Tasting wines in Italy MARCH/2022

Departure from Miami to Milan

Arrival in Milan. Meeting with our representative at the airport and departure by private bus to Turin, the capital of Piedmont and previously, the capital of Italy, also called “the Hall of Italy“. We will make a panoramic tour of the city: the Valentino castle, the Royal Palace, etc. In Turin we can also find a great treasure such as the Holy Shroud, in the Duomo of San Giovanni. However, the Shroud exposed to the public is a copy, the original is kept inside the duomo. Then we will go to the Piedmont region, specifically to Asti, a city known for its sparkling wine. Arrival at our hotel. Dinner and overnight.

Breakfast and departure to the castles region and wine region made up of three cities: Langhe, Monferrato and Roero, where 18 types of appellation wines are made. We will visit a canteen called the Underground Wine Cathedral, in the city of Canelli where various types of wine are produced, including sparkling wine (Italian champagne). We will do a tasting and then we will visit the typical Piedmont cheese factory with tasting included. We will return to Asti. Dinner and overnight.

Breakfast. Departure to Desenzano del Garda. At 12:50, departure for a mini boat cruise to Sirmione del Garda, visit of this charming town located on a peninsula on Lake Garda, the largest of the Italian lakes, where the castle of the Scala family stands out. Disembark and continue by bus to Verona, where we will walk through the streets of this picturesque city, immortalized by the romantic history of Romeo and Juliet, its picturesque old town, its medieval buildings and the Roman Arena. Arrival in Padua. Dinner and overnight.

Early departure from the hotel in our Bus to TRONCHETTO, the port of Venice. Board the “Vaporetto” to go to San Marco. Meeting with our guide to make a panoramic visit on foot that will take us to know: San Marco Square, the Basilica, the Doge’s Palace (tickets not included), the Bridge of Sighs, etc. Free afternoon. At the end of the afternoon return to Tronchetto by Vaporetto and in our Bus to the Hotel. Dinner and overnight.

This morning we will leave for the house of the Medici Family, the Homeland of the Renaissance – Florence. Meeting with our guide for a panoramic tour of the city that will take us to know: The Cathedral and the Baptistery with its famous Gate of Paradise, Signoria Square with the old palace and Michelangelo Square from where we will admire the beautiful city of Florence. Continuation towards S. Gimignano. Dinner and overnight.

After breakfast, Meet our guide for a half day tour to discover the treasures of medieval Siena. The visit ends at the Enoteca Italiana Permanente – the official wine museum in Italy. Sitting under olive trees in the fine gardens of the majestic 16th century Medici Fortress, we will have the opportunity to taste wine by the glass. Rest of the day free. Dinner and overnight.

Breakfast. After breakfast, we left for southern Tuscany, to Angelo Gaja of Piave’s Brunello property. Here we will have a tasting of the three esteemed Brunellos of Gaja made with detail, high precision and investment “without compromise”. Then we travel 10 km to visit the Wine Cellar of Banfi Castle for a tasting at the Tavern Banfi drinking the three Brunellos of Banfi. He is recognized worldwide for his dedication to excellence and for sparking a renaissance in the art of Italian winemaking. The Mariani family from New York established Banfi on 800 acres of modern vineyards. It is a large-scale producer of the best Brunello of Montalcino (one of Italy’s best-known and most expensive wines) made from sangiovese grosso, the historic grape from the Montalcino region. We will return to S. Gimignano through the medieval town of Montalcino. Dinner and overnight.

Breakfast. Depart for the main Antinori property, the Tignanello winery in Classic Chianti Classico for a tour and tasting of Solaia and Tignanello. This century-old winery owned by the Antinori family of Florence is one of their many estates in Tuscany, Umbria, and Apulia. There is only one section of the winery entirely dedicated to Antinori’s pinnacle wine, Solaia. It is an original Super Tuscan, a cabernet franc cabernet sauvignon, not sangiovese wine. This super Tuscan, predominantly a bloody black fruit and integrated oak tasting, is made in the remaining adjacent winery. After our visit we traveled east at 10 a.m. to Chianti Rufina and we visit the oldest Tuscan family in the wine trade. We arrive at the Marchesi de Frescobaldi wine estate in Castello di Nipozzano. Tasting and lunch.
This has been owned by the Frescobaldi family for more than 23 generations, leaders in the production of Chianti Rufina and six other Tuscan farms. Here we will taste the famous unique Frescobaldi vineyard, sangiovese Montesodi, its super Tuscan Mormoreto, cabernet, merlot, franco and the excellent value of the Sangiovese Reserva. Return to S. Gimignano at the end of the afternoon. Dinner and overnight.

Breakfast. Departure for Rome. We will make a stop in Orvieto on the way. After a guided tour of the city and the cathedral that contains the famous Signorelli Last Judgment. Visit to the winery and tasting of Orvieto Classico wine. It is one of the oldest wines in Italy, and has been a favorite of Popes for generations. Arrival in Rome at the end of the afternoon. Dinner and overnight.

Breakfast. Departure from our hotel for a half day visit to the city in our bus with a local guide who will take us to know: Imperial Rome with the Colosseum (entrance not included), the Roman Forums (entrance not included), Venice Square with its monument to the unknown soldier, the famous Via Veneto. In the afternoon we will visit the most emblematic Basilicas of Rome. We start with the Basilica of Saint Mary the Mayor, also known as Basilica of Saint Mary of Snow and Liberian Basílica. Built on a pagan temple of Cibeles, Saint Mary the Mayor is the only Roman church that preserves the strictly basilica plan and the primitive paleo-Christian structure. The Church of San Alfonso. Here we will visit the original Icon of the Virgin of Perpetual Help. Basilica of St. John Lateran, better known as Archbasilica of St. John Lateran, is the cathedral of the diocese of Rome, where the episcopal seat of the bishop of Rome (the Pope) is located. Dinner and overnight.

Breakfast. Transfer to the Vatican City to attend in St. Peter’s square at the Public Papal Audience, with S.S. Francis. Free time for lunch. Meeting in the afternoon with our guide and departure for a half day visit to the Sixtine Chapel and the Vatican Museums. Back to our hotel by Bus. Dinner and overnight.

Breakfast and transfer with our Bus to Leonardo da Vinci airport in time to board our flight back to the USA.