Tuscany Wine Tour
May 14-18, 2012
Join us on a trip to visit the very best wineries of Tuscany.
Tua Rita Sassicaia Ornellaia Gaja
Soldera Castel Giocondo Poggio di Sotto Castello di Monsanto
Castello di Monsanto Castello di Ama Tignanello
Cooking school 1* Michelin restaurant 5* hotel in Chianti
In collaboration with my friend, aptly named Filippo, we have put together the ALL STAR trip to the greatest wineries in Tuscany. Throw in a Michelin starred restaurant, winemaker lunches and dinners at iconic estates, some amusement making pasta at cooking school, and a stay in THE best hotel in Chianti, and you’ve got an amazing trip.
The line-up includes Sassicaia, Tignanello, Ornellaia, Gaja, fantastic Brunellos, and old vintages from classic Chianti producers. You’ll visit the best wineries in a dynamic region that has extremely traditional producers making wine next to modernists.
It will be very educational, as well as a lot of fun. Filippo, our local guide, is an expert on Tuscany, and I’ve reserved my spot already. It’s a quality experience.
As it is a privilege to have these appointments, we will only be taking a limited number of people.
Price: The cost per person is CAD$3,990 (including tax) based on double occupancy at the hotels. This price includes all accommodation, visits and tastings at wineries, all meals, all wine at meals, and local transport. The cooking class is not included and is quoted upon request. Flights are not included.
If you are travelling by yourself we will try to find you someone appropriate to share a room with, or if you want your own room there will be a single supplement of CAD$800.
To join the tour: Simply email me at James@finevintageltd.com to reserve a spot and ask for a copy of the booking form.
Why take a tour of Tuscany from Fine Vintage? These estates are not typically open to many visitors. The only reason that we are able to visit these wineries is because I work for various corporations who buy large volumes of their wines and Filippo has very close connections in the area too. Also, you’ll experience parts of Tuscany that most will never see. The wineries are very welcoming to us. You’ll taste wines they don’t allow others to try, and everything is done for you…
THE PROGRAM: All of the visits are already confirmed. Here is the program.
Monday – 14th May - Please make your own flight arrangements to Florence.
At 12.00 - Meet with James and Filippo in front of Baglioni Hotel in Florence. Board the luxury bus and we’re off. This hotel is 200 meters from the train station and quite central in Florence. If you are looking for a super place to stay the night before then we recommend The Four Seasons Hotel.
Pick up at Grand Hotel Baglioni Piazza Unità Italiana 6, Firenze Italia
Tel: +39.055.23580 info@hotelbaglioni.it
We drive to the coast, to the land of the super-Tuscans.
Check in to hotel at 1.45 pm
www.poggioaisanti.com
This is the ultimate in a family owned luxury, yet rustic, Tuscan estate. It has views of the ocean in the background, cypress trees all around, and olive groves. Last year many people thought this was the most characterful and fun place we stayed on the trip, although the hotel in Chianti, where we will move to after 2 nights, is considered to be the very best in the region.
We will have a casual lunch and then there’s time for a dip in the swimming pool, and a few glasses of wine.
Leave the hotel at 6 pm
We will stop by a tiny little Tuscan village that dates back hundreds of years for an aperitif. This is where Filippo lives. He’s going to be the next Mayor! While we sip on bubbly and have some small bites we have a surprise in store for you that will be a highlight of the trip.
At 7.00 pm we will arrive at Tua Rita winery for a tour, tasting and dinner. www.tuarita.it. Tua Rita is a Super Tuscan cult wine using 200% new oak and all the bells and whistles of a small production winery with serious prices. It’s a benchmark and the first to ever get 100 points from Parker.
TUESDAY MAY 15th
Super Tuscan Heaven
9.30 am - Depart hotel Espresso, breakfast, maybe a dip in the pool, and then we’ll drive 20 minutes through medieval villages, dating pre 990 towards Bolgheri. The Tuscan countryside is idyllic.
10.00 am - Ca Marcanda - Angelo Gaja www.gajadistribuzione.it. To me, Gaja is the greatest name in Italian wine. He’s the quintessential pioneer, always pushing the boundaries, never content, a perfectionist by nature, and whose Barbarescos are the benchmark. Ca Marcanda is exceptional quality and is his winery in Tuscany. The architecture is fascinating too.
At 12.00 - Lunch at Ornellaia www.ornellaia.com. This is one of the most famous Super Tuscans. It is a collector’s wine, and highly prized. Tenuta Dell'Ornellaia was established by Marchese Lodovico Antinori. Some think that Ornellaia is Antinori's competitive answer to his cousin, Nicolò Sassicaia. We’ll have a lovely lunch, a tour and tasting and no shortage of wine.
At 3 pm - Sassicaia for tour and tasting www.sassicaia.com. At a 1978 Decanter tasting of "great clarets", a panel including Hugh Johnson, Serena Sutcliffe and Clive Coates awarded the 1972 Sassicaia victory over a field of 33 wines from 11 countries, and established the wine's international reputation. It is THE top wine of Tuscany for many, and commands high prices. In the late 1990s Sassicaia was granted its own DOC (Bolgheri), the only wine from a single estate in Italy to enjoy this privilege. After our first major wine fueled day we will head back to the hotel, stopping by the beach for a quick stop so you can put your toe in the Med.
At 5.30 pm - Back to the hotel for some r ‘n r. We’ll have a lovely dinner later that evening at the beautiful restaurant in the hotel. This was one of the best meals we had last year, and it was accompanied by a flood of weird and wonderful Italian wines from grapes you’ve never heard of.
WEDNESDAY MAY 16th
9.00 am - Check out of the hotel and we’re off to taste some of the best Brunellos in the world. These must be aged for 5 years before release, they are 100% Sangiovese, and there’s a unique terroir influenced by altitude. It’s a spectacular drive up into the hills. We’ll visit 3 benchmark producers here.
At 10.30 am - Wine tour and tasting at Soldera www.soldera.it. We will taste from the vat at this small winery. Filippo, amongst many others, regards it as one of the very best in Brunello di Montalcino. Like many of the wineries we will visit, it is by invitation only.
At 12.00 - Private lunch at Castel Giocondo. This is the Brunello property of Frescobaldi, one of the most famous names in Italy. They make stunning Riservas that have tremendous complexity and depth. www.frescobaldi.it . Sitting in the Tuscan countryside, eating delicious food and drinking spectacular wines, and learning all about them from the winemaker and your hosts, well, it’s pretty fun.
At 3.15 pm Tour and tasting at Poggio di Sotto. www.poggiodisotto.com This is one of the great Brunello’s that is largely unknown outside Italy, because it is all snapped up there. These were some of the very best wines we had last year.
After a major exploration of Brunello, we’ll stop by the little town and visit the abbey of Sant’antimo. This is a great place for photos. www.antimo.it
We’ll then head off to the Hotel Castello di Nero. Last year I remember being shocked to see the rack rate being 1,000 Euros a night… It’s like a castle, with a great pool, and a lovely terrace. www.castellodelnero.com
Later that evening we’ll have a lovely dinner on the terrace. It’s very smart but totally casual, in a style only the Italians can pull off. Most people said the food in Italy was better than the food on the Bordeaux trips, and that’s saying something. If you prefer to go off and have dinner by yourself then feel free – it’s a casual night but with great food and wine.
THURSDAY MAY 17TH
You’ve been working hard, eating, drinking and giggling your way around Tuscany. So it’s time for some relaxation in the morning, before visiting an olive oil producer and then drinking old vintage Chiantis. In the morning, you can do the optional cooking class, where the chef at the hotel will show you how to make 3 different types of pasta. This is a lot of fun, and the cooks in the group loved it last year. Let us know if you are keen and we’ll ask for a price depending on the size of the group.
Alternatively, if you prefer to leave the cooking to others you can hang out at the pool, or go into the little town and explore. There is also a Spa at the property.
12.00 Lunch at the hotel. If you made pasta at the cooking course then you’ll have that for lunch. Otherwise, we’ll have a typical Italian lunch together before heading off to visit an olive oil producer. Castello di Ama www.castellodiama.com will be a fascinating addition to our trip. We’ll learn how you make olive oil at one of the finest producers in the world. Oh, they also make great wine here too. So it will be a tasting extravaganza.
7.30 pm Castello di Monsanto Probably everybody’s favorite winery last year was Castello di Monsanto, where they pulled out old vintages going back to the 1970’s. These wines were phenomenal. Castello di Monsanto is one of the most respected estates in Tuscany and one of the top producers of traditional Chianti Classico Riserva.
So guess what? After a tour of the winery, including their amazing underground barrel cellar, we are going to have a beautiful gala dinner inside the winery with lots of old vintages. www.castellodimonsanto.it
FRIDAY MAY 18TH
As a grand finale, we’ll visit the icon Tignanello and then have a decadent lunch at a 1 star restaurant, which is also a winery, with a spectacular line up of wines to pair with the tasting menu.
We’ll leave the hotel at 9.30 am and arrive at Tignanello at 10 am. This belongs to Antinori.
In 1971, Antinori launched one of the most famous labels in Italy. Tignanello, or Tig to its admirers, was originally made from Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, which meant that it was ineligible for the Chianti Classico appellation. It now has a high percentage of Sangiovese in the blend, but retains its Super Tuscan status rather than becoming a Chianti Classico.
It was Tignanello that really shook up the Italian wine industry, leading to far-reaching changes in rules and attitudes. However, even though the Chianti Classico DOCG rules have now been changed to accommodate wines such as Tignanello, the Antinoris continue to sell it as a Toscana IGT. In 1978 Antinori launched Solaia, another classic wine, from the neighboring vineyard. So we’re basically learning about and tasting the top wines of Italy here.
At 13.00 Lunch at Osteria di Badia Passignano – 1 Michelin star restaurant www.osteriadipassignano.com
We’ll have our last meal a stone’s throw from Tignanello, at Antinori’s Estate in Chianti Classico, with a tasting menu and a spectacular line-up of wines including Solaia and Tignanello. This is a final blow out lunch.
At 3 pm we’ll head off to Florence. You’ll be glad we are not eating or drinking for another day. 5 days is plenty. It’s a perfect amount of time to see the best wineries, learn an enormous amount, eat excellent food, with a local Tuscan guide (who is a riot) and I’m there for your amusement.
We will drop people off at the train station in Florence at 4.30 pm, and then all others at The Baglioni Hotel just 200 meters away. The tour is then finished. We have left time here for delays, but please don’t cut it too close for flights and trains etc…
This is a luxurious trip, hosted by local and international wine experts, visiting the great estates with a small group of like-minded fun-loving people.
TO BOOK PLEASE EMAIL US AT INFO@FINEVINTAGELTD.COM AND WE WILL SEND YOU THE BOOKING FORM. SPACE IS LIMITED.