Tuscany Wine Country Tours of Italian Wineries & Wines of Italy

As you can tell, Karin likes wine as much as we do. She also loves Italy and knows it like the back of her grape stained hands. Karin lives just outside of Siena and will be accompanying us as we trek the hills of Tuscany.

Karin is a native of Corvallis, Oregon and has lived in Italy for seven years. She is fluent in Italian, worked in the travel business and also for Rick Steves and we are delighted to have her along again in 2007. She has become an integral part of the Eola Hills team.

(A note from Karin) Dear Eola Hills Enthusiasts:

I have been living in Tuscany for the last seven years and am in love with the culture, people, food and especially the wine! I am very excited to be working with Eola Hills to produce an extraordinary Tuscan Wine tour. I have had several chances to take guests to local wineries in the most prestigious production areas of Tuscany, infusing in them not only a love for Italian wines (not hard to do) but also if its importance in the Italian way of life.

I grew up in Corvallis and studied at the University of Montana in Missoula. I then decided a year abroad would do me good and that year has stretched into five, then seven. I have made my home here in Tuscany and welcome all of you to come and be a part of this fascinating place. My interest in wines grew from the cultural importance of wine in Italy. It is not only an important part of every meal it is also an important part of their cultural identity and history. I recently completed my first of three exams to become a professional sommelier and would like to use this knowledge to introduce travellers to the wonderful world of Tuscan wines.

I look forward to meeting all of the Eola Hills guests and hope you are all excited about coming to Tuscany. Doug and I are “fine tuning” the itinerary for next year, and it is subject to a few minor alterations, but for now it is looking something like this:

Wednesday, May 16th: Arrive in Florence, check into hotel and relax. 6:00 PM wine reception and orientation. A chance to meet your fellow travellers.

Thursday, May 17th: After a good nights rest, we will take a short walking tour to acquaint ourselves with this marvellous city. After getting the “lay of the land”, the afternoon is free to visit all the historic sights, museums or just relax at a sidewalk café with a cappuccino.

Friday, May 18th: After a leisurely breakfast, we have several options at our disposal. The famous Uffizi Art Gallery waits as well as the Bobble palace, the Academia (home of Michelangelo’s David). Go light on the pastries and gelatos during the day as this evening we have a gourmet dinner paired with the appropriate wines of Tuscany.

Saturday, May19th: Today we leave Florence and head south to Siena with its famous campo and the Palio. Along the way, we stop in the walled city of San Gimignano for lunch and a chance to explore some of the small shops and back alleys or buy some Italian pottery. From there its off to our first winery to sample some of the regional wines.

Sunday, May 20th: Ah, Sunday in Siena. We are free today to explore all the nooks and crannies of this marvelous town of art and architecture. What a great way to usher in the month of May. Since you all are fluent in Italian by now, grab a local newspaper; an express or cappuccino and watch the world pass by. Speaking of art, some of you may want to learn the art of authentic Tuscan cooking. A class is available today. This evening wine is served on the patio of our hotel; a perfect opportunity to swap sight-seeing adventures.

Monday, May 21st: Rise and shine campers! After breakfast, we board our tour bus and continue our trek southward. Our winery stop today is Castillo Banfi, one of the largest producers of the famous Brunello d Montalcino. Not only will we be sampling some wine, we are in for another gourmet treat as lunch will be served in the cellar. This is a perennial favourite. Tonight we arrive in Orvieto, our home for the next two nights.

Tuesday, May 22nd: A nice easy morning waits. Orvieto is small enough to cover on foot. The cathedral anchors the town square and our hotel overlooks the bell tower so it is almost impossible to get lost. This afternoon, we visit another winery as this region is noted for its white wines.

Wednesday, May 23rd: Today we are off to Rome. Arriving at our hotel in early afternoon, we will have a chance to be settled in and relax before venturing out. We will also have a chance to discuss the myriad of possible destinations on tomorrow’s docket.

Thursday, May 24th: By now you are all fluent in Italian and well acquainted with this wonderful country. We have several options on our final full day. The Vatican and St. Peters, The Coliseum, Trivi Fountain, more museums….the list goes on. This evening you will want to be back in time for our farewell wine reception and a chance to say arrivederci to your traveling companions.

Friday, May 25th: For most of us, its bon voyage as we head back home.

Call 1-800-291-6730 or 503-623-2405, ask for Tom or Doug to make sure your're updated and sign-up for eLetter updates here.

Here's what folks have had to say about these trips:

"The structured portion of the tour with the group was fun especially with the emphasis being on enjoying the wines and wine country of Italy. This was our best over seas trip yet. We look forward to next year's trip to the Rhine Country in Germany."

"Just wanted to tell you how much we enjoyed our trip to Tuscany. In addition to great food, local wines, beautiful scenery, and great people, we really enjoyed the history of the region, as well as the unbelievable art, sculptures, pottery, etc. Actually, there was so much to enjoy it is hard to mention it all. We look forward to more trips in the future!!"

"You guys at Eola Hills did it right! We all had a great time and would do it again in a heartbeat..(although we hold you responsible for the increase in our collective waistlines) This was a special trip and a great group of folks to travel with. Thanks for everything."