VINO, MONTALCINO & MORE

Learn all about one of Italy’s most prestigious wines on this full-day escape to the countryside. You will meet your driver outside your hotel and begin your day with a pleasant ride to the UNESCO-listed Orcia Valley, boasting breathtaking landscapes, renowned cuisine, top-class wine and astoundingly well preserved historic towns.

Wine enthusiasts will find out how Brunello is made at an estate located west of Montalcino. The land belongs to an illustrious Florentine family that has been producing wine for some seven hundred years. The family owns six estates and some of Tuscany’s most highly regarded vineyards and aims to become the reference producer of fine Tuscan wines. Indeed, among their core values is the promotion of the region’s different traditions and territories by producing high quality wines, each an expression of a specific, unique terroir and environment. Accompanied by a member of staff, you will enjoy a tour of the cellars and discover the different stages in the wine-making process, from the moment of harvest to the choice of the image on their wine label, featuring a condottiero on horseback. You will also get to know the strict regulations that define the production of Brunello which must contain 100% Sangiovese grapes and be aged in oak barrels for two years and at least four months in a bottle before being released. But every estate has its own precious formulas which you will have the chance to unravel and applaud! After the visit sit down to a delicious light lunch made with locally sourced products and washed down with a selection of the estate’s wines.

Later, rejoin your chauffeur and reach the Romanesque Abbey of Sant’Antimo, an extraordinary example of medieval monastic architecture, standing in all its solitary splendour in a valley near the small town of Castelnuovo dell’Abate. As your guide will explain, the present church was built in the 12th century, though its origins are believed to stretch much further back in time. Indeed, according to legend, Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne is credited with the abbey’s founding in the late 700s. He is said to have stopped here with his troops on his trip back from Rome, to pray for deliverance, after his soldiers had been struck by a plague. An angel appeared to Charlemagne telling him to prepare an infusion with a local herb. The cure was successful, the army was saved and, as an expression of gratitude, a church was built on this spot. The Carolingian chapel (now used as a sacristy and not open to visitors) and the crypt beneath the church have survived from the original 8th century structure. The solemn interior consists of three naves divided by arches resting on columns with alabaster capitals, all carved with geometrical, human, animal and floral motifs. Once one of the wealthiest and most powerful religious institutions in Tuscany, the abbey held sway over numerous parishes, castles and manors, rivalling Siena for the control over the region. Its vicinity to the Via Francigena – the ancient pilgrims’ route that linked Rome to Canterbury – contributed to enhancing the abbey’s prestige until the 14th century, when a long period of decline began. Today Sant’Antimo is managed by a community of Olivetan monks who follow the precepts of the Benedictine rule and its “pray and work” lifestyle. Visitors can see the fruits of their labour in the adjoining pharmacy where an array of products, including honey, sweets, herbal teas, beer and cosmetic products are on sale.

The last stop on your excursion will bring you to Montalcino, internationally known as the capital of the Brunello wine region. Sitting strategically about 560 metres above sea level, on a hill overlooking the Orcia and Asso Valleys, Montalcino was once an influential Etruscan settlement. The town has undergone few changes since the 1300s, when it enjoyed its golden age as a stronghold belonging to the nearby city of Siena. Protected by fortified walls, Montalcino has indeed maintained its medieval appearance and offers splendid views of the surrounding landscape from the top of its imposing 14th century fortress: hills crossed by country roads winding though vineyards and olive groves, a canvas splashed with golden sunflowers and deep green cypress trees. From here enjoy a leisurely stroll through the town’s narrow alleys lined with wineries, craft shops and eateries and listen as your guide points out its major landmarks. Highlights include the Romanesque-Gothic Church of Sant’Egidio, the monastery of Sant’Agostino and the quaint Piazza del Popolo overlooked by the looming clock tower of the Palazzo dei Priori.

In the afternoon your private chauffeur will drive you back to your hotel.