Things to do in Val d'Orcia

Enjoy an exclusive 1.5-hour wine tasting experience and typical Tuscan lunch in an elegant, ancient wine cellar in Montepulciano. Together with an expert sommelier, discover the cellar vaults and tunnels dating back to the 14th century Discoer the various steps in wine production. Then, take part in an exclusive wine tasting experience combined with a variety of delicious snacks. Sample four local wines including the world-renowned Rosso di Montepulciano DOCG and Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG, as well as some local Tuscan products. Afterward, enjoy a full typical Tuscan lunch comprised of cold cuts, cheeses, and a seasonal pasta dish.

Embark on a fascinating journey through the wine making traditions of Tuscany on a guided cellar tour in the medieval village of Montepulciano. Famous for its noble red wines, the wine region is also notable for the use of quality wood to age the wine. Marvel at the rows of enormous oak barrels from Slavonia, where refined Nobile di Montepulciano wines are stored alongside barrels made from quality French wood. Hear about the sandy tufa soil of the area, where fossils have been found to provide evidence of ancient origins. Pair your wines with bruschetta with extra-virgin olive oil.

Leave Rome's hustle and bustle behind and head to Tuscany for the day.Enjoy a guided town of Montepulciano and eat a delicious 3-course lunch with an Italian wine-tasting experience you won't forget. A comfortable, air-conditioned coach will pick you up in Rome. As you drive towards rolling hills, your expert tour guide will explain Tuscany’s rich culture and answer any questions you might have about the day ahead.  First, enjoy a walking tour of the hill town of Montepulciano. Take in an ancient but still-functioning wine cellar and ruins that pre-date Rome. Next, visit San Biagio, a 16th-century Renaissance church with a travertine facade welcoming in the sunlight and exquisite decorations inside. Just a short drive away awaits a delicious Tuscan lunch. Enjoy a 3-course meal with wine pairings in the wine cellar of an authentic vineyard farmhouse, including the famous Brunello di Montalcino and varieties from the vineyard itself.  Buy your souvenir Tuscan wine here, or wait for the final stop: Pienza. Your tour leader will offer insights, but your time is yours: shopping for pecorino cheese, balsamic vinegar, wines, and other local specialties, finding the right photo opportunity, or simply wandering the streets like a local. Next, return to Rome in air-conditioned comfort — fulfilled, relaxed, and ready for the next day.

Discover a local winery in Montalcino on a walking tour through the vineyards. Learn all about their philosophy and working methods as you stroll around and enjoy the view. Enjoy a wine experience and ask any questions you might have about Tuscan wines. After the vineyard tour, we will see the grape processing area and visit the cross-vaulted cellar. You will learn about grape and wine processing and why wine ages differently, like in wooden barrels or amphora. Now you have the perfect basis to taste our wines at a tasting in the tasting space or on the terrace. Seated at a table, we will serve 6 wines in 3 flights. After a short introduction to each flight, you can taste the wines independently. You can choose between 4 different tasting options: Dynamic Brunello Cru Tasting: This tasting concentrates on our Brunelli and its different single vineyards. • 6 Brunelli: 1 vintage Brunello, 3 Brunello Cru & 2 Brunello Cru Riserva • Signature Corte Pavone Tasting: Get the perfect overview of the Corte Pavone range and learn how we produce so many different wines from one grape variety, Sangiovese. • Le Perle di Pavone Spumante, Rosso di Montalcino, Levante, Brunello di Montalcino, Brunello Cru, Brunello Cru Riserva • Maremma & Montalcino Tasting: If you want to discover how different two wine regions with only 70 kilometers of distance can taste, this is the tasting for you. Here you can taste wines from our winery Valdifalco from Maremma and from Corte Pavone from Montalcino. • 6 selected wines to show the terroir and the differences between our wineries • Signature Valdifalco Tasting: With this tasting, you can fully experience the Maremma region and our there located winery Valdifalco • 6 wines that perfectly reflect the terroir and uniqueness of the Maremma region •

Join a wine-tasting experience and enjoy a typical Tuscan lunch in the setting of a medieval Castle in Montalcino. Walk in the vineyard with an expert sommelier and take in the views as you learn about traditional wine-making. Taste 3 different local wines before sitting down for a 3-course lunch. Meet your sommelier and stroll together in the vineyard during which you hear the history of the castle and its family. Admire the beautiful Tuscan landscape and learn more about traditional high-quality wine production methods and techniques. Enjoy your exclusive guided wine tasting of 3 local wines with some Tuscan snacks. During the wine tasting, you will taste three of the most important and world-famous Tuscan wines, such as Sangiovese IGT or Brunello di Montalcino. The professional sommelier will provide in-depth explanations about what you taste and the uniqueness of these Italian wines. After, sit down to eat a typical Tuscan 3-course lunch. The lunch menu is composed of a selection of cold cuts & cheeses, hand-made pasta with sauces, and dessert with coffee. A vegetarian option is available, please advise at the time of booking if desired.

Enjoy the beautiful Tuscan landscapes on the way to the famous wine hill of Montalcino with your guide. Learn about the process and passion involved in creating the famous Brunello Wine, and enjoy a local lunch. First, walk in the vineyards and explore the cellars where the wine is produced and aged before enjoying an introductory tasting of the world-famous Brunello wine. Then visit the hilltop town of Montalcino. See the town's medieval fortress, and spend time browsing the shops and streets. Take in the incredible views of the valleys and vineyards below. Next, enjoy a traditional Tuscan lunch at a family-run winery, accompanied by the delicious wines produced at the facility. Next, continue to the stunning and ancient Benedictine Abbey of Sant'Antimo, a special place set in a breathtaking landscape. In the afternoon, visit a third winery where you’ll get a detailed description of the wine-making process. Learn how the vines are cared for and about the long aging process in oak barrels. After visiting the cellars and getting to know the winemakers, you’ll sit down for a final tasting before the return drive to Siena.

Travel along one of the most panoramic roads in Tuscany, driving the characteristic moonscape of the Crete Senesi en route to the medieval hamlet of Pienza in the Val D’Orcia valley. One of the first towns to be entirely planned on paper by important architects and artists of the time, Pienza was commissioned by Pope Pius II - the humanist pope - to help him renovate his native town and bring it to new splendor. A wholesome lunch, based on fresh local ingredients will be waiting on a beautiful terrace (weather permitting) at a local dairy farm. Learn about the process of making Italy’s famous pecorino cheese. Continue in the afternoon to Montepulciano, one of Tuscany’s largest hill towns. Under the dominance of Siena in the Middle Ages, and Florence during the Renaissance, today it is renowned for its wine. See influences from both towns in the architecture and art of the historic center, located on a steep hill with beautiful views of the Tuscan and Umbrian border. Go to the main Piazza Grande, and tour one of the many wineries, carved out of the earth below the city. Discover some of the palaces of the noble families that once lived here. After a short walk around town with a guide, enjoy some free time to taste the fabled wines, or continue to explore the palaces, churches and streets on your own. As you follow the route of the main road downhill, imagine how hard the “Bravio delle Botti” festival must be; a competition to race wine barrels from the bottom to the top of the hill!

Learn about viticulture in the picturesque vineyards of Montalcino. Join your guides along the Brunello Cru path through the vines, as they show you different terroirs and introduce you to the philosophy and biodynamic approach of these vineyards. Enjoy a tasting of 6 wines with food pairings. Meet your guides and head down the Brunello Cru path. The path leads to the cross-vaulted cellar, where the wines can mature in a balanced way. Learn about the different steps of winemaking and why wine ages in wood, concrete barrels, or amphoras. After the detailed tour, a nicely arranged table awaits you in the tasting room. During a guided tasting, enjoy 6 wines in 3 flights. Each of the wines will be paired with a specially created gourmet bite. Discover how harmony with nature can influence tastes. For this wine experience, you can choose between 2 tasting options: Dynamic Brunello Cru Tasting: This tasting concentrates on Brunelli and its different single vineyards. • 6 Brunelli: 1 vintage Brunello, 3 Brunello Cru & 2 Brunello Cru Riserva • Signature Corte Pavone Tasting: Get the perfect overview of the Corte Pavone range and learn how so many different wines from 1 grape variety can be produced in Sangiovese. • Le Perle di Pavone Spumante, Rosso di Montalcino, Levante, Brunello di Montalcino, Brunello Cru, Brunello Cru Riserva

Take some time to enjoy a region rich in refined winemaking and cultural treasures on a private day trip to the enchanting wine region of Montalcino. Visit 3 family-run wineries and tour their estates, including the vineyards, the wine cellars, the aging and tasting rooms. Taste a range of wines, and savor a traditional Tuscan lunch. Get picked up at your accommodation in Florence and meet your sommelier guide for the day. Then, head out into the Tuscan countryside to explore a region that has been producing red wines since the 15th century. Discover 3 family-run wineries and the famed Brunello di Montalcino, a distinctive red wine with Italy's highest DOCG that is produced from a local Tuscan type of Sangiovese. Learn about and compare the different styles of winemaking with your guide. Enjoy wine tastings at each of the scenic properties, which will include Brunello and other regional wines like Rosso di Montalcino, as well as a Tuscan lunch made from local products and specialties. At the end of your tasting journey, return to Florence for drop-off at your accommodation.

The first part of your full-day tour begins with a visit to the walled medieval town of San Gimignano, the City of Fine Towers. Armed with helpful information from your tour escort you’ll have free time to explore the town’s historical center and browse its artisan shops. Visit San Gimignano, the birthplace of Vernaccia, a white wine produced exclusively in the area. The wine is noted for its high quality and for being the first Italian DOCG wine. Afterwards, stop at a winery for a lunch of salami, cheese, and other local products, accompanied by Chianti tasting.  Discover Val d’Orcia, another Tuscan jewel and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Continue on to Montalcino, perched on a hill overlooking 1,500 hectares of Brunello vineyards that have contributed to the area’s international reputation. Finally, enter a local wine cellar, where you’ll have a chance to taste the renowned Brunello of Montalcino, rated among the finest Italian DOCG wines. Sample other typical local products as well.