Franciacorta Private Wine Tour

Arrive at Milan airport. Your driver-guide and luxurious Mercedes will be waiting for you. Head to the Franciacorta wine country! A wonderful, super traditional lunch is next, at cozy trattoria founded in 1900 and included in the prestigious Monocle magazine “Restaurant Awards.” Maurizio and Grazia will delight you with their warm welcome, and delicious cuisine based on family recipes and a fantastic choice of wines.

After lunch, head to the pretty lake of Lago d´Iseo where you will have a luxury private tour on a vintage Riva motorboat of the lake and its beautiful island, Monte Isola. It was here that artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude chose for their “The Floating Piers,” work of art in 2016. Seventy thousand square meters of yellow fabric, carried by a modular floating dock system, created a walkable surface between Sulzano, Monte Isola, and the island of San Paolo. After your cruise, you will enjoy free time to have a gelato, visit the boutiques, or have an aperitif, a Pirlo cocktail, a local version of Spritz. The ingredients are as simple as it gets: Campari and a dry, sparkling white wine. In the late afternoon, you will check into your glamorous hotel and enjoy the rest of the evening on your own. A welcome gift will be waiting for you in your room, along with a complimentary bottle of bubbly.

For dinner tonight, we can recommend many excellent trattorias nearby, or you can dine at the hotel’s outstanding pizza restaurant, where you can taste Chef Franco Pepe’s creations.

Full breakfast at the beautiful Relais Chateaux- this is a leisurely affair, take your time! This morning, your first stop will be at one of the most elegant boutique wineries in the region, Il Mosnel. Your host will greet you warmly, and you will enjoy a private tour of the wine estate.

Begin with a short visit to the vineyards. A professional tour of the fermentation rooms and barrel cellars will follow. The process of making sparkling wine is much more elaborate than still wines and is fascinating. This winery makes sparkling, still white & red, and even a dessert wine so that you will get a very informative visit. A full tasting of various wines will follow.

Lunch is next in one of our most favorite atmospheric restaurants in the wine country. You will taste dishes like Millefeuille of Bresaola and ricotta cheese, Risotto with zucchini flowers, and Tortino caldo di mele con gelato alla canella (delicious hot apple pie with cinnamon gelato). Wines will be specially selected, and you will begin with Franciacorta bubbly, of course, but also taste white and red wines from Lombardy and finish with a smooth dessert wine such as the highly regarded Pinodisé from top wine estate Contadi Castaldi.

After lunch, visit one of the most worldwide famous winery of Franciacorta: Bellavista. Enjoy a private tour and an exclusive tasting of their top wines. Bellavista Vintage Brut is Milan’s La Scala Theatre’s wine of honor, and each vintage dedicated at the opening of the opera season.

Enjoy a digestive stroll through the vineyards back the hotel

Try the treatments at the Spa Espace Vitalité, such as hydrotherapy or therapeutic massage; go playing golf or relax in your elegant room or by the pool.

Tonight we have an exceptional gourmet dinner planned for you, a sublime tasting menu at the brand new Dina restaurant (named after the chef’s grandmother). Alberto Gipponi is a self-taught Chef who left his career in sociology and dived into his passion, working at Bastianich Orsone’s, Michelin starred Nadia and Massimo Bottura’s La Francescana restaurants, before opening his place. Within one year, he was awarded the “surprise of the year” title by a major gourmet guide. This is one of the best epicurean experiences one can have in Italy!

This morning you will have free time to sleep-in or enjoy the spa. Around 11 AM, your driver-guide will collect you; transfer to Bergamo for a private guided walking tour of this little-known art city, followed by outstanding 3 Michelin starred lunch at Da Vittorio. Start with a well-crafted aperitif at the American bar and then for lunch an innovative gastronomic tasting menu. Included in this gourmet extravaganza are Granchio alla diavola, salsa al piquillo dolce, Paccheri alla Vittorio (signature dish), Bianco di branzino alla clessidra (a fun experience, you get to control the sandglass used in the timing of the cooking).

After lunch, transfer to Milan.

Your private guide will meet you and help you will digest your lunch on a walking tour. Including some of Milan’s most loved monuments, from the magnificent Duomo and the stunning Galleria Vittorio Emanuele arcade to the impressive Sforza Castle and La Scala theatre. If you love art, our guide will take you to one of the best art galleries in Northern Italy, and we can also arrange for a viewing of Leonardo Da Vinci’s Last Supper. The rest of the evening is yours to relax and have a Negroni Sbagliato aperitif (The Milanese version of a Negroni, replacing gin with sparkling brut) or Campari at one of Milan’s many stylish cafes. Depending on your flight time tomorrow, you can stay in a luxurious hotel right downtown or at a hotel near the airport if you have an early flight. Enjoy your last night on this Italian short break!

Full breakfast at your luxury hotel, and at your preferred time, you will check out and transfer to Milan airport. This concludes your fantastic food, wine, and cultural tour in Milan, Franciacorta, and Bergamo. Arrivederci!