You don't have to leave home to enjoy Tuscany: with our travel-diary tips you can follow our Glam suggestions right from your smartphone. Here's the first stop on our diary. Good trip!
Destination #1
San Gimignano through the eyes of a WineLover
Your guide is @tenutatorcianowinery. Arriving at Tenuta Torciano Winery in San Gimignano means walking in the Italian sunshine and losing yourself in the green hills of vineyards, olive groves, oak forests, red poppies, yellow ears of wheat and the beauty of sunflowers: a succession of colors and scents no poet could imitate.
You lose yourself in the vineyards of Tenuta Torciano among stories of the vineyard workers' daily life, technical explanations of vineyard work and the birth of the grapes, right up to the harvest in September and October. The visit explores the territory and the wines with a wide tasting, set among the landscape and architecture, the barrel cellar, the winery and the tasting rooms, indoors and outdoors, right on the garden.
First phase of the visit
Approaching the vineyard
It starts with the ancient Vernaccia di San Gimignano vine, planted under Romano Giachi's management in 1996: it gave its name to the "Poggioaicieli" wine, one of the most famous in the area, in a vineyard facing south and south-east. Don't miss the Sangiovese vineyard either.
Nearby is the garden vineyard: a new spiral-shaped vineyard that combines production with aesthetics and tradition, now an attraction for the most curious visitors. It's a harmonious sequence of vine rows arranged in a circular spiral, centered on a stone island as a scenic spot to enjoy the view.
Second phase of the visit
The cellar
An expert guide walks you through the history of Tenuta Torciano and its current production line, over a visit of an hour and a half to two hours, with a tasting of the estate's wines.
Third phase of the visit
Vertical tasting with Tuscan lunch
Tuscan cuisine opens with hors d'oeuvres of mixed salami, pecorino cheese and bruschette with extra virgin olive oil and tomatoes, followed by a delicious truffle lasagna and simple, tasty Tuscan ribollita soup. Main courses include grilled meat on the barbecue, peposo and Florentine steak, accompanied by precious truffles hunted and collected in the estate's private truffle ground, inside its enchanting forest, a wildlife reserve of captive wild animals.
Lunch is paired with 13 types of wine: Brunello di Montalcino, Chianti, Chianti Classico, the special Rosso di Toscana reserves Bartolomeo 2012, Cavaliere 2012 and Baldassarre 2012, Vernaccia di San Gimignano, Prosecco and a dessert wine, finished off with typical Tuscan cantuccini biscuits.
Who can book
The visit is aimed at a wide audience, from enthusiasts to people wanting a first experience of wine culture, always with an expert guide to the area and to the estate's farming and cellar practices.
In your suitcase
What to bring
Linen trousers or a black tube dress, for a stylish dinner inside the Palladium of the circular vineyard, with a lovely view of the famous Towers of San Gimignano.
More
Tuscany on Instagram
To see Tuscany through the eyes of a Tuscan WineLover, there's the Instagram account @torcianowinery, gathering the impressions of friends who come to visit from all over the world every year to share this almost imaginary journey with us.
FAQ
What is served during the Tuscan lunch tasting?
Lunch opens with mixed salami, pecorino cheese and bruschette with extra virgin olive oil and tomatoes, followed by truffle lasagna and ribollita soup, then grilled meat, peposo and Florentine steak, finished with Tuscan cantuccini biscuits.
How long does the winery visit and tasting last?
An expert guide leads a visit of about an hour and a half to two hours, including a tasting of the estate's wines.
How many wines are paired with the lunch?
Lunch is paired with 13 types of wine, including Brunello di Montalcino, Chianti, Chianti Classico, the Rosso di Toscana reserves Bartolomeo 2012, Cavaliere 2012 and Baldassarre 2012, Vernaccia di San Gimignano, Prosecco and a dessert wine.
Who can book this visit?
The visit is aimed at a wide audience, from wine enthusiasts to people wanting a first experience of wine culture, always accompanied by an expert guide.
What should you wear for the visit?
Visitors are advised to bring linen trousers or a black tube dress for a stylish dinner inside the Palladium of the circular vineyard, with a view of the Towers of San Gimignano.
