The Brunello Experience
Montalcino Grand Tour features guided tours and tastings in the most famous cellars, local food-wine pairings with a chance to meet the wine producers. Live the Montalcino lifestyle at its finest.
Duration: 7 days, 6 nights
Available: from February to November by request
Target: individuals and small groups
Arrival/Departure: Rome (Florence and Pisa by request)
Accommodation: luxury historic villa or agriturismo of Montalcino
Restaurants: typical Tuscany South cuisine, homemade delicacies, “snacks” at wine cellars, tasting at Enoteca Italiana...
Food: Pecorino cheese from Pienza, honey from Montalcino, Tuscan Ribollita soup, cold pressed extra-virgin olive oil, Tuscan Prosciutto, truffles, Pinci pasta, Cantucci biscuits and much more...
Visit: Montalcino, Pienza, San Quirico d'Orcia, Siena and Montepulciano.
Day 1, sunday - Arrival
Montalcino is a captivating 240 square kilometre microcosm surrounded by the complex world of Brunello whose lifeline radiates from this beautiful medieval village. This is the destination of our transfer from the airport in Rome where we meet.
Our home for the week is in a luxury historic villa in the Montalcino countryside, the starting point of our immersion in the world of Brunello. After checking in, we visit the first historical cellar near the town where we start tasting the great wines of Montalcino. For dinner, typical Montalcino fare at a restaurant in the heart of town.
Day 2, Monday – South-East: The Elegance of Sangiovese
At breakfast we meet our local concierge who will accompany us the entire week in the land of Brunello. We step onto the millenary stone streets in the centre of Montalcino as we explore the town, its walls, the Fortress and the treasures stored in the museum. After a bit of shopping in the little shops along the narrow streets, we lunch in a selected osteria where we experience a modern take on traditional local dishes.
In the afternoon we head towards the countryside around Montalcino where there are thousands of hectares of woods, pasture, olive groves and the precious vines of Brunello. The terroir of Brunello di Montalcino is a complex mosaic of vineyards resting on the various sides of the hill, each with its own unique characteristics. Today we focus on the most famous side, southeast, characterized by sandstone and marl with volcanic tufa. We visit and taste elegant wines at two legendary wineries followed by a stop at the magnificent onyx and alabaster Abbey of Sant’Animo, home to a small group of monks devoted to prayer in Gregorian chants.
Day 3, Tuesday – Val d’Orcia, Bagno Vignoni, Pienza and Montepulciano
Montalcino is the heart of the territories of Italian wine, but in Tuscany South we cannot miss out on visiting nearby Montepulciano. We drive over the rolling hills of the Val d’Orcia and stop in at enchanting Pienza with its typical Renaissance city plan for a taste of Pecorino di Pienza sheep cheese and other specialties at an organic farm in the verdant countryside. In Montepulciano we are led along the narrow streets as we listen to the fascinating history of this medieval city. Here, too, we stop at a famous cellar to learn about (and taste!) Nobile di Montepulciano wine.
Day 4, Wednesday – North: The Subtlety of the Bouquet
Big tasting day! The north side of Montalcino is probably the least known but the freshest. Its location and soil, which is rich in malm, mixed marl and clay, result in the biggest Brunellos with fine aromas and delicate bouquets. In the morning we visit two beautiful cellars: the first is located in the lowest area immersed among works of art by Italian artists while the second treats us to a tasting of Rosso and Brunello di Montalcino accompanied by a light lunch with typical Tuscan cuisine at the winery.
The land on the north side closer to Montalcino becomes more calcareous and richer in alluvial sandstone. In the afternoon we stop at a small winery so we can taste the difference ourselves in the wine: the great fragrances and palate vary by location, which is what makes the terroir of Montalcino so amazing.
Day 5, Thursday – The Magic of Siena
Siena is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. With a local guide we visit all the highlights of this charming city that puts you under a spell so that it feels like you are walking in a work of art. We also visit the Medicean Fortress home of the Enoteca Italiana where we taste some of the best Italian wines from the well-stocked cellar. We end off the day at our favourite wine shop in Montalcino where a wine journalist guides through a comparative tasting, helping us to understand the nuances and differences in the selected wines of Brunellos.
Day 6, Friday – South-West: Brunello, the King of Italian Wines
We save the warm southwest hillside for last. Facing the direction of the Maremma area of Tuscany and the Tyrrhenian Sea, this slope is rich in clayey terrain. We visit some of the highest vineyards on our way towards the Banfi Castle where we spend a good part of the day visiting the exemplary monumental cellars, the Glass Museum and the spectacular wine shop before we lunch at the Castle.
On our way back to Montalcino, we call into the Brunello Museum which not only features displays on the history and evolution of the King of Italian wines but also gives us a look at life in the community of Montalcino of days gone by. We conclude the day and the week with dinner on Friday evening and a little surprise!
Day 7, Saturday
Relax on your transfer back to Rome where you can continue your holiday or catch your return flight home.
