2006 Italian Wine Tour
Packages
Below is the 2006 schedule of Italian
wine tours offered by ItalianWineTours.com.
To book any of
these tours, please visit our tour reservation
request form.
May 15 to 22
(8 days / 7 nights)
Classic Apulia
Puglia, or Apulia, is a surprising discovery, with its
medieval Castles, Cathedrals, and white towns, still little
touched by tourism. The larger Italian vineyards spread
on a flat countryside, blanketed by millions of old olive
trees. Main visits are Matera, Lecce, Gallipoli, the Salento
and the trulli in Alberobello. Tastings of Primitivo and
Negroamaro, Verdeca and the amazing late harvest wines.
We discover that Puglia’ Mediterranean cuisine is a
gourmet’s
paradise too: great meat, great vegetables, great seafood. More
information...
May 28 to June 4
(8 days / 7 nights)
Classic Tuscany Spring
"Classic Tuscany” means
Florence, Chianti Classico, Siena and Brunello di Montalcino.
This tour includes, in addition, the “new” wines
as Bolgheri and Morellino. It takes us to joins the “Balestro
del Girifalco” medieval
feast in Massa Marittima, and ends in Chianti. In Florence
you may join a match of the the impressive “Calcio
Storico” (historical soccer, kind of wild pre-rugby
game) in Florence. More
information...
June
11 to 18 (8 days / 7 nights)
Tuscany Spring Celebrations
The
highlights of this tour are again the Calcio Storico in Florence,
the Luminaria feast in Pisa, celebrating their patron saint
San Ranieri, and eventually the lively Giostra del Saracino
in Arezzo. In order to join such events, we have chosen to
go tasting in the Lucca and Pisa hills, in Chianti Classico
of course, and in the Montepulciano and Cortona zones.
More information here and here...
June 19 to 26 ( 8 days / 7 nights)
Coastal Tuscany Discovery
The tour explores the beautiful Tuscan coast, offering an
great combination of culture, good sea and land food, and
the better warmer wines from the coast. It is the first
summer tours, so bring your bathing suits if you like!
Main visits are Grosseto, Scansano, Montalcino, Lucca,
a day in the Cinqueterre, and Pisa, eventually, for the
Gioco del Ponte contest. The wines: Ansonica dell'Argentario,
Morellino di Scansano, Brunello, Bolgheri, Montescudaio,
Cinqueterre.
June 30 to July 7 (8 days / 7 nights)
Cinqueterre and Piedmont
The first days are in the Langhe, among the most praised
vineyards in the world. Barolo, Nebbiolo, Barbaresco, and
then Barbera, Freisa and Dolcettos all come from here.
After a full immersion in the Piedmont "grandi vini",
we change gear and air, by moving on to Liguri. As a wine,
Cinqueterre is a light refreshing one, as a region, it
is an amazing unspoiled strip at the Eastern Riviera. We
can take breath taking walks, or sail, and enjoy great
seafood between our nicer farewell tastings.
July
8 to 15 (8 days / 7 nights)
Tuscany and Veneto
This tour starts in the Brunello and Montepulciano wine zones,
it takes us to join a very popular medieval celebration in
Abbadia S. Salvatore. The second part is rather opera oriented,
we travel to Veneto and to elegant Verona, not to miss the
world famous Arena shows Valpolicella, Amarone, Bardolino
and Soave tastings in the morning can be combined with the
Cavalleria Rusticana, I Pagliacci and Tosca at night.
July 16 to 23 (8 days / 7 nights)
Friuli, Veneto and Tuscany
A program focused on the Opera. We start in the cool Friuli
hills, home of the richer and most elegant whites, to go
to Verona for very classic operas at the Arena: Aida, Cavalleria,
Carmen. In Tuscany we may join the Puccini Festival in
Lucca: Tosca and Turandot. Wines: Collio e Colli Orientali
del Friuli, Grave, Valpolicella, Breganze, Colline Lucchesi
e Montecarlo.
July 23 to 30 (8 days / 7 nights)
Piedmont and Veneto
A very classic experience of some of the best Italian wines.
The great Langhe vineyards first, touching upon our favorite
Barolo and Barbaresco estates, then, since in Verona the
opera festival goes on, we move to Veneto for the Bardolinos
and Valpolicella.
July 24 to 31 (8 days / 7 nights)
Apulian Summer Celebrations
A warm Mediterranean summer, clear waters, pleasant nights:
this is the best season to visit Apulia. You will enjoy
staying up late, join the picturesque celebrations, when
the air gets cooler. This tour joins beautiful Gallipoli
for its patron St. Cristina feast, a seafood feast nearby,
and the country style celebrations of Alberobello. An ideal
program to enjoy the nicer and warmer aspects of southern
Italy. We suggest early booking.
August 4 to 11 (8 days / 7 nights)
Veneto, Friuli and the Dolomites
An experience of the better wines and nicer estates in Friuli
and Veneto, a cooler break up to 2500 m in the majestic Dolomites
landscapes, a tasting of the best grappa in Bassano. You
can add to this program, as to each Veneto program, an extension
in Venice on your own. Full season in Italy, we suggest early
booking.
August 13 to 20 (9 days, 8
nights)
Tuscany Summer Celebrations
Very intensive program, starting along the coast, to possibly
see the Balestro in Massa Marittima, and the “Butteri” cowboys
show in Alberese, on the coast. Then we move to the Siena
area for the summer Palio and eventually to quieter Lucca
for the Puccini festival open air performances: Tosca and
Boheme. Book early.
August 21 to 28 (8 days / 7 nights)
Classic Piedmont and Veneto
Two top Italian wine regions, tasting at the famous wineries
as in the smaller, secret ones.
Langhe first , for our favourite Barolo and Barbaresco, then
Veneto for the Bardolinos, Breganze and Valpolicella. The
opera in Verona: Carmen, Tosca, Cavalleria Rusticana.
August 21 to 28 (8 days / 7 nights)
Apulian Summer Celebrations
A second chance to immerse in the main events of the old
fashioned Italian life and enjoy the warm waters of teh Ionian
sea. Visit Puglia with us, join the Trulli Summer Festival
in Alberobello, then the great Festa and Cavalcata – horse
race – of S. Oronzo patron saint in beautiful, baroque
Lecce.
September 2 to 8 (7 days / 6 nights
Cinqueterre extension)
Harvest in Piedmont
A classic tour in Langhe in the special harvest celebration
atmosphere. We wine taste in the morning, and join the local
feasts in Neive-Barbaresco, and Barolo. We propose an optional
extension, reaching the Cinqueterre coast for another three
days.
September 2 to 9 (8 days / 7 nights)
Tuscany Historical celebrations
From Arezzo to the Chianti and the Brunello hills , down
to Massa Marittima and the seaside. The feasts go from the
Giostra del Saracino to the “Sbandieratori” – flag
show – in Massa. The wines: Colli Aretini, Chianti,
Brunello, Val di Cornia e Morellino.
September 18 to 25 (8 days / 7
nights)
Classic Tuscany
An intense, challenging trip for a complete perspective of
teh Tuscan top and “normal” wines: Chianti
Classico, Brunello di Montalcino, Vernaccia di San Gimignano,
Nobile di Montepulciano, Colli di Arezzo…
September 27 to October 5 (9
days / 8 nights)
Apulian Fall Celebrations
Puglia again, across its endless vineyards and along its
beautiful, now quieter coasts, from medieval Otranto to the
unique Alberobello and the “Valle d’Itria” for
the last feasts and celebration of this year. Wines: Primitivo,
Negroamaro, Locorotondo, Martina.
October 6 to 11 (6 days / 5 nights,
Cinqueterre extension)
Piedmont Truffles Getaway
October 13 to 18 (6 days / 5 nights,
Cinqueterre extension)
Piedmont Truffles Getaway
A trip in the Langhe and Monferrato, in the truffles season.
Truffle is the only product challenging the reputation of
the local wines. We look for the intense, new truffles in
Alba, as in the smaller villages nearby. We taste them at
the restaurants, we maybe join a truffle hunt show, and buy
them at the better place at the local markets. Optional extension
at the Cinqueterre-Portofino coast.
October 29 to November 5 (8 days
/ 7 nights)
Late Fall in Sicily
November 8 to 15 (8 days / 7 nights)
Olive Oil harvest in Tuscany
The right season to visit Tuscany withe less tourists around.
The same estates producing our famous wines also produce
teh better olive oils. Come to see the olive, harvest and
the pressing at the olive mill, learn to choose the best
ones and bring them back home.
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