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Tours> Italy> Piedmont/Cinque Terre
Hiking and Wine Tour
Italy: Piedmont/Cinque Terre Hiking and Wine
Tour
Piedmont/Cinque Terre, Italy - 6 nights
 Visit
two contrasting worlds: Piedmont offers truffles, mushrooms,
hazelnuts, wild game, and mountains blanketed with vineyards that
produce powerhouse reds like Barolo and Barbaresco.
The Cinque Terre offers fishing villages, rocky cliffs,
seafood, and white wine fresh as an ocean breeze. Come hike through
these different terrains, and enjoy the best of both worlds.
Highlights:
• Wine estates: Marchesi di Barolo, Fantino Conterno, Oddero, Villa
Sparina
• Walking: 3-4 hours (7-10 miles) on country paths & mountain steps
(Athletic beginner)
• The Cinque Terre and Portofino
• Lunch at a cheese farm in Piedmont
Meet: Tortona train station
Depart: Sestri Levante train station
*It is necessary to
arrive in Italy the day before the tour begins, in order to meet the
morning shuttle.
 Day
One - In the foothills of the Alps
Shuttle from the Tortona train station to the Langhe hills, where
Piedmont's best wines are born. Our first hike follows the Barolo
Wine Trail, which cuts through prized vineyards and chestnut
woods. A complementary welcome lunch in the town of Barolo
introduces Piedmont's elegant cuisine: raviolo con uova, pâté with
caramelized red onions, tagliatelle with porcini mushrooms, and
bounet (chocolate-hazelnut pudding). We'll pass by the Castello
di Barolo and learn the story of Barolo wine's creation in the
1800s by a Marchesa from France. Our first tasting of "the
king of wines and the wine of kings" will be at her historic estate,
the Marchesi di Barolo. L, D
 Day
Two - The wine trail of Barolo
In La Morra, we'll pick up another part of the Barolo Wine
Trail and follow a loop around La Morra. We'll walk through some of
Barolo's most famous vineyards, including Brunate and Cerrequio, get
a close-up look at nebbiolo grapes, the basis for Barolo, as well as
Barbera and Dolcetto, which make fruity, friendly wines found on
every piemontese dinner table. After lunch, we'll head to Oddero, a
family-run winery that for the past century has been producing
prize-winning and good-value Barolos. Dinner offers more of
Piedmont's woodland cuisine, such as cinghiale (wild boar), stewed
rabbit, and roasted guinea fowl. B, D
 Day
Three - Mountain cheese
Piedmont's Alte Langhe ("high hills of the Langhe") are
renowned for their cheese. Our hike takes us through this zone,
following the old Via del Sale - the salt roads on which salt was
transported inland from Liguria. Our destination is an artisan
cheese farm near the town of Bossolasco. Here we'll enjoy a picnic
lunch with fresh cheese, local honey, and other regional treats.
Thus fortified, we'll head to Monforte for a wine tasting at Fantino
Conterno. This scenic hilltop estate makes a range of
single-vineyard Barolos, plus a Barbera bottled according the cycles
of the moon. Dinner will be at a local restaurant offering a superb
wine list to complement their plin, tiny ravioli stuffed with meat
and spinach. B, L, D
 Day
Four - Ring around Gavi di Gavi
During our transfer from Piedmont to the Riviera, we'll stop in the
white wine district of Gavi. After an espresso in the
eponymous wine town, crowned by an impressive 10th C. fortress,
we'll hike through the woods to a charming agriturismo where a
picnic lunch awaits, together with the resident peacocks. Next comes
a tasting of Gavi di Gavi wine, Italy's first white wine to receive
international fame. Our winery of choice is Villa Sparina, today the
preeminent leader in Gavi wine. Our trip then continues south to the
Riviera town of Sestri Levante where we'll settle into our
second hotel, a sunny seaside spot with a balcony overlooking the
Bay of Silence. Dinner is on your own at one of Sestri Levante's
many excellent fish restaurants. B.
 Day
Five - Portofino & the Riviera cliffs
In the Riviera, the landscape changes entirely. The Ligurian
mountains tumble straight to the sea, with colorful houses and
umbrella pines clinging to the hills. Today we'll climb those hills
in a spectacular hike, starting in the fishing village of Camogli.
The first leg passes through town, ascending ancient steps that pass
tiny houses and private walled gardens, arriving at the overlook of
San Rocco. The next part takes us through woods and along ridges on
the rugged sea cliffs, then down to San Fruttuoso, a medieval abbey
and tower of the Doria dynasty, located in a protected cove. After
lunch, we'll catch a ferry to Portofino, a picturesque village where
amorous movie stars once hid from paparazzi, where we'll soak up the
sun or browse the shops. Today's wine tasting will be on our hotel
balcony overlooking the bay and setting sun. Here we'll have an
introduction to the wines of Liguria, including seafood-friendly
Vermentino and Pigato. Dinner will feature the Riviera's
fresh-from-the-sea cuisine. B, D
Day Six - The Cinque Terre Trail
The fame of the Cinque Terre ("five lands") is well deserved, with
its sweeping vistas and charming seaside villages. Now a national
park, the Cinque Terre trail passes through five towns. We'll hike
through four, going from Vernazza to Riomaggiore (with
an optional leg from Monterosso). The trail takes us up and down
mountain steps, and through wild terrain and cultivated terraces
carved from the rock by ancient Ligurian tribes, where olive trees
and grape vines now grow. A handful of heroic wine producers
continue the work the land, wrestling limited quantities of grapes
from this vertical, rocky terrain. Before dinner, we'll reconvene on
hotel balcony for another wine tasting, "Beyond Vermentino." Our
farewell dinner again highlights such local fare as zuppa di pesce
(fish soup), steamed mussels, pasta with fish sauce, or Liguria's
most famous culinary export, pasta with pesto. B, D
 Day
Seven - Arrivederci!
A shuttle to the Sestri Levante train station and assistance with
your travel plans. B
| BOOKING INFORMATION |
2008 FEES PER PERSON
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DEPOSIT |
Double Room............................$2995
Single Room Supplement ......... $350
Standard accommodations are two people per room. If you are traveling alone, we will assign you a roommate of the same gender, or you may choose to room alone by paying a private room supplement fee.
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After availability is confirmed, a deposit of $400 per person and the completed and
submitted registration form will secure your reservation. Final payment is due in full 60 days before your arrival date. |
| 2008 DATES |
INCLUDED |
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June 15-21
August 31-September 6
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*Breakfasts
*One (1) lunch or picnic
*All dinners except one
*All tastings and wine at dinner
*Charming 3 and 4 star hotels, many in renovated villas, palazzi, abbeys, or on
wine estates and all with private baths
Transportation: We provide one van pick-up on day of arrival/departure at designated train station or airport (call for times). All ground transport during stay.
Not Included:
Airfare
Most lunches
Transportation to start/end points (except for above shuttle)
Personal expenses
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For further inquiries or to register, click here.
CANCELLATION POLICY
Cancellations must be received in writing 60 days prior to the date of departure. You will receive a refund, less a $75/person cancellation fee (and less the $50 per person non-refundable booking fee). Between 59-45 days prior to the start date, you may apply 40% of the tour price towards a future trip departing within one year of the cancellation date. Cancellations made less than 45 days before the start of the trip will result in the loss of all monies received. No refunds will be made for a cancellation during the course of the tour, nor for unused portions of the trip. No exceptions to our cancellation policy are made, including weather or personal emergency.
Travel insurance is highly recommended.
CLIENT REMARKS
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