DAY-BY-DAY ITINERARY
Day one - Arrive in Italy , Soave and transfer to Verona
Wednesday 6 September 2023 You travel on the BA578 leaving Heathrow at 08.50 and arriving in Venice Marco Polo airport at 12.05 . After your arrival at Venice airport , please collect your luggage and proceed through security where your Tour Manager and food and wine expert , Cindy-Marie , will be waiting for you with your driver and private coach . We head east across the plains of Verona for our first wine visit to Pieropan . This is a familyrun estate in the Soave classification , that has been remarkable in its dedication to crafting world-class , multi-award winning white wines , a far cry from the easy quaffing style of the past . Their wines are made mostly from the Garganega grape variety and especially those from their single vineyards have a wonderful minerality as we discover at our tasting at their cellars this afternoon . Afterwards , we continue to Verona , where we check into our hotel in central Verona , which is just a very short flat walk from the Arena , so there are no late-night scrambles for coach transfers after the opera , but a pleasurable meander back to the hotel after the performance , perhaps calling in at one of the many cafés or bars for a late night digestivo . 2023 marks the one hundredth season of the Arena Opera Festival , where it will be presenting a wonderful array of operas which have been performed in the open-air amphitheatre since its initial season in 1913 . Verona ’ s Roman Arena , where gladiators once battled , is the magnificent setting for the most famous opera festival in the world , with one of the largest stages in the world , where up to 15,000 opera loving spectators gather to enjoy opera from Aida to Carmen , as the night falls over Verona . To give you greater flexibility , you can choose if you would like to have tickets to one , two or all three operas performed during our tour . Please see section at the end of the itinerary for more details . On the evenings that you choose not to attend the opera you are welcome to join your Wine Guide Tour Manager , Cindy-Marie , at the restaurant of her choice in central Verona , to sample some of the local delicacies such as delicious Risotto al ’ Amarone . This evening ’ s performance is Bizet ’ s Carmen which is the tragic love story of Carmen , a gypsy girl from Seville and featuring the seductive Harbanera and rousing toreador ’ s song .
Veneto vineyards
Day two - Valpolicella
Thursday 7 September 2023 Enjoy breakfast at the hotel and then midmorning , we head east into the heart of the valleys of the Valpolicella region , where we visit an outstanding small producer , Ca La Bionda , whose wine from the main grape varieties of Corvina , Rondinella , and Molinara range in style from simple Valpolicella Classico , through to Ripasso , so delicious with lamb , and of course the iconic wine – Amarone . We enjoy these splendid wines at this family-run estate , before continuing to the Enoteca della Valpolicella for lunch . This welcoming restaurant has a stunning wine list and is a favourite haunt of the local wine makers . Over lunch , Cindy-Marie will pair a selection of wines with the seasonal menu at the Enoteca . We return to Verona mid-afternoon , which allows time for you to explore . The city still bears the marks of Roman times with sites such as the impressive Porta Borsari , a Roman gate with twelve arches . In the Piazza Signori stands a statue to honour Dante Aligheri , flanked by a frescoed loggia . One of the most dominant features of Piazza Bra is the famous Roman Arena ( where the Opera Festival is held ). This amphitheatre dates from 30 AD and is thoroughly impressive with its second outer wall of which only a small part remains , whilst the rest is almost unchanged with the tunnels underneath where animals used to be kept for Roman gladiator fights . This evening ’ s performance is Puccini ’ s classic Madama Butterfly , the story of unrequited love and tragedy of a young geisha who falls in love with an American naval officer , including the haunting aria un bel di vedremmo .
Day three - Lake Garda vineyards
Friday 8 September 2023 After breakfast at the hotel there is another leisurely start this morning for our visit to Ca dei Frati . The Dal Cero family has transformed their Ca ’ dei Frati property , situated on the southern shores of Lake Garda , into a model Italian estate over the past two decades . In 1987 , they had 12 hectares of vineyard but now , following the purchase of a large chunk of prime vineyard in 2008 , they have over 160 hectares . This increase in quantity has been matched by an increase in quality and today they remain the outstanding producer in the region . The secret to the success of the Cà dei Frati wines is their outstanding vineyards , where the vines are trained low , on single or double Guyot ; newer vineyards have a higher density of planting and yields are well below the average for the zone . The cool nights , thanks to the moderating influence of the lake , ensure the grapes retain aroma and acidity as we discover in our tasting these lovely , white wines . Following the tasting , we move next door to enjoy a lunch featuring some of the fish caught locally in Lake Garda . Afterwards there is some free time for a stroll around the lake-side town of Sirmione . Located on a narrow peninsular that juts out into Lake Garda , it is famous for its turreted castle , Roman grottoes , thermal springs , and
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