Wine and dine your way like a local through this beguiling, magical Tuscan region, with its medieval hillside villages and beautifully restored ancient farmhouses. We will introduce you to the insider’s Montalcino and its regal Brunello wines. You’ll gain direct access to the wealth of knowledge contained in the minds of our Montalcino partner, true Tuscan wine expert Roberto Cipresso, as well as several other brilliant winemakers we will visit and taste with. We will soak up the unique Tuscan culture through the eyes of locals, altogether avoiding the tourist’s Tuscany.
Accommodations
La Bandita Townhouse, a chic and luxurious 12-room hotel right in the historic center of the jewel box village of Pienza – the perfect stylish base from which to explore the region. The building is a rambling renaissance-era palazzo where nuns have lived for over 500 years, and the hotel’s restaurant is renowned for its fresh seasonal food.
Closest Airport: FCO or FLR
Sample Itinerary
Day 1 | Arrivals. Get oriented with a tasting of several of the region’s best, then dine on La Bandita chef David Mangan’s creative locally sourced cooking. We’ll be joined by a local winemaker who will take us through her stunning lineup of wines.
Day 2 | We’ll start off with wine tasting at the finest wineries in Bolgheri, where we’ll have a tasting and lunch at one of Montalcino’s most renowned wineries Casanova di Neri. Then you’ll have time for an afternoon hike or a tour of the beautiful Pienza church. We will meet for an aperitivo on the famous Pienza wall, then dine together at a local trattoria, joined by one of our favorite local winemakers.
Day 3 | We’ll learn how to make pasta at a castle. We will follow that up with a tasting and a long table lunch at Sesti, ending the day with dinner at local restaurant Chiostro.
Day 4 | Departures
** Please note that we will not be doing a blending session on this trip. This is a sample itinerary and all details, events, and timing are subject to change.
Pricing Information
Room type is only a general Vines categorization of level; each hotel has different specific room type names. Once you sign up for a trip and choose from the above levels, our team will contact you with the details about the specific room type.
This is a Vines Gold Trip. Gold trips are a slight step up in class: 4 and 5-star hotels, a bit higher level of (and even some Michelin-starred) dining, with wines to match.
The trip cost includes all accommodations, meals, wines, local transportation and group activities. Guests are responsible for their flights and airport transfers to the hotel or area.
Cancellation Policy
We understand that sometimes life requires changes or cancellations. We have created cancellation policies that take this into account while also accounting for the realities of our non-refundable event costs and prepayments. You can see our cancellation policy at www.vinesevents.com/terms