Tuscany Wine for Normal People 2023 NEW

      Florence, Metropolitan City of Florence, Italy

      T
      Tourissimo
      • Email address verified
      24 reviews
      May 1 - 7, 2023
      Group size: 1 - 19
      Tuscany Wine for Normal People 2023 NEW
      Florence, Metropolitan City of Florence, Italy

      Tourissimo
      • Email address verified
      24 reviews

      May 1 - 7, 2023
      Group size: 1 - 19

      About this trip

      We are delighted to partner again with Elizabeth Schneider, Wine for Normal People Podcast host, best-selling author, and wine authority without the attitude. 

      We’ve been fans of Elizabeth's podcast for years. Knowing our shared passion for wine - and Italy - we talked, met, and plotted to design the ultimate wine tour of Piedmont. It's was an undeniable success. 

      We then looked at other regions and Tuscany was an easy choice. 

      The inaugural Piedmont tour sold out almost immediately and we are back in 2023 to welcome you in Tuscany (May) and in Piedmont (October). 


      How to pay

      You can pay by credit card, bank transfer, and bank check. 


      Payments are as follows:

      • At booking 10%
      • Balance due 90 days prior to departure 

      Overview

      This Tuscany wine lover's itinerary is filled with natural simplicity and authentic beauty. 

      Tuscany is probably the most picturesque wine region in Italy presenting different types of landscape, topography, and terroir. We’ll appreciate these differences and how they transfer into winemaking. 


      The king of Tuscan grape varieties is undoubtedly Sangiovese: with more than 100,000 hectares (250,000 acres), it occupies more than 10% of Italian vineyards. It is the main grape variety for Chianti and also for Brunello di Montalcino, one of the most prestigious wines in the world. For the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano a Sangiovese clone is used: in this case, the grape Prugnollo Gentile. Since the advent of the Super Tuscans, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc have had a presence in the region. 


      So, while Sangiovese plays the biggest role, Tuscan reds aren’t “boring” at all and it is easy to fall in love with them forever, especially after admiring the vineyards in person, smelling the soil and listening to the producers explaining their vision. 


      Our tour starts in the city of Siena, a Unesco World Heritage site, best known for Palio, the hardest horse race in the world, held twice a year. It’s a charming and perfectly preserved medieval town offering characteristic narrow streets. The Piazza del Campo, as the heart of the city, is one of the largest medieval squares in the world and has an unmistakable shell shape. In this place, you will find the Torre del Mangia from where you have a breathtaking view over the town. From Siena (three-night stay) we’ll explore the Chianti Classico wine area (province of Siena) and a Nobile di Montepulciano producer. We'll then move to Val d'Orcia and to the Brunello area.


      Val d’Orcia is the image of Tuscany itself: the landscape, with smooth hills, cypress trees that line its winding roads, lovely farmhouses and hilltop hamlets all correspond, in the minds of many people, to quintessential Tuscany. Even if you haven’t heard of Val d’Orcia before, you’ve certainly seen it featured in travel magazines that highlight Tuscany. In this valley, which stretches from the hills of Siena to Monte Amiata, the famous village of Montalcino surrounded by vineyards sits at 1,860 ft high, being the highest point of our tour. Hint: Elizabeth loves Montalcino and she can tell you her favorite lookout points!


      Maremma (a natural protected area) and Bolgheri are newer wine areas. Free from traditional dogma, constraints, and rules, yet gifted with perfect conditions near the Tyrrhenian Sea, they deliver some of the most interesting wines you can find anywhere. One could argue that we have saved the best for last. That’s up to you to decide. It is however interesting to understand how Super Tuscans came about. Anyone who knows Italian bureaucracy, especially in viticulture and winemaking, will know that changing rules in Italy is not an easy task. However, in the 1970's several winemakers in Tuscany vineyards started a revolution in winemaking. The first step was the release of the wine Sassicaia by Mario Incisa Della Rocchetta and later followed by Antinori with Tignanello, Solaia, Ornellaia, etc. Nowadays, unpretentious Bolgheri sees the biggest cluster of producers blending Sangiovese and international grapes. 


      In Tuscany, small and large producers coexist in a way that is often hard to grasp. Our tastings and visits are meant to showcase a curated list of winemakers including “aristocratic” ones and some producing less than 10,000 bottles annually with just one of two people involved (full-time) that equally deliver excellence. 


      Highlights


      • UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Siena and Val d'Orcia

      • Villages of Montepulciano, Sorano, Montalcino and  San Gimignano

      • Bolgheri, home of the "Super Tuscans"

      • Stunning rolling hills covered with vineyards and picture-perfect medieval villages

      • Maremma wine production area

      • Castle-topped villages and walled towns for a jump back in time

      • Some of the best regional food in Italy

      • Montalcino and Brunello

      • Visits to the most iconic producers and to our personal favorites

      •.Learn about the history and evolution of Chianti Classico at its birth place

      • Meetings with producers and local experts who are behind the

      local wine scene

      What's included

      • A professional tour guide throughout the program

      • All accommodation

      • All breakfasts, four lunches and three dinners

      • Eleven wine tastings

      • All transfers, ticket entrances, and gratuities

      • Group shuttle from Florence at the beginning of the tour and group shuttle back to Florence at the end

      • Assistance with door-to-door wine shipping

      • All of the wine at group lunches and dinners

      • Walking tour of Siena with local guide


      We also include the finest Tuscan wines of the best vintages and specially selected by Elizabeth.

      Hotels


      Athena ****

      Hotel Athena is the place where a welcome, a smile, and hospitality are the order of the day. It's located just inside the Porta San Marco, in the beating heart of Siena, close to all the main attractions of the historic center and it offers a magnificent panoramic view over the hills of the surrounding countryside. Rooms are furnished by local artisans and are painted with colors that echo the tones of the Tuscan landscape.


      Fortezza di Sorano ***

      The Hotel della Fortezza is located within the ancient walls of the Orsini Fortress of Sorano, which dates back to the 12th Century. It's a fascinating hotel within this impressive example of medieval architecture, where historical figures once resided.

      The rooms, all different, have unique design and furnishings immersed in the history and beauty of the Tufo cities of the Tuscan Maremma.


      Il Casale Bolgherese Wine Resort

      Casale Bolgherese is a wine resort located in the middle of the Bolgheri DOC  vineyards. It's a place away from pollution and stress, where you can find tranquility, relaxation, and a family environment.
      Only 12 Suites, furnished in Tuscan style, that offer comfort and warmth in the middle of the countryside, a few miles away from the picturesque village of Bolgheri.


      Tuscan Cuisine - "Cucina Povera"

      It's often notes that Tuscan cooking has its roots in "cucina povera" - peasant cooking. In truth,  that can be said of most Italian cuisines. It's true, though, that Tuscan cooking is a simple one. There are no reductions, no fancy sauces, no elaborate creations, no heavy complicated seasoning. Throughout Tuscany, olive groves and wild herbs are everywhere. Many of the best olive oils produced in Tuscany are reserved for use as a condiment at the table rather than as an ingredient in cooking in the kitchen. Hearty soups with seasonal vegetables and legumes are often offered as a starter or as a main dish.

      Other staple dishes are game (wild boar), mushrooms and truffles (when in season), pecorino (sheep milk), and cured meats. And of course, lots of pasta dressed with meat proteins as well as veggies.

      Available Packages

      Adult participant/s sharing a room

      Welcome from all of us at Tourissimo. Please read before booking.


      Price is for adults sharing a room.

      You can pay by credit card, bank transfer, and bank check.


      Payments are as follows:

      • At booking 10% 
      • Balance due 90 days prior to departure 


      Participant/s info.

      Complete all of the information at once or come back at a later time (no later than 60 days before departure).

      At Tourissimo we strive to present you with the best experience possible in customer service and while on tour, and we are always available to complete the booking together if you prefer. 

      Call us at +1 (857) 997-0051 or write to us.


      Your fabulous Wine for Normal People trip to Italy starts now!

      $4,995
      Deposit: $499
      Adult private room

      Welcome from all of us at Tourissimo. Please read before booking.


      Price is for an adult in a private room.  


      You can pay by credit card, bank transfer, and bank check.

      Payments are as follows:

      • At booking 10% 
      • Balance due 90 days prior to departure 

      Participant/s info.

      Complete all of the information at once or come back at a later time (no later than 60 days before departure). At Tourissimo we strive to present you the best experience possible in customer service and while on tour, and we are always available to complete the booking together if you prefer. Call us at +1 (857) 997-0051 or write to us.

      Your fabulous Wine for Normal People trip to Italy starts now!

      $5,490
      Deposit: $549

      Available options



      Itinerary

      Day 1
      San Gimignano and Siena

      The tour starts with a pickup at the Grand Hotel Baglioni in Florence (time TBD) on May 1.

        

      We will have approximately an hour bus ride to San Gimignano, a small fortified town famous for its architecture and its beautiful medieval towers that make the city profile truly unique. 

      In the most prosperous period, the noble families and upper middle-class merchants of San Gimignano built 72 towers houses as a symbol of their wellbeing and power. While only 14 of the original tower houses have survived, San Gimignano has retained its feudal atmosphere and appearance, embellished with several notable palaces during the 12th and 14th century. The town also has several masterpieces of Italian art dating back to the 14th and 15th centuries. 


      Declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1990, San Gimignano also offers excellent local products such as saffron and white wine called Vernaccia di San Gimignano, a great white wine in a land known mainly for its reds.


      720 hectares (under 1800 acres) are destined for the production of Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG and only 70 producers bottle and sell their wine under their own brand. 


      In 1966 Vernaccia became the first Italian wine to get the DOC certification and since then the fame of this wine has grown internationally. It is one of the most charismatic and distinctive Italian whites.


      It is recognized for its golden-hued color, powerful and full-bodied nature, heady floral bouquet, dry, crisp and persistent flavors, high levels of acidity and a characteristic bitter aftertaste. It also reflects its terroir, offering mineral characteristics of stone (particularly flint) from the sandstone soils where the grapes are grown.

      DOCG rules stipulate that this white must be made predominantly from Vernaccia grapes, although wineries are permitted to include up to 15% of other non-aromatic white grapes permitted in Tuscany (but grown in the San Gimignano area).


      In the afternoon, you will settle in the medieval walled city of Siena, a UNESCO World Heritage Site built on three ridges and dominating the land between the Arbia and Elsa valleys. 


      Walking around Siena will be like stepping back in time to discover the palazzos, piazzas and churches scattered throughout its old town. Siena's streets are paved with cobblestones, and the city is built over five hills, making for a challenging, yet rewarding, stroll. You will be able to learn about Siena's unique districting system: Siena's 17 districts, or contrade, were originally divided by the city's buildings and their owners at the time, rather than by roads or other geographical markers. Each is named after an animal or symbol.

      Tonight we are going to have a welcome drink and briefing followed by dinner in a local restaurant with wines chosen by Elizabeth.

      Your Organizer


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      Tourissimo
      24 reviews
      Joined in January 2021
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      Reviews

      As always, the Tourissimo family gave me the most wonderful, thoughtful, kind, knowledgeable, patient, and fun guides; beautiful, comfortable and this time historical places to stay; and a fascinating itinerary that incorporated cycling on small roads with amazing views and stops through the history and food and culture of Puglia. The guides will be friends forever, the memories of the ancient olive trees, the gorgeous and varied Adriatic seashore in calm and wind, cappuccini even after 11am!, meals ranging from picnics and pizza, to elegant courses through the seafood and vegetables of the region, the last night with the music of Puglia, the new and old friends who were along, and the joys of the rides up and down the hills on a perfect Bianchi bike fitted to me. Having Mary Sue on the trip always a plus. Joining her for walks through markets and watching her prepare food are fascinating and humbling. And helping her by chopping so many things along with local chefs I loved. All the chefs I have traveled with on Tourissimo tours are such fun, energetic and social people, welcoming all of us into their world or creating and learning about food from everywhere. Thank you, grazie mille, grazie mille.
      By Bonnie P for Chef Bike Tour Puglia on Oct 23, 2023
      Piedmont is a beautiful area for cycling, with long, gorgeous climbs and descents--but not the types of epic mountain rides that leave little time or energy for anything else. Instead, you get rides that are challenging enough amid beautiful landscapes, historical and cultural tours, generous quantities of delicious local food, and plenty of the wines that the area is famous for. I am a bit of a cheapskate and often reluctant to pay for this sort of guided tour, but there is just no way to replicate the experience that a knowledgeable local guide (and strong bike rider) can create for you. Tourissimo provides such guides who lead the tour in a consistently generous spirit that puts all questions of getting your money's worth out of your mind. It's just a wonderful week of cycling and other pleasures with wonderful people.
      By Gerald L for Piedmont Mini Bike Tour June on Jun 20, 2023
      Tourissimo and especially Silvia Di Fiore organized and led a wonderful trip though the major wine regions of Tuscany. The attention to detail was awesome: just looking at the schedule handled out at the start of the trip showed how much thought had gone into arranging visits and tours (usually one in the morning and one in the afternoon), meals, and transfers from one (sometimes distant) location to another. Everyone was given a notebook and pen to take notes, a (wine-dyed) shoulder bag, maps, and even a guide to common Italian phrases and gestures. Sylvia was a superb leader, friendly, calm, knowledgeable -- she genuinely enjoys guiding trips. Five stars for a memorable trip.
      By Brian L for Tuscany Wine for Normal People 2023 NEW on May 16, 2023
      We just returned from our second trip with Tourissimo. As with the first trip, they were absolutely fantastic. It’s clear they love what they do. They love travel. They love Italy. And they love sharing that love with their guests. Their planning and organization is meticulous and I’m convinced they plan around making every trip special and unforgettable. Alora - andiamo ;-) - we can’t wait to travel with Tourissimo again in the future.
      By David W for Tuscany Wine for Normal People 2023 NEW on May 16, 2023
      BK
      I suppose I expected a fine time, my first trip overseas in years. The trip was more than fine. Excellent organization by Heather, guided by Silvia, hosted by Elizabeth. I could not have seen the sights and had the food and wine without this tour group. Great time.
      By Brian K for Tuscany Wine for Normal People 2023 NEW on May 16, 2023
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