Tuscany: Cooking and Wine Tasting Tour: For a truly unique vacation let Pedal & Sea Adventures introduce you to Tuscany: a world of history, beauty and gastronomic riches. This is a tour that will delight the history buff and the food and wine connoisseur.
Since ancient times, Italy has been a center of artistic and culinary delights and nowhere is this more evident than Tuscany. Florence, Montalcino, Montepulciano and Sienna are just a few of the stops along our road of discovery. We have arranged the itinerary to allow time to explore the incredible areas you’ll see, and taste the local cuisine. The riches of the region will be apparent as you hike, explore and eat your way through some of Italy’s most beautiful and inspirational scenery and cities of art.
Carpe Diem!
Tuscany: Cooking and Wine Tasting
Tour: Day one
After meeting the group at Florence we are off to Tenuta Caparzo outside
of Montalcino, which will be our home for the next week. We will start
the day with a tour and tasting at this esteemed estate before getting
settled into the nearby villa. Today you will enjoy a relaxing dinner at
the villa, where we can enjoy its spectacular views overlooking Montalcino.
Day
two
After a night of Italian cuisine there will be some well deserved sleeping
in time. It is Sunday morning after all. The day begins with a visit to
the abbey at Sant’Antimo. This is considered one of Italy’s
finest examples of Romanesque architecture and is the only place in Italy
where the monks still perform Gregorian chants. We’ll dine at the
local osteria – a truly family run operation. The house specialty
is a Cinghiale (Wild Boar) stew which is a great accompaniment to the wine
made by the owner. After lunch we are off to the villa for some
afternoon drinks by the pool. We will enjoy our first cooking class tonight.
Your host, of course, will serve the wine. Remember when cooking in Italy,
or anywhere for that matter, it is an ounce of wine for the sauce and an
ounce of wine for the chef. We’ll enjoy a fine meal, drinks by the
pool and roll into bed, ready for another day.
Day three
We’re heading deep into the heart of Tuscan wine country. There
be some time to relax in the morning, which may include a walk around the
vineyards or a swim in the pool. We’ll have an early lunch at the
villa and then we'll be exploring Chianti . We’ll do tours
and tastings at two wineries in the region before visiting the charming
town of Castellina in Chianti. You’ll have an plenty of time to wander
around this charming town. Be sure to hit the local Chianti cooperative
store for souvenirs. We’ll dine in the region at Osteria di Fonterutoli;
owned by the Mazzei family. The charming osteria serves simple but refined
cuisine and the meal will be matched by the wines from this legendary estate.
Day four
Its market day in Florence — though, truth be told, it’s always
market day in Florence. We’ll begin with an optional bus
tour of the city which provides you a great perspective that will
allow you to focus on where you would like to spend your free time
as you fill your day with art and architecture during your explorations.
But if you want to shop, you can choose from an open air market where you'll
find great textiles or, if your tastes veer to the best things in life,
make your way over to the river Arno and the Ponte Vecchio — a unique bridge
that spans the river and and leads to a jewelry district. While you tour
this impressive city, we’ll
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 a
train ride — an experience in itself. Dinner is back at the villa tonight.
For those wishing to visit any of the major museums it is recommended to pre-book your tours on-line.
Day five
We have an exciting day ahead of us, so we are giving you the
opportunity to sleep in or join the group in a leisurely visit of nearby
Montalcino in the morning. We’ll have a light lunch at the villa
then we are off to become a Chef for a Day at Badia a Passignano. This
is the home of Antinori’s famous wines — Tignanello, Solaia and Badia
a Passignano — and a Michelin Star restaurant. We’ll learn
how to prepare elegant Tuscan cuisine from their head chef before dining
on an amazing four-course menu paired with wines selected by their master
sommelier. This is a day you will never forget.
Day
six
It’s time to relax and truly enjoy the community of villages and
towns that make up Southern Tuscany. We visit the spectacular hilltop town
of Montepulciano. Be prepared to climb some stairs to get into this car-free
town, but once you reach the top you’ll enjoy spectacular views and
boutique wine shops. Next is Pienza — the home
of Tuscany’s famous Pecorino cheese. Pienza is an epicurean treasure.
We’ll have lunch at our favourite trattoria. Then it is a short drive
to Montalcino. We’ll enjoy a glorious meal highlighting ingredients
picked up on the day’s adventure.
Day seven
We’ll travel to Siena — one of Tuscany’s most spectacular
cities. We have a walking tour arranged or you can choose to explore the
town on your own; we recommend visiting the Duomo and going inside to see
its famous octagonal pulpit. But don’t forget to take some time
to relax at one of the cafés or restaurants surrounding the Piazza
del Campo. You can easily spend the day daydreaming and chatting in this
spectacular town square. After our day's activities, we’ll visit
a famous Brunello winery to taste some of Tuscany's greatest wines.
Then we'll enjoy a glorious meal at our favourite restaurant, Boccon
Davino.
Day eight
I
t’s time to say goodbye to Southern Tuscany. We’ll leave
mid-morning. We will travel to San Gimignano; the City of Towers. This
Unesco World Heritage site is something to behold. We’l first check-in
to Frattoria Poggio Alloro; a charming hotel and working farm located just
outside of the town. We’ll enjoy lunch here, dining on the produce
of the farm. Next we’ll visit San Gimignano. Here you will have time
to stroll along the narrow streets, admire the astonishing views and enjoy
a gelato at the World’s Best Gelato shop. After our time in San Gimignano
we will return to the farm for a well deserved rest before venturing out
for dinner at a nearby trattoria frequently by locals.
Day nine
Your guide will drive you to Florence
airport for your return journey to North America, or the next stage of your
trip. We're confident that
we'll see you again, so we'll just say so long until we meet again to
share the adventures of the open road.
2012 Season
May 11-19
Prices:
$3595 Cdn per person, double occupancy
Our US prices are based upon exchange rates
20% single supplement
Minimum: 4 people; maximum 12 people
Pedal & Sea Adventures: our annual sale
1) Is this your second tour with PSA? Let us know, so we can knock $100 Cdn
off the price.
For these great incentives, please let our staff know when you book!
Inclusions:
• Transportation (9-passenger Fiat Ducato Touring Van or
equivalent – max 7 persons/van), train tickets (Florence)
• 8 night’s accommodation (7 nights in 4-star villa and 1 night
in small 3-star hotel)
• 5 Wine Tastings/Winery Tours
• 8 breakfasts, 5 lunches with wine, 8 dinners with wine
• wine & oil tastings
• 2 cooking classes
• 2 city tours (Florence, Sienna)
Not Included:
• airfare
• alcoholic drinks
(except wine as mentioned above, at dinners and specified
wine tastings)
