Visit Tuscany as you've always imagined it. Ancient abbeys and castles, forests and vineyards, and country roads lined with cypress trees add up to dream hiking around Montalcino and San Gimignano. You'll hear Gregorian chants in an abbey, wander through the Renaissance towns of Pienza and Montepulciano, and explore the serpentine streets of Siena.

*It is necessary to arrive in Italy the day before the tour begins, in order to meet the morning shuttle.



Day 1 - Montalcino's wine trails
We shuttle from Florence to our hotel in Montalcino, a fortified town crowned by an imposing medieval fortress. From here we begin to explore the area famous for its Brunello, a well-structured, long-lived red wine that grows in Tuscany's highest vineyards. After a welcome lunch in Montalcino, we'll embark on our "warm-up hike," a loop that takes us past vineyards on the north side of the DOCG zone. At the hike's end, we'll stop at the innovative Il Marroneto, where we'll be treated to a vertical tasting of Brunello straight from the barrel. We'll also encounter Brunello's younger sibling, Rosso di Montalcino. For the first of our gourmet wine dinners, we go to Re di Macchia, an elegant restaurant that offers superb renditions of traditional Tuscan cuisine, such as tagliatelle with porcini mushrooms, wild boar ravioli, and rabbit stewed with black olives.

Day 2 - Holy wine & the birth of Brunello
We’ll march back in time as we trek to Sant’Antimo, a beautiful medieval abbey deep in the pastoral countryside where monks still live and work. The road leading out of Montalcino offers plenty of scenic views of the city and its vineyards, then proceeds through lush forests until we arrive at the Romanesque abbey in time to hear the monks sing Gregorian chants. After lunch at a local osteria, we'll stop in the Renaissance palace of Ciacci Piccolomini di Aragona for a tasting of their esteemed Brunello and Super Tuscan wines and a tour of the ancient cantina. We'll then return to Montalcino for a visit to the 14th century fortress of Montalcino, which houses an enoteca (a wine bar and shop) and offers a fantastic view of the Tuscan countryside from its ramparts. We cap off the day with dinner at Boccon Divino, where we'll feast on wild boar (cinghiale), fowl, and other game from the woods of Tuscany.

Day 3 - Medieval Montepulciano & Renaissance Pienza
The ability to make Pecorino Toscano cheese was once considered so valuable a skill that women could list it as part of their dowry. We'll find out their secrets during a visit to a pecorino factory outside of Pienza and sample cheese aged in walnut leaves, olive paste, and other yummy variations. Pienza is even more famous for its town design, commissioned by the Pius II, a Humanist pope of the Renaissance. After visiting the model piazza and exquisitely beautiful church, we set off on foot for our hike through a classic Tuscan landscape, with cypress trees marking our path over the rolling hills. We end up in Montepulciano, where we'll visit some tasting rooms and try another of Tuscany's prized red wines: Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Beloved by nobles, this wine traveled far and wide and was a favorite of Thomas Jefferson and Voltaire. We'll visit the Vino Nobile DOCG Consortium's tasting room for a comparative tasting. Tonight dinner is on your own in one of Montalcino's charming restaurants..

Day 4 -The art of Siena
Today we'll take a break from our trekking in order to spend the day in Siena. We'll start with a cappuccino at Nanini, Siena's most famous coffee bar, and sample their panforte, a dense cake laced with nuts, candied fruits, and spices - an ancient Sienese specialty. We'll then tour Siena's splendid Palazzo Pubblico or City Hall, which houses several masterpieces of Italian Gothic fresco painting by Simone Martini and Ambrogio Lorenzetti. We'll also visit Siena's massive black-and-white striped cathedral, home to artworks by Michelangelo and Pinturicchio. After lunch and time to shop, we'll reconvene for a wine tasting at the Enoteca Nazionale, Italy's national wine museum/wine bar, located in an imposing Medici fortress. Here we'll do a giro d' Italia of wines. We then drive to our new accommodations, which offer a stellar view of San Gimignano, a hilltop city that bristles with medieval towers. Our wine dinner in town will present elegant nouveau renditions of traditional Tuscan cuisine.

Day 5 - Circling San Gimignano
Today's hike encircles San Gimignano and offers one of the most beautiful and varied walks on this tour, with cypress-lined lanes, groves of silver olive trees, patches of woods, and views of San Gimignano around every turn. We'll also see immaculate acres of Vernaccia grapes, which make the area's crisp white wine, Vernaccia di San Gimignano. After lunch in San Gimignano, we'll have time to roam the town, see its magnificent fresco cycle in the main church, and climb the tallest tower for a breathtaking view. Our afternoon tasting will be at the estate of Panizzi, one of the area's leading producers of Vernaccia and Super Tuscan wines. Dinner is a home-cooked meal at the borgo of San Donato, where we'll be treated to regional specialties like garlic toasts (bruschette), peasant vegetable soup with bread (ribollita), king-sized lasagna (pappardelle), and grilled meat skewers. Here we'll learn the proper way to dip almond cookies (cantucci) in Vin Santo, a golden dessert wine first created by medieval monks.

Day 6 - Walk the Etruscan byways
Before Roman rule, the Etruscans controlled much of this area and planted its first vines. We’ll revisit this ancient civilization on our hike to Volterra, which takes us along a mountain ridge lined with cypresses, farms, and dense woods. In town, we'll explore this Etruscan stronghold and pay a visit to the Etruscan museum, where this sophisticated culture comes alive through dramatic sculptural friezes narrating the adventures of Ulysses and other heroes. We'll also peak into Volterra's famed alabaster workshops. For our afternoon wine tasting, we’ll head back to San Gimignano and visit the Azienda Agricola Cesani, a small family estate that produces a superb Super Tuscan wine and a grappa flavored with the local saffron, as well as two excellent versions of Vernaccia. Our farewell dinner is in San Gimignano, allowing us to see the city in all its quiet magic at night..

Day 7 - Buon viaggio!
A shuttle to Florence and assistance with your travel plans.

BOOKING INFORMATION
2008 FEES PER PERSON	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.	After availability is confirmed, a non-refundable 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
June 1-7 September 28-October 4	*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

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