Weekend in Tuscany: Val d'Orcia and Maremma
Tuscany: Val d'Orcia and Maremma
Late spring is the ideal season to visit Tuscany, 3 days are not sufficient to discover all this beautiful Italian region. During our last travel we decided to visit Val d’Orcia and Maremma, we want to find caratertic town and taste wine and food. We preferred to book only one hotel; our choice is placed in Maremma Fonteblanda: hotel Le Querciolaie.
1st DAY. On Val d'Orcia wine road (Montepulciano, Pienza, Bagno Vignoni, San Quirico d’Orcia).
We arrive in Montepulciano for the lunch in a beautiful day of may, we did a little tour of the city and then we tasted local cheese and salami. We naturaly order a good glass of Nobile di Montepulciano, the most famous local wine. We also buy some bottle of Nobile Montepulciano Ercolano 2010. In Palazzo del Capitano in Piazza Grande there is the Wine Consortium of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, here you can taste wine, you can also ask for a winery visit. After the lunch we visit in order: Pienza, Bagno Vignoni and San Quirico d’Orcia. These are three small beautiful town that you don't have to lost. All wine lovers must visit Montalcino. In enoteca Bacchus, Via Matteotti 15, we order Rosso di Montalcino Pian delle Querci and Brunello of the day: Banfi Poggio alle Mura 2004. Our visit of Montalcino ended buying some bottle in Enoteca di Piazza and after that going to Fonteblanda, we had the dinner in hotel and we tasted some tipical Tuscany's dish like Acqua Cotta.
2nd DAY. On Colli di Maremma wine road (Sorano, Sovana, Pitigliano, Scansano)
We started the second day of our travel visiting Sorano and the city surprised as because it seems to did a time travel. After Sorano we visited Sovana but we arrived late to view Cattedrale Medievale with calm because it is closed from 01:00 pm to 03:30 pm. After a quick lunch we went to Pitigliano, a unique city built on the rocks. In Delizie di Ale e Helga we bought local olive oil and conserve and fruit compote. The owners allowed us to visit, their "cantine" (wine cellar). After Pitigliano we visited Scansano and here we went to l’ Enoteca Scansanese where we bought some bottle of Morellino di Scansano Wine. We had dinner in “L’Antica Botte” (you have to taste "Pici with guanciale, pecorino noci!).
3rd DAY Capalbio, Orbetello, Porto Ercole, Porto Santo Stefano
On the third day we waked up with a beutiful sun that recomended us to visit Argentario and its beatch. Early in the morning go went to Capalbio; you must take a coffee on the terrace before visit the center! We went to Porto Ercole for lunch and after on the Spiaggia Lunga beach (42°23'04.1"N 11°11'44.6"E) (42.384471, 11.195732). There's a steep path, about 200 meters, to reach the beach. In may we didn't find any umbrella and sunbeds but in Tuttomaremma.com we read the contraty. We had dinner in Porto Santo Stefano where we found "Festival del Pesce" (feast of the fish). There was some tipical fish dish, the name of the feast was "Tutti in poppa" that means "All in downwind".
4th DAY Talamone and Maremma's Park
For the fourth day we planned to visit Parco della Maremma. Reading the documentation that we found at the tourist office, we chose a medium difficult path (the number of the path was T1 Punta del Corvo ) that start from Talamone. There wasn't park near the start of the path, so we had to park near Talamone Acquarium and we did about one mile of an hard walk. During the jouney you can find some very interesting panoramic view but, for our consideration, it's too hard. We will try other path that stated from Alberese or from Collecchio, it may be the path that reach Cala di Forno. After the walk we had dinner in Talomone, visited Grosseto and that take the road to home.
Trip from Siena, Montalcino, Montapulciano and return journey with the visit to some winery and a village to sightsee.
First of all you need to know that: the distance between Siena and Montalcino is about 45km and it takes about 1 hour. The distance between Montalcino and Montepulciano is about 40 Km and from Montepulciano to Siena is about 70 km (half and a hour). In Italy the general legal limit of alcohol in the blood of drivers is 0.5 g/l (0.05%).
I would suggest that you leave the hotel early if you want to visit both the winery and the village. When you arrive from Siena you could visit San Quirico D’Orcia. There is a beautiful garden and it’s a typical Tuscan village, take a coffee (espresso) in one of the cafès and try to find some locals who could translate the local satirical newspaper: “Il Vernacoliere”. If you have just read my article, you will know that you could visit Bagno Vignoni that have a particular tank that contain thermal water. Other tourist attractions are Abbazia di Sant’Antimo, Castiglione d’Orcia and Monticchiello. You can visit all of this village or choose one or two of them.
When you decide to start your winery visit you could buy a guided tour or make your tour by your own. In the first case here is a link: Wine Tours Cortona. If you want to be independent I would suggest to visit a maximum of two wineries in the morning and two wineries in the afternoon. If you visit a small winery or if you decide to have lunch or dinner you have to book before.
You can try “Castello Banfi” http://castellobanfi.com/en/home/ target="_blank"> Where you can have lunch or dinner, Cantina di Montalcino , Col d’OrciaPoggio Rubino
One of my favorites is Ridolfi , try to call and ask for a visit.
If you want to try other wine check this link: Consorzio Brunello di Montalcino
If you want to visit Montepulciano you can contact the association “Strada del vino Nobile di Montapulciano” (tel. 0578 717484 booking@stradavinonobile.it) and book a “Tour of the cellars in the historical centre” (Duration 2 hours, time of departure 10:30 am & 04:00 pm) or a Wine Tour of two vineyards near Montapulciano (Duration about 3 hours Time of departure 10:00 am and 03:00 pm)