Piedmont & Tuscany Wine Tour

Piedmont & Tuscany Food and Wine Tour | 9 Night/10 Days

Day 01: Arrival in Turin Your glorious Italy wine tour will begin with your arrival at the airport in Turin. Once you disembark, making sure to pass through the passport processing area before collecting your luggage from customs. To make sure your wine tour begins on a luxury note, we’ll have a private driver meet you at the airport for a transfer to Monferrato. After checking in at your hotel, you’ll enjoy the rest of your day at your leisure as you contemplate the days of delicious tours that await. Overnight in Monferrato.

Day 02: Monferrato Private Tour with Guided Tour of Casale Monferrato | After breakfast at the Hotel meet in the lobby with your Driver/Guide. Today you will visit Casale Monferrato area. This land of rolling hills covered with vineyards and dotted with castles is a region happily unexplored by conventional tourists. Your route today will take you through small villages crowned with ancient castles. Travel through the villages of Moncalvo, Grazzano Badoglio, Ottiglio, Sala Monferrato and Stevani to reach the 13th century Castello di Uviglie. Here tour the Castle grounds and The Wine Estate for a fantastic Lunch/Food and Wine Tasting. In the afternoon meet your Professional Local Guide for a Private Guided Tour of Casale Monferrato historic center. With the Cathedral of Sant’ Evasio and the Synagogue, built in Baroque style in the sixteenth century and restored in 1969. The Cathedral is the oldest monument of Casale Monferrato, and is one of the largest cathedrals in the Lombard Romanesque style of Piedmont. Among other beautiful churches of Casale stand one dedicated to St. Dominic, founded in 1472, and the 18th century Church of Santa Caterina. Late afternoon return to your hotel. Overnight in Monferrato.

Day 03: Monferrato  | Asti & Nizza Monferrato – Langhe | Meet your Driver and Guide at the Hotel lobby. Guided tour of Asti’s old town where together with your local guide you will discover medieval towers, churches, baroque buildings and old squares during your walking tour. Visit also the collegiate Church of San Secondo and the Gothic Cathedral of Santa Maria; have a walk along Corso Alfieri, the main street, where you may also stop and visit the Crypt of Sant’Anastasio (collection of some Roman ruins, a VIII-X century graveyard area, Romanesque capitels, etc.). Lunch in a typical-style restaurant in the city centre, wines included. In the afternoon, together with your Guide visit Mombaruzzo is just one of the so-called “area Nizza” districts, a vast hillside swathe of territory with many localities devoted to wine production in the orbit of the main town, Nizza Monferrato, which can be found about ten kilometres away. Nizza is a lively town and a great commercial centre for wine whose name has become synonymous with great Barbera. It is also interesting for its historic monuments. See the remains of Mediaeval palazzi in the historic centre, including the merlon-crenelated tower of the town hall and some aristocratic residences. In the afternoon transfer to your Hotel. Overnight in Langhe.

Day 04: Langhe Full-Day Private Tour with White Truffle Hunt | Breakfast at the hotel. Meet your Driver in the lobby. This morning your first visit Cherasco, a quadrilateral planned town with a very interesting historic Centre. Take a stroll along the orthogonal streets opened with porticos and embellished by civic and religious buildings that go from the Medieval to the Baroque. After a 2 hours visit continue on to Serralunga to visit the slender and majestic Castle of Serralunga d’Alba. The Castle overshadows one of the most beautiful and historically intact villages of the Langhe, surrounded by the hills of Barolo vineyards. Considered to be one of the best-conserved examples of 14th century noble castles in Piedmont, this castle represents a unique piece of history in Italy with an architectural structure of a French donjon. Lunch in a characteristic local restaurant. In the afternoon, you will learn all about one of this region’s most famous specialties, the truffle. After this short introduction, you will venture into the woods with the trifolau (truffle hunter) and his dog, to put your newfound knowledge to the test and find your own little nugget of white gold! Next you will visit a local farm and taste some of their products, which include cheeses and succulent salamis, paired with good local wine. Late afternoon transfer to your Hotel. Overnight in Langhe.

Day 05: Langhe Full day Guided Tour | Breakfast at the Hotel. Meet your Driver/Guide in the lobby. This morning you will transfer to your Hotel in Langhe, en route you will stop at The Castle of Grinzane Cavour. The Castle became a symbol of the Langa del Barolo after Count Benso, the mayor of the town for some 17 years running, transformed it into a production base for the great wines of Langhe. Today, Grinzane Cavour is home to a vital wine museum. Then continue to Barolo village with its imposing Castle. The town of Barolo is in the historical region of the Langhe, in Piedmont. Set on a small plateau, in the shape of a spur, is protected by the surrounding mountains. After the visit, continue to the Wine Estate The Marchesi di Barolo for Lunch, Visit and Wine Tasting. Marchesi di Barolo has received numerous awards for its wines and has been frequently recognized in the press and media. Today the Abbona Family continues the work that began more than two centuries ago. It produces high-quality wines meant to enrich, year after year, the history of this vital cellar where modernity and tradition meet and where a great heritage of vineyards and knowledge has been passed down from parents to children for over five generations. The Wine Estate controls about 200 hectares of vineyards, making wine from the main native vines of the Langhe, Roero and Monferrato. You will then continue to the village of La Morra, with its enchanting panoramic view on the 11 communities producing Barolo wine. In the afternoon, you will visit a fabulous family-owned: Vietti Wine Estate for a Visit and Wine Tasting. Vietti wines come from Castiglione Falletto vineyards, in the heart of the Barolo zone.  After your visit, continue to your Hotel. Overnight in Langhe.

Day 06: Langhe – Bologna Food Tour – Florence | Breakfast at the Hotel. Meet your Driver at the hotel lobby. Private Transfer to your Hotel in San Marino. En Route, you will stop in Bologna to meet your Guide for a Private Food Guided Walking Tour. This 3.0-hour private walking food tour offers 5 authentic tastings (a big meal) at a diversity of places such as the food market with its ancient family-run shops, a bakery, a chocolate factory, a pasta laboratory, and a gelato shop. It is recommended to eat a light breakfast before enjoying this food experience. The tour combines food and art while providing the chance to discover Piazza Maggiore with the Neptune Fountain and St. Petronio Basilica, the Archiginnasio Palace – old University of Bologna, the Two Towers, and much more. Your local Guide will not only ensure you are well-fed, but will also educate you with stories, which will provide you with insight into Bologna’s traditions and culture. You will visit the oldest bakery in Bologna and taste their delicious “torta di riso” (rice cake). Continue to the most ancient chocolate factory of the town where the first solid chocolate “sfoglia nera” was invented and then sample their specialties. Afterward, head over to a deli-store where you will be served cured meats and cheeses (Parmigiano Reggiano with balsamic vinegar, Mortadella, Salame di Felino, Caciotta, Prosciutto di Parma) with typical bread and local wine. Stop by a pasta laboratory to taste homemade egg pasta and then visit a gelato shop. Early afternoon, continue to your hotel.  Late afternoon continue to Florence. Overnight in Florence.

Day 07: Florence Private Cooking Class | Breakfast at the Hotel. Meet your driver at the Hotel lobby. Private transfer to your Florentine hands-on Cooking Class. First step: a little walk to the Market, grocery shopping! You will go shopping with the chefs at the market, picking up the ingredients for your lunch. You will meet the butchers, the bakers, and the farmers selling vegetables from their gardens. You will learn how to distinguish the highest quality ingredients. After this fun experience you will return to the School where you’ll enjoy a delicious tasting of typical products and you will start putting your hands on the ingredients to create your own meal, driven by the expert guidance of your Chef. Your menu may slightly vary depending on the season and the fresh ingredients available, but will usually be made of bruschetta, different kinds of fresh home-made pasta from scratch (i.e. tagliatelle and ravioli), sauces for the pasta, and a dessert. And then you will obviously eat the meal you prepared, accompanied with two glasses of a selection of Chianti wine. In the early afternoon meet your guide who will lead you on a unique walking tour discovering secret spots of Florence, taking in unusual corners and hidden small squares. Florence’s rich past as the cultural centre of the Italian Renaissance can still be seen today in the wealth of art gathered here and in the preservation of its splendid architecture. The tour includes visits of the Duomo and the Baptistery, the Piazza della Signoria, Ponte Vecchio, and the famous Accademia Gallery (entrance fee included). Late afternoon return to your hotel. Overnight in Florence.. Overnight in Florence.

Day 08: Florence – Siena and San Gimignano Private Guided Tour – Chianti | Breakfast at the Hotel. Meet your driver and guide at the hotel lobby. This morning you will transfer to your Hotel in Chianti. On route stop in Siena for a private tour of Italy’s loveliest medieval city. Walking along the narrow medieval streets, you will admire the splendid Cathedral where you can visit the marvelous interior including the Libreria Piccolomini. You may continue to Piazza del Campo, where the famous Palio horse race is held twice a year, overlooked by imposing Palazzo del Comune. Siena was a very remarkable City-State in the Middle Ages, most of its important monuments were built between the XIII and the XIV century, today we can still admire these artistic and architectural wonders and much more. There are so many hidden spots within the city walls where past and present blend together. They are off the tourists’ beaten paths and can be discovered only with a Private Guide. Stop in a Wine Estate where you will enjoy a Lunch/Food a Wine Tasting. After lunch continue to  San Gimignano, a fantastic example of medieval architecture declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, famous for its medieval skyscrapers. These tower houses were built by local families at the height of the Guelph-Ghibelline conflict. In the afternoon continue to your Hotel. Overnight in Chianti.

Day 09: Montalcino and Montepulciano Food and Wine Tour | Breakfast at the Hotel. Meet your driver at the hotel lobby. Today, you will taste some of the most famous Italian wines: Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. You will first visit Montepulciano on your own, a small village of Etruscan origin and one of the most beautiful hill towns in Tuscany. The main street of Montepulciano stretches from Porta al Prato to Piazza Grande at the top of the hill. The façades of the church of Sant’agostino and of the Oratorio della Misericordia are worth seeing. Notable among the civic buildings are the Tarugi palace, the Mercato, the Contucci palace designed by Sangallo and the fourteenth-century Palazzo Municipale, which contains a small gallery of Sienese and of Umbrian art.  It is time for lunch for a fabulous lunch at Avignonesi Wine Estate to be followed by a visit and Wine Tasting of Vino Nobile wines. The Nobile wines of Montepulciano were the first to be given the ultimate quality level of DOCG certification. Continue to Montalcino. an ancient village scarcely changed in appearance since the 16th century. Once you get up to the town, a magnificent spectacle unfolds for your eyes: rolling sunny hills dotted with yellow and red flowers, ancient oak trees, picturesque olive groves, scenic country roads winding through perfect vineyards and isolated cypress trees atop hills. You will have a visit to a Brunello Producer such as the prestigious Podere Le Ripi: Taste a selection of 5 wines, including the precious Rosso di Montalcino DOC Bonsai. Tour and tasting Bonsai. Visit the innovative vineyard with a Bonsai vine training system, the densest in the world, brilliant intuition of Francesco Illy. Taste a selection of 5 wines, including the precious Rosso di Montalcino DOC Bonsai. Only 600 bottles per year, the finest expression of the Sangiovese. Late afternoon return to your hotel. Overnight in Chianti.

Day 10: Florence or Pisa Departure | After breakfast at the hotel enjoy a Private Transfer to Pisa or Florence Airport.

• 2 Nights in Monferrato
• 3 Nights Langhe
• 2 Nights in Florence
• 2 Nights in Chianti
• Private Transportation by Mercedes E or V Class with English Speaking Driver
• Private Guided Tours with Professional Local Guides | Door to Door Service
• Entrances to Museums, Galleries, Archeological Parks and other Venues
• Breakfast at Hotels, All Food & Wine Tours/Enogastronomic and Most Lunches.
• 24/7 Assistance and Support from our Ground Operational Office in Italy