Salute! 2007 Wine Tasting Tours in Italy

Ah wine, the nectar of the Gods. History has shown us that wine has been enjoyed as far back as between 4000 and 3000 B.C. in ancient Egypt and Persia. Information of that era shows that they had accomplished simple winemaking techniques by discovering fermentation.

Wine became as prominent at meals as soda pop and kool-aide are today. In Europe, wine is still part of regular meals and not considered out of the ordinary during lunches in the middle of the business day. In fact, at least three wines usually accompany a typical meal; an aperitif, the dinner wine, and the dessert wine.

Wine connoisseurs enjoy the process of growing, making, and bottling wine as well as learning and often teaching the proper technique for decanting, observing and tasting to determine its worth. These rituals are considered a sign of sophistication and are also symbolic, like a Japanese tea ceremony. It is not the drinking of the wine that is important, it is the enjoyment of the art of wine tasting that counts.

In Italy, there are many day tours of vineyards and also accompanying wine tasting events. Italian Wine Tours* offers a week long tour of Tuscany, where the wines from that region are the most popular. Each Vineyard would take close to three days to tour completely. The tour offers an immersion into the culture and the art of living well. Some of the favored wineries are Ambra in Florence, Cesani in the Vernaccia di San Gimignano, and Mantellassi on the Etruscan Coast and Maremma.

Sicily is another region of Italy with excellent wineries offering tours to ones such as Donnafugata, Fazio, and Rallo.

Tours 2007 kicks off in March-

"March 31 to April 9 - Sicily Easter Celebrations - 10 days 9 nights
Easter is really extraordinary in Sicily: it's already spring and the celebrations are scenic, crowded and lively. All of Sicily celebrates Palm Sunday, Good Friday and Easter, as well as the spring and the reawakening of nature. Once a year we can take you to join historical pageants and processions like street theatrical events, while the streets bands roam all around town. In addition, as usual, we visit impressive Greek and Roman sites, when they are less crowded and our favorite wineries from Taormina, through the Etna and Syracuse, to Agrigento, Selinunte, Marsala and Palermo."

"April 15 to 22 - Tuscany: Maremma and the Etruscan Coast - 8 days 7 nights
Meet in Rome and travel to Orvieto to taste the classico white and the noble rot wines, without forgetting the Montefalco and top red Sagrantino. Reach the wonderful Tuscan Maremma, rich of unspoiled nature and ancient towns, Etruscan sites and an unexpected wealth of good new wines. Taste the Morellino di Scansano with the game cuisine dishes of the internal hills, and the Ansonica dell'Argentario with the seafood from Orbetello and Porto Ercole. Enjoy some relax walking by the coast or at the Saturnia's warm baths or take a daytrip to Montalcino to taste our favorite Brunellos.Visit the beautiful Massa Marittima and taste its Monteregio wines, drink at last the top DOCs and Supertuscans from Bolgheri and the first of all of them, the Sassicaia of Tenuta San Guido. "

"October 18 to 27 - Classic Sicily Tour - 9 days 8 nights
The program is as for the March tour, but it will be run in reverse, in order to join the Marsala Vinoro Wine festival. Besides tasting the classic Nero d'Avola alcamo and other wines, since the olive harvest is going on, and you will be able to taste the fresher and fruitier olive oils, and to purchase directly from the farmers at the mill."

*All touring information provided by: http://www.italianwinetours.com/special%20tours.htm

The joy of visiting and experiencing a different country and culture will last a lifetime and you will find yourself forever changed by it. It may become a habit to return the next year! You'll become intoxicated by the Tuscan sun, warmed by the smiles of the locals, and enchanted by the history of each and every region you visit. With an open heart and an adventurous spirit, lift your glass high and offer a toast to familia and friends. Salute!