— Join us in Tuscany —
may 5 - 12, 2024
A magnificent Italian Country Estate and Winery, Villa Mormoraia located in San Gimignano in the heart of Tuscany, guided by JAG, Wine and Travel Journalist
Day 1 Saturday
Morning arrival in Rome
Travel on our luxury bus through coastal Tuscan towns
Orientation-tour the grounds and winery
Lunch on the patio overlooking the vineyards
Relax at the villa
Early evening wine tasting of Mormoraia wines along with their own olive oil tasting followed by tour of the grounds and their wine cellars
Welcome Dinner
Day 2 Sunday
Breakfast
Morning: Visit to Montepulciano and Pienza: Our driver will pick you up and accompany you to visit the towns of Montepulciano and Pienza. Montepulciano is a medieval town of rare beauty highly recommended visiting in Tuscany. The city, full of elegant Renaissance palaces, ancient churches, charming squares and hidden corners, boasts vast panoramas all over the wonderful Val d'Orcia and Val di Chiana valleys that surround it. You’ll enjoy lunch and wine tasting at the Cantina de’Ricci (included) before going to visit Pienza. Pienza is a renaissance town built to embody the Humanist vision of the ‘ideal city’. Such an ambitious design came into existence thanks to Pienza’s most famous citizen, Enea Silvio Piccolomini (Pope Pius II). The surrounding Val D’Orcia offers an idyllic backdrop for this renaissance gem. 8-hour day.
Dinner at the Villa Mormoraia
Day 3 Monday
Breakfast
Morning: Day Trip to Siena for Tour and Visit to Monteriggioni: Our private driver will pick you up and take you on a day excursion to Siena where you’ll meet your guide and enjoy a private 2.5-hour tour of the city center and Cathedral. Siena’s cathedral, completed in 1263, and among the most exquisite in Tuscany, flaunting a bold, ornate Romanesque style and housing an incredible inlaid marble mosaic floor crafted by more than 40 artists over a period of 200 years. After lunch at a selected restaurant visit Siena’s most beautiful square, Piazza del Campo, of which the Palazzo Pubblico (town hall) is the focal point. Afterwards, your driver will take you to Monteriggioni for a visit to one of the most beautiful and intact walled towns in Tuscany before returning to Villa Mormoraia. No guide necessary. 8- hour day.
Dinner at the Villa Mormoraia
Day 4 Tuesday
Breakfast
Morning: Florence: Day Trip to Florence for Tour: Our private driver will pick you up and take you to Florence (approximately 1 hour) where you will meet your guide and enjoy a 3-hour private tour of the historic center: the Duomo Complex, Piazza della Signoria and the Ponte Vecchio as well as the Accademia Gallery to see Michelangelo’s David. You’ll have time for lunch at a selected restaurant and shopping at the famous leather shops and jewelry boutiques before returning to Villa Mormoraia. Skip-the- line tickets included. 8-hour day.
Dinner at the Villa Mormoraia
Day 5 Wednesday
Breakfast
Morning: Cooking Class at Il Vicario, Podere dei Monti. Our private driver will pick you up at your accommodations and accompany you to the nearby Villa where you will meet Katia and Fulvio for an enjoyable experience preparing and sharing a 5-course Tuscan meal. You will have menu choices based on seasonal and local products. 3 hours.
Free afternoon
Dinner in San Gimignano: Our driver will pick you up at your accommodations and accompany you to the nearby medieval gem of San Gimignano, "city of beautiful towers." In its heyday, the town boasted 72 towers. Now 14 remain, and, rising above Tuscany's Elsa Valley, they give the town the appearance of a medieval dream. Your visit can begin at the Piazza della Cisterna, Piazza del Duomo Collegiata, and Romanesque cathedral, and continue with a stroll along the ancient pilgrimage road, the Via Francigena. You will have time to visit shops, browse the lovely Santa Fina pottery and other handmade products, and purchase some saffron, a local culinary specialty before having dinner at a selected restaurant. Your driver will then accompany you back to the Villa. 4 hours.
Day 6 Thursday
Breakfast
Day Trip to Orvieto for Visit: A 2-hour trip by private car to Orvieto, a medieval city in Umbria built on a hill. Enjoy a day of strolling, shopping, and lunch in the historic center.
Dinner at the Villa Mormoraia
Day 7 Friday
Breakfast
Morning: Visit to Montalcino and Lunch with Wine Tasting at Castello Banfi. You’ll drive approximately 1 hour to the renowned Castello Banfi Winery, a family owned winery located in the Brunello wine region. This award-winning estate was founded on the philosophy of blending tradition with innovation and is recognized as a pioneer in elevating the standards of Italian winemaking. After a delicious three hour lunch and wine tasting (included) we visit the nearby town of Montalcino, a beautiful hill top village immersed in the breathtaking Val d'Orcia Natural Park, renowned all over the world for the production of its precious Brunello red wine. The town has scarcely changed in appearance since the 16th century. As you walk through the city, a magnificent spectacle unfolds for your eyes: rolling sunny hills dotted with yellow and red flowers, ancient oak trees, picturesque olive groves, scenic country roads winding through perfect vineyards and isolated cypress trees atop hills. The historical center is dominated by the mighty and imposing Rocca or fortress built in 1361 to mark the passage of Montalcino under the domination of Siena. 8 hours
Farewell dinner
Day 8 Saturday
Breakfast
Depart for Rome
Contact for pricing
Airfare, tourist tax and tipping not included.
Optional: Additional cooking classes and wine tastings, golf, tennis, horseback riding, fishing, hunting and shopping available upon request.
I’ll take you there!
Contact JAG for more information by email joann@winejag.com- or call 603-674-8991 to book your trip.