|
|
|
|
|
This VIP Winery Vacation includes ground transportation, boutique hotels, winery tours & tastings, most meals and coach ground transportation.Depart US Friday, April 16th 2020Arrive in Bari Italy on
|
|
|
Lecce is a city in Italy’s southern Apulia region. It's known for its baroque buildings. In the central Piazza del Duomo, the Cattedrale di Lecce has a double facade and a bell tower. The Basilica di Santa Croce features sculptures and a rose window. Nearby are the Sant’Oronzo Column, a Roman column topped with a bronze statue of the city’s patron saint, and the sunken Roman amphitheater.
|
|
|
The Vulture , also known as the Vulture-Melfese or Vulture-Alto Bradano is a geographical and historical region in the northern part of the province of Potenza, in the Basilicata region of Italy.
The area consists of the comuni of Atella, Barile, Ginestra, Melfi, Rapolla, Ripacandida, Rionero in Vulture, Maschito, Venosa, Ruvo del Monte, Rapone, and San Fele. The area takes its name from the extinct volcano Monte Vulture (1326 m). Sights include the two lakes of Monticchio within the crater of the volcano, and the castles of Frederick II of Hohenstaufen at Castel Lagopesole and Melfi. |
|
Alberobello is a town in Italy’s Apulia region. It’s known for its trulli, whitewashed stone huts with conical roofs. The hilltop Rione Monti district has hundreds of them. The 18th-century Trullo Sovrano is a 2-level trulli. Furniture and tools at the Museo del Territorio Casa Pezzolla re-create life in the trulli as it was centuries ago. Southwest of town is the Casa Rossa, a WWII internment camp.
A first occupation of the area started only in the early sixteenth century on the impulse of the Count of Conversano Andrea Matteo III Acquaviva d'Aragona. He allowed about forty peasant families from Noci to settle here and cultivate the land, with the obligation to give him the tenth of the crops. |
|
|
Matera is a city on a rocky outcrop in the region of Basilicata, in southern Italy. It includes the Sassi area, a complex of cave dwellings carved into the mountainside. Evacuated in 1952 due to poor living conditions, the Sassi now houses museums like the Casa Grotta di Vico Solitario, with period furniture and artisan tools. Nearby rock churches include St. Lucia alle Malve, with 13th-century frescoes.
The town of Matera was founded by the Roman Lucius Caecilius Metellus in 251 BC who called it Matheola. In AD 664 Matera was conquered by the Lombards and became part of the Duchy of Benevento. Anne Parmly Toxey writes that "The date of Matera's founding is debated; however, the revered work of the city’s early chroniclers provides numerous, generally accepted accounts of Goth, Longobard, Byzantine, and Saracen sieges of the city beginning in the eighth century and accelerating through the ninth century CE."[8] In the 7th and 8th centuries the nearby grottos were colonised by both Benedictine and Basilian monastic institutions. The 9th and 10th centuries were characterised by the struggle between the Byzantines and the German emperors, including Louis II, who partially destroyed the city. After the settlement of the Normans in Apulia, Matera was ruled by William Iron-Arm from 1043. |
|
Monopoli is a town on the Adriatic Sea, in southern Italy. It’s known for the Baroque Monopoli Cathedral, featuring a tall bell tower. In its crypt is an archaeological museum with sculptures and ancient tombs. On a promontory to the north, the 16th-century Castle of Carlo V has a huge stone portal. Nearby is the frescoed Palmieri Palace, built by a wealthy local family in the late 1700s.
|
|
|
The earliest local signs of permanent habitation are at the Neolithic site of Pulo, one of the most important such sites in southern Italy. The origins of the city can be traced to a small fishing port; antique graves testify to a fisherman's village in the fourth century BC. The position of the future city offered a valid landing to the commerce of Roman Rubo. The first indication of a toponym on the coast between Turenum (Trani) and Natiolum (Giovinazzo) is in the Itinerarium Provinciarum Antonini Augusti, edited from a third-century core. The place denominated Respa was probably a wrong transcript of the toponym Melpha, referring to a small village of fishermen.
|
|
Villa Schinosa is located outside the spectacular coastal town of Trani. The aristocratic Capece Minutulo family of Naples bears a true love for farming and winemaking. Today, they produce wines from the varieties typical of Southern Italy exclusively from their own grapes. Whites are grown predominantly in tufaceous limestone-based soils, while clay-rich soils are preferred for red varietals, with an average vine age of 20-25 years old. All farming is sustainable and without chemicals. At the current time, the winery is undergoing conversion to organic farming.
Their winemaker, Cristoforo Pastore, is a second-generation enologist and native of Puglia with a captivatingly impressive command of southern Italian varieties and their origins, which he attributes to his father’s strong knowledge and love for all things ‘local’. He is an encyclopedia when it comes to his home turf, knows the grape Uva di Troia intimately and has the deepest knowledge of where it grows best. He is at home in beautiful Trani, with his office just next to the Moscato vineyard of Villa Schinosa |
|
|
The winery is located in the town of Gravina in Puglia. The Gravina DOC, which is named after the town, is one of Puglia’s most important appellations.
The D’Agostinos have been the only ones to invest in the Gravina DOC, recovering the production of this white wine and rebuilding its reputation as an elegant and versatile wine. Today they are the only producers of the flavorful and refreshing Gravina, which is considered by many to be one of the most exciting whites from Southern Italy. |
|
At the end of World War II, when most of the population of Puglia was moving North to work in the big factories near Torino and Milano, Giovanni Battista Cantele, a wine merchant living in the nothern city of Imola, moved his family to Salento. The final decision was made by his wife Teresa Manara, who, at the time, barely knew anything about the area but fell in love with Puglia at first sight. She would later become the inspiration for a wine that now bears her name. After studying winemaking in Conegliano, Giovanni's son, Augusto Cantele, started the family winery, Cantine Cantele, with his father and his brother Domenico in 1979. Today, Teresa Manara and Giovanni Battista Cantele’s grandchildren run the winery together: Augusto’s children, Gianni and Paolo; and Domenico’s children, Umberto and Luisa. The Cantele winery is located in Guagnano, in the heart of the DOC where Negro Amaro dominates the landscape. |
|
|
Produttori di Manduria is the oldest active wine cooperative in Puglia: it was first established in 1928 as “Federazione Vini di Manduria” and then converted in to a cooperative in 1932 as “Consorzio Vini e Mosti di Manduria”. Despite being in one of the major wine producing Regions in Italy (Puglia usually ranks 2nd or 3rd in the national ranking in terms of wine produced), Produttori di Manduria is structured and operates like an Alto Adige cooperative, with 400 small growers farming 900 hectares of vineyards: with an average 2.25 hectares per member, each grower is able to carry out most of the vineyard management by hand with an extreme attention to quality. Primitivo represents the major focus of the winery, both in terms of vineyards planted (over 60% of the total) and in terms of tradition: Manduria is considered the birth place of the native Primitivo grape, so much so that in 1974 the Italian Government recognized a specific DOC appellation to the Primitivo made in Manduria. |
|
Basking in the balmy, Adriatic-cooled microlimate of the Salento peninsula in Puglia, on Italy’s heel, Agricole Vallone is a large, multi-tasking agricultural concern, with 170 hectares of vines interspersed with other crops, mostly olive trees, artichokes and vegetables. It was founded in 1934, but like others at the time, sold grapes to the local co-operative. It was only in the late 1990s that it began bottling its own wines, but it quickly made its name with its flagship wine, Graticciaia, a partially barrel-aged red made largely from negromaro grapes dried on mats (graticci) in the Autumn sunshine. Designated IGT Salento, this is a very special wine with powerful, concentrated flavours that ages beautifully. For more informal drinking, DOC Brindisi Rosso and its rosato equivalent from the Flaminio estate are hugely popular with members.
|
|
The Librandi winery is a modern enterprise founded in 1950 by Antonio and Nicodemo Librandi. Nowadays, the winery is run by Nicodemo, his two sons Paolo and Raffaele, his nephew Francesco and his niece Teresa. To this day, they remain faithful to the principles that inspired their forefathers: a great wine requires love and dedication to the land and its history.
Librandi is located in Cirò Marina, a small town in the southern Italian region of Calabria (Italy’s boot tip), on the splendid Ionian coastline. The soil in this area is naturally suited for grape growing, and the geographic position, located between the sea and the Sila Mountains, guarantees an excellent balance between day and nighttime temperatures. All Librandi wines and olive oils are made exclusively from estate-grown grapes and olives. The Librandi family owns a total of 890 acres, 573 of which are vineyards, 247 are olive groves, and the remainding acres are dedicated to the forest. The vineyards are planted with both local varietals (Gaglioppo, Magliocco and Mantonico) and international varietals. Librandi also runs an experimental vineyard with ancient local varietals. |
|
|
Eight municipalities, 50 members, a great wine: the Greco di Tufo. Behind these numbers lie the values, the passions and the joint efforts of a group of friends and farmers that in 2006 gave birth to the cooperative Le Otto Terre, which today extends over 70 hectares of vineyards and brings together the wine producers of the production area of Greco di Tufo docg, a local oenological jewel.
the typicality of the products is enhanced by the knowledge and use of modern technologies. The Greco di Tufo Petranera perfectly represents the history of this company and its terroir. Of a beautiful antique golden color, the nose offers clear sensations of dried fruit, vanilla and toasted notes, while on the palate it is fruity, with a good level of acidity and a finish that recalls the aroma of wood. |
|
|
Vinosia Luciano Ercolino intends to look to the future of the Irpino Territory and wine, producing, in a modern and dynamic business environment and with respect for the environment, a recognizable and recognized sensory quality, through which spread the knowledge of the terroir among more demanding and sophisticated users of the main international markets, who are always fascinated by Italian grape nectars. In the stylistic number of the wines, which nevertheless daring in the innovations and in the oenological approach there has kept, in any case, the best tradition and an almost homemade character, the consumer will recognise the value of an only and inimitable mark, an emotional treasure coming from a millenary history.
|
|
Gianfranco Fino's focus has been about quality: no compromises, no short-cuts, and obsessive attention to his vineyards. This attention to detail runs deeply, and Gianfranco works tirelessly to improve his vineyards, his estate, and his wines. He and his wife Simona share a deep and abiding passion for winemaking, which has led them on a fulfilling, lifelong journey—a journey which shows in every bottle of their high-quality, delicious wines. The wines consistently receive 90+ ratings from highly-regarded professionals and critics alike and are always a pleasure to drink. Location of Vineyards Gianfranco Fino’s goal was to find a vineyard with the perfect combination of characteristics: vine maturity, bush cultivation in red soil, good planting density, controlled vigor, and proper clonal selection. The company was born in January 2004, when they purchased a three-acre, 50 year-old vineyard in the Manduria region of Puglia. In 2006, two other small plots were saved from being uprooted and added. Today, the estate covers 37 acres, including a little plot of 40-year old Negroamaro vines near the sea. Winemaking Philosophy Gianfranco Fino allows his grapes to dry on the vines for a bit of time before collecting them to make his wine. This concentrates the sugar and flavors inside the grapes which will result in a more flavorful wine. He hand-harvests all the grapes, taking special care to make sure that each bunch is free of mold and perfectly ripe. In the winery, he believes in using a healthy balance of new and inert oak to give the wines a hint of barrel aging without covering up any of his terroir's expression.
|
|
|
Luigi Rubino . Admiration, loyalty and courage. These are the feelings that bind Luigi to the land of Salento. It is he who invests in the vineyards, rationalizes them, selecting the vines to plant and recover. The vision is clear and simple: great attention to the enhancement of native vines. Production, winery, commercial strategy, relationships with foreign buyers and much more, Luigi is the true soul of his company. At the same time, however, he seeks the comparison and the contribution of the whole Tenute Rubino team, starting with his wife Romina.
Romina Leopardi . Romina has Pugliese blood in her veins but she grew up on the other side of the world, in Australia. It belongs to that Mediterranean world that is Salento but lives this bond with the secularism and logical rigor of an Anglo-Saxon. Romina is the marketing and communication manager in the company and selects human resources, but it is not uncommon to see her support Luigi or the rest of the team in the most varied tasks. He firmly believes in organization, risk prevention and team play: he is proudly a member of the Women of Wine Association. |
|
After over 20 years of making wine in Tuscany, Fabrizio and Cecilia Piccin went looking for a different location with ideal conditions to begin a new winery project. They settled on Basilicata, home of the Vulture volcano and some of the most distinct and age-worthy wines in Italy, where they founded the Grifalco winery in 2004. The name Grifalco is a tribute to the family’s past and present. It combines the griffin, the symbol of Montepulciano in Tuscany where the Piccin’s are from, and the falcon, symbol of Monte Vulture, their adopted home.
The next generation of the Piccin family is heavily involved in the operation as well. Fabrizio and Cecilia’s son, Lorenzo, is a trained oenologist and oversees the winemaking, while Andrea conducts the commercial operations. The organically cultivated vineyards of Grifalco are deeply rooted in the volcanic soil of Vulture on hillsides between 450 and 580 meters above sea level, with vines up to 80 years old. Each parcel is harvested and vinified separately, creating wines that stay true to their distinct terroir. |
|
|
Once an ancient fortress, Don Ferrante now offers luxury accommodation in a panoramic location on the cliffs of Monopoli. It features a small pool with hydromassage jets.
Don Ferrante - Dimore di Charme is in Monopoli's historical centre and offers a sunbathing area with views of the Mediterranean Sea. |
|
The Risorgimento Resort is an elegant historic dwelling of 47 rooms and suites. Inn since 15th century, hotel in 19th century, since 2007 it’s the luxury resort of Vestas Hotels & Resorts.
Every detail makes your stay memorable and exclusive: the timeless charm of the historic architecture, the atmospheres of the contemporaneous design, the pleasant welcome, the sophisticated taste of Puglia cuisine and the intimate way of wellness living. |
|
|
Hotel Sant'Angelo, placed just off Vatican Museums, comprises 49 rooms with mountain views. Featuring a Spanish architecture, the venue was renovated in 2006. Among the various facilities of this accommodation, you will also find a safety deposit box, a lift and a garage.
The hotel is notable for its perfect location in the centre of Rome, providing quick access to Trevi Fountain in a 15-minute walk. It is within 1.4 km of The Vatican. The welcoming property is close to a chapel, a museum and a church. |
|
Puglia, the sunny southern region of Italy, offers the ideal place for excellent pasta production. Here, the “Pastificio del Colle”, thanks to the winning combination of tradition and a developed technology, has reached a leading position among the best pasta manufacturers in Italy.
Mr. Vito Nettis, current owner of the “Pastificio del Colle”, is the nephew of Vito Nettis senior, who at the beginning of the 1920s carried out various activities in the food field: ice production, soft wheat mill, oven and pasta. For the “Pastificio del Colle”, the past, the present and the future are a perfect blend to achieve excellence. Tradition and innovation can fully meet the needs of customers, offering them a wide range of pastes, from traditional bronze-trained formats to new hand-crafted sizes. All our production can be white, flavored and colored with natural essences. Colored pasta has therefore become the true novelty and a popular sign of Pastaficio del Colle’s recognition. |
|
|
Vincotto (Original) by Gianni Calogiuri Vincotto is a velvety liquid made by cooking and reducing the grape must from two distinct grape varietals, malvasia and negroamaro, for a period of fifteen hours. It is then aged for four years in oak barrels, allowing the taste and consistency to develop. While there are some overtones of a fine Balsamic, this elixir must never be confused with Balsamic vinegar. Vincotto has nuances of prunes, spices, and heady grape components and is not as woody as Balsamic. Use Vincotto as a condiment, drizzling sparsely over game, roasted meats, salads, aged cheeses, and certain desserts. This is a natural product without any alcohol, colorants, or preservatives.
|
Location
|
|
