Tuscany Wine Tour This sample trip was an actual tour in September 2023
Welcome to Tuscany
5 day Tour (Sample wine Tour)
Aprox Price £1800 - £2000 per person
VIP Wine Tours in association with the Wine School of Cheshire and Bond Travel are able to offer you an exclusive tour of the wine region of Tuscany, the most important wine region in central Italy.
Richard from the Wine School of Cheshire will be joining us on the trip as our wine expert.
Tuscany is one of Italy’s most prolific internationally recognised wine regions. Over 80 percent of the Tuscan production is red wine primarily produced with the Sangiovese grape. Some excellent white wines are produced too from the main white varietal Trebbiano. The famous sweet Vin Santo dessert wine is produced in both red and white styles.
We will be visiting the famous Chianti region, Montepulciano and Montalcino, the most prestigious region and home to the famous Brunello di Montalcino. We will visit the large famous name wineries and also some very small family run ones. We will dine in Michelin starred elegance and also in traditional Tuscan restaurants. The region is filled with Medieval castles, hilltop towns, charming rural farmhouses, rows of vineyards and cypress trees.
Viticulture in Tuscany dates back to the 8th Century BC when the Etruscans settled into the region. From the times of the Roman Empire through the Middle Ages most wine was produced by monks.
We will stay for four nights in the three-star Hotel Italia in Siena. It is a higher end three-star category, and we will be staying in Executive suites on a bed and breakfast basis. The hotel is located 300 meters from the pedestrianised historic centre of Siena where you will find shops, restaurants and the Piazza del Campo. The north gate, Porta Camollia, leading to the old town is a six minute walk from the hotel. You can stroll the narrow enchanted streets and be immersed in the atmosphere of the magical city. The hotel has Wi-Fi, air conditioning and a bar. The use of an outdoor swimming pool is available at the sister hotel close by, subject to weather conditions.
Siena is an outstanding medieval city that has preserved its character and quality to a remarkable degree. At its heart is the huge Piazza del Campo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where the famous Palio horse race takes place every summer. Siena and the Palio horse race can be seen
in the James Bond movie Quantum of Solace.
Day 1
You will be met at Pisa airport where your private transport awaits you. The journey from Pisa airport to Siena is approximately two hours. So we will have a stop halfway through the journey to a medieval Tuscan Castle and winery in the heart of Chianti Classico, Castello Gabbiano. We will have a guided tour of the ancient cellar and the vineyards with an introduction to the disciplinary of the Chianti Classico and it’s wine making techniques. This will be followed by a tasting and a wine paired lunch, before completing our journey to Siena where the rest of the evening will be free to settle into the hotel and explore the surrounding area.
Day 2
Today is all about the very small family run wineries. In the morning after breakfast, we will travel to Montepulciano where we will visit Poderi Boscarelli founded in 1962. Today the winery is run by the third generation of the family members, Luca and Nicolò De Ferrari. The story of the winery began with two abandoned farms and today the brand has a worldwide reputation for quality wine of great elegance and longevity.
After tasting these incredible wines, we will have a lunch at a local traditional restaurant before visiting another very small family run winery, Podere Le Bèrne. With 10 hectares of native grape vines and with old vines, ancient soil and a hands-off approach to wine making the Natalini family produce one of the best organic Nobile di Montepulciano
.
Day 3
This morning is free for you to explore Siena or just relax at the hotel.
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In the afternoon we will travel to Montalcino where we can visit the founder of the Brunello di Montalcino. The Biondi Santi Riserva was produced for the first time in history in 1888 by the Biondi Santi family. Since 1888 this rare wine has only been released 40 times and each production is extremely limited. The wine is renowned for its elegance and extraordinary longevity. We are privileged to be able to visit the birthplace of Brunello di Montalcino as the winery doesn’t open its doors to the general public.
We will then visit the beautiful winery Castello Banfi Wine Resort, set on a hilltop overlooking its own vineyards in the famous Brunello di Montalcino wine region. It is one of the largest contiguous properties in all of Italy comprising of 7100 acres, one third of which is dedicated to vineyards. Here we will have a guided tour of the winery and vineyards followed by an exclusive tasting before enjoying a wine tasting menu in their beautiful Michelin starred restaurant, La Sala dei Grappoli.
Day 4
Today we visit the former monastery of Badia a Coltibuono located in Chianti. The monastery was founded in 1051 and was owned by the Vallumbrosan order of the Benedictine monks until 1810. In the 15th Century the Abbey was extensively developed under the patronage of Lorenzo dei Medici. For 1000 years Coltibuono has been an important farm and it’s land has been producing excellent wines and oils. This impressive Chianti Classico estate is now devoted to the secular pursuits of wine and food. Here we will have lunch paired with the wines produced here, and a tour of the former Abbey, it’s renaissance gardens, frescoed salons, cloister and historical ageing cellars. This will be a relaxed visit and the only visit of the day so we can take our time to enjoy the stunning views before returning to the hotel late afternoon in plenty of time to enjoy your last night in Siena.
Day 5
After a leisurely breakfast and checking out of the hotel we will depart for Pisa airport for your return flight.
A detailed itinerary with times will be sent a couple of weeks prior to departure.
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Most journeys between the hotel and the wineries will be 45 minutes to 1 hour. The coach will be comfortable and spacious.
The flights we will be meeting are as follows.
EasyJet EZY2129 depart Manchester 07:30 Arrive Pisa 10:55
EasyJet EZY2130 depart Pisa 14:10 Arrive Manchester 15:40
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Customers wishing to travel from London the flights we will meet are:
EasyJet EZY8315 depart Gatwick 07:20 Arrive Pisa 10:30
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Please note there are no suitable flights to Gatwick on the 30th September, the next available flights are on the 1st October. If requested we can arrange overnight accomodation and tranfers to the Airport at an additional cost.
EasyJet EZY8316 depart Pisa 10:0 Sun Arrive 11:20 1st October
You are welcome to book any flights as long as you can meet us in Arrivals for the arrival time of the incoming flight and can make your own way to your return flight after arriving at the airport for the aforementioned return flight.
What’s included
- Transport for the whole trip including transfers to and from the airport.
- Accommodation in 3 star hotel based on two people sharing a twin or double room.
- Breakfast each day and one other meal per day including drinks, as per itinerary.
- Winery visits and tastings.
- Hotel taxes
What’s not included
- Flights (these can be arranged by Bond Travel on booking confirmation and the cost of the flight will be added to the cost of the Wine Tour).
- Meals not included in itinerary.
- Drinks extra to those included with meals.
- Compulsory travel insurance with medical expenses and repatriation.
- Personal expenses at the hotel
- Single room supplement of £.........
Total cost for 5 day Tuscany tour (excluding flights) £.....
The trip is subject to a minimum number of 10 people booking, maximum 15 people.
All bookings are made through our partner travel agent Bond Travel for your financial protection. Flights booked directly with Bond Travel will add ATOL protection to your trip.
For our regular wine tour customers you will notice that we are no longer affiliated with Cresta World Travel and I would like to introduce you to our new partner travel agent Bond Travel, a family run agency based in Lymm and Urmston. I am confident that Jayne and her team will take care of your bookings with the utmost professionalism.
A 30% non refundable deposit is payable on booking.
For any further information please contact Karen at karen@vipwinetours.co.uk
Tel: 0208 144 0756
Or
Bond Travel at jayne@bondtravel.co.uk Tel: 01925 757757
