By the Glass – Restaurant Tour of Tuscany

Included 8 nights accommodations, 8 breakfasts, 7 dinners, 6 lunches, all wine tastings, wine at villa, all transportation costs.
Does not include flight (Florence arrival and departure).
$2695/person (land only)

Wednesday June 2nd– Arrival (Florence)

Welcome to Tuscany! You’ll be greeted at the Florence Airport by your By the Glass representative. Our journey starts with a drive from Florence to Montalcino; Tuscany’s most famous wine town, which is your home for the next three days. After checking in with Mirco, the director of hospitality at Tenuta Caparzo, you will be able to unload your bags at Villa La Casa. Villa La Casa is situated in an enviable position with Montalcino as its backdrop and sitting amongst the vines of this cru vineyard, the grapes from which are used for making Caparzo’s legendary La Casa Brunello di Montalicino Riserva. Tonight your sommelier host will lead you on a wine tasting of wines from the region. Later on you’ll be able to relax by the pool, while your hosts serve up simple but delicious Tuscan cuisine.

Thursday June 3rd

Today is a day where you’ll get to explore the best of Brunello. The morning begins with a tour of Banfi winery. Banfi represents the modern Brunello style as it combines cutting edge technological revolutions (including a unique half stainless steel and have oak fermenters) with the traditions of the region. After our visit at Banfi, we’ll return to Villa La Casa for a quick dip in the pool before joining the local Brunello Consorzio for a wine tasting and tutorial on the region. Tonight, we are the special guests of Tenuta Caparzo for dinner. Your host will discuss the wines of this illustrious estate over a dinner arranged by the winery for our group.

Friday, June 4th 

Today we’ll tour some of the prettiest villages and towns that make up Southern Tuscany. Our first stop is the spectacular hilltop town of Montepulciano, famous for its “Vino Nobile” made from Sangiovese known here as “Prugnollo Gentile”. We have a bit of an uphill climb into the town, but once you reach the top you’ll enjoy spectacular views and visiting its boutiques. We strongly recommend stopping at the Bottega del Rame for handmade copper wares. Just a few doors down from the coppersmith’s is a spectacular wine shop that is worth a visit. Next is Pienza – a quaint town with more great boutiques and home of Tuscany’s most famous cheese, Pecorino, made from unpasteurized ewes’ milk. We’ll have lunch at our favourite trattoria that makes incredible pici, classic homemade pasta similar to spaghetti. Then it’s a short drive back to Montalcino where we have arranged a visit to Il Paradiso di Frassina in Montalcino for a tour of the vineyards and tasting. Il Paradiso di Frassina’s vineyards are set in an amphitheatre like setting. In this unique environment the vines are coaxed to perform their best by Mozart. The vineyard is home to hundreds of speakers which constantly serenade the vines. As owner Carlo Cignozzi says of his idea to combine music and wine, “I guessed music would help it grow well, besides bringing joy to my life and embellishing the environment.” Following our tour to Il Paradiso, we’ll return to the villa for dinner.

Saturday, June 5th

Say good-bye to Montalcino. Today we will transfer to Northern Tuscany. We are staying at Frattoria Poggio Alloro; a family operated small hotel and organic farm nestled amongst vines and olive groves, boasting a panoramic view of San Gimignano. After settling into your rooms, we’ll dine at the hotel for lunch. With San Gimignano as our backdrop, we’ll enjoy a lunch made entirely from the farm’s own produce and accompanied by wines made on site including Tuscany’s most famous white wine, Vernaccia di San Gimignano. After lunch and some time to relax, we’ll make the short drive to San Gimignano, a Unesco World Heritage site and the town of towers that looks like a Medieval Manhattan. Here you will have time to stroll along the narrow streets, admire the astonishing views and enjoy one of the “world’s best gelato” at Gelateria di Piazza in Piazza della Cisterna. There are great leather shops, artisan studios and art galleries to see. Walk up to Piazza Pecuri and you may be so lucky to hear the harpist playing in the open square. We’ll also enjoy a tasting of Vernaccia before returning to the farm to dine on Bistecca a la Fiorentina – the classic Tuscan dish.

Sunday, June 6th

We’re up early this morning as we are headed to Florence. We’ll take the train into the heart of the city. Florence was the cradle of the Renaissance and home to over half of Italy’s artistic and architectural treasures. We’ll take the train into the center of the city. From this advantageous spot, your guide will point you in the direction of the main sights. You can choose to spend the your day in Firenze as you see fit. The possibilities are endless – whether you feed your soul in churches or your belly at the Mercato Centrale, you’ll surely enjoy the experience. Visit the famous open air market in search of textiles, paper and leather goods. If your tastes veer to the best things in life, let the latest fashions tempt you (though the high price tags may deter you) along Via Tournabuoni, before making your way to the river Arno and crossing the jewellery shop laden Ponte Vecchio. This famous bridge was built in 1345 and was the only one of the bridges spanning the Arno to be saved from the destruction of German bombs in 1944. For those looking to visit the Uffizi Museum it is recommended to book on-line before arriving to avoid long line-up s and disappointment. Your By the Glass representative can make suggestions of appropriate booking times. As today you are given the freedom to explore Florence as you see fit, we’ll arrange a meeting time for an early evening departure.
Note: For those wishing to visit the Uffizi or Accademia Museums it is recommend to book a ticket on-line before arriving in Tuscany as line-ups for general admission can be incredibly long.

Monday, June 7th

A day by the coast. Today we are headed to the Maremma – Tuscan’s beautiful coastline and the heart of Super Tuscan country. Our host for the day is Guado al Tasso – Antinori’s spectacular property located near Bolgheri. This area is the home of the Super Tuscan revolution. We’ll enjoy a simple lunch at the local pizzeria (Pizzeria del Rossano) and walk this picturesque town which is home to some of Italy’s most illustrious wine names. Wine shopping here takes on a new meaning. In the afternoon, we’ll visit another property before returning to San Gimignano for dinner.

Tuesday, June 8th

Today we are headed to the heart of Chianti Classico zone. We will spend the morning in the good hands of Antonio Zaccheo Jr. of Carpineto, which is located close to Dudda-Greve. At Carpineto, Antonio will take us into the vineyard to get a hands on understanding of working with Tuscan terroir. Bring good walking shoes, their Chianti Classico vineyard is steep. After a morning in the vineyard your off to Gaville, where another estate owned by Carpineto is located. Here you will visit an olive grove and olive mill and enjoy a lunch consisting of cured meats, cheeses, olive oil and plenty of wine, of course. After our time with Antonio we stay in the area. We head south towards Radda in Chianti where we will visit Castello D’Albola.

Wednesday June 9th

We’ll leave in the morning for, Siena, a city of Etruscan origin and whose architectural and artistic glories are largely Gothic. One could spend the day wandering about the cobblestone streets, shopping and enjoying the sights from a café in the famous Piazza del Campo. It is worthwhile paying a small fee to visit the Cathedral in Piazza del Duomo – you will be awe struck by its stunning interior. Make sure to stop for an espresso at Nannini, a popular Sienese café that specialized in traditional cakes and speedy service. The foodies in the group might want to pick up some truffle oil at the Consorzio Agrario. You’ll be on your own for lunch. Eat light. After Siena we are heading to the heart of Chianti Classico to visit Badia a Passignano. This fourth century monastery where Galileo once taught mathematics is encircled by olive groves and vineyards (including the famous Tignanello vineyard) today owned by the prestigious Antinori family. We visit the vineyards and taste wine with their Master Sommelier before enjoying an amazing four course menu paired with wines at Osteria di Passignano – a Michelin rated restaurant. This is a day to remember.

Thursday, June 10th

It’s time to pack your bags, as our Tuscan adventure is over but the memories will last a lifetime.

Publications Editor, Occasions
Sommelier Instructor, CAPSAC
Owner, By the Glass
Cell: 902-488-9959