Authentic Tuscany (countryside, villages, artisan cheese & pasta)

Rolling countryside and hilltop villages, local cheese, pasta and wine. Nothing contrived for tourists; just real, authentic Tuscany!

 

A NOTE ABOUT DRIVING TIMES
Driving times are super-reasonable for Tuscany: an hour to get there, 15 minutes or so between locations, and only 50 minutes on the way back.

SUMMARY

This full-on Tuscan immersion will give you the rolling Tuscan countryside, Andrea Bocelli’s Teatro del Silenzio, a pretty hilltop town, a first-hand look at how pasta and cheese are made, and the option to go wine tasting at one or two excellent wineries.

DETAILS: AUTHENTIC TUSCANY from Livorno

Only about an hour’s drive from Livorno you will enter a land of picture-postcard scenes where the earth has been richly blessed by Mother Nature.

When you think about Italy, of course pasta, wine and cheese all come to mind; on this excursion you’ll be able to learn about the traditions and methods as well as taste the amazing products.

The itinerary is planned as follows:

• 08.30-09.15 pickup at the ship, drive to the pasta-making factory
• 09.15-09.45 guide tour of Pastificio Martelli
• 09.45-10.15 drive to Lajatico
• 10.15-10.45 view the Teatro del Silenzio
• 10.45-11.15 drive to the cheese factory
• 11.15-12.00 cheese tasting at Fattoria Lischeto
• 12.00-12.30 drive to Peccioli (or Le Palaie, if two wineries are desired
• 12.30-14.20 lunch in Peccioli or at the winery
• 14.30-16.00 tour and wine tasting at La Spinetta
• 17.00 back at the ship

The itinerary can be modified to include only one winery, or none.

The Pasta and Cheese Producers

“What an industrial pasta factory produces in 5 hours we make by hand in a year” really says it all about Pastificio Martelli, where artisan pasta of the highest quality has been made with love and dedication for over 90 years. These pasta makers pride themselves on traditional methods that include slow kneading of the dough, careful casting in bronze molds, and a lengthy drying process at low temperatures. The grain used is 100% Italian durum wheat. You can easily recognize their signature packaging, sunny yellow and bright as a field of grain.

At Fattoria Lischeto a similar respect for ancient ways can be found. The secrets of tending sheep and making cheese were passed on in the most personal way, “in front of a good glass of wine and lit fire”, by the native Tuscans and transplanted Sardinians in the area. The love of nature and “everything that is genuine and healthy” are what lies at the foundation of this organic farm, in operation since 1990. When you taste the gorgeous cheeses you will understand how the past is still alive in the present.

The Wineries

Wine lovers with a taste for lesser-known but high-quality wines will want to include the wineries in the area of Terricciola. We consider the region one of the best kept secrets of Tuscany. Our favourites are:

• La Spinetta in Casanova
La Spinetta is a striking, modern facility that offers an expansive sampling in their light-filled tasting room overlooking the vineyards. You can taste products from this family’s world-class wineries in both Piedmont and Tuscany, everything from sparkling white wine to hearty reds.

• Le Palaie in Peccioli
On this classic country estate you can enjoy Viognier, rosé and three reds as you sample an assortment of local products.

AUTHENTIC TUSCANY from Livorno
DURATION: 8-9 hours

OTHER COSTS & NOTES
The following rates for optional items that we book for you are valid if you pay in cash, and reflect 10% off the full rates that apply when paying by card or Paypal.