ELBA – LE ROTTE DEL TEMPO
paths of wines in a sea of hills
SEPTEMBER 2021
WINE EXPERIENCE
guide: giuseppe + michele
Wine is myth, history, dialogue, it is the gift of one god and the sacrifice of another, it is culture, it is memory, it is an entire land concentrated in a bottle. It brings with it flowers, rock, sky, sun and everything else in time and space.
With the E-MTB we pedal 2 days up and down the hills where one of the best wines in the world is made: Brunello di Montalcino. Among the vineyards of Montalcino and Val d’Orcia we combine visits to the wineries with the beauty of the Romanesque abbeys, the history of Pienza, the taste of cheese, the ancient villages and the Via Francigena. Because Montalcino wine is not only pleasure - it is history, landscape and beauty. Come and ride with us!
Montalcino... The name makes the eyes of anyone who loves good wine shine. Here, from southern Tuscany, comes the legendary Brunello, the best Tuscan red wine made from Sangiovese grapes and one of the best wines in the world. The land of Montalcino, the vintners know, is different from the rest of Tuscany: warmer, drier, stonier. And it borders the Val d’Orcia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where the sunlight illuminates an endless sea of rolling hills.
For two days we will ride our E-MTBs through this land of wine, culture and nature between Sant’Antimo and Pienza. We will visit small wineries, where we will explain the myth (and the secret) of Brunello. We’ll get lost amongst the Romanesque sculptures of an ancient abbey, we’ll see the papal city of Pienza (and its Renaissance project), we’ll smell the atmosphere of the ancient villages and we’ll pass along the ancient Via Francigena. Which, as you’ll see, also has something to do with wine.
PARTICIPATION FEE
TOTAL for the whole excursion from 530 €
Excursion on reservation limited places (12 pax)
PRICE INCLUDES
2 nights with breakfast
E-bike MTB rental for excursions
Accompaniment for all 3 days of a qualified environmental guide
Wine tasting
1 light lunch at the farmhouse
2 packed lunches for the excursions
2 dinners
RCT insurance for the duration of the excursion
Tourist tax
MAXIMUM TERM FOR REGISTRATION 15 days before the beginning of the excursion.
The excursion is active with a minimum of 6 participants
TECHNICAL ORGANIZATION: TUSCANY OUTDOOR
ATTENTION: before registering and making the payment, please read the Terms and Conditions to participate in ALWAYS ALLWAYS excursions.
INFORMATION
DURATION
3 Days / 2 nights
MEETING POINT
Bagno Vignoni 10:00 am
(coordinates sent after confirmation)
EQUIPMENT
Trekking shoes, Raincoat, Backpack and backpack cover
Headlamp, Clothes suitable for the season
LENGTH
130 Km
DIFFERENCE IN ALTITUDE
+ 1700 mt / - 1590 mt
DIFFICULTY LEVEL
Easy
Who has a minimum of habit of cycling
ITINERARY
Centre based tour
PROGRAM
DAY 1
In the small thermal village of Bagno Vignoni we take delivery of our E-MTB and after a varied up and down through vineyards and olive groves we reach the Abbey Sant’Antimo, where we smell a bit of medieval spirituality in the ancient church in the Romanesque monastery. We continue for a first visit in a very renowned winery, family owned and operated. The owner is not only apassionate wine maker but, as we will see, he is also a passionate cyclist! Through the southern foothills of the vineyards of Montalcino we pedal to the pretty village of Camigliano; from there we ride uphill in a wide curve to Montalcino, where we visit a biodynamic winery.
Overnight stay in Montalcino.
DAY 2
Today we dedicate ourselves to the Val d’Orcia, which gently stretches under the big sky of southern Tuscany. A true paradise for cyclists. But before we enter, we take a look at a small winery, where we’ll see that Montalcino’s historic wine-growing land can also harness very modern pink bubbles! From there we continue on to Pienza, where we push our bikes through the perfectly planned Renaissance-style town. From Pienza we continue to the small village of Monticchiello and, through the Lucciola Bella Nature Reserve, we return to Bagno Vignoni. Along the way we make two interesting stops that maybe have little to do with wine, but are too beautiful to pass by and ignore them: First, a small farm that produces a fantastic cacio cheese with the milk of its own sheep. And then the beauty of the Renaissance style gardens of Villa La Foce.
SAFETY CANCELLATIONS AND MODIFICATIONS
The practicability of the trails may be affected by weather conditions. In case of adverse weather, the excursion can be cancelled even with short notice. It will be our concern to inform the participants as soon as possible if faced with this eventuality.
The guide in charge of the excursion reserves the right to modify the itinerary if necessary, depending on weather conditions or other factors that may create difficulties for the safety of the group.
THE FEE INCLUDES
Organization, coordination and conduction of activities. Accompaniment with Environmental
Hiking Guide qualified under the L.R. 86/2016 and subsequent amendments. RCT insurance for the entire duration of the excursion.
THE FEE DOES NOT INCLUDE
Transport, transfers, meals, overnight stays and whatever isn’t specified in the item: “The fee Includes”.