Private Driver Tours Italy
Tuscany in Ten (hours): Montalcino & Brunello Wine Tour
June 19, 2021
Full-Day: Assisi & Cortona Expedition
June 22, 2021
The following are not included in the price:
- Meals, drinks and tastings;
- Tour of the city with a personal tour guide;
- Tickets for Museums and Attractions;
- Any extra hours, which are charged at €55 per hour.
Villages and Vino: Montepulciano & Pienza
From: € 680,00
Italian food culture in its capital -Let our English speaking driver escort you through one of Italy’s most captivating regions as you take in how fine cheese and wine became the cornerstone of Italian cuisine. While you’re here, tour a working cheese making and aging facility and enjoy Nobile wine at the source.
Full day excursion to Montepulciano with Vino Nobile winery and Pienza
A full-day excursion to Montepulciano including a visit to a Vino Nobile winery and the charming Pienza village.
Tuscany is famous for its Chianti Classico and Brunello wine. But another much-loved wine gem is often overlooked – the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. After private minivan transportation from their accommodation in Florence or other location, guests will be taken to visit one or two boutique wineries to taste this top Tuscan wine from Montepulciano.
Visitors may choose to visit a second winery or go to a local sheep farm to learn about the local traditions on the land and enjoy lunch on the farm. If preferred, lunch could instead be savored in Pienza, a town rebuilt by Pope Pius II during the Renaissance period to be an ideal city.
Nestled in the stunning Val d’Orcia area, Pienza offers the opportunity to taste delectable Pecorino di Pienza cheese or Cinta Sinese cured meats. There will also be free time to browse through the boutiques and take a stroll through the picture-perfect streets with names such as Via del Bacio (Street of the Kiss), Fortuna (Fortune) and Amore (Love).
The 1 hour 45 minute return journey includes spying stunning vistas of Tuscan landscapes as the perfect conclusion to this one-day wine and cheese tour.
In the magnificent Orcia Valley of southern Tuscany, Montepulciano dates back to Etruscan times.
The hill town is peppered with stunning sites including the Piazza Grande with its famous Palazzo Contucci (a visitable cellar), Palazzo Comunale town hall and the Renaissance church of San Biagio. So beauteous, the area has recently gained notoriety for being the setting of certain famous films, including Twilight.
But Italians know and love Montepulciano the most for its production of Vino Nobile.
Made from the Sangiovese grape, the first records pertaining to Montepulciano wine production date back to 1350. Vino Nobile has received official recognition as a Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (Denomination of Controlled and Guaranteed Origin). The wine includes a minimum of 70% Sangiovese and no more than 20% Canaiolo, with 10% being of other grapes, usually white.
Pairing perfectly with this full-bodied red is the mouth-watering cured meats and lush Pecorino cheese. The best area to taste these delicacies is arguably in the village town of Pienza. Originally named Corsignano, its name change coincided with Renaissance humanist and local Enea Silvio Piccolomini becoming became Pope Pius II, instructing the entire village to be rebuilt as an ideal Renaissance town.
What are you going to experience
- Visit one or two wineries to discover the traditions of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.
- Be immersed in the splendid vistas of the Val d’Orcia.
- Dine on the regional delights, washed down with the delicious Vino Nobile di Montepulciano wine.
- Taste local delicacies including Pecorino cheese and cured meats.
- Enjoy free time to explore the ideal Renaissance town of Pienza.
- Be collected directly from your accommodation in Florence or other central location upon request.
So that this tour may be tailored to individual preferences, all food and beverages are additional, to be paid by guests directly on the day. This ensures our guests may experience the best of the region exactly as they wish. Expect to pay around €25-40 per person at the wine estates. Lunch at the farm is about €60 a head.
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