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Tour Organazier - Vacanze nella Toscana del Sud

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The Wines of Amiata

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We shall meet producers of Montecucco and Montalcino wines

This is a gastronomic weekend in which to discover Amiata - a week-end wandering with friends through cellars and estates which specialise in typical produce.

DAY 1 Arrival and an introduction to the area.

Guests will arrive at the hotel in the late afternoon. After checking in there will be a preview of the tour by your leader and a cocktail to welcome you. Finally, dinner.The chef will have prepared traditional local dishes with Montecucco wines specially selected to enhance them. There will be a careful presentation of each dish and wine served with it. After dinner Cesare Moroni will give us an introduction to the area with slides accompanied by splendid music.

DAY 2 The wines of Montecucco and Montalcino.

After breakfast leave for Montalcino. Our first visit will be to one of the most important wine producing estates, Castello Banfi. After a visit to the cellars, where we shall be able to witness an extraordinary blending of technology with tradition, we shall go on to their wine shop at Poggio alle Mura and the GlassMuseum. From there we shall turn towards Montenero and visit the Perazzeta estate vineyards - a truly magical place and the short walk there is well worthwhile. The breathtaking view includes Monte Amiata, the Val D’Orcia with the hills of Montalcino in the background, and the medieval village of Montenero, and the Maremma in the distance. Inspired by his father, Erio, Alessandro’s enormous enthusiasm for wine has breathed new life into the estate, and he is greatly helped by his wife, Rita.Besides the traditional San Giovese grapes we shall find Cabernet and Syrah vines too. Our next visit will be to the really beautiful cellar right in the centre of Montenero where the grapes from the vines around us are pressed and turned into wine. We shall visit the fourteenth century barrel store where we shall begin to understand the estate’s wine making techniques. A visit to the Museum of Montecucco wine will give us an overall view of this wine-growing region. We shall have an appetizer on the Terrazza which looks out over the Val D’Orcia and has what is considered to be one of the most beautiful views in Italy. Lunch awaits us at the “Antica Fattoria del Grottaione”, a typical restaurant made out of the old village cellars and Flavio will delight us with his cooking. We must on no account hurry: here the idea of “Slow Food”, the pleasures of eating, are scrupulously observed. On our way back from Montenero we shall stop briefly in Arcidosso, another medieval village, where we shall visit the Camarri oil press.It is a traditional press with huge millstones and Mirco and Carla will give us a taste of their various oils, and perhaps we may buy some. Return to the hotel in the late afternoon.During dinner we shall sample other DOC wines from Montecucco. After dinner Aurelio Visconti, who has many old recipes which once belonged to the Cistercian monks at the Abbazia San Salvatore, will talk about the aromatic herbs which are found on Monte Amiata and let us taste his liqueurs. This will be followed by dancing to live music.

DAY 3 Seggiano, the land of the Olivastro (an extremely long-lived and productive kind of olive tree), and great cheeses.

Today it is Seggiano’s turn. After breakfast guests will set out to visit the old medieval village perched on a hill. After a short walk in the village, our first stop will be at the oil and wine shop called “Enolea”. Here Roberto will give us different oils to taste and suggest the best culinary combinations for them. We shall continue with a visit to the Podere Bugnanese estate.The farm house is built in characteristically Tuscan style and enjoys a breathtaking view.Here Daniela produces fantastic olive oil and very special soaps. A short walk brings us to PotentinoCastle, recently bought and lovingly restored by the Greenes, an English family. It is one of the most memorable spots in the area. A visit here is an unforgettable experience. Charlotte, the current chatelaine, also produces Montecucco wines. Here a different vinification process is used, and the fermentation takes place in huge wooden vats, each holding 5,000 litres. where the vinification and ageing process also take place. Besides tasting the wine, we can also sample her oil and grappa. Lunch will be in the beautiful cloister in the courtyard. Return to the hotel and final departure.

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