Beyond the Cork
Goes to Italy
May 2010
Beyond the Cork
Goes to Italy
May 2010
Our tour will take wining, dining and traveling to extraordinary levels. We have partnered with Doumina Whyman, The Enthusiastic Traveler and Small Vineyards Travel, and Tracey Lam, Sparrow Travel, for a fabulous seven night, eight day trip to Tuscany and Umbria.
Doumina has partnered with Antonio Sanguineti, of Small Vineyards, to provide a tour of Italy that most guests will never experience! Small Vineyards provides on entrée to some fabulous, family-owned Tuscan wineries, while Doumina taps her Tuscan relationships to organize cooking classes, cheese making sessions, olive oil tastings and private dinners that are simply impossible for individuals to arrange by themselves.
We will travel the countryside together for eight days, share deluxe accommodations for seven nights, and, with 18 of us sharing the costs, the price for this tour is unbeatable!
Day 1 – Wednesday, May 12th
We will meet in the city of Cortona in the morning where we will meet up with Doumina.
She will take us to our home for the next four nights,
Relais Parco Fiorito,
a restored 16th century convent. Our adventures will begin in the walled city
of Cortona. Our illustrious tour guide, Giovanni, will share the treasures of
Cortonas Etruscan sites, and its history, while taking us on a leisurely and
informative tour of this beautiful city.
After our tour, we will visit an olive pressing farm, where Landi and Renato press the local olive oil in the old way. It is a wonderful gift to be able to experience this tradition that is becoming so seldom used in these modern times.
As we head back to the lovely Parco Fiorito, we are invited to stop at the
farm of Pucci Agostino. Here, he raises the famous Chianina. The white cow
of Tuscany, from which Toscana’s Bistecca alla Florentina has been made famous.
You will learn how his family proudly maintains the animals excellent
bloodlines and ancestry, and produces meat on a small scale rather than the
mass production processes that we are used to. Our wonderful dinner of Bistecca
alla Floretina will be prepared by the grand fireplace by our host Roberto Russo,
who is well known locally and abroad for his talents as a chef and cookbook
author. This will be a fabulous candle-lit meal with all of the food being
grown by Roberto – from the home-cured Prosciutto to the lettuce to the grapes
in the dessert.
Dinner included
Day 2, Thursday, May 13th
A typical breakfast at our Agritouriso will include everything from fresh fruit, yogurt and homemade pastries, to house-cured prosciutto, eggs from the hens outside, Roberto’s olive oil and hearth-fired bread, and of course espresso, tea and fresh juices.
Today we will visit two Small Vineyards Estates, and travel through Montecucco, Val d’Orcia and Montalcino. We will taste wines along the way and learn of the land and the life of the Tuscans in this beautiful countryside. Our first stop, the picture perfect city of Pienza. Pienza has been the idyllic site of films, such as the “English Patient”, and “Romeo and Juliette”. Sheep dot the valley floor and Pecorino, the local cheese that is made from their milk, spills from the shops. We can visit the church and see the tiny streets of this beautiful little hill town, taste the cheeses, and a variety of Balsamic Vinegars. You will be amazed by their flavors and variety!
Next, we will go on to the vineyard Perazzeta, where Allesandro Bocci makes
award winning olive oil and wine. A passionate man, he names his wines after
those he loves most: his daughter Sara and his wife Rita. His latest great
wine is called Irio, after his father. You will learn about this farmers
pursuit of the most perfect wine. And how he will throw away twice as many
grapes as he presses. Of course, you will taste how delicious his work is!
After a tasting and tour, we walk next door to experience a plate of Falvio’s
pasta while feasting our gazes on the beautiful valleys.
The countryside here is gorgeous, and we enjoy more of it on our way back home, via La Magia, the vineyard where we can find Antonio Sanguineti. Antonio is rightly famous for his Brunello di Montalcino. Antonio will explain the mysteries of Brunello as we taste his fabulous wines. La Magia overlooks the historic abbey of Sant Antimo, where monks chant several times a day.
Breakfast/Lunch/Two Small Vineyards tastings
Day 3, Friday, May 14th
After a leisurely breakfast at our Agriturismo, we will make our way back to
the walled city of Cortona, where we will meet Romano and his wife Agostina
at their Tuscan restaurant, La Bucaccia.
Here, Romano will teach us the art
of cheese-making. That afternoon we will make Ricotta, Mozzarella and
Pecorino…this will be fun! Along with our cheese-making instruction, we will
have the pleasure of lunch in his lovely restaurant.
The rest of the day is ours to spend as we choose. Leisurely walking the cobblestone streets of Cortona, shopping, catching up at the internet café, and taking in the magnificent valley views. The evening is free to spend in Cortona or back at Parco Fiolrito where you are free to enjoy their nightly dinner or just recover from the days indulgences.
Breakfast/Lunch/Cooking Class included
Day 4, Saturday, May 15th
We will enjoy a post breakfast hike in the beautiful countryside of Piazzano and then venture off to Assisi. Our local guide will lead us through one of Italy’s most famous and interesting churches, the home of St. Francis of Assisi. We will experience Roman ruins, winding medieval streets, sacred shrines, and the main attraction, the 13th century Basilica di Franceso.
We will spend the evening with Roberto, who will impart his knowledge as a chef and cookbook author, and transform your culinary thinking with a fun and informative cooking class. We will then dine on our creation of authentic Etruscan “poor man’s” dinner with Antonio Sanguinetti, who will join us to provide a full Small Vineyards wine tasting!
Breakfast/Dinner/Small Vineyards Tasting included
Day 5, Sunday, May 16th
This morning after our fabulous breakfast you will bid farewell to Parco Fiorito
and Roberto Russo. With last minute photos, hugs and promises to keep in touch,
we will travel to the heart of the Chianti region. We will have the option to
stop at the Prada outlet, in Montevarchi or stop to wander though Radda in Chianti.
Our next stop is Podere Ciona, outside the village of Montegrossi, just in time
for our cooking class. Your senses will be satiated by this magical place combined
with the foods that you will learn to prepare in a traditional cooking class with
mama Franca. Her son, Lorenzo Gatteschi, played a large part in forming the
concept of Small Vineyards Importers, and he will introduce you to the wonderful
wines of this farm while you feast on the results of your talents as a chef.
This beautiful place is where we will spend the next three nights.
Breakfast/Dinner/Small Vineyards Tasting included
Day 6, Monday, May 17th
We will start our day with breakfast at our villa, high on a hill overlooking
lush green valleys and rock towns, then we will wander down the hill to tour
the winery and have a Super Tuscan tasting. After tasting, we head off to the
wilds of the west, a two hour drive to Bolgheri. This is the home of Sassicaia
and Ornellaia. It is here that we will visit Terre del Marchesato, the winery
of Maurizio and Giovanna Fuselli and their charming dog Oscar. You will learn
the special characteristics that make the Bolgheri zone one of the best in
the world for producing quality grapes. After our winery tour and tasting,
Giovanni will treat us to a spectacular lunch with meats and cheeses produced
right there on the farm.
Our next stop is a visit to Rigoloccio. They grow Fiano, Alicante, Cabernet and Merlot in the shadows of an old silver mine. This coastal area is so different from central Tuscany, so it will be a treat to see and enjoy this part of the region.
Breakfast/Lunch/Two Small Vineyards Tastings included
Day 7, Tuesday, May 18th
After another great breakfast, we will travel to the medieval hilltown of Volterra. Travel authour, Rick Steves, claims this is his favorite hilltown in Tuscany. It is home to many Etruscan ruins. Of particular interest is the 1st Century BC Roman Theater, Piazza dei Priori.
Following our visit to Volterra, we will stop at Le Rote, a small family winery outside San Gimignano, for a tour and tasting. The Scotti family are producers of Vernaccia and Sangiovese.
Before we head back to Podere Ciona, we will stop at the beautiful home of Mimma (Franca’s sister). The home is nestled between Castellina and Radda. Here we will have a special olive oil tasting and a home cooked farewell dinner.
Breakfast/Dinner/Small Vineyards Tasting/Olive Oil Tasting included
Day 8, Wednesday, May 19th
After our final breakfast together, we will travel to Sienna to enjoy the
fabulous II Campo and one of the most beautiful Duomos in Italy. Piazza
del Campo, or “II Campo”, as the Sienese call it, is a unique place in the
world, starting with the very particular conformation of the ground, which
turns the square into a concave shell. The white marble of the fountain
“Fonte Gaia” stands out. There is also the Palazzo Comunale (town hall),
and the tall, slender Torre del Mangia that reaches out to the sky. This
is where the famous horse race, Pallo di Siena, is held. Here you can
shop for fantastic leather, shoes and scarves as well as taste the
authentic Panforte di Siena.
We will gather at Nanni for coffee and any last minute shopping, before going on our own ways. Whatever your destination, you can get there from here!
Breakfast
Price: $2895 per person, based on 18 people total
Includes:
who will stay in our hearts and minds forever
Does not include:
We can also help arrange:
how many of us want to add this on.
This itinerary is only possible because Doumina and Small Vineyards have developed relationships with these wonderful Italians….this takes years to accomplish.
Pricing:
Policy:
be of equal quality