9 Days Itinerary Vendemmia & Best Loved Places in

Come and work in the vineyards, dine among the vines, learn how to make wild boar lasagna and visit the most loved local places in Tuscany

What better place to celebrate life than in Tuscany harvesting grapes and soaking in the golden Tuscan light of early autumn? We'll spend some mornings at the winery estate of Poggio Molina with Claudio and Alba and their family during the vendemmia (grape harvest). We'll learn how to make Alba's famous wild boar lasagna and have lunch in the vineyards. We'll toast with champagne made onsite at Poggio Molina! And we'll learn a Tuscan joke or two from Claudio (be prepared to be a bit ribald...). In between our fun at Poggio Molina we'll explore the back roads and most loved places of Tuscany, including:

Siena Our travelers always want to return to and we have a surprise treat for you this time!

The Val d’Orcia Most of the photos of sweeping vistas that make us long to visit Tuscany come from the Val d'Orcia. Also, some of the best cheese in comes from the area around in the Val d’Orcia. We’ll spend a morning at a farm specializing in the making of Pecorino (sheep’s cheese)

The The hills of clay outside of Siena form a sweeping landscape with isolated stone farm houses and lunar vistas that take your 1 The hills of clay outside of Siena form a sweeping landscape with isolated stone farm houses and lunar vistas that take your breath away. We’ll go back-roading (yes we can do this in a small bus) and stop to take photos of the various shrines we find at crossroads, visit an ancient palace that now serves as a tiny museum, and of course join the Italians at one of their favorite local trattorias.

Cooking with Giuseppina and her family and a visit to The day spent with Giuseppina and her beautiful family is always a favorite for our travelers. We’ll learn to cook a four-course meal, drink wine and try to avoid getting the wooden spoon love tap by the fun-loving Giuseppina! On the way back to our agritourismo, we’ll stop off in San Gimignano, the hilltop town that possesses fourteen original towers.

Day 1

Pick up in to head to your agritourismo Image credits: Pixabay

Your private driver will pick you up at the Florence airport and whisk you away to your home in the Tuscan Hills.

Check-in to our hotel in the Tuscan countryside

Upon arrival, you'll check-in and enjoy the afternoon to rest up before we gather as a group this evening to kick off the tour! Our home for the week is a small, medieval “borgo”, now an agritourismo and wine estate with an onsite restaurant. The views are of the hills, and there is a pool that should still be warm enough to swim in in early October.

2 Welcome dinner at our Agriturismo!

We’ll begin the week with a dinner under the stars and a flight of wine from our hosts' winery along with a three-course meal and grappa or limoncello (of course). Then to bed!

Day 2

Siena - Private Guided Tour of Historical City Center

Piazza del Campo, in the heart of Siena, with its mix of medieval and renaissance buildings lining the scallop shaped piazza, is the most beautiful city-center in Europe. And the imposing has an amazing interior which we will get to see. Here you will meet Guidoriccio da Fogliano, a famous soldier riding off to war in a painting by Simone Martini from 1328. We’ll be visiting the Cathedral to see the marvelous pavement that is uncovered only for a few weeks in the fall.

3 Free time in Siena on your own Image credits: Pixabay

You’ll have free time for lunch and some shopping before we take you for an Aperitivo at what we’ve come to call the glass palace in the sky.

You can stroll around, do shopping or soak in the atmosphere of this medieval town in one of the outdoor cafeterias or bars.

Map of our favorite places.

Aperitivo at Glass Palace Via dei Termini, 6 Siena

A maze of alleyways, the white-gray marble, red brick creeping between trefoils, portals and hidden courtyards. Siena has been called the city of the details. It hides and reveals itself each time you change your plane of observation. Today, we'll visit the rooftops where we will find a city view from one of those places that you can usually only imagine: A palace - one of the oldest houses in the town center, where Tiberius Bichi Borghesi, gentleman of the past with a passion for photography, wanted to build 'with large expenditures' his personal atelier. Sit comfortably in sofas and armchairs or on the terrace enjoying the gorgeous views while enjoying a aperitivo in the sky! From here, you will have a view over the rooftops of Siena that truly only the birds have!

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Trequanda, & Crete Senesi

The Crete Senesi (literally, "clays of Siena") form a sweeping landscape where the distinctive grey coloration of the soil gives the landscape an appearance often described as lunar. We’ll go back-roading (yes we can do this in a small bus) and stop to take photos of the various shrines we find at crossroads, visit an ancient palace that now serves as a tiny museum and of course join the Italians at one of their favorite local trattorias.

You know the feeling of mystery and delight when you are traveling and you stumble on something you have never heard of that is full of treasures? The Daily Telegraph has defined Palazzo Corboli as one of the most beautiful among small museums. It isn’t “just” a museum as traditionally defined : it expands from the Sacred Art Section to the Etruscan Archeological Section; but the building itself is a real artwork. Its architectural and town planning value, its precious frescoes, its contribution in reconstructing the role of Asciano in the history of the economy of the Sienese Medieval area, have made it extremely valuable. It's a hidden palace you will want to bring your friends back to see and you'll be visiting it today.

We’ll travel on to for lunch in a trattoria overlooking the hills and then slowly make our way back to Podere Casato.

Day 4

Grape harvest, picnic and cooking class at Poggio Molina

Time will stand still as you travel into the countryside to have lunch with an Italian family at their own winery. You’ll drive down a back road and pass row after row of grape vines and olive trees. Finally, you’ll arrive at a highpoint of rolling, green

Chianti hills: the most beautiful intersection of woods, vineyards and olive groves that you'll ever see. We’ll join the family in 5 hills: the most beautiful intersection of woods, vineyards and olive groves that you'll ever see. We’ll join the family in the grape harvest, and then we’ll have a picnic in the vineyards and maybe a nap on the porch before we take a cooking class from Alba and learn how to make wild boar lasagna. We’ll stay on for an early dinner (that we have made!)

Day 5

Val d'Orcia - Landscape and Cheese Image credits: Pixabay

Most of the photos of sweeping vistas that make us long to visit Tuscany come from the Val d'Orcia. Also, some of the best cheese in Italy comes from the area around Pienza in the Val d’Orcia. We’ll spend a morning at a farm specializing in the making of Pecorino (sheep’s cheese. Sheep’s cheese from Pienza (“pecorino“ from the Italian “pecora“ for sheep) has been the epitome of good cheese since the time of the Romans. In those days, the countryside of the Val d’Orcia was little cultivated and full of meadows brimming with aromatic herbs.

Cheese-Making demo and lunch at Podere il Casale

Did you always want to know how cheese is made? Here at Podere il Casale we make your cheese dreams come true, offering you a behind-the-scenes look at the fine art of cheese making! Together with Ulisse, owner of the farm and cheesemaker, you learn how a traditional Pecorino di Pienza cheese is made. During the activity, Ulisse will guide you along the whole process: from the stable into our dairy during a guided tour, where he will also talk about the aging of cheese in our aging rooms. Afterwards follows the actual cheesemaking class. During the demonstration of a first salt cheese on the spot you can ask Ulisse all the questions that will come to you spontaneously during the discovery of this ancient art.

6 Bagno Vignoni & San Quirico d'Orcia Image credits: Pixabay

After a lunch made with produce, cheese and wine from the farm, we’ll visit two of the most beautiful small villages in Tuscany, Bagno Vignoni and San Quirico d’Orcia. We’ll have a spritz in the piazza before returning to the agriturismo for a free evening.

Day 6

Certaldo - Cooking Class with Giuseppina

Imagine yourself sitting on a 12th century wall of a medieval village overlooking the rolling hills of the Tuscan countryside enjoying a meal of unmatched culinary delight. This unparalleled feast of fresh local delicacies has been prepared by you with the help of one of this region’s premier chefs, Giuseppina and her family. The fresh fare, accompanied by Tuscan wine, will be the culinary experience of a lifetime.

Today is market day in this small medieval village and we’ll start our Full Day Cooking Lesson with the selection of the ingredients at the outdoor market. But first, have a cappuccino and brioche at Certaldo’s coffee bar. Once all the selections are made, return to the school for a light snack before you continue your course in the kitchen. During your cooking lesson, we will prepare and eat a traditional Italian four course meal including: Antipasto, Primo / Fresh pasta, Secondo / Main course, Dolce / Dessert.

7 San Gimignano - quick stop on the way Image credits: Pixabay

On the way home, we’ll stop for a quick visit to San Gimignano, a medieval city still retaining fourteen of its original towers.

Day 7

Brunello Region - Wine Tasting Tour

Your sommelier driver/guide will pick you up at your hotel and take you on a wine-tasting adventure. You will taste wine at two small family-run vineyards, then visit the hill town of for lunch. Afterwards, your sommelier will drop you off back at your hotel.

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Vendemmia at Poggio Molina

Back to Poggio Molina for more work in the vendemmia (grape harvest). We’ll spend the morning here then head back to Podere Casato for a rest in the afternoon.

Farewell dinner at Poggio Molina

We’ll dress up and return to Poggio Molina for a farewell dinner.

Day 9 Fly Home! A group shuttle bus will depart the hotel at 9:00 AM on departure day. We'll make stops at the Florence Airport and the Florence Santa Maria Novella train station.

Until we meet again...... Arrivederci!

9 Tour Specifics and Cost Cost: The land cost of the tour is $3,995 per person, based on double occupancy. Cash discount cost is $3,895 per person for final payment made by check or wire transfer. You may make your registration deposit using PayPal and/or your credit card and still be eligible for the cash discount cost if your final balance is paid by check or wire transfer. Single rooms are available for a supplementary charge of $500. Airfare is not included.

Accommodations: 8 nights lodging in a beautifully restored Tuscan "borgo" (tiny town) in the Chianti countryside, with a large garden and swimming pool; All rooms have in-suite baths.

Meals: All breakfasts, one full-course meal daily (either lunch or dinner). All meals—after breakfast!—include regional wines. We carefully choose the restaurants based on ambiance and quality of cuisine.

NOTE: This trip is based at an agriturismo (an inn in the countryside) and some of the meals on your own will be during the evenings. The agriturismo is in the countryside and not within walking distance to a town. You may eat at your leisure at the restaurant of the agriturismo.

Wine Tastings: Scheduled tastings of various Tuscan wines (including small local producers).

Cheese Tasting and Demonstration

Two Cooking Classes • Full day with Giuseppina and Family • 1/2 day with Alba

Transfers: All ground transportation during the tour. Including a pick up at the Florence airport and transfer to the agritourism in and a group transfer to the Florence airport on the last day, departing at 9 AM. If you need to depart at a different time, we can help you book a transfer at an additional cost.

Guided Tours with local authorized expert guides: Siena, Val d'Orcia, Asciano and Brunello Region

Admissions: Entrance fees for all planned visits to monuments, galleries and museums are included.

Small, Intimate Group: We limit the number of participants to a maximum of 14. We need a minimum of 10 participants signed up by July 5, 2021 for this tour to run.

Experienced Tour Leaders: Pam Mercer and Federica Fiscaletti are the tour leaders for this trip!

NOTES **Due to the ancient architecture of this restored "borgo" each hotel room is unique and room sizes may vary.

**All hotels have air conditioning but in the shoulder seasons, they may not be permitted to use them due to European laws. Please be aware that we cannot ask the hotel to use the air-con if it is against the current regulations in place.

**Tuscany Tours reserves the right to make changes to tour venues, tour escorts and guides as circumstances may require.

Please feel free to contact us via email at [email protected] with any questions you may have about the tour or about traveling to Italy.

Early Arrival/ Late Stay Options: Depending on hotel availability you may be able to arrive early or stay after the end of the tour. We'll be happy to help you make these arrangements. For trip extensions of 2 nights or less, we provide planning assistance on a complimentary basis. For extensions of 3-5 nights, there is a nominal fee of $150 to assist with trip planning including booking hotels, guides, drivers, etc.

Luggage: Please be sure to have a luggage tag attached to the top handle of your luggage with your name printed clearly on each piece of luggage

Tour Exclusions: Airfare; hotel city tax (usually €2-5 per person, per night; payable onsite).

10 OTHER TERMS & CONDITIONS: For other terms and conditions, please see: https://www.tuscanytours.com/tour-terms-and-conditions/

TO REGISTER: To reserve your place and register for this tour, please visit our Tour Registration page at: https://www.tuscanytours.com/registration

There is a non-refundable deposit due of $500 per person at time of registration to secure your spot on the tour.

Please feel free to contact us via email or call us at (800) 634-3460 with any questions you may have about the tour or about traveling to Italy.

Note: Tuscany Tours reserves the right to make changes to tour venues and guides as circumstances may require.

Created by: TUSCANY TOURS Tel: 800-634-3460 120 Fourth Street, Suite 1071 Petaluma, CA 94953 USA http://www.tuscanytours.com Thank you for your interest in traveling with Tuscany Tours!

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