After the grape harvest
with
Beniamino & Anne
Dopo la Vendemmia
Dopo la Vendemmia
12 days (11nights)
NZ$ 14,708 pp (small group max 10 persons - single supplement may apply)
On this tour, you will:
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Gain real insight into Italian life and customs
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Feel free to do what you want to do while being appropriately looked after
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Enjoy very high-quality accommodation in stunning surroundings. No boring high rises for us!
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Not be getting up every day at 7am and moving on to your next stop
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Have the opportunity to learn lots of Italian from Beniamino and put your learning into practice
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Explore regions of Italy renowned for their gastronomic products and their wine-producing tradition
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Sample some outstanding local wines where they are produced
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Learn about the regional cuisine from an experienced Italian restaurateur and enjoy local delicacies.
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Spend time in medieval towns and villages soaking up centuries of history
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Visit Mercato di Mezzo, the oldest and the most fascinating market of Bologna
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Not have absolutely everything mapped out for you – there will be surprises along the way that you
will want to tell all your friends about when you get home and MOST IMPORTANTLY you will have fun! ​😊
Tour Outline
Start date: 27 September 2023
End date: 8 October 2023
TRAVELLING THROUGH THE REGIONS OF:
PIEMONTE – EMILIA ROMAGNA – TOSCANA
Tour starts in Milan and ends in Rome
Note: The tour package is a land package only. Flights to suit your individual needs can be arranged for you through us or you can make your own flight arrangements if you prefer.
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The tour group will be picked up in Milan and transferred to the historic centre of Turin (Torino) for two nights. This gracious city is home to some beautiful architecture including five splendid royal places such as La Venaria, which is one of the top 5 most visited cultural sites in Italy.
There are also some world-renowned museums in Turin, such as the world-famous Egyptian Museum, the National Car Museum, and the National Museum of Cinema housed in the landmark tower known as Mole Antonelliana.
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After a day exploring the sights with an expert local guide, we will have the opportunity in the evening to visit some of Turin’s elegant historic cafes and restaurants to sample outstanding cuisine and local wines. Turin is a magical place after sunset with its golden lit squares and illuminated palaces.
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When we leave Turin, we will be transferred to a charming setting deep in the heart of the Monferrato district where the party will stay for two nights. This is a hilly region of Piedmont renowned for its gastronomic products and great wine-producing tradition. We will explore the surrounding area and sample some of the most famous wines from this area such as Barolo and Barbaresco.
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We’ll visit Alba, which is considered the capital of the UNESCO Human Heritage hilly area of Langhe, famous for its white truffle, peach and wine production. White truffle fairs are held regularly here in Autumn. We may want to take a side trip to the small city of Cuneo to try ‘Cuneesi al rhum,’ the scrumptious chocolates with a unique rum-based filling.
When we leave Piedmont we will travel to Bologna, the capital of Emilia Romagna and our base for the next 2 nights. Our accommodation in Bologna will be in a beautiful hotel right in the historical centre of the city within close walking distance of all the main sights.
Bologna is known as “la dotta” (the learned one), “la grassa” (the fat one because of its renown as the food capital of Italy) and “la rossa” (the red one – originally because of the red roofs but more recently because of its association with socialism and communism). Bologna is home to the oldest university in the world, founded in 425AD and it has a colourful social and political history. The food markets are legendary and a must see.
When we leave Bologna, we will drive south into the rolling hills of northern Tuscany. We will visit the hamlet of Anchiano in the commune of Vinci, where Italy’s finest artist and polymath Leonardo da Vinci was born. As we look around his birthplace, we can only hope we will absorb some of his genius!
We will then travel further south through vineyards and olive groves, where medieval villages are dotted around the hills in every direction.Our charming accommodation for the night is situated in the Chianti region. We will visit Greve which has an enchanting triangular main piazza, where a market has been running more or less continuously for centuries serving the nearby castle communities and hamlets. The Chianti Classico wine producing area guarantees we will enjoy more than one glass of excellent wine tonight.
The next morning, we will set off for the picturesque walled hill town San Gimignano with its 14 towers. There were 72 at one time as building a tower higher than one’s neighbours was a popular way for the town’s prominent families to demonstrate their wealth and power. Film buffs will recognize San Gimignano from Zeffirelli’s film “Tea with Mussolini.” After a leisurely look around, we will move on to our destination for the next two nights, the medieval city of Siena.
Siena is a truly gorgeous city. We will unfortunately miss the famous wild horse race il Palio, which is held in the stunning Piazza del Campo every July and August but we are still likely to see young men parading in historical costume and carrying their local district banners. A local guide will accompany us as we visit the Palazzo Pubblico, the Torre del Mangia in the famous square and the nearby Duomo with its incredibly ornate interior and exquisite Piccolomini Library. Naturally we will also have time to bask in the Tuscan sun soaking up the special atmosphere of Piazza del Campo.
Our last two nights in Tuscany will be spent in an idyllic location in southern Tuscany. We are not giving the precise location away just yet, but you can be sure it will be right where Chianti Classico, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Rosso and Brunello di Montalcino are produced. Here we will visit prestigious wine estates and sample the local wines with the locals in enoteche lining the medieval streets of attractive hill towns.
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One is the village of Montalcino with its dramatic fortress dominating the town’s skyline and labyrinth of cobbled streets; another is Montepulciano, which boasts magnificent views of the Val d’Orcia and Val di Chiana valleys. Montepulciano, which is the home of Vino Nobile, is full of elegant Renaissance palaces, ancient churches, charming squares and plenty of hidden corners.
It is going to be difficult to leave this gastronomic paradise but on our last day we must depart for Rome, the end of the tour. On the way, however, we will break the journey at Orvieto, a small city perched on a rock cliff in Umbria. The glittering façade of the Duomo is a clue to the significance of the city and its wine in papal history. Viticulture was introduced to the Orvieto region by the early Etruscans who carved out cellar-like caves from volcanic soil, which allowed long, cool fermentation and produced the sweet wine popular in the ancient world. Today’s Orvieto wine is less sweet but just as highly prized among wine connoisseurs.
We cannot imagine a better place for our last stop!
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We will then take you to a central point in Rome or Rome International Airport depending on your onward travel plans.
Tour inclusions
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All accommodation costs sharing a double or twin room including breakfasts. Note - a single supplement may apply for single travellers wanting their own room. We will discuss this with you prior to confirmation
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All tour travel costs including de-luxe coach or minibus transport and associated charges such as fuel, tolls, taxes, with a local driver
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Daily sightseeing: It will be completely up to you whether you want to participate or spend the day at leisure
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Pick up in Milan at the start of the tour and transfer to Rome International Airport or a central point in Rome at the conclusion of the tour
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One group dinner including wine and soft drinks at a specially chosen venue
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Local tour guides: Torino, Bologna, San Gimignano, Siena, Orvieto
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All entry fees, wine tasting in Piemonte and Toscana and truffle hunting
​Tour exclusions
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Meals and beverages other than those included
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City taxes, room service meals and mini bar refreshments
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Telephone/internet charges
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Porterage
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Gratuities
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Individual sightseeing not undertaken as part of the tour
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Expenses incurred on sightseeing trips other than transport costs