Italian Indulgence: A Food & Wine Tour of Tuscany, Umbria, & Lazio

In the morning, the cafes in the Piazza del Campo set out their tables beneath wide parasols. The golden shine of the Tuscan sun spread across the city illuminating the hidden niches of the labyrinthine streets. Your guide meets you at the hotel in the morning and escorts you through the famous Tuscan landscape to the town of San Gimignano. The medieval walls have protected the city from intruders for almost a millennium. Only 13 towers of the original 72 remain.

The structures were once considered symbols of power, causing the local noble families to build a familial edifice and prove their wealth. The historic city has been frozen in time, mounted on the hilltop with a view of the wildflowers and vineyards growing along the valley floor. The main square of Piazza della Cisterna has a triangular shape adorned with the base of past towers. The town is known for producing a refreshing white wine known as Vernaccia. Your guide provides you with a sample of the wine.

The light hay color leads to an aroma hinting at pear and melon. The flavor offers a lingering citrus reflective of the terroir of the Tuscan hills. Saffron had played a role in San Gimignano’s economy since the 13th century. In the fields around town, the harvest takes place at dawn before the flowers open to the sun. The stems are dried immediately to maintain the flavor. Visit the local saffron farm to witness the production and harvest of the small but powerful seasoning firsthand, to witness the purple flowers with their interior crimson stems shining against the Tuscan backdrop.

Tuscany is filled with splendid surprises, from the distinct flavors of the wine grown around the celebrated hills to the hot springs of Bagno Vignoni in the region known as the Val d’Orcia. The medieval walls of the main square surround a pool more than 160 feet long. The reflective water bubbles at a temperature more than 120 degrees Fahrenheit and is known around Tuscany for its therapeutic properties. Along the hills of the Val d’Orcia, your guide leads you along the baroque streets of the town of Pienza. In the 15th century, the pope chose to renovate his hometown, turning the medieval village into an homage to the opulent design of the times.

The town provides a delicate balance of architecture, cuisine, and Tuscan tradition. Palazzo Piccolomini casts an imposing shadow over the public square. The palace was erected in the mid 15th century. Architects and historians consider the structure the first example of Renaissance architecture. The magnificent garden adorns the rooftop providing an open panorama to the countryside and the rooftops of Pienza. Marble pillars support the arcade. The design combines harmony with functionality. Artisan shops display wheels of local cheese, referred to as cacio. The Pecorino of Pienza is made from sheep’s milk and aged to perfection.

Outside of town, you visit a private dairy for a demonstration on how the Pecorino is produced. The sheep feed on the meadow grass, juniper bushes, and wild herbs, adding depths of flavor to the cheese. Your guide leads you through the process of cheese making, from heating the milk to grating the curds. Once the cheese maker collects the curds, they add it to a salt solution before wrapping the mixture in walnut leaves. The cheese ages in a cool, humid cellar. The cheese maker periodically adds moisture by rubbing local olive oil along the outside. In the tasting room, your guide provides a large sample of the type of cheese you watched the dairy make, which takes up to 60 days to properly mature.

In the morning, the clerks at the gelaterias around the historic city center begin mixing the ingredients for a perfect blend of sweet and savory flavors. Cafes open their doors to business people in search of an espresso before work. Your guide meets you at the hotel after breakfast and whisks you away from Siena, traveling south into the region of Umbria. The hills of Tuscany turn into soaring ridges and golden fields. The medieval walls of Torgiano rise along the hillside with the mountaintops overtaking the horizon.

The town prides itself on culinary tradition, producing wine, olive oil, grain and honey used in the cultural cuisine of Umbria. The single fortified tower crowns the village and watches over the slopes leading into the meadow. The interior of the Madonna dei Bagni contains 700 ceramic votive tiles made at the end of the 17th century. In the late morning, you venture out with a local guide and follow a pack of hunting dogs in search of the lavish truffle. Wander through the countryside, beneath the shading oak trees and over the limestone ridges to find the elusive, indulgent ingredient.

At lunch, you delight on the flavor of Strangozzi in a restaurant hidden in the medieval lanes of town. The cellar-like ambiance adds to the historic layers of the city. The scent of a tomato based sauce drifts out of the kitchen. The type of pasta is named after the shoelace shape filling the plate. The dish is garnished with the truffle you found during the hunt. Shavings add a unique, pungent quality to the pasta, blending the savory taste of the white truffle with the semi-sweet flavor of the tomato sauce.

The tranquil streets of Torgiano fill with semblances of contemporary life in the morning. Old men read the newspaper outside of quiet cafés. The sunlight reaches over the valley to highlight the walls of the medieval town. After breakfast, you venture out into the small towns of Umbria beginning with Montefalco. Vineyards ascend the hillside reaching to the lush cypress trees beneath the rosy colored buildings on the hilltop. Cobbled streets meander along the stone structures inside the ancient walls. The walls offer an enchanting view of the Spoleto valley, which embodies the lush nature of the region.

The town stands nearly 165 feet above sea level. Marvelous frescoes decorate the numerous medieval churches, including the 14th-century edifice of Saint Francesco Church, which contains artwork produced by Perugino and Corraduccio. Visit a local vineyard on the outskirts of town to sample the celebrated wines produced on the hillside. Monks began producing wine in the region in the 16th century. Vineyards now cover nearly 2,400 acres, much of which contains Sagrantino grapes. The bold flavor pairs well with sharp cheeses and black truffle. The prominent tannins provide a burst of flavor akin to plum coating your palate.

In the morning, the medieval walls of Torgiano fade behind the hillsides as you make your way south to Rome. Your private transfer leads you to the stunning town of Orvieto, which contains traces of its original foundations laid by the Etruscans. A network of caves meanders through the tufa stone beneath the town. The quadrangular Torre del Moro stands more than 130 feet tall. The structure was erected in the 13th century to keep out foreign invaders. The observation deck provides a splendid panorama of the verdant hills and sloping rooftops of the town. Outdoor markets fill the Piazza del Capitano del Popolo on Thursday and Saturday mornings.

The vibrant stalls fill with local farmers selling produce, vintners offering wine, and cheese vendors providing samples of their variety of local cheeses. The market nearly overshadows the grandeur of the Palazzo del Popolo, a structure built with volcanic tufa stone. Elegant cornice window displays and floor arches create an air of importance, along with gorgeous embellishments. Once in Rome, you settle into the comforts of your luxurious hotel with a view of the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica. The neighborhood known as the Prati contains lavish hotels and fabulous restaurants, each adding to the delicate aromas along the cobbled streets.

The remainder of the day is yours to indulge in the wonders of Rome, from the architectural marvels of the Pantheon to the detailed artistry of the Trevi Fountain. For the perfect introduction to Rome, you venture to Gelateria dei Gracchi, located in a hidden piazza near the Vatican. The aroma of the shop blends sweet and savory, from strawberries to dark chocolate. The colors of each flavor make your mouth water before you have even sampled the gelato. Choose a mixture of three flavors that best represent you and the gelateria, combining chocolate-and-rum, pistachio, and vanilla, each providing a creamy welcome to Rome.

Rome has a unique charm emanating from the combination of contemporary life wrapped up in historic architecture. The aroma of fresh brioche connects the past and present with a scent that hasn’t changed for centuries. Your guide meets you after breakfast and escorts you into the hills outside of Rome to discover the enchanting ambiance and captivating flavors of the combined towns known as Castelli Romani. The town of Frascati contains a fresher air with a cooler climate, making the town a hotspot for Romans to escape the sweltering summer of the city dating back to the Roman Empire. Wealthy villas continue to line the streets, including the Villa Aldobrandini, a 17th-century estate designed by the nephew of a pope.

The main piazza contains a faded grandeur looking up to the terraced gardens of the splendid villa. Your guide leads you through town and introduces you to a local chef roasting a small pig on a spigot. The suckling pig, known as Porchetta di Ariccia, is a local delicacy of the Castelli Romani. The scent of the spice rub wafts through the air blending with the aroma of the open fire. As lunch cooks, you traverse the vines of a nearby vineyard famous for its production of Bianco Frascati Superiore. The vintner explains the process of the wine before pouring you a sizeable sample. The nose contains an herbal accent over the scent of fresh grass. The flavor coats your tongue with soft minerals before dissipating rapidly.

When in Rome, you experience as much with your eyes as you do with your taste buds. The culture of the city is as much a part of the food as the ingredients, both combining for the perfect pair. In the morning, your guide leads you on an exceptional half-day tour of the visual artwork of Rome and Vatican City. Once in St. Peter’s Square, you see the glinting dome of the basilica up close. The towering figure stands taller than 137 feet above the cobbled floor of the open piazza. The interior contains lavish adornments, including Michelangelo’s first Pieta, created when the artist was only 24-years old.

He sculpted the figures of a young Mary cradling the body of Jesus out of a single slab of marble. Your guide leads you through the opulent nave of the basilica before entering into the polished marble halls of the Vatican Museum. The galleries contain exceptional artwork and artifacts from around the world, including a vast collection of Egyptian ornaments. The Gallery of Maps contains bright frescoes lining the walls, each depicting a portion of Italy during the 16th century. The maps shed light on the known cities, countryside, and geographical features from the Apennine Mountains to the Mediterranean Sea.

The gilded edges of the coffered ceiling accentuated the majesty of the room leading you deeper into the museum. In the evening, you indulge in your final meal in Rome at a restaurant dedicated to seasonal ingredients and the heritage of Roman cuisine. The rustic interior highlights the history of the city as seen through the eyes of a local. The chef cooks dishes inspired by family recipes and even ancient concoctions. When the potato gnocchi dressed in a light tomato sauce with cured guanciale hits the table, you know you will receive the perfect meal.

You have come to cherish your mornings in Italy. You choose to sit at an open table in a nearby piazza before the crowds roll in. The sunlight bounces off the parasols shading the café. The fountains trickle with water, creating the serene soundtrack of breakfast. In Rome, you indulge in one final Italian coffee before venturing to Fiumicino Airport. You make your way to the Café Barberini to sample the fresh pastries made in house and sip a traditional Italian cappuccino, which involves a freshly brewed espresso topped with rich foam. You take the elegant flavors of the city with you as your private transfer escorts you to the airport for your flight home.