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Food & Wine Tour in Montepulciano and Cortona

Guided food and wine experience in Tuscany in Montepulciano and Cortona with private car service and food and wine guide.

 

Private food and wine tour in Cortona and Montepulciano with private driver service and transportation from Florence, Siena, Arezzo, Perugia, Assisi, Montalcino, Pienza, San Gimignano, Chianti area, Trasimeno lake area and from all Tuscany and Umbria.

 

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

 

  • Private food and wine tour in Montepulciano and Cortona with private driver and transportation
  • Scenic itinerary through the Tuscan rolling hills of the Valdichiana
  • Guided full day wine & food experience by an English speaking wine guide and food expert
  • How extra virgin olive oil is made in a traditional Tuscan olive-press and EVOO tasting
  • Visit of a Chianina breeding farm: learn the history of this breed of cattle and how we get the famous Florentine T-bone steak
  • Winery visit in the Montepulciano wine region, private tastings and bespoke experiences with the local producers
  • Visit of a cheese maker’s farm in Cortona enjoying a Tuscan farm lunch and tasting delicious Pecorino cheese and many other farm’s products
  • Enjoy Italian gelato made from scratch
  • Cortona and Montepulciano: the hill towns under the Tuscan Sun

 

 

TOUR DESCRIPTION

 

If you are a food and wine lover and you want to experience some of the best products that Tuscany has to offer, then this is the food and wine tour for you! You will spend a day immerse in the beautiful Tuscan countryside of Montepulciano and Cortona and visiting and having tastings with the producers.

 

The tour begins and ends at your accommodation, and is a private chauffeured tour. Arriving in Cortona, the town that has inspired the book and movie “Under the Tuscan Sun”, first stop on schedule is for visiting an ancient olive-press dated back to the XIX century. You will discover how extra virgin olive oil is made using the old millstone extraction method as well as with the modern continuous loop machinery, for then having the chance to taste it with delicious bruschetta paired with a wine of the Cortona Doc wine country.

 

Crossing its homeland, the Valdichiana valley, we could not miss a stop to a Chianina cattle farm. The visit of the farm will give you the opportunity to see why this breed and its meat are so valuable, so much so that it is chosen one for the famous Florentine T-bone steak.

 

The food and wine tour in Tuscany will then continue in a Tuscan cheese maker farm, run by the father and daughter, and surrounded by fields of sunflowers and beautiful vineyards. After the farm and dairy visit, we will taste the good products that the farm has to offer enjoying a traditional Tuscan farm lunch, spending some relaxing time with the company of the family and their stories.

 

Tour continues towards Montepulciano stopping on the way in one of the most well reputed winery of the Montepulciano wine country, with a guided visit of the estate and a private wine tasting with a qualified winery expert, understanding the range of aromas and flavors that are hallmarks of the Montepulciano wines. Tour ends in the charming streets of Montepulciano, tasting delicious Italian gelato produced from the scratch by a small gelato maker and enjoying la dolce vita of this authentic Tuscan hill town.

Departure available from:

  • The food & wine tour in Montepulciano and Cortona is a private experience with departure from Florence, Siena, Arezzo, Perugia, Assisi, Chianti area, San Gimignano, Lucca, Orvieto, Chiusi, Sarteano, Chianciano, Cetona, Sinalunga, Anghiari, Trasimeno lake area and from all the main tourist sites of Tuscany and Umbria.

 

Duration:

  • approximately 8 hours

 

Inclusions:

  • Qualified and professional English speaking driver
  • Luxury vehicle (Mercedes-Benz or equivalent)
  • Head office assistance and insurance coverage
  • Complimentary water
  • Wi-Fi on board
  • Food guide and wine expert
  • Visit of a olive-press and extra virgin olive oil tasting
  • Visit of a Chianina breeding farm
  • Winery visit and wine tastings
  • Cheese maker’s farm visit and cheese tastings
  • Traditional Tuscan lunch at the cheese maker farm (vegetarian menu is also available)
  • A lot of gelato

Tuscan IGP Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Since 1998 Tuscan olive oil has been prided on its IGP status (protected geographical indication PGI), and is produced exclusively with olives coming from local producers, and processed in olive-presses located within the Tuscan territory. The main variety of olives of the classic Tuscan blend are: Frantoio, Lecccino, Moraiolo and Pendolino, with the addition of minor varieties of less than 15%. Extra virgin olive oil is the best product, with an acidity of less than 1%. The fresh olive oil is bright green in color, which becomes yellow when mature. With a harmonious taste, fruity and acid free, the Tuscan blend of Evoo is very eclectic and it goes very well as a condiment for soups, bruschetta, fish, meat and vegetables, but also for more structured dishes such as roasts and sauces for pasta. It makes a healthy and exceptional seasoning because of its digestibility and nutritional contributions.

 

Chianina Cattle Breed and Florentine Steak:  The porcelain-white Chianina is the largest breed of cattle in the world with a very long history that dates back to the Etruscans and Roman times. It takes its name from its homeland, the Valdichiana (valley of the south east of Tuscany) and until recent times the Chianina were used primarily as draft and work animals. With the advent of modern farming practices, selection emphasis has been placed on the breed’s ability to produce beef. Its meat (protected by the certification IGP) is one of the most valuable of Italy, by it we get the famous Florentine T-bone steak and the Tuscan cooking method can be only one: strictly to blood!

 

Pecorino Toscano DOP cheese:  It is a soft, semi-hard and aged cheese produced from sheep’s milk, coming exclusively from the area of origin (Tuscany region). It is white or pale yellow in colour, with an intense flavour, fragrant and sweet. The product has a certification of authenticity and protected origin (DOP) since 1996 issued by the European Community. It is to be remembered that many cheese makers produce ricotta as well, a byproduct coming from the manufacture of cheese, often used in the preparation of handmade pasta (Ravioli, Tortelli) or confectionery specialties.

 

Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG wine: Is one of the oldest wines of Italy (testimonies from 783 BC) and also described by poets and writers for its delicacy. It is produced in a limited area of southern Tuscany, with Montepulciano at its centre, in a hilly area not more than 600 m above sea level. It is characterized by Sangiovese grapes with the specific clone Prugnolo Gentile (min 70% up to 100%) with the possible addition of other grapes from local varieties (maximum 30%). The minimum alcoholic content is 12.5%, with a minimum of 2-3 years aging. Of ruby-garnet colour and with an intense perfume and structured taste, it goes very well with red meats, game, aged cheeses, mushrooms and truffles.

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