Things to Do and See in Italy
Planning a trip to Italy? Here are some ideas on where to stay, dine and taste wine in Italy:
My Favorite Piedmont Restaurants Worth a Visit When Touring the Wine Roads of Northern Italy -
Traditionally, where you find good wine in Italy you also find good food and restaurants. The Piedmont region is no exception to this rule. Its array of world-class wines is matched by the quality of its food and restaurants - it's a foodies' paradise. Listed are ten of my favorite, must-visit restaurants in the Piedmont...read the article»
A Self-guided Wine Tour of Southern Tuscany: Where to Dine, Sip and Buy Wine in Montepulciano and Montalcino
Montalcino and Montepulciano are two engaging hill towns in southern Tuscany (i.e., Tuscany south of Siena) with distinguished pasts and embellished with historic architecture and Renaissance art. But Montalcino and Montepulciano are also prominently known for their wines - Vino Nobile for Montepulciano and Brunello for Montalcino - and both cities and their environs are filled with cantine, enoteche (wine bars), world-famous wineries and wine-friendly restaurants.
This article provides a self-guided tour of wineries in the Montepulciano and Montalcino areas that welcome visitors for tours and tastings. Also presented are listings of local wine shops that have wines available for tasting by the glass and wine-friendly restaurants...read the article»
Prosecco, Figs and Serendipity
It was serendipity that escorted us to the cantina, er, farm last year while traveling in the Veneto. It was early afternoon on a brilliantly hot day in early summer and we were leisurely driving in our rented Fiat to Asolo after visiting Villa Barbaro, the magnificent 17th century Palladian estate in Maser.
In addition to me, our small group consisted of my wife and intrepid traveling companion, Julie, our son Douglas and wife Heather, and we were ready for a rest break. With the exception of some figs that we had helped ourselves to earlier...read the article»
An Eclectic Guide to Rome’s Best Wine Bars
To be honest, I don’t know if these are the best wine bars in Rome. There are a lot of wine bars (or enoteche) in Rome and I haven’t the time or financial resources to sample all of them. Rather, these are simply the ones I have enjoyed the most during my several trips to Rome in recent years and that best meet my criteria for a really quality wine bar experience...read the article»
Travel Itinerary for Matera: Exploring Southern Italy's Hidden Gem
Matera is one of the most unusual, interesting and singular tourist destinations in Italy. While located in the off-the-beaten-track region of Basilicata in southern Italy, Matera is internationally famous for its extensive and ancient cave dwellings, known as sassi, that were inhabited as far back as...read the article»
Interesting and Informative New Travel Guide for Sardinia
I want to call your attention to a recently-published guide and travel overview for the island of Sardinia (Sardegna). The travel guide is called simply “Sardinia” and is written by local travel writer Eliot Stein. If your Italian travel plans include a visit to Sardinia or if you’re simply an armchair traveler that just wants to learn more about this interesting island, you may want to consider buying a copy of this informative and interesting travel guide...read the article»
Northeastern Veneto Itinerary — Treviso to Marostica and Return
Approximate Distance: 115 km (71 miles)
Suggested Travel Time: 5 days
After spending several days in Venice, most tourists that want to further sample the charms of the Veneto typically head west to Padua and Verona and bypass some of the Veneto’s most interesting but small, off-the-beaten-track towns. Well, they’re not entirely undiscovered...read the article»
The Insiders’ Guide to Tasting Wines in the Piedmont: Wineries, Enoteche and Wine Shops in the Piedmont
The area around Alba in the Piedmont region of northern Italy is a delightful area to visit, especially if you’re into wines. The hills surrounding Alba are home to some of the Piedmont's – and Italy's – biggest flavored and most famous red wines and some of its best white wines. This is where the legendary Barolo and Barbaresco...read the article»
For information about scheduling a wine tasting event for you or your company, church group or charitable organization, contact me via email at winetasting@WineWordsWisdom.com.