Tuscany Castles Tour with Chianti Wine tasting
Begin your adventure into the magic of Tuscany from your meeting point in Florence, where you'll meet up with your expert local guide. You'll then hop aboard a comfortable private coach to leave Renaissance Florence behind to discover the rural surroundings and Medieval history that paved the way for the opulent wealth and extraordinary artistic achievements it boasts.
After a short hour-long transfer filled with captivating commentary from your guide, you'll come to your first stop of the day, Verrazzano Castle. This privately owned medieval gem dominates the area’s rolling hills with its tower and is still inhabited today inside a parameter that was laid down as an Etruscan settlement. Listen as your guide paints a vivid picture of the castle’s past, its rivalry with the neighboring Castello di Vicchiomaggio and its significance as the birthplace of Giovanni da Verrazzano, the Italian navigator who discovered much of North America’s eastern coast, in 1485.
During your tour of the castle you'll experience what it was like to call such a residence home in centuries past, before visiting the wine cellars with an equally amazing history with roots dating to the year 1150. Indulge in a three flight guided tasting of Chianti’s famous wines, including a Chianti Classico DOGC, with local extra-virgin olive oil and pecorino cheese topped with the castle’s own balsamic dressing, all of which will be available to you for purchase in the castle boutique.
Board your private coach again for the quick 20-minute trip to the picturesque town of Greve in Chianti, where you'll enjoy free time for lunch in one of its many authentic Tuscan restaurants with insider recommendations from your guide on where to go to enjoy the best in Chianti’s regional cuisine. After lunch you can shop for souvenirs, specialty products, food and wine in the main piazza, which has been a crossroads for the area’s top products for centuries. Explore its trademark arched colonnades and savor the sights and flavors of small town Tuscany. You’ll even be able to visit Italy’s oldest butcher shop, the Falorni butchery, run by the same family since 1806 but with roots stretching back to 1729.
After your break in Greve in Chianti, you’ll board your private coach again for a bus tour of local winding roads and evocative landscapes until you arrive at Brolio Castle. Considered one of the most beautiful on the Italian peninsula, this privately owned jewel has been inhabited by the Ricasoli family since 1141. Learn its spectacular history as part of Florence’s bulwark against its rival Siena, as well as sieges from the Spanish and the Aragonese in the 15th century.
One of its many illustrious owners, Baron Bettino Ricasoli, was Italy’s 2nd Prime Minister and created the first known Chianti “recipe" in 1872, recommending 70% Sangiovese, 15% Canaiolo and 15% Malvasia Bianca. Your guided visit includes its lush Italian gardens, the family chapel and crypt, as well as a walk along the ramparts to survey the surrounding vineyards. You'll then be treated to a tasting of the castle’s own local wine and be able to browse the wine shop for delicious wines, olive oil, honey and jam to take home.
