Traveling to Italy

We begin our virtual tour in Tuscany on the western coast and next travel east to the Marches and Abruzzi on the Adriatic Sea. Then we almost complete the circle by visiting the Vatican City in Rome.

A main attraction of Tuscany in January is Il Palio di Sant’antonio Abate in Buti near Pisa which is held on the first Sunday after January 17. The festivities begin with a procession of people proudly wearing the colors of their neighborhood. Local residents claim that she resides in Urbania. The celebrations begin around January 2, culminating with a parade on the night of January 5. Hundreds of costumed participants reenact the Three Kings arrival at the Manger on January 5 in Rivisondoli, Abruzzi. Every January the village of Picciano, Abruzzi hosts a traditional Befana Festival similar to the one described above. In mid-January the Abruzzi village of Fara Filiorum Petri is one of several others hosting a Farchie Festiva to honor of St. Anthony. Mid-January in Ortona means a special festival in honor of Saint Sebastian with the launching of a brightly colored small boat filled with fireworks. In St Peter’s Basilica the Pope pronounces a morning mass to commemorate the Wise Men visit bearing gifts for Jesus. And Rome being Rome, you’ll find lots to do and to see in January.

Wine tours of Italy. We will examine each of Italy’s twenty wine-producing regions and present specific suggestions for wine touring. We name travelagencies that sell wine tours of that region. Even better, we name wineries that offer tours and sometimes agrotourism, the Italian version of a ruralbed and breakfast. Interestingly enough, the area surrounding Venice produces little wine. The Vicenza area is home to Maculan, a producer of many fine wines including the dessert wine Torcolato, an Italian word for twisted.

Veneto has traditionally been a high volume wine producer. But Veneto produces a huge amount of fair to middling wine. It’s home to the largest Italian wine producer, Gruppo Italiano Vini. Mass-produced Veneto wines include Soave, Valpollicella, and the sparkling Prosecco. Veneto produces a lot of wine from international grape varieties such as Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc. Widely known local grapes include the white Gargena the main grape in Soave, the white Prosecco in sparkling winesof that name, and the red Corvina the main grape in Valpolicella and Amarone. Look for Breganze DOC wines whether red or white.

Companies selling Veneto wine tours include Select Italy, Prime Italy, Wine Tours Italia, and Alabaster and Clark Wine Tours Worldwide.