Milan to Venice THE FLAVORS OF NORTHERN ITALY
Join our Master Sommelier, Emily Wines, as she hosts this fabulous Cooper’s Hawk Wine Club tour to one of our favorite countries – Italy! We’ll visit spots we haven’t been to before and seek out the best of wine, food, and iconic sights! This private and custom adventure will start in sophisticated Milan, then head to beautiful Lake Como, followed by the wonderful wine area surrounding Verona, to foodie paradise in Bologna, and end in magical and world-famous Venice. You will want to sign up for this bespoke journey early – it’s sure to sell out quickly. First-timers and repeat travelers alike will savor this special itinerary designed for Cooper’s Hawk Wine Club!
Milan Venice Verona
Bologna
ITALY
OCTOBER 6-15, 2018 saturday, october 6, 2018
DEPART USA
Today you will depart your home city for Milan, Italy. Plan to arrive at Milan Malpensa Airport by 9:30 a.m. on October 7th to catch the group transfer to the hotel.
sunday, october 7, 2018
ARRIVE IN MILAN, ITALY
Welcome to Milan! A group transfer will be provided from the airport to your hotel (normal check-in times apply). Tonight, enjoy a welcome dinner at a local Agriturismo where we will sample fresh local and seasonal specialties with wine.
Meal Included – Dinner
HIGHLIGHTS
Arrival in Milan
Agriturismo farm dinner
Fresh Italian dinner flavors
WINE TRIP | FLAVORS OF NORTHERN ITALY monday, october 8, 2018
MILAN
In the morning, enjoy a walking tour with our local guide. Start with a visit to the Sforzesco Castle grounds and museum. Next, visit Piazza Duomo with its magnificent gothic cathedral, the glass- domed Galleria, and admire the famous La Scala Opera House. Then, partake in a hands-on cooking class and prepare your own three-course dinner with fresh, seasonal ingredients.
Meals Included – Breakfast, Dinner
HIGHLIGHTS
Sforzesco Castle
Piazza Duomo
La Scala Opera House
Hands-on cooking class
WINE TRIP | FLAVORS OF NORTHERN ITALY tuesday, october 9, 2018
MILAN – LAKE COMO
Lake Como is regarded as one of Europe’s most beautiful lakes and and Sangiovese. Enjoy a wine tasting of Domasino Red, Domasino has attracted both aristocrats and celebrities to come and live there White, and Domasino Rosé. Dinner with local specialties also will in one of the many villas that line the lakeshore. Enjoy a private boat be included with the winery visit. ride and visit picturesque Bellagio, the “Pearl of Lake Como” and Meals Included – Breakfast, Dinner already popular as a destination in Roman times. We will visit a local winery on Lake Como that takes pride in preserving the history and philosophy of its wines and cultivating both native grapes, such as Verdesa white and Rosseia, as well as international grapes Merlot
HIGHLIGHTS
Private boat ride on Lake Como
Wine tasting at local winery
Dinner featuring local specialties
WINE TRIP | FLAVORS OF NORTHERN ITALY wednesday, october 10, 2018
LAKE COMO – VERONA
Today has it all: ancient Roman ruins, tragic Shakespearean lovers, the vineyards, learn how the wine is made, and enjoy a wine stunning scenery, wine tasting, and a delightful lunch at a traditional tasting led by an accredited Italian sommelier. The wine tasting trattoria. Our adventure begins in Verona, where an expert guide at the winery consists of: Valpolicella Classico DOC, Valpolicella will introduce us to this UNESCO World Heritage Site. Be sure Superiore DOC, Ripasso della Valpolicella DOC, Amarone della to catch at least a fleeting glance of the impressive 2,000-year- Valpolicella DOCG, and Recioto della Valpolicella DOCG. old Roman arena and the famous balcony that inspired William Meals Included – Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Shakespeare’s balcony scene in Romeo and Juliet. We’ll break for lunch at a typical trattoria, then travel east into the hilly Valpolicella valley, famous for its robust red wines, and visit a local winery that has been producing Amarone wine for generations. Stroll through
HIGHLIGHTS
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Lunch at local trattoria
Winery visit in Valpolicella Valley
WINE TRIP | FLAVORS OF NORTHERN ITALY thursday, october 11, 2018
VERONA – BOLOGNA
After breakfast, we’ll travel south to Bologna for a visit to FICO Eataly World, the world’s largest Italian farmers’ market. Join one of FICO’s Biodiversity Ambassadors for a grand tour, which provides an in-depth tour of the park and its premises, starting from the field to the farming factories where you’ll have the chance to speak with local artisans. A special highlight is the From Vine to Wine tour; visit FICO’s vineyard with 60 native vines, learn the process for grape to bottle, and enjoy a wine tasting. The remainder of the afternoon is free to explore and taste on your own.
Meals Included – Breakfast
HIGHLIGHTS
FICO Eataly World grand tour
Wine tasting on From Vine to Wine tour
Free afternoon to explore
WINE TRIP | FLAVORS OF NORTHERN ITALY friday, october 12, 2018
BOLOGNA – VENICE ISLAND
After breakfast we’ll continue to Venice, a powerful magnet for estate wines while learning about their production process and how romantics and art lovers from around the globe. Enter in style by to identify their main characteristics. This evening we’ll enjoy a private boat to meet our local guide. Highlights of our walking dinner of traditional dishes and local wine. tour will be St. Mark’s Square, a favorite location for many movies, Meals Included – Breakfast, Dinner and the Byzantine Basilica, lavish Doges’ Palace, and the Bridge of Sighs. Also watch a skilled glassblower fashion delicate objects in an age-old traditional manner, and receive an exclusive gift, just for you. Afterward, we head to Tenuta Polvaro, a seventeenth-century wine estate founded by the Polvaro Family, lovingly restored by the Candoni De Zan family. We will experience a wine tasting of three
HIGHLIGHTS
Walking tour featuring St. Mark’s Square and Basilica, Doges’ Palace, and Bridge of Sighs
Wine tasting at Tenuta Polvaro vineyards
Traditional dinner with local wine
WINE TRIP | FLAVORS OF NORTHERN ITALY saturday, october 13, 2018
VENICE ISLAND – VENETO
After breakfast, we will travel north and enjoy a wine and food to a family-run winery, that produces six different kinds of Prosecco, adventure in the heart of Veneto. A drive up the winding hilly learn about wine production, and enjoy a wine tasting, each made roads, will lead to our first stop, a small dairy farm where cheese is with strict quality standards. Return to Venice for a bit of free time. produced directly on the premises. The cheese tasting begins when Meals Included – Breakfast, Lunch the cheesemaker opens wheels of ricotta, smoked ricotta, and a variety of farmers’ cheeses to taste. Our day continues with a scenic drive through the countryside to our lunch destination. Here we will taste authentic, homemade specialties, starting with Prosecco and wrapping up with a traditional moka coffee. Afterward, we’ll head
HIGHLIGHTS
Scenic drive through the heart of Veneto
Cheese tasting at dairy farm
Lunch with Prosecco wine tasting
Free time in Venice
WINE TRIP | FLAVORS OF NORTHERN ITALY sunday, october 14, 2018
VENICE ISLAND – FRIULI REGION
Come discover the little wine gem of Northern Italy: Friuli-Venezia of the most important wines. Next, enjoy a scenic drive as we head Giulia. Together with our personal sommelier, we’ll explore the to a typical restaurant of the area for a light lunch with traditional large selection of whites and reds, old styles and new, light and dishes and wine. After lunch, we will visit another cantina in an old robust— the quality wines of Friuli. Delight your palate with winery overlooking vine-covered fields. After a short visit to the the authentic and varied cuisine of the region. Enjoy the setting: vineyards, the owner will show us around the cellar as he explains rolling hills, winding roads, ancient abbeys, and castles. This area their wine production methods. Together with our guide, we will was famous already in the age of the Roman emperor Augustus, taste the wines of this small winery that are made from local and and today it is considered one of the best wine regions of Italy and international grape varietals. is widely regarded as the home of the country’s finest white wines. Meals Included – Breakfast, Lunch We’ll visit the cellars of a 16th-century castle, situated on a gentle hill, in the heart of the Colli Orientali del Friuli. Here, we will tour the wine cellar. With the winemaker of the winery and our personal sommelier, we will learn about the area’s grape-growing techniques and winemaking processes, followed by wine tastings
HIGHLIGHTS
Explore quality wines of Friuli
Visit a 16th-century castle cellar
Lunch featuring traditional dishes and wine
Cantina visit with wine tasting
WINE TRIP | FLAVORS OF NORTHERN ITALY monday, october 15, 2018
VENICE – USA
After breakfast, a group transfer will be provided to the airport for your homebound flight. You will arrive at Venice Marco Polo Airport in time for a flight departing at 12:00 noon or later.
Meal Included – Breakfast
inclusions INCLUDED NOT INCLUDED
8 nights’ accommodations at first-class hotels Meals when not mentioned as included
10 winery, vineyard, cooking and farm visits, Room service and personal room charges and experiences as shown Excess baggage and porterage Sightseeing, tours, and iconic sights as shown Local guide gratuities Breakfast daily, three lunches, five dinners Any possible city taxes at hotels Tour guide Private transfers if you do not arrive/depart Private coach throughout with group
Country taxes and service fees (potential city taxes Trip cancellation and travel insurance not included)
Gratuities for tour guide and driver (local guide gratuities not included)
WINE TRIP | FLAVORS OF NORTHERN ITALY rates $3,857 $4,887
Double occupancy (per person) Single occupancy
This tour requires a minimum of 20 participants to operate. Rates will reduce by approximately $200 per person with a minimum of 30 participants.
deposit & final payment
$1,000 DEPOSIT FINAL PAYMENT per person, due upon making reservations due by July 18, 2018
Forms of payment can be cash, check, Mastercard, Visa, or American Express.
airfare
Airfare is not included, but we are happy to assist you in securing your tickets. Arrive into Milan Malpensa Airport on Oct. 7th by 9:30 a.m. in order to catch the group transfer. Depart from Venice Marco Polo Airport on Oct. 15th at 12:00 noon or later.
cancellation policy
DEPOSIT – JULY 18, 2018 JULY 18, 2018 – DEPARTURE
$1,000 per person non-refundable
If we have a waitlist, we may be able to assist with a name change instead of a cancellation on land only. Name changes have a $100 per person administrative fee. There is no guarantee we will have someone to take your spot, in which case full cancellation fees will apply. Air tickets are non-refundable from the time of ticketing. No name changes are allowed on air tickets. Travel Guard trip cancellation and travel insurance will be quoted at the time of booking.
reservations
Carol’s Travel Service, Inc. 708-532-5450 • 800-535-2670 7625 W. 159th Street [email protected] Tinley Park, IL 60477 [email protected]
WINE TRIP | FLAVORS OF NORTHERN ITALY WINE TRIP | FLAVORS OF NORTHERN ITALY