Tuscany & Cinque Terre Highlights

Jul 5, 2023 By Patty Moss

Tuscany & Cinque Terre

October 4 – 15, 2023

Discover Tuscany’s beautiful landscape, rich history, culture, food & wine over 11 days. Stay in a country villa, visit medieval towns, castles, vineyards, and meet the locals – sometimes making the best lasting memories. Then, head to Florence to explore not-to-be-missed sites and some lesser known. Spend a day in Cinque Terre with its colorful fishing villages on the Ligurian Sea. This trip will leave you with lasting memories of a great adventure!

Terre Di Baccio

Terre Di Baccio will be home-base while in the countryside. Set on a hillside surrounded by vineyards, it is a agriturismo or working vineyard & farm. Learn about their wines, olive oils, saffron production and animals. Enjoy meals on their outdoor patio or restaurant. Greve is a 10-minute walk where you can enjoy shopping, a glass of wine or a meal during your free time.

Chianti Wine Tasting

Tour vineyards and enjoy wine tastings of Chianti Classico wines at Terreno, Castello Di Verrazzano, Altiero, Terrre Di Baccio and Maurizio Brogioni – all situated in the heart of Chianti. Our guide is a sommelier and each winery has its own expert.

Chianti Countryside

Chianti is located at the center of Italy and is a gentle hill-covered region dotted with medieval towns and vineyards. The Chianti region stretches for about 20 miles between Florence and Siena. As you stand on a hill, the green geometry of the vineyards, the silver of olive trees and the roads lined with tall green cypresses combine in a palette of colors that seem to create a unique painting. This is enough to tempt anyone to visit this land. Chianti is rich in culture and history.

Medieval Villages

Medieval villages are a defining feature of the Chianti landscape. With their fortified walls, towers and stone streets, these towns are so well preserved that they give visitors the impression they’re traveling back in time. Each has its unique history, architecture and charms. Some of the hilltop towns on our tour… Greve, Radda, Panzano, Montefioralle, San Gimignano & Siena.

Biking & Cooking

Do, not just see… during the ebike ride, immerse yourself in a day filled with art, history, high-quality gastronomy and visit charming villages less traveled by tourists + Cook with a chef in San Gimignano who will share his kitchen he calls his ‘cradle of love’. Learn to prepare handmade pasta, ravioli, ribollita .. and other delicious recipes of Tuscany plunging fully into a family atmosphere.

Truffle Hunting

Massimo is a third-generation truffle hunter who started hunting for truffles as a child. Both his father and grandfather gave him a respect for nature and an intense passion for the ‘diamonds of the land’ – white truffles (tuber magnatum pica). Massimo will lead a truffle hunt in the woods outside San Miniato followed by lunch in his home.

Cinque Terre

Cinque Terre is one of the most famous coastal landscapes in the world. Today, it is a national park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Enjoy a day in these five villages on the Ligurian Sea. Walk, boat and train your way through its dramatic cliffs and pretty coastal villages.

Florence

Follow our guide who is a Florence expert. She will share her knowledge in history, art, geography and gastronomy. See major landmarks such as the Duomo, Piazza della Signoria, the Ponte Vecchio and explore the Oltrarno neighborhood. Skip the line with her at the Accademia and Pitti Palace for highlights of these museums. There will also be free tim to take in Florence on your own.

Florence Progressive Dinner Crawl

Newly added to the itinerary is a ‘progressive dinner crawl’ in Florence. Italian apertivo, fresh handmade pasta, sommelier-selected wine and social feasting on Tuscan main dishes will create a moveable feast. Dine at three local restaurants with casual sightseeing between guided tastings. This unique dinner crawl, led by a culinary expert, will show you Florence’s dining scene like a local – no tourist traps or mediocre food, we promise!

Find out more about our upcoming Tuscany & Cinque Terre group trip – Click Here

Spend a few days in a beautiful Tuscan country home…..

Apr 3, 2023 By Patty Moss

Tuscany & Cinque Terre Tour – October 4-15, 2023 – Includes 6 nights at Terre Di Baccio

Terre di Baccio, in the Chianti region of Tuscany, is a place dedicated to all those who love the tranquility of the countryside, the wonders of nature, and the quality of products that come directly from the land. From the grounds, take in the gentleness of the Tuscan landscape – rows of vineyards that run along the hills, stone farmhouses that dot the countryside, and views of the hillside town of Greve. In addition to providing guest accommodations and dining, Terre di Baccio is a working vineyard, olive oil and saffron producer, cooking school, and animal farm.

Guests often comment about the warm hospitality of the hosts, Illaria & Giampaolo. Illaria is passionate about design, interiors, food, and wine. As a sommelier, she accompanies guests in the discovery of the farmhouse – its history, surroundings, and a wine tasting in the cellar. Giampaolo is a passionate agronomist. He creates the beautiful gardens that surround the farmhouse.

DINING

Terre di Baccio’s restaurant offers cuisine made with fresh local ingredients some of which are from their vegetable and fruit gardens. Their signature dish, PIcci with Saffron, is an example of this. The Picci pasta is freshly made in the kitchen and the saffron used for the sauce comes from their own plantation. Meals can be enjoyed indoors or outdoors surrounded by Chianti’s beautiful landscape.

ROOMS & APARTMENTS

Accommodations include both single rooms and apartments with a kitchen, living room, and two bedrooms. Apartments can house up to four guests. The style is a mix of traditional rustic and ethnic decor from Italy and Guatemala.

A WORKING COUNTRY HOME, VINEYARD & FARM

What guests say:

“Your delicious breakfast was amazing! Your location is perfect, close to the cute town of Greve. The walking distance to town through your vineyards was great!”

“What a trip! When arriving we were amazed at how nice this location was. Vineyards, fantastic views, great restored buildings, etc. After the warm welcome we received at the reception, we were shown our room and it really sank in what a great place this is. We enjoyed every day here – relaxing at the pool, petting alpacas when having breakfast, and enjoying nice dinners in the Orangerie including live music. I can only recommend everybody try this for themselves. Do not forget to also enjoy the fantastic restaurant on the estate itself and in the village. We will definitely come back!”

“This is the most beautiful property. Every inch is thought out to make sure their guests have the most incredible experience.”

Trip Details

The Most Beautiful Medieval Towns in Tuscany

Mar 31, 2023 By Patty Moss

The Chianti Classico region of Tuscany is the heart of the Chianti wine region. It is the region between Florence and Siena with gentle hills, rolling vineyards, olive groves, countryside stone houses and medieval hilltop towns. Known for its panoramic landscapes, rich history, delectable cuisine and Chianti Classico wineries, it is perhaps one the of most beautiful wine regions in the world. Each town has its unique history, architecture and charms. Here a some of the hilltop towns on our tour.

GREVE

Greve the center of the Chianti wine industry. Greve regularly hosts a Slow Food marketplace and the Chianti Classico Expo in its piazza. Piazza Matteotti is lined with attractive shops, wine stores, artisan product shops, restaurants and tasting rooms. There is also a Wine Museum to learn about the history of winemaking in the Chianti Classico region.

PANZANO

Panzano is a small, charming medieval town located on a high ridge surrounded by Chianti Classico vineyards. Panzano’s views are of vineyards dotted with cypress tress, olive groves, and farmhouses. Panzano has range of restaurants and ‘enotecas’/wine tasting shops. It is home of the famous ‘Butcher of Panzano’, Dario Cecchini, featured on The Food Network. Guests will enjoy dinner at his restaurant, La Officina. He is the ‘heart of Panzano’ and a true character!

MONTEFIORALLE
The village of Montefioralle is still enclosed within its original walls. During the Middle Ages, it was one of the largest military and administrative centers in the area. It is believed to date back to 1085 AD. The village itself is virtually free of cars. The cobbled passageways lead to the entrance of its main castle. Vineyards stretch in every direction. Guests will taste at Montefioralle Winery – a small family-owned vineyard.

RADDA

Radda is a classic small Chianti town. Crowning a hill amongst a sea of vines, it is a sunny cluster of haphazard, medieval and thoroughly charming buildings. Its hilltop offers 360-degree panoramas. Chianti Cashmere Goat Farm is a small private agritourism just outside Radda. Snuggled against the hillside is the farmhouse surrounded by unflawed nature, cashmere goats and extraordinary wildlife. Guests will visit the farm, meet the goats and learn how cashmere goats are raised. Owner and ‘goat whisperer’, Nora, makes products from goat fibers such as handwoven scarves, shawls, throws and also goat milk skincare products.

SAN GIMIGNANO

San Gimignano is a walled village halfway between Florence and Siena. It is famous for its medieval towers that rise above all the other buildings. In the height of its glory, San Gimignano’s patrician families had built 72 tower-houses as symbols of their wealth and power. Although only 14 have survived today, San Gimignano still retains its feudal atmosphere and appearance. This town has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

SIENA

Siena is the most southern town on the tour and is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city center is distinguished by its medieval brick buildings and fan-shaped central square, Piazza del Campo. The Siena Cathedral, a focal point of the city, is a medieval Roman Catholic church completed around 1370. Its interior and exterior are constructed of distinctive white and dark green marble in alternating stripes. Built in two stages, the Siena Cathedral combines elements of Gothic, Romanesque and Classical architecture. It is not to be missed!

SAN MINIATO

San Miniato is in the province of Pisa. In its history, San Miniato served as a beacon for both friend and foe. Known by the Romans as Quarto, it is set on three dominant hills which served as a strategic lookout to the Arno River and the valley below. Its geographic position was important to north/south travel along the Via Francigena that connected France to Rome during the Middle Ages. This route was traveled by an uninterrupted flow of men, armies, trade and cultures. San Miniato today is the center of Tuscany’s white truffle region. We will follow a 3rd generation truffle hunter and his dog through the woods searching for the ‘diamonds of the land’. Afterward, lunch will be served in his home.

Are you excited to learn more about this charming towns? Join us for our Tuscany and Cinque Terre Tour!