Learn more about Italian wines by having an expert-guided tasting in the comfort of your own villa whilst on holiday in Tuscany.

 

Have you often felt that you would like to know more about the wines of Italy, while holidaying here, but you don’t know where to start? There seems such a bewildering multitude of grape varieties, DOC and DOCG regions, not to mention IGT, they seem to breed! In fact there are literally hundreds of officially recognised wine regions and more grape varieties, in addition to numerous wines, where the anarchic Italians have simply thrown the rule book away to make wines of world class humbly labelled ‘Vino da Tavola’.

To find a path through this maze you can try and work your way through the shelves of your local supermarket on a trial and error basis. Or you can visit a local winery, feeling obliged to buy a few bottles, because the owner was sooo enthusiastic about his wines and hospitable towards you, even though you weren’t that impressed with the produce. Or you may buy a few bottles you had at that seaside restaurant and find when you get home, that the wine does not appear to travel well; i.e. it does not seem to taste the same by the time you get home.

What do we offer?

Does any of the above sound familiar to you? Here is your answer. Invite an expert into the villa you are staying in to have a fun and informative wine tasting evening. Whether you are already a wine enthusiast or just have a general interest each tasting is tailored towards your individual wishes.

Format of Tastings: Typically a wine tasting would last 2-3 hours and it is suggested that they take place in the early evening. Your taste buds are generally keener before a meal. The prices below are quoted for a group of 2-12 participants unless otherwise stated (bear in mind that the smaller the group the more wine there will be left over, which you can then finish off over your dinner or the next couple of days). Tastings for larger groups can be arranged, prices will be quoted on an individual basis.

The price includes the wine, expert guidance for 2 hours or however long it takes and a tasting sheet with full details of the wines, including price and availability (on request I can also find out if these wines are available in your home country). Tasting glasses will be provided, as well as some plain biscuits.

Our Expert

Mr. Heiko has had over 20 years experience of the wine trade in the UK and other parts of Europe and speaks fluent English and German. During that time he has worked for various reputable independent wine merchants in and around London and has passed the Wine and Spirit Education Trust Diploma and studied towards the tough Master of Wine qualification. He has now lived in Italy for 5 years, where he has run his own business acting as an agent for a number of small Italian wine producers in the UK, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands. Not only do he knows Italian wines well, but he also knows how they compare to the international market, something many Italian wine farmers often do not understand.

TASTING PROPOSALS

  1. Wines of the Cinque Terre € 324

The vineyards of this spectacular wine region on the coast of Liguria are amongst the most difficult to work. Steep terraces hang precariously above the sea around the 5 little villages that make up the Cinque Terre. Production is small and mechanization impossible. Because of the rarity of these wines they are quite expensive. DOC laws allow for a dry white wine made from a blend of Vermentino, Albarolo and Bosco grapes and of the famed dessert wine called Sciacchetrà, produced in minute quantities. A little red wine is produced by some of the more enterprising producers, but has to be labeled as Vino da Tavola.

 

The tasting will consist of 6 wines, 4 dry whites of different styles, including the oak-aged wine of Walter de Battè, one red and one Sciacchetrà. Note: As the latter only comes in half bottles, the price of this tasting only applies to groups of no more than 6 participants. For groups of 7-12 there is a surcharge of €60 (the standard price of a half bottle).

  1. Chianti € 235

The most famous region of Tuscany, even Italy, produces a variety of styles from easy drinking basic Chianti, soft feminine Chianti Colli Senesi, more muscular Chianti Rufina, racy Chianti Montalbano, to the more serious Chianti Superiore, Chianti Classico and finally Chianti Classico Riserva. We will also contrast some of the more traditional producers using a small percentage of white grapes in their blends with those of a more modern outlook adding a splash of Cabernet Sauvignon.

This tasting will consist of 7 red wines.

 

  1. Life Beyond Chianti – Lesser known wines of Tuscany € 230

Everybody has heard of Chianti, many will know Brunello di Montalcino or Vernaccia di San Gimignano. If you know your wines you will have heard of Morellino di Scansano and Rosso and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. But have you heard of the DOC wine regions of Ansonica Costa dell’Argentario, Montecarlo Bianco, Candia dei Colli Apuani or Montecucco? In fact there are some 38 DOC and DOCG nominations within the region of Tuscany. This tasting is a journey of discovery amongst the lesser known ones.


This tasting will consist of 4 white and 4 red wines and is a bit of a surprise package, which may or may not include the above and other rarities such as Carmignano, Montescudaio, Bianco Pisano di San Torpè or Colli di Etruria Centrale. A wine from the immediate area you are staying in will be included in the selection to give you a local flavour.


4. Organic and Biodynamic Wines € 250

Italy is probably the largest producer of organic wines in the world, with some 10% of the production grown with minimal use of pesticides and herbicides. Not all get their wines certified though for a variety of reasons. For a small producer there is too much cost and bureaucratic effort involved in organic certification, others feel they narrow their consumer market by labeling their wines such and others prefer to keep an opt-out option in case a vintage goes disastrously wrong and they need to intervene to save the crop.


This tasting will consist of 6 to 8 representative wines form all over Italy both white and red. You can either go for the top quality option with fewer wines or try more wines at better value prices. Montepulciano d’Abruzzo at varying quality levels will feature in either tasting, as will a Chianti. Other options include a Vermentino from the Lunigiana, Verdicchio di Castelli Jesi at different quality levels, Lazio Bianco or Rosso IGT, Salice Salentino from Puglia, an Aglianico from Campania, Montecucco Sangiovese from the Maremma, a Prosecco from the Veneto, a sparkling wine from the Franciacorta region in Lombardia or a biodynamic Rosso di Montalcino. The last two incur an extra €20.

 

  1. What is Behind the Label – language of Italian wine labels explained € 225

How do you know what to expect if you pick a bottle randomly off the shelf? A look at the different aspects of the label with practical examples of some well known every day wines as well as a couple of ‘treats’. Did you know for example that there is a grape variety called Montepulciano as well as a town and wine region of the same name, and that the two have nothing in common? Or do you know when Trebbiano - the most widely planted white grape variety in Italy often producing insipid, bland wines - is not Trebbiano and actually produces very pleasant and interesting wines or even some of real class? Do you know your grape varieties from your wine regions?


We will taste 8 wines, 4 white and 4 red, from all over Italy to demonstrate some of the rules and some of the pitfalls of Italian wine labelling.

 

  1. The Classics - Fine Red Wines of Italy € 310

Deluxe € 420

This is a journey through some of the finest Italy has to offer, one wine each from the following famous wines: Barbaresco, Barolo, Amarone della Valpolicella, Brunello di Montalcino and a ‘Super Tuscan’ There are of course different levels within these appellations.


The basic tasting will feature good producers, which offer reasonable value for money without loosing the typical characteristics of their respective regions. The deluxe version will consist of wines from some of the top producers who regularly outscore the competition with some of the highest marks given by international wine critics.


Other topics are available on request. Simply tell us what area you would like covered and your budget and we will tailor a tasting to your wishes.