Tuscan Jazz and Wine 2007: Tour 1
11-18 August 2007 Note: new extended tour dates
click on a photo for full size
Itinerary
Saturday
Arrival and transfers from airport to your accommodation.
Enjoy the facilities at your beautiful hotel, where you can relax and unwind after your flight in the swimming pool and Jacuzzi. In the evening we will take you to the enchanting medieval hilltop town of Certaldo Alto, where you will have an aperitif with music, meet the organisers and be briefed on your tour. This will be followed by a classical Tuscan dinner at Il Castello in Certaldo Alto.
Sunday: San Gimignano
We set off at 1030 am to the stunningly beautiful town of San Gimignano with its famous towers. It first developed as an agricultural market town, but went on to become an important centre for trade and commerce. As a symbol of the town's power, tall towers and tower-houses were built by the local aristocracy inside the town walls. There were 72 of them by the 14th Century, and 13 of these are still standing today. There you can enjoy wine tasting at Consorzio della Denominazione San Gimignano where we will sample wines made from the famous Vernaccia grape. On then to lunch in a specially selected restaurant, after which we will return to the hotel by 4pm where you can enjoy rest and get ready for the evening's activities. After dinner you will be invited to take your reserved seats at the opening concert of the Global Music Foundation’s Tuscany Jazz Vocal Summer Festival.
Monday: Northern Chianti
This morning we will set off at 10 am to the impressive castle-like Monastery of Passignano, founded by Sichelmo in 890. Then we visit the award winning winery of Poggio al Sole, known for producing one Tuscany’s best Chianti Classico wines. Poggio al Sole lies between Tavarnelle Val di Pesa and Greve, in the very heart of the most glorious countryside between Florence and Sienna known as the Chianti. There are documents in the archives of the nearby abbey of Badia a Passignano which claim that olives and wine were produced on this estate as early as the 12th century.
We then pay a visit to the world renowned Antica Macelleria Cecchini in Panzano, where we will meet master butcher Dario Cecchini, sample some of the homemade products and collect the famous “Fiorentina” T bone steaks which will be the main course at our evening dinner along with the a selection of wines from Poggio al Sole. We then return to the hotel. At 7 pm we set off for the evening aperitif followed by dinner and evening concert in the garden of Il Castello.
Tuesday: Montalcino
This morning we leave a little earlier at 930am to the hills of Montalcino and home of Italy’s most famous wine, the Brunello di Montalcino. After a short visit to the gracious town of Montalcino we will proceed to the winery “Al Paradiso di Frassina” which enjoys splendid views of the unique and well-known Sienese landscape: on one side it looks towards the charming town of Montalcino while on the other it looks towards gentle hills given to grazing, or to fields of corn and sunflowers.
Together with the University of Florence the winery is conducting a study in vitro as well as in the fields the possible effects that sound frequencies generate on the plant of the vine both in the rooting system, in the foliage and in the flower. While one walks through the vineyard, music emanates from the hillside, due to a series of carefully placed speakers. After a tour and a tasting hosted by master winemaker Carlo Cignozzi, we set off for lunch in the nearby fortified town of Buonconvento. After lunch we return to the hotel. At 7 pm we leave for dinner on the terrace in the town Marcialla, after which we go on to this evening’s music event.
Wednesday: Florence
Today we will visit the city of Florence, where you either have the option of a guided tour, or if you prefer you can do your own sightseeing. Around 30% of the world's most important art is located in Florence. It was the birth place of Dante and Michelangelo. Brunelleschi constructed the awe inspiring Dome of the Duomo (cathedral). We will take you through the famous Piazza della Signoria with its beautiful statues and continue on to the Ponte Vecchio bridge lined by artisans diplaying their leatherwork and jewellery. Then on to the Palazzo Pitti and the Boboli Gardens. There are endless chapels and churches full of wonderful examples of renaissance art. After lunch we return to the hotel. Tonight we will have an aperitif in the gardens and then dinner at your hotel, followed by the evening concert and jam session.
Thursday: Southern Chianti
Today is dedicated to the southern Chianti region. We will leave at 10 am heading for the Castle of Brolio. The history of Brolio and the Ricasoli Barons dates back to the 12th century when the ownership of the land and the castle was gifted to the Ricasoli family by Florence. During the last three centuries, the Ricasoli have established themselves as producers of top quality wines and have been named Best Winery of the Year by the influential Gambero Rosso Italian Wine Guide. After a tour of the castle we will enjoy a tasing at the cellar with experts on hand for any questions you may have. We go on to lunch at a nearby restaurant and then return to the hotel. We meet again at 7pm for an aperitif, dinner and on to tonight’s concert dedicated to jazz guitar.
Friday: Volterra
Setting off once again at 10 am, we head to Volterra, built on a high plateau edged by steep volcanic hills, Volterra’s rich past spans the Etruscan, Roman and Florentine eras. The richness of the Etruscan finds made in and near Volterra make it a mecca for enthusiasts of all things Etruscan, with an unparalleled collection of Etruscan antiquities being displayed in the Guarnacci Museum. After a visit to this amazing town famous for its crystal and alabaster we go for a traditional Tuscan lunch in the hamlet of Mazzola. We move on to the winery of Rampa di Fugnano. It is a small estate, run with passion by its Swiss owners, who dedicate all their attention to the increasing quality of their products which have achieved international fame in short time. The producers are convinced that the best results are obtained from healthy grapes, grown on good, unpolluted land. The same goes for the cellar, where in a clean and hygienic environment, the wines are made with as little interference as possible, in order to allow the characteristics of each grape to express themselves fully, without mixing or adding, in order to bear witness to the authenticity of the San Gimignano terroir. We return to the hotel and at 7 pm meet for our final aperitif, then on to the town of Vico D’Elsa where we dine at Antica Osteria di Vico, which is also the venue for our final concert.
Saturday
Breakfast and transfers to the airport.
Book this tour