Page 1 of 7 I’ve been fortunate to take guests to Italy repeatedly since 2006, and no place have I spent more time than in Tuscany. This food and wine adventure, set in an historical setting, will be unforgettable. In addition to my wife Lelia, we are accepting 8 “two-somes.” As always, bookings are first-come, first-served. This will be the third year we have used this amazing villa, which was a hostel for pilgrims on the Via Francigena 1,000 years ago! I hope to be in the kitchen and the vineyards (during harvest!) with you this September. Ciao! ~ Michael Bryan of Vino Venue EPICUREAN LUXURY IN SOUTHERN TUSCANY AND UMBRIA September 2 nd Through September 9 th , 2017 Lead the life of privilege via an immersion into southern Tuscany as well as Umbria. We’ll be traveling at the beginning of the “shoulder season”, which means lower airfares, plenty of al fresco dining, relaxing pool time, and catching our wineries at harvest—the most exciting time of the year for wine. And the bonus? The Euro/Dollar conversion has not been this low in a LONG time. Please note our trips are all inclusive; other than airfare & travel insurance, all meals, winery visits/tastings, cooking classes, and tours are included, as well as airport transfers in/out of Rome. You will need to arrive at the Rome airport by 10am on Saturday, the 3 rd of September, and we will drop you off at the Rome airport by 10am on Saturday, September 10 th . You are welcome to arrive early and/or extend your stay. Upon placing your deposit with us, we will provide you a “helpful travel tips” document which takes into consideration six years of guest travel abroad. ACCOMMODATIONS Our group will be based in the $14,000/week, 9 bedroom/bath Villa known as Rombolino. Perched atop a gentile hill, located right in the Unesco region of Val d’Orcia, Rombolino delights with a professional kitchen (perfect for classes), stunning views, heated infinity pool, and only 30 minutes to either Montepulciano or Montalcino. The estate also produces extra virgin olive oil and seasonal produce from the vegetable garden and orchards, including various jams and honey, complimentary to us! Our own Chef Giovanna will be providing breakfast for us Sunday – Friday. For a full array of villa pictures, please visit: http://tinyurl.com/gvxd63x
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I’ve been fortunate to take guests to Italy repeatedly since 2006, and no place have I spent more time than in Tuscany. This food and wine adventure, set in an historical setting, will be unforgettable. In addition to my wife Lelia, we are accepting 8 “two-somes.” As always, bookings are first-come, first-served. This will be the third year we have used this amazing villa, which was a hostel for pilgrims on the Via Francigena 1,000 years ago! I hope to be in the kitchen and the vineyards (during harvest!) with you this September. Ciao! ~ Michael Bryan of Vino Venue
E P I C U R E A N L U X U R Y I N
S O U T H E R N T U S C A N Y A N D U M B R I A
S e p t e m b e r 2 n d
T h r o u g h S e p t e m b e r 9 t h , 2 0 1 7
Lead the life of privilege via an immersion into southern Tuscany as well as Umbria. We’ll be traveling at the beginning of the “shoulder season”, which means lower airfares, plenty of al fresco dining, relaxing pool time, and catching our wineries at harvest—the most exciting time of the year for wine. And the bonus? The Euro/Dollar conversion has not been this low in a LONG time. Please note our trips are all inclusive; other than airfare & travel insurance, all meals, winery visits/tastings, cooking classes, and tours are included, as well as airport transfers in/out of Rome. You will need to arrive at the Rome airport by 10am on Saturday, the 3rd of September, and we will drop you off at the Rome airport by 10am on Saturday, September 10th. You are welcome to arrive early and/or extend your stay. Upon placing your deposit with us, we will provide you a “helpful travel tips” document which takes into consideration six years of guest travel abroad. ACCOMMODATIONS Our group will be based in the $14,000/week, 9 bedroom/bath Villa known as Rombolino. Perched atop a gentile hill, located right in the Unesco region of Val d’Orcia, Rombolino delights with a professional kitchen (perfect for classes), stunning views, heated infinity pool, and only 30 minutes to either Montepulciano or Montalcino.
The estate also produces extra virgin olive oil and seasonal produce from the vegetable garden and orchards, including various jams and honey, complimentary to us! Our own Chef Giovanna will be providing breakfast for us Sunday – Friday. For a full array of villa pictures, please visit: http://tinyurl.com/gvxd63x
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Saturday, Day of Arrival
On our way to our villa from the airport, we’ll stop over briefly to visit friends in the town of Cetona. I’ve stayed in their villa as their guest, and they are delightful folks, spending summers in this quaint town within the Val di Chiana.
We’ll arrive at our villa, get unpacked, kick the shoes off (or shoe in my case!) grab a cocktail and while Giovanna makes us dinner, watch the sun slowly slide down the horizon. SUNDAY: Good Morning, and welcome to Tuscany. The smell of strong coffee, perhaps an espresso with your homemade breakfast? Sip and take in a deep breath on the terrace before setting out for Montepulciano—are we in heaven?
The first stop is Palazzio Piccolomini Garden in Pienza. Home of Pope Pius II, where he built a palace, gardens and commanding views of Val d Orcia. Designated as a Unesco world heritage site in 2005. Designed by the famed Florentine architect, Bernardo Rossellino. Now we’re off to discover the town of Montelpuciano, which stands on a hill 600
meters above sea level. Rich with history, art and culture co-exist in an agricultural landscape of vineyards and olive groves here. A place of beauty and goodness, Montepulciano is an artist’s jewel set on a hill surrounded by green vineyards. The center of the Tuscan Renaissance, this town is steeped in culture, art, and architecture. In the 17th century Vine Nobile wine was referred to as the ‘Bacchus of Tuscany,’ the most important Tuscan red wine—even ahead of Brunello and Chianti for 300 years.
Next, we’ll enjoy lunch and a visit to Valdipiatta Estate winery and Olive farm. The winery produces DOCG Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Super Tuscan wines, estate Vin Santo and olive oil. Our tour and tasting will include barrel samples and wines paired with local cheeses to enjoy with our lunch amongst the
olive trees. We’ll depart Montepulciano for our villa, so we can catch some later afternoon time around the pool. We’ll head into our small town of Contignano for dinner in the evening. Monday: This morning on our first stop, we have the choice of visiting a local spa known for their thermal springs (“healthy waters as known by the Romans”), take a hike, or choose a shady tree for some reading. We’ll return to the villa for a light lunch, then we are in the hands of my friend, Chef Lorenzo Polegri, an amazing Chef and ambassador to all that is Italian, especially Umbrian cuisine.
Our lessons will include bread and pizza making and Pici, the local famous pasta, with other Umbrian dishes. Lorenzo’s love of life and cooking will inspire you to try these techniques on your family and friends back home. Of course the wine will be flowing before, during and through the meal. We will all sit-down to an incredible dinner and
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enjoy the fruits of our labors. Tuesday: This is our first of two days in Montalcino. The town is situated on a hilltop, and known for its timeless character, with narrow steep streets that wind up to the Fortezza. The impressive ramparts from 1571 are where you can enjoy the amazing view from the walkways. The Enotecca is just below the Fortezza where we will enjoy samples of phenomenal Brunellos and other remarkable local wines. This is a wonderful opportunity to order your favorites to ship home.
As we make our way down the cobblestone streets, the shops are tempting you to come inside for a peek or purchase. Whew! That was some walking & exploring—let’s have lunch at a place I so enjoy, Porta al Cassero.
Now that we are stuffed (get used to it), we are on our way to Tenuta Vitanza Winery where we will treated royally by owner, winemaker and chef Rosalba Vitanza. After touring the winery we will enjoy a seated tasting to follow dinner
prepared by Rosalba, including the famous cookie called Ossi di Morta, bones of the dead—trust me they’re delicious. They are cooked, as most of the meal will be, in her wood-fired oven. It is always a highlight to be with Rosalba—you’ll fall in love with her and her wines.
Wednesday: Today we introduce you to Umbria, specifically the medieval walled village of Orvieto. We will meet our truffle hunter, Giovanni, in the forest! He’ll bring his truffle dog (Perla) who will help us find the summer black truffle called Tuber Aestivum.
Next we are on to Caseificio Alta Tuscia to see the Pecorino cheese and Ricotta production. Our visit will definitely include a tasting!
We will spend the afternoon exploring Orvieto with a professional guide. Our tour will include the Duomo, Signorelli Frescoes, Torre del Moro and some shopping! Dinner will be at Chef Lorenzo’s restaurant, Zeppelin, located in the heart of Orvieto. Described as a cool 1920s atmosphere, jazz on the stereo and a bar Ingrid Bergman would have loved. We have another opportunity to sample
Lorenzo’s conviviality and local delights such as umbrichelli pasta and wild boar stew in black olive, cherry tomato and cocoa
sauce. Wines of Umbria are paired with the meal, such as white Orvieto classico and Sagrantino di Montefalco, one of Italy’s celebrated red wines. Kitchen tour and another chance to learn Chef Lorenzo’s cooking secrets!
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Thursday: An espresso or cappuccino today? We’re back to Montepulciano, the famous hilltop town, for Market Day!
Montepulciano, in Tuscany 12:30pm: Arrive at Avignonesi, renowned for their Vino Nobile di Montepulciano wine. This top producer makes reds, whites, sweet wines (Vin Santo!), different Grappas, and Extra Virgin Olive Oil. After a tour, we’ll enjoy a fantastic lunch.
Depart for Castello Argiano. We’ll spend some time getting to know the estate, and taste incredible wines (currently a 97-point Brunello). Castello Argiano was at one time an important Roman military outpost.
Argiano
Our villa Chef Giovanna will be making our dinner, and this is a perfect time to open any wines you have obtained thus far. Friday: We’re off to Casanova di Neri for a tour and tasting. This winery is distinguished by their 2001 Brunello, ranking #1 among the world’s wines in 2006! And the 2010 just earned 100 points.
Michael with winemaker Giacomo Neri Next, at over 7,000 acres, and American-owned, Castello Banfi is an Italian icon. We’ll begin our visit with a tasting one-on-one with winemaker Rudi Buratti, then enjoy a multi-course lunch. After a brief stroll on the grounds, we’ll have a personal tour of the Glass Museum, the foremost collection of antique glass in the world. Then we’ll sample and tour the Balsameria, where Banfi produces their succulent Salsa Etrusca (12-year Balsamic Vinegar). Finally, we’ll end the day in the Taverna with a multi-course dinner. Molto Bene!!
Castello Banfi at dusk
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Saturday: Head Home or Extend Your Stay! PRICE $4000/person double occupancy PROGRAM INCLUSIONS
Transfers to/from Rome Fiumicino Airport All Ground Transportation during stay Sommelier Wine Host: Michael Bryan (7) Nights Luxury Accommodations Private Chef & Cooking Classes Course guide, cookbook of all recipes, an
apron and chef’s jacket All scheduled off-site tours Seven (7) breakfasts, lunches, dinners
NOT INCLUDED
Airfare Travel Insurance
For additional information contact Vino Venue at 770-668-0435 extension 701. Terms & Conditions from Vino Venue In the event any tasting, tour, meal or experience listed in this itinerary should change due to matters beyond our control, it will be replaced with a similar quality experience. Guest Minimum to Travel Not applicable—we have already booked the villa—that is how sure we are of going! Payment & Refunds Check/Cash, or any major credit card will be accepted for trip payments. If you choose to cancel inside of one-hundred and eighty (180) days before the trip commencement, 0% of your payment will be refunded. If for any reason VINO VENUE cancels the trip, 100% of your payment will be returned. We strongly recommend trip cancellation insurance that will recoup your payments in the event of a covered cancellation. We will suggest carriers for this insurance, however, it is widely available—even from American Express. Any requested adjustments due to issues on the trip should be taken up directly with your tour guide while on the trip. Certification of Health By making payment, traveler certifies that he or she does not have any condition or disability that would create a hazard or hardship for other travelers participating in the program and the traveler understands that health care standards, facilities and services in across the country or in countries outside the U.S. may be different or inadequate for treatment of certain health conditions. VINO VENUE makes no
representations or warranties and disclaims any made regarding special accommodations or handicap accessibility on any program. VINO VENUE reserves the right to decline accepting or retaining any traveler whose health or actions in VINO VENUE’ sole judgment impedes the operation of a trip or the welfare or enjoyment of fellow travelers. VINO VENUE cannot accommodate any allergies, dietary needs or restrictions. It is the sole responsibility of the traveler to take care of their own dietary needs on this trip. Transfers Where transfers are included, there is one scheduled group transfer for arrival and departure at a designated time and place. It is the responsibility of the tour participant to be at the transfer point at the designated time. Private transfers can be arranged for an additional fee. Please be advised that if you are arriving and/or departing on the dates of the program, a late arrival or very early departure may necessitate a special transfer at an additional fee. Neither VINO VENUE nor its providers are responsible for late arrivals due to flight delays or any other reason. Travel Documents It is the responsibility of each tour participant to obtain and carry relevant travel documents including a valid passport, visa(s), and any other documents required by applicable government regulations. Non-US residents may require special travel documents. Check with your local embassy or consulate. Responsibility VINO VENUE does not own or operate any of the suppliers of services or accommodations for your trip. As a result, it is not responsible for any negligent or willful act or failure to act of any such supplier or of any third party over whom VINO VENUE has no control. VINO VENUE and its representatives act only in the capacity of an agent of all air/land transportation, sightseeing, tour operators and hotels which provide services included in the specified tour. The individual tour participant agrees that VINO VENUE and its representatives shall not be liable for any injury, damage, loss, accident, delay, or irregularity, liability or expense to person or property due to any act of default of hotel, air/land transportation carrier, restaurant supplier or other contractor rendering or providing services. VINO VENUE and its representatives shall not be responsible for any expense or liability resulting from labor disputes, war, acts of terrorism, government restraints, weather conditions, sickness, pilferage or any other cause beyond their control. VINO VENUE and its representatives reserve the right to accept, or to retain or refuse any person as a participant of any tour or to cancel any program of a tour if circumstances so demand. VINO VENUE and its representatives reserve the right to cancel any tour prior to departure for any reason (including insufficient number of participants) or to change itineraries and/or substitute services or hotels of equal quality without prior notification.
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Participant Agreement Release and Acknowledgement of Risk Waiver and Release of Liability In consideration of VINO VENUE furnishing services to enable me to participate in one of its programs, I agree as follows: I fully understand and acknowledge that culinary and travel activities have: (a) inherent risks, dangers and hazards and such exist in my participation in VINO VENUE sponsored activities; (b) my participation in such activities may result in injury or illness; (c) these risks and dangers may be caused by the negligence of the owners, employees, officers or agents of VINO VENUE, the negligence of the participants, the negligence of others, accidents, breaches of contract, the forces of nature or other causes; and (d) by my participation in these activities, I hereby assume all risks and dangers and all responsibility for any losses and/or damages, whether caused in whole or in part by the negligence or other conduct of the owners, agents, officers, or employees of VINO VENUE, or by any other person. I, on behalf of myself, my personal representatives and my heirs hereby voluntarily agree to release, waive, discharge, hold harmless, defend and indemnify VINO VENUE and its agents, officers and employees from any and all claims, actions or losses for bodily injury, property damage, wrongful death, loss of services or otherwise which may arise out of my participation in VINO VENUE's activities. Travelers further agree that they will indemnify and hold VINO VENUE harmless in respect of any claims arising in connection with the trip made by: a) third parties, which arise from the misconduct of the travelers; b) the traveler's family members, dependants of heirs, c) third parties, which the traveler, their estate, their family member, dependants of heirs have sued, if damages are recovered from such third parties, to the extent the third party obtains any indemnification from VINO VENUE. I understand that VINO VENUE reserves the right to take photographic or film records of any of its programs, and hereby agree that VINO VENUE may use any such photographic or film records for promotional and/or commercial purposes without any remuneration to the traveler. The traveler agrees to assign all right, title and interest they may have in or to any media in which their name or likeness might be used to VINO VENUE. The venue of any dispute between the parties that may arise out of this agreement or otherwise shall be the Circuit Court of the state of Georgia.
I, the undersigned, have read, and agree to the Terms and Conditions, as listed within this brochure. ______________________________________ Printed Name ______________________________________ Signature ______________________________________ Date Please provide a signed Terms and Conditions page FOR EACH TRAVELER. This signature portion may be faxed to: 404-745-8991
Page 7 of 7 Credit Card Authorization Form
Cardholder Name: _________________________________________________ Business Name (if appropriate): __________________________________________ Card Billing Address: ___________________________________________________ City: ____________________________________________________________ State: _________________ Zipcode: _____________________ Phone: __________________________
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Card: □□□□ □□□□ □□□□ □□□□ Expiration: □□/□□ CVC: □□□□ (3 digits or 4 for AMEX)
Amount to be Processed: _____________________________ $3999 deposit/couple Authorization: ______________________________________ (please sign) Date: _______________________________________
Note: All transactions will appear on your statements as Vino Venue
For Additional Information: Vino Venue
770-668-0435 www.vinovenue.com
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