Tuscany Itinerary
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Autumn in tuscAny • A Taste of trAdition • exploring the foods, wines And culture of tuscAny itinerary: OCT. 22-30 2011 Our mission on this Viking Life visit to Tuscany is to explore the culinary traditions and rich artistic heritage of this region which has had a profound influence on the world’s culture over the centuries. We’ll talk with the producers who keep Tuscan culinary traditions alive. We’ll visit cities and villages, farms and vineyards. We’ll dine in homes, picnic in the countryside and savor the specialties of the region in Michelin starred restaurants and humble village trattorie. We’ll explore the beautiful landscape, medieval villages, ancient architecture and incomparable art. Autumn in Tuscany is a bountiful landscape bathed in color and light. Farmlands, woodlands and vineyards put on the red and yellow cloaks of autumn. It’s the time of the raccolta when olives are harvested and transformed into the primary ingredient of every Tuscan recipe – olive oil. There are cheeses and salumi to be tasted, wild mushrooms to be picked, truffles to be hunted and robust wines to be discovered and enjoyed. Join us for a delightful feast of art, culture, history, foods and wines as we discover the tastes of Tuscany. tuscany itinerary Day 1: Saturday, October 22 (Sinalunga) Arrival, Transfer to Locanda dell’Amorosa Our tour leader and culinary educator Elaine Trigiani will greet you at the Florence airport; our drivers will take us into southern Tuscany to the Locanda dell’Amorosa, romantic not only in name. One of the most beautiful properties in the area, the hotel is a transformed walled borgo or small village dating from the 1300s if not before. After checking into the Locanda and enjoying time to rest and regroup we’ll meet for orientation over apertivi then enjoy a relaxing dinner at the hotel. Day 2: Sunday, October 23 (Sinalunga) Montalcino, Siena We’ll begin our day with a visit to a wine maker who cultivates sloping vineyards just outside the old city walls of Montalcino. He practices a new-old approach to grape farming and winemaking that puts the vignaiolo\ winemaker in the position of gently helping the grapes along their journey from field to cantina to bottle to glass. This caretaker approach produces a wine that is the ultimate expression of the terroir and history of Montalcino and the Brunello wines for which it is famous. We’ll enjoy lunch in the charming village of Montalcino with a demonstration cooking class of recipes matched to our winemaker’s wines. Afternoon finds us in Siena. Set on three hills, the city is knit together with curving streets and steep alleyways. The Piazza del Campo, one of the world’s most unique piazzas lies at the heart of the historic center. Choose free time or an optional tour for an historical overview of one of Tuscany’s most historically intriguing cities. We’ll enjoy a leisurely dinner in the restful atmosphere of our hotel. 1 Day 3: Monday, October 24 (Sinalunga) Market, Butcher, Winemaker Picnic, Cooking Lesson Monday is market day in Foiano della Chiana and we’ll begin our day shopping with the locals, snacking on the fresh cheeses and fruits and stocking up on items for our picnic lunch. We’ll visit one of the areas best butchers with excellent meats from local farmers and one of the best porchetta (whole roast pig) in all of Tuscany. Next stop is at the home of an incredible woman winemaker who creates one of the truest expressions of Montepulciano wines. In between hunting, preparing sausages and cooking game, she grows grapes and crafts beautiful wines. Our Tuscan picnic lunch will feature the bounty of our morning visits and her wines. After time to rest and refresh, we’ll enjoy dinner at a romantic restaurant in one of Chianti’s most charming small villages where the chef infuses Tuscan food with the delicacy of her French background. day 4 : tuesday, october 25 (san casciano), loro ciuffenna Il Ciclo del Olio .. Olive Oil Production Cycle Today we’ll celebrate one of Tuscany’s most prized foods – olive oil. We’ll participate in the entire production cycle from picking to milling and, of course, eating. We’ll explore the intricacies of olive oil in a structured tasting class and taste just-pressed olive oil, a once-a-year experience. The epicenter of our olive adventures will be the medieval village of Loro Ciuffenna in the foothills of one of Tuscany’s highest peaks, Pratomagno. We’ll spend time getting to know the village and the people who live there, going about their daily chores as did their ancestors before them. We’ll pick olives with an olive farmer in his groves on the hills above town and then visit the mill where the organic farmers take their olives to be transformed into oil. We’ll have lunch and olive oil tasting with Elaine and her friend Claudio whose restaurant is a beacon in the Slow Food network. At the end of the day, we’ll check into the Castello di Bibbione, near San Casciano in Val di Pesa, just 30 minutes southwest of Florence. The castle’s history dates from 997 A.D. although it was purchased in the 1500s by Niccolò Machiavelli whose descendants operate the estate today. After a day of roaming the hills, we’ll enjoy a casual pizza dinner in a walled hill town nearby. day 5 : wednesday , october 26 (san casciano) Cheesemaker, Cinta Senese Pig Farm, Cocktails at the Castle Our hotel is located on one Machiavelli estate and today we’ll visit another - now the domain of one of the best cheese makers in the region. With the generous assistance of 600 head of sheep raised by her cousin, our cheese maker takes the milk through its magical transformation into sublime, harmonious cheeses. You might not expect a Michelin starred restaurant to be hidden in a country village, but it is and they’re expecting us for lunch. Farm fresh products are used to create the most elegant of recipes. In the afternoon another farmer awaits us for a lesson on the heritage breed pig, the Cinta Senese. After a day of contrasts and a large lunch, we’ll visit contemporary artists’ studios and enjoy an aperitivo and light dinner at Elaine’s house at the Castello di Poppiano. day 6: thursday, october 27 (san casciano) Pasta, Cooking Demonstration and Lunch, Wine Tasting Class Our day begins at a fifth generation family pasta factory where the extremely high quality of the final product is a result of the attention paid to every step of the production process and the the all-important choice of materia prima, organically grown ancient varieties of wheat. We’ll have a lovely lunch and demonstration cooking experience at a private home in an ancient hydraulic mill where the proprietors are masters of hospitality and students of traditional recipes. The evening is dedicated to a wine tasting class led by one of Italy’s most 2 renowned enogastronomic journalists who is known as the best wine teacher in the country. day 7: friday, october 28 (florence) Truffle Hunting, Florence We’re packing and heading to Florence after a full day of culinary indulgence. Our hosts are one of Tuscany’s truffle merchant families who works with tartuffai (truffle hunters) throughout the region. Our truffle agenda includes a morning hunt before a full lunch with a carefully crafted tasting menu and an explanation of the mysterious tubers. Then it’s off to Florence where we’ll check into our hotel and have a walking tour of the historic center. Evening is an opportunity to explore the lively markets of Florence, have dinner on your own and enjoy the bustle of Florentine life on the Piazza della Republica, one of Florence’s main squares located out the front door of our hotel. Maps and restaurant recommendations will be provided. day 8: saturday, october 29 (florence) Florence, Optional Morning Visits, Free time Saturday is “your day”, a time to experience the magic of Florence in a personal way. Our morning is full of options: choose free time, a food tour or an art history tour. Elaine will offer a food tour of San Frediano, the left bank residential neighborhood where old food artisans roast coffee, bake breads and exist side by side with modern storefronts offering the best of mozzarella and organic wines. A guide will be available for those who want to view Michelangelo’s breathtaking sculpture of David or visit the Uffizi for a full tour of Italian Renaissance painting from Gothic origins to the development of Mannerism and the Baroque. The afternoon is free to explore the markets, elegant shopping districts, galleries and museums. We’ll regroup in the evening for a farewell Florentine dinner. day 9: sunday, october 30 Fond Farewells and Departure The sounds of Sunday morning church bells announce the departure of our Tuscan travelers. We’ll say our farewells to Italy and each other over a cup of espresso before heading to Florence’s Peretola airport for flights back home. This itinerary is subject to change. culinARY educAtor: elaine trigiani hails from Mississippi, but has been living in Italy for ten years (first in Sicily, now in Tuscany) studying olive oil and Sicilian and Florentine culinary traditions from local producers, farmers, home cooks, chefs, and her Sicilian relatives. Elaine is the author of the DK Eyewitness guide Top 10 Sicily, and updated Thomas Cook Travelers Sicily. She designs and leads culinary travel programs, develops recipes, and teaches olive oil tasting seminars and cooking classes in Italy and the United States.