taste wines from Castellina and Radda, or Castelnuovo perhaps, with and compare them with their brothers from Greve and Panzano.
Siena, appears still a quintessential city state, high o its hills, with its old walls, and the whole 1300 original center to be admired in its splendor. We visit the Duomo and the Campo square, of course, but we mainly focus on its vineyards. Siena is strategically positioned between the Chianti Classico, Nobile di Montepulciano and Brunello DOC zones. Our hotel in Siena, or nearby, will be the base to go exploring the Nobile and the Brunello cellars, which will top and complete this experience of the Tuscan characters and wines. The tour starts in *Pisa, ends in Siena.

Early July 8 days 7 nights
Friuli and Veneto, Opera at the Arena di Verona.
Trieste, Gorizia, Verona.
Colli Orientali del Friuli, Collio, Breganze, Valpolicella.
The program is as for the June 2nd tour, in addition to that, when in Verona we get the chance to see the Bohème, Barbiere di Siviglia and Aida in the unique Arena (www.arena.it) , the Roman amphitheater.
Start in *Trieste (or Venezia) end in *Verona.
Note: the Opera tickets are not included, they are are at your choice and at your expenses.

Middle July 7 days 6 nights
Friuli and Veneto, Opera at the Arena di Verona.
Trieste, Gorizia, Verona.
Colli Orientali del Friuli, Collio, Breganze, Valpolicella.
Trieste, earlier main harbor for the Austrian Empire, with Italian-Austrian style, great cuisine, the beautiful Miramare Castle, is the symbol of how much in Friuli the Italian, Slav and Austrian history have met. Today, for instance, there is a DOC wine which is produced in Italian Friuli as well as in Slovenia. Our wine experience encompasses the Collio and Colli Orientali del Friuli DOC zones, located on the Udine and Gorizia lower Alpine slopes.
The vineyards, cool but protected from the northern winds, give fine aromatic, mainly white wines. Perfumed Chardonnays Sauvignons, of worldwide reputation, and Ribolla Gialla, Refosco and Picolit, just to mention some of the traditional grapes. our second base is Verona, in many ways the capital of the Italian wine business, not before tasting delicate grappas in Bassano, or fine Proseccos in Conegliano.
Verona, encircled by the Adige River, is an elegant city with medieval monuments, the best restaurants, classy central streets and shops, and an unique, huge Roman amphitheater, the “Arena”. It will be our base to go taste the Breganze wine, to visit Vicenza, its artistic center and elegant Villas of the Venetian golden age. We will then go to Garda Lake, and try the Bardolino and Lugana wines, and of course, we will visit several cellars where we learn everything about the Valpolicella, the delicate Soave, and the exclusive, concentrated, king of the wines, the Amarone. Starts in *Trieste (or Venezia) ends in *Verona.

NEW
Late July 8 days 7 nights
Puglia, Summer Celebrations.
Matera, Alberobello, Lecce, Gallipoli.
Primitivo, Locorotondo, Negroamaro, Verdeca.
Vines raised to protect the grapes from too much sun, like compact, short bushes, as they were raised by the old, short, Greek settlers, which brought the wine making art here first.
Endless olive groves everywhere, dry limestone plateaus, cut by steep canyons and hosting deep caves.
Sunsplashed white towns, like Noci and Ostuni, clustered around one thousand years old castles, and Cathedrals with simple Romanesque ornaments, dating to the Crusades which started from here. The tasty, simple, moving Mediterranean cuisine, based on alive seafood, lean meat and fresh vegetables all year long.
Above all, the genuine Apulian hospitality, the character and lifestyle that melted what Puglia inherited from the Greek, the Arab, the German and the Spanish cultures. In the summertime, from June to September, it’s great to indulge to universal conversation as in ancient times, sipping wine in the cooler air, after a fine grilled lamb dinner, sitting by the seaside or in the town main square, to “se the people go by”.
We take you to little towns on the coast, recalling times of Crusaders and of Saracen pirates attacks, like Otranto (www.otrantopoint.com/uk/index.html), with its Cathedral, and an unique mosaic floor, or to Gallipoli, built on a beautiful little island, where we can join the traditional St. Cristina patron saint celebration, with fireworks and bands in playing the streets.
We will also visit Baroque Lecce, in the Negroamaro wine zone, and, close to to the Locorotondo wine district, to Alberobello, the only town completely formed by trulli, conical stone homes.
The wines cover the complete spectrum of flavors and strengths: Martinafranca, Primitivo di Manduria e di Gioia del Colle, Negroamaro, Moscato di Trani, Verdeca.
Start in *Bari, end in *Brindisi.

 

Early August 8 days, 7 nights.
Tuscany and Veneto Opera Festivals.
Lucca, Carrara, Verona.
Montecarlo, Colline Pisane, Valpolicella, Breganze and Bardolino.
An opera lovers treat, based on two festivals. After meeting in Florence, we move in the Lucca area, for the Puccini Festival (www.puccinifestival.it), you can listen to the dramatic Butterfly and Tosca, outdoors, by the Puccini Villa. Then, across the Apennines, we go Verona, in the center of Veneto, where they play Nabucco, Barbiere di Siviglia and Traviata in the historical Roman Arena (www.arena.it). Wine zones: Colline Lucchesi and Montecarlo, Valpolicella, Amarone Soave, and Bardolino.
Start in *Florence, end in *Verona. Note: the Opera tickets are not included, they are optional, at your choice, and expenses.


Late August 7 days, 6 nights
Veneto, the Opera, and Südtyrol or Alto Adige.
Lucca, Carrara, Verona.
Montecarlo, Colline Pisane, Valpolicella, Breganze and Bardolino.
We start in the classic Verona setting, with Valpolicella, Amarone, and Soave, while at the Arena amphitheater we can see Nabucco and Traviata.
Then we leave the plain, and the August heat behind, to reach the cool Brixen and Bozen valleys, in Südtyrol. In diesen wunderschoenen Alpentaelern finden wir unerwartete Schaetze wie ... well.. in these wonderful Alpine setting , by the Dolomites, we find dream places, like the romantic Sabiona Castle, the Novacella and Muri Gries abbeys, historical for the winemaking science, the Castelsallegg and Ringberg & Kastelaz.
Built on a dangerous valley, between Italy and Austria, these unique wineries were at the same times a fort, or a monastery or both. “Heroic” wine making, in extreme climate and geography developed excellent skills, as witnessed by the ancient St. Michael Eppan Wine Making School. We visit these valleys, we spin the Südtyroler Weinstrasse, and maybe take a ride up, very up, for a look at the Dolomites. The wines: Valpolcella, Amarone, Marzemino, Lagrein Dunkel, Kaltersee, Gewürztraminer, Vernatsch, Merlot, Cab and Pinot Nero. Tour starts in *Verona and ends in Bozen.

Late October early November 8 days, 7 nights.
Program as for the September 9 to 16.
Classic Wines & Tuscan Views.
Florence, Chianti, Crete and Valdorcia, Maremma coast.
Chianti Classico, Brunello, Nobile, Ansonica and Morellino.