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Wine tasting vacations in Tuscany

It’s hardly breaking news if we tell you that wine tasting vacations in Tuscany can be absolutely idyllic. But what may surprise you is the breadth of things you can do in the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance to compliment your tasting sessions, from cookery classes to gallery tours, and truffle-hunting in a landscape roamed by wolves.

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Wine tasting vacations in Tuscany

Even in a country that is globally praised for its delectable gastronomy and wines, Tuscany stands out as one of Italy’s most desirable destinations. This was the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance, and one of its leading lights, Leonardo da Vinci. It has an incredibly fertile cultural landscape and is famously beautiful, too, with magnificent architecture in its cities and blissful rural landscapes surrounding them.

But let’s talk about the wine. Tuscany is famed for its Chianti region, which produces reds so sublime they even tantalised as sophisticated a palate as Hannibal Lecter’s. The crisp whites that originate from the Vernaccia grape also enjoy a superb reputation. In Tuscany, it’s common to enjoy a short tasting any time you’re in a bar or restaurant, but of course there are countless vineyards and wineries where you can pause for a more detailed session.

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Wine tasting in Tuscany

Small group wine tasting vacations to Tuscany operate between April and October, but spring and autumn are the best time to travel if you want to avoid the worst of the crowds and enjoy good weather with extravagantly beautiful scenery. In search of fine wines you’ll visit medieval market towns perched on hilltops, ancient villages lined with groves of cedar and olive trees, and local wineries overlooking sweeping panoramas of emerald-green vines flourishing in the valleys beneath the Tuscan sun.

Some vacations combing wine tasting with walking, on trails that are pretty gentle for the most part though with the odd steep incline. After all, this type of trip is all about savouring the cuisine, the culture, the wines of Tuscany – you don’t want to take the exercise too far. Italian cookery classes, learning classic recipes, and even truffle-hunting, are other popular additions to a typical wine tour.

Naturally, when in Tuscany, it would be a shame not to spend at least a little time in its great urban centers: Siena, which has a wine school, and the majestic Piazza del Campo that in July and August hosts the Palio di Siena horse races; Florence, overflowing with museums and galleries such as the Uffizi, as well as the 13th century Duomo; and Pisa, which is also famous for something or other but it’s slipped our mind at the moment.

You might opt for a tranquil rural retreat, staying on an organic farm out in the Tuscan countryside beyond Florence, where you can pick your own ingredients for meals from the vegetable garden, learn to make your own sourdough bread and ravioli, taste wines and olive oil in family-run osterias, hunt for truffles and even take night walks in search of wolves – this type of trip is ideal for families with kids over the age of eight that like a very easygoing approach to their wine-tasting.

Or you might dip into neighbouring Umbria, exploring a series of prestigious vineyards, cellars and trattorias with an expert guide, pairing your wines with locally produced Pecorino cheese and other exemplary stalwarts of hearty Italian cuisine.

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“Our cooking classes here were wonderful. We were using locally sourced ingredients and had so much fun turning them into delicious meals that we enjoyed with the stunning view of the valley beyond. Our activities like visiting a local vineyard and going truffle hunting were also fab.” – Georgina Orme on a Tuscany cooking, walking and truffle-hunting tour