DAY 2 Sunday 12 September ROME
On arrival mid-morning at Rome Airport, the tour group will be met by a private coach and travel to central Rome for an afternoon sightseeing tour with a local guide before checking into the tour’s centrally located four-star hotel. The tour group will come together for welcome drinks with Peter Simic before dinner. A good value local restaurant will be recommended.

DAY 3 Monday 13 September SIENA
After breakfast we will travel north by private coach to the Orvieto sub-region in Umbria for our fi rst wine visit to the classic Italian winery estate of Castello Delle Regine with the promise of an Italian “Slow food” afternoon: good food, good wines and good people! Late afternoon we travel onto the wonderful city of Siena for a three night stay.

DAY 4 Tuesday 14 September SIENA
This morning we will join our private coach to travel south to Montepulciano, a great Tuscan hill town. It is the home of one of Italy’s most famous red wines, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, produced from sangiovese and local varieties such as canaiolo and mammolo. We will visit key producers, Fattoria del Cerro and the highlyregarded Poliziano winery. Afterwards we return to Siena for an evening of leisure.

DAY 5 Wednesday 15 September SIENA
Following breakfast we travel south to the most famous wine area in southern Tuscany, Montalcino, home of Brunello di Montalcino. Here we visit the magnifi cent Villa of the Argiano winery dating back to the 1580 Renaissance period. There will be time to explore the pleasant town of Montalcino. We will enjoy the fi rst Winestate Magazine Celebration Lunch at a noted Michelin- starred restaurant in Montalcino. An impressive menu will be served with a range of top-ranking local wines selected by Peter Simic.

DAY 6 Thursday 16 September FLORENCE
After a morning free time in Siena we travel further north for vineyard visits in the well-known Chianti region located between Siena and Florence. Sangiovese is the essential variety in Chianti, with many of the best producers using it exclusively. We will visit the top vineyard of Sensi Vini and enjoy structured tastings followed by a trip to the magnifi cent 15th century Machiavellian structure of Villa Mangiacane. In late afternoon we will travel on to our centrally located Florence hotel for a two-night stay. Good quality restaurants will be recommended for dinner.

DAY 7 Friday 17 September FLORENCE
After breakfast we will enjoy an optional short walking tour of Florence with a local guide, visiting the Duomo, the Piazza della Signoria, the Ponte Vecchio and this remarkable city’s other main sights. There will be free time for lunch at leisure before we depart for the spectacular Castello di Gabbiano vineyard in Chianti (part of the Foster’s group). There will be time for shopping on our return and good quality restaurants will be recommended for dinner.

DAY 8 Saturday 18 September PARMA
This morning we will travel north for a day in the Emilia-Romagna wine region, which covers an area from south of Bologna to north of Parma. Here we visit the Gaviolo Family winery, where Lambrusco and Gaviolo date back to 1794. There will be free time in Bologna and in late afternoon we will continue on to Parma, our base for two nights. Parma is an important market town and the home of two of Italy’s most famous culinary delights: Parmesan cheese and dry-cured ham. Good value restaurants will be recommended for dinner.

DAY 9 Sunday 19 September PARMA
The morning will be free for individual activity. At lunchtime we will enjoy a Winestate Magazine Celebration Lunch at a high-quality Michelin-starred restaurant. Peter Simic will choose a range of prestige Italian wines that will match a fine menu. The evening will be free.

DAY 10 Monday 20 September ALBA
After breakfast we will travel west to the Piedmont region and the delightful town of Alba, famous for its white truffl es, where we will stay for two nights. Here we begin our visit with a tasting and tour of the winery, Produttori del Barbaresco winery. After a complimentary lunch we enjoy the company of the Paolo Manzone family at their winery. A number of local restaurants will be recommended for dinner.

DAY 11 Tuesday 21 September ALBA
Today we have a fabulous visit arranged to the famous Prunotto winery; a meeting with their winemaker Gianluca Torrengo, and a hosted lunch.

DAY 12 Wednesday 22 September MILAN
After breakfast we will continue exploring the fine wines of Piedmont. We will head north to the Novara and Vercelli Hills region, notable for the bold reds: Gattinara and Ghemme, produced from nebbiolo. Included will be a cellar tour and hosted lunch by the dynamic Marrone family at Agricola Gian Piero Marrone.Later in the afternoon we visit the spectacular Castello di Luzzano winery on the way to Milan for a two night stay.

DAY 13 Thursday 23 September MILAN
In the morning we will enjoy a tour of the sights of Milan with a local guide. There will be free time for independent activity in the afternoon before we come together at a Michelin-starred important La Montina winery for a tour and lunch. The winery is in the Franciorta region and dates back to 1620 and Pope Paul VI. We then move on to the Masi Winery, near Verona. Masi is one of Italy’s most important wineries, known for its amarone style reds. If time permits they will also show us the historical Serego Alighieri Villa.

DAY 14 Friday 24 September RIVA DEL GARDA
After breakfast we will travel east by private coach to Lake Garda and our hotel located right on the lake in the small town of Riva del Garda. On the way we visit the historically important La Montina winery for a tour and lunch. The winery is in the Franciorta region and dates back to 1620 and Pope Paul VI. We then move on to the Masi Winery, near Verona. Masi is one of Italy’s most important wineries, known for its amarone style reds. If time permits they will also show us the historical Serego Alighieri Villa.

DAY 15 Saturday 25 September RIVA DEL GARDA
The best wines are produced between Lake Garda and Verona and in the elevated Alto Adige region to the north. Valpolicella and Bardolino are notable reds and wellknown whites include Soave and Trentino chardonnay. In the moring we visit the beautiful Monte del Frà winery for a wonderful sparkling Italian wine tour.

DAY 16 Sunday 26 September RIVA DEL GARDA
After breakfast we will take a ferry trip on Lake Garda and then enjoy our fi nal Winestate Magazine Celebration Lunch at the aristocratic Il Dominio di Bagnoli Cellars dating back to the 14th century, the most prestigious winery of Padua. To fi nish the tour Venetian players will perform for us among the statues of the estate.

DAY 17 Monday 27 September DEPARTURE
After breakfast the tour group will be transferred to Milan’s Malpensa Airport to join the international fl ight back to Australia.

DAY 18 Tuesday 28 September EN ROUTE TO AUSTRALIA

DAY 19 Wednesday 29 September EARLY MORNING ARRIVAL IN AUSTRALIA.