10:00 Italian breakfast with cappuccino or espresso and fresh ‘’cornetto’’ (the Italian name for a croissant) on the main square, the Piazza del Popolo, followed by a brief introduction into the world of Brunello wine. I will share some interesting facts and myths about the famous Brunello di Montalcino and its younger brother, Rosso di Montalcino.
11:00 After breakfast we will drive to a small winery, where the wine-maker will give you a tour of the wine cellar. You will be shown the entire process of wine-making, from the vineyard, to harvesting the grapes, initiating the primary processing, fermentation, vinification, and eventually aging and packaging. After that, you get to taste! You will be offered 2 different vintages of Brunello di Montalcino, a younger Rosso di Montalcino, and some blends produced by the winery. You will then be able to address any questions directly to the wine-maker.
13:00 For lunch we will drive to a local restaurant to enjoy tasting some typical Tuscan dishes with a glass of wine.
15:00 Afterwards we will stop to see the beautiful Sant’Antimo abbey. This gorgeous “pearl” of Romanesque architecture was built with local travertine stone, and proudly stands among the olive trees. In the church you can hear the monks, dressed in white as a symbol of their devotion to the Virgin Mary, sing in Gregorian chant. If you would like to be present during a service, let us know and we will try to arrange our visit to coincide with Mass.
16:00 We will return to Montalcino for a light aperitivo in a bar in front of the Palazzo dei Priori, then you will have some free time for yourself. You can go up to the top of the fortress and take photos of the city and the Orcia Valley spread out before you, or you can take a walk around Montalcino. You may want to visit the 14th century church of St. Agostina with frescoes by Vincenzo Tamagni, or simply enjoy the beauty of this small medieval town.
