Wonderful Winter Wine Tours in Valtellina & Switzerland
The Northern Italian region of Valtellina is spectacular any time of the year, but winter is an extra special time to visit as apart from the fabulous food and wine, there are some excellent spas and thermal springs, and the Alps are particularly picturesque when covered in snow. On this specially designed short winter break, you will see some of Italy’s loveliest unspoiled scenery and visit boutique wine estates making intensely perfumed red wines, “Sforzato” and Valtellina DOCG. These wines are made at high altitude on cascading terraces clinging to steep hillsides. You will indulge in plenty of “mountain cuisine” like rich cheeses, Bresaola, buckwheat pasta -called Pizzoccheri della Valtellina- and polenta with melted cheese, all washed down with these powerful Chiavennasca based wines (the local version of Nebbiolo, used to make Barolo).
Your base for this tours will be at a historic spa hotel in the charming ski resort of Bormio, located at the gateway to the breathtaking Stelvio Pass. Bormio has been famous since Etruscan and later Ancient Roman times for its natural thermal springs and you will enjoy rejuvenating spa treatments at your Belle Époque style hotel. Over the next few days, you will visit the beautiful towns of St Moritz in Switzerland and Bellagio in Lake Como, both great shopping destinations and extremely picturesque. Other highlights of this winter tour include an exhilarating Glacier Express train ride with spectacular views and a magical horse-drawn sleigh ride through the snow. If you love food and wine and are looking for a short winter break in Italy that offers fantastic scenery and sightseeing, then this is the tour for you.
Valtellina Wine Tour Highlights:
- Wine Tasting in Valtellina
- Ancient Roman Spa
- Excursion to St. Moritz, Switzerland
- Bernina “Glacier Express”
- Romantic Horse- drawn Sleigh Ride
- Visit Lake Como and Bellagio
Below is a suggested Itinerary for your private Valtellina Wine Tour
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Milano – Ponte in Valtellina – Bormio
Transfer to Valtellina & Wine Tasting at Nino Negri
Nino Negri Winery - 5* Spa Hotel, Bormio
- Full lunch with wines and digestives
- Privately Chauffeured Mercedes
Arrive at Milan Airport and your private chauffeur will be waiting for you in the arrivals lounge. You will head north, towards the Swiss border to the beautiful Valtellina, about two and a half hour’s drive.
Your first stop will be for lunch at a quaint trattoria – called “crotto” locally – set amid the vines. Get ready for some seriously delicious food and definitely forget about the diet today! Begin with some air-dried Bresaola followed by “Pizzoccheri” (buckwheat Tagliatelle with a sumptuous alpine sauce comprised of Bitto cheese, Swiss chard, sage, butter, potatoes, garlic, and nutmeg). Before your main course, you might taste the local “Sciatt”, divine little fritters stuffed with Casera cheese. Intensely perfumed red wine from the Valtellina will accompany the meal and dessert might be the delicious “Bisciola”, a Christmas cake made with figs and nuts. Finish this feast with the unique local Amaro Braulio made with herbs and wild flowers collected in the surrounding valleys.
After lunch and a digestive walk you will carry on to the premier Valtellina winery, Nino Negri, for a VIP private tour of the estate. You will see the fermentation rooms, barrel cellars, and will conclude the tour with a full tasting of four flagship wines, including Valtellina Superiore and the exquisite Sforzato.
In the early evening, you will transfer to Bormio, your base for the tour. Check in to your fascinating historic hotel and enjoy a free evening. Welcome to the Valtellina!
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Bormio – Tirano - Bormio
Wine Tasting at Triacca & Gourmet Dinner in Bormio
Ancient Roman baths - 5* Spa Hotel, Bormio
- Full breakfast, Lunch with wines
- Privately Chauffeured Mercedes
Today will be relaxed with some more wine tasting and free time to enjoy the spa facilities.
From Bormio, your personal chauffeur will take you to Tirano, a short drive of less than an hour to another top wine estate, Triacca. Triacca has a beautiful property and cellar and you will taste their best cru wines such as their Valtellina Superiore Sassella. Lunch will be convivial and friendly at a rustic inn with a timber beamed ceiling and an adjacent small wine museum.
The rest of the afternoon and evening is at leisure to enjoy the resort. You can take a scenic walk on the beautiful grounds of the resort or have a drink by the fire in the elegant salons adorned with Murano chandeliers. You will have access to the extensive spa and so why not have a dip in the natural steam cave sauna or a relaxing soak in the Ancient Roman baths. Treatments you can book include holistic massages, body scrubs, Decleor facial treatments, mud baths, thermal water treatments, sun showers, Aromatized relaxing scalp massages and more. The resort also has its own wonderful line of spa products.
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Bormio-Tirano- Pontresina- St Moritz- Tirano- Bormio
Glacier Express Excursion & Lunch in St. Moritz
Glacier Express - 5* Spa Hotel, Bormio
- Full breakfast, Lunch with wines
- Privately Chauffeured Mercedes
Expect stunning scenery today and don’t forget the camera! Your day begins with a private transfer to the train station to hop on board the famous Bernina train (the “Glacier Express”), on the UNESCO world heritage list and considered to be one of the most spectacular railways in the world. Enjoy a two-hour train ride and arrive in Pontresina, Switzerland. Your very own horse-drawn sleigh will be waiting for you to take you on a gorgeous one-hour trip into the Roseg valley.
Lunch will be deep in the valley on a terrace facing the Alps. You will head back to Pontresina to catch the 10-minute train ride to glamorous St Moritz. St Moritz is an exclusive town in the beautiful Engadine valley that has colorfully coined itself the “top of the world”. Enjoy some free time to explore on your own, take in some shopping and stop for a late afternoon coffee or glass of vino.
In the late afternoon, you will enjoy the 2-hour train ride back to Italy and your driver will transfer you back to your spa resort.
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Bormio- Sondrio- Lake Como- Milan
Wine Tasting at Ar.Pe Pe winery & Lunch in Sondrio
Ar.Pe.Pe estate - 5* Spa Hotel, Bormio
- Full breakfast
- Privately Chauffeured Mercedes
Today you will head back to Milan for an evening arrival but before another round of wine tasting and a tour of beautiful Lake Como. In the morning your driver will escort you to Sondrio for a special visit to the family-run Ar.Pe.Pe estate (short for the winery’s patriarch Arturo Pelizzatti Perego). Expect excellent Valtellina wines (like the Valtellina Superiore DOCG Grumello Riserva), hospitable and enthusiastic hosts and amazing views. Lunch is next after this morning of wine tasting and photo opportunities, at an elegant venue in Sondrio where you will have a gourmet meal with lighter, more delicate dishes waiting for you, all paired with top wines of course.
Transfer to Lake Como en route to Milan and enjoy some free time in Bellagio for example. Winter is beautiful in the lakes district and you will love the views of the snow-capped mountains in the backdrop over the peaceful lush villas that straddle the lakeside. In the evening around 8 PM, you will arrive at Milan and will be dropped off at your hotel. Free evening to dine on your own with our suggestions.
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Milan
End of Tour
Lake Como - None
- Full breakfast/ Early bird breakfast
- Privately Chauffeured Mercedes
At your preferred time, your driver will transfer you to the airport. If you have a later flight then enjoy some time sightseeing and shopping in Milan today.
Drop off at airport.
This concludes your very special winter wine tasting break in Northern Italy and Switzerland. We look forward to seeing you again!
