Luxury Italian Wine Tours and Culinary Vacations

Luxury Wine Tours and Culinary Vacations Italy

The Slow Food movement began in Italy, which says it all. Italy has always been a huge destination for food and wine loving tourists and it is one of the best places in the world to enjoy a gourmet wine tasting vacation. Italians love to eat and drink well! This is the land of Pesto, Parmigiano, Buffalo Mozzarella, Truffles, and Super Tuscans. The natural beauty of the Italian wine regions, the top quality wines (Barolos, Brunellos and Barbarescos, just to name a few) and the beautiful medieval & Renaissance villages and towns, all make an Italian food and wine experience unforgettable. Italy seems to offer the cultured visitor everything in one small package- an amazing artistic heritage, the highest percentage of luxury hotels and exquisite restaurants in Europe, superb dining, fashion, wine tasting, and gorgeous scenery. The ancient and cobwebbed wine cellars of Chianti Classico, the Cypress lined wine roads of Tuscany, the romantic secluded hotels on verdant Lake Como, the pristine pastel colored villages and hair bend turns on the Amalfi coast, Juliette's balcony in Verona and Michelangelo's David, are all simply breathtaking.

The north of Italy is famed for being the Gourmet Mecca of Bella Italia, with such "Galactic" chefs as Gualtiero Marchesi (L'Albereta Relais Chateaux) and Annie Feoldé (of Pinchiorri in Florence) tantalizing guests with their innovative culinary arts. For some of us "foodies", though, the ultimate gastronomic experiences in Italy might not even be the one necessarily with famous chefs, but the tiny Trattorias and mama-and-papa run eateries. The cuisine and wines in Italy are so varied and yet often comfortably familiar. Who hasn't heard of Gorgonzola, Fontina, Pecorino, Provolone, Mascarpone, Mozzarella and Ricotta (to name just a few of the hundreds of Italian Cheeses) or Risotto, Balsamic Vinegar, Polenta or Parma ham? The best thing about Italian cooking is that it is, above all healthy. Mediterranean fresh veggies, delicious seafood, extra virgin olive oils, mountain chestnuts, wild mushrooms and rich red wines all contribute to the fine living Italians have become famous for enjoying.

Most first time visitors to Italy do the "Big Three"- Venice, Rome and Florence, all spectacular Italian cities. However, for those who have more time to explore, the unspoiled countryside and wine roads of Italy are much more enjoyable and certainly tastier. Tuscany is probably the most beautiful region in the world, and its combination of "Città d'Arte" (Art Cities) with its mythical rolling hills, make a vacation here one to remember. The lovely walled villages of San Gimignano, and Monterriggioni, the ancient Roman village of Volterra and the delicious wine village of Radda in Chianti are just a few marvellous places to stop and enjoy a reflective glass of wine. Piedmont is another gem of a region, and in many ways even more interesting than Tuscany in that it is hardly frequented by tourists. The majority of tourists to this dramatically beautiful wine region are Swiss and French gourmets, coming down to taste the famed white truffle or buy rare vintages of Angelo Gaja's Barbaresco. The Langhe region of Piemonte is full of medieval hill topped villages, castles and colourful markets. Many of the wine producers are small and family run and visits are much more special than in big, commercial wine "factories". There is nothing like tasting Barolo from the wine barrel before enjoying a homemade lunch served for you right in the winery!

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To conclude, Italy is simply a "must do" for food and wine lovers. Regions that are on the gourmet map include Tuscany, Piemonte, the Veneto, Umbria, Liguria and Amalfi Coast. The offer is overwhelming, with world famous wines, historic and ultra luxury small hotels, gorgeous towns steeped in history, lush scenery, and of course some of the best food on the planet. Cellar Tours offers Luxury Italian Food and Wine Tours (Five star hand selected hotels and Mercedes chauffeured) for the discerning traveller looking for a more exclusive gourmet experience in Italy. Contact us for more details on info@cellartours.com

Italy Wine Tours