The Chianti Experience
2012 Trips: June 9-16 (private group); June 16 – 23; June 23 – 30
Tuscany covers an extensive area of almost 9000 square miles in central Italy. Based on our personal experiences in Tuscany, we decided to focus on the famous wine region of Chianti, ideally located between Florence and Siena. Chianti is absolutely beautiful! You’ll find it surprisingly rural… very hilly and very green… filled with vineyards, olive trees, and forests… dotted with ancient villages… guarded by medieval castles… surrounded by incredible views. The Chianti wines are outstanding, the food is exceptional, and the people are very welcoming.
The Chianti Experience is based in Panzano-in-Chianti, a historic village on a hilltop near the larger town of Greve-in-Chianti. Panzano has a population of about 1000 people and is exactly halfway between Florence and Siena. The village has restaurants, cafes and wine bars, a pharmacy; small food shops; a post office; ATMs; newstand; and a very famous butcher shop. There’s a small market on Sunday mornings.
Our accommodations are an 11-room B&B that was once a small hamlet of old farm buildings, about a mile from the village center of Panzano. It’s the perfect environment for a relaxing week in Tuscany, surrounded by vineyards with beautiful views from the terraces and swimming pool.
The Chianti Experience will follow the same approach as our other Experience trips, including a variety of special activities and experiences:
- A walking tour of Panzano to learn more about its history and life in the village today.
- Visits to the nearby Chianti wine towns of Greve and Radda and the small hilltop villages of Volpaia and Montefioralle.
- A day “beyond Chianti” to another stunning and very different area of Tuscany. We’ll be accompanied by our friend Pino, who will introduce us to several of the most famous towns (such as Cortona and Montepulciano.) (We’ll stay in one group for the “Beyond” day.)
- A day trip to the city of Siena, including a walking tour with a local guide and time on your own for exploring, shopping and lunch.
- A memorable visit to the Florence American cemetery, where over 4400 Americans killed in Italy during World War II are buried.
- Visits to three very different wineries to learn more about the famous Chianti wines and of course to taste the wine. We’ll also taste the local olive oil.
- A cooking class and dinner with Stefania and Giulietta, two experienced cooking teachers. Earlier that day we’ll accompany Stefania to the weekly Panzano market, Dario Cecchini’s famous butcher shop, and a cheesemaker’s farm to buy the ingredients for our meal.
- Wonderful meals in a variety of settings, giving us an opportunity to experience the local cuisine and food specialties.
- A very special evening at the hilltop home of our friends Rita and Rosita, two sisters who live in a small castle above Greve. We’ll enjoy a warm welcome and a delicious homecooked Italian meal.
- Time for relaxing at our beautiful B&B… enjoying the far-reaching views from the terrace and the swimming pool.
Click the link below to see more photos of Chianti and other areas of Tuscany that we’ll visit during our Experience weeks.
Our location in Chianti is ideal for combining this Experience week with additional travel in other areas of Italy, including the renowned cities of Florence, Rome and/or Venice. We recommend traveling to Italy at least one day before our trip begins, to allow time to adjust to the time difference and a buffer in the event of any travel delays. Depending on your final destination, it may be possible to book a return flight on Saturday afternoon from Florence or Rome if you are heading home immediately after our trip.
Our meeting/drop-off point is the train station in the small town of Figline Valdarno, about 30 minutes from Panzano. We’ll meet the group at 3:00 pm on the first Saturday and drop-off at 9:00 am the following Saturday morning.
We’re now accepting reservations for The Chianti Experience in 2012. We’d love to have you join us!
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