Cortona Private Tours

Hills of Arezzo the vineyard of Tuscany

The Hills of Arezzo has always competed with Chianti as a main area of wine production and now also produces great brands and wines. The Hills of Arezzo the wine production began with the Etruscans, and then was continued by the Romans. In medieval times, when the wine was produced in convents, the quality of the wine was such that it became considered to be superior to Chianti and commercialized even outside the national territory. Until the 1960 the attention to the production helped by the climate conditions and favorable terrains, has made in the Hills of Arezzo a production center, after which the wine industry was neglected due to the economic boom and the abandonment of the countryside. In the last few years there has been a turnaround, with the development of agricultural businesses that produce fine quality wines. 

The  Wineries

Our wine tour will lead you with an expert Sommelier around the wineries of the Hills of Arezzo educating you about the important production of the famous  wine and visit beautiful cellars.

Il Borro

The origins of the village of  Il Borro are lost in the history of medieval Tuscany and the famous people who established the reputation of the region. Every alley, every stone speaks of a time that once was, of flavours and scents that recall the memory of a rare and more authentic Tuscany. Il Borro is an open window on history, a fresco to a far away world. The Medici dynasty, the Savoia family and now the Ferragamo family have safeguarded and preserved this precious oasis. Il Borro lies in the basin of the Upper Valdarno, a large natural floodplain carved by the passage of the Arno river and bordered by the Pratomagno ridge, the Apennine mountains and the Hills of Chianti. The Arno Valley is an area of outstanding natural beauty, ancient forests, crystal clear streams and the famous hills that characterize the Tuscan landscape. Particularly impressive are the “Balze” rock formations carved in to the landscape in dramatic and spectacular fashion. The Il Borro wine cellar's production of wines is:

  • Il Borro Igt - Grape variety: Merlot 50% Cabernet Sauvignon 35% Syrah 10% Petit Verdot, Aging: casks 18 months  bottled;
  • Alessandro dal Borro Igt - Grape variety: Syrah, Aging: oak barrels 18 months bottle 6 months;
  • Polissena Igt - Grape variety: Sangiovese, Aging: barriques 12 months bottled 6 months;
  • Pian di Nova Igt - Grape variety: 75% Syrah 25% Sangiovese, Aging: barriques 3 years bottle 6 months;
  • Bolle di Borro Rosé Metodo Classico - Grape variety: Sangiovese.

Tenuta Setteponti

The wine of  Tenuta Sette Ponti is considered one of the most important Tuscan wines by Cosimo III de' Medici, when in 1716 he outlined the precise wine-making bondaries within the grand duchy. In a terrain harmoniously composted of clay, sand, limestone and marl, at uni altitude of around 300 meters, 50 hectares of vineyard are according to the strict mandates of organic cultivation. High density planting,  spurred cordon and low number of buds per plant, and after careful selection obtain grapes suited to enhancing unique wines in terms of elegance, structure, aging, and wonderful fruity aromas.i fruttati. The Tenuta Setteponti wine cellar's production of wines is:

  • Vigna di Pallino Chianti Docg - Grape variety: Sangiovese, Aging: steel and bottled 4 months;
  • Chianti Vigna di Pallino Riserva Docg - Grape variety: Sangiovese, Aging: wood 1 years bottled 6 months;
  • Oreno Igt - Grape variety: Sangiovese 50% Cabernet Sauvignon 40% Petit Verdot, Aging: French oak barrels 18 months bottled one year;
  • Crognolo Igt - Grape variety: Sangiovese 90% Merlot, Aging: French barriques 14 months bottled 6 months;
  • Vigna dell’Impero 1935 Doc - Grape variety: Sangiovese, Aging: big barrel 2 years bottled 12 months .

Podere di Pomaio - Green Winery -

Has been listed as one of the 14 most beautiful modern wineries in Tuscany by Toscana Wine Architecture.The name of our farm “Pomaio” comes from the Latin word Pomarium, meaning “place of apples and fruits”. The wines are the result of the work on our organic vineyards grounded on the respectfulness of the environment. The production of wine features yearly 20.000 bottles made from mostly, Sangiovese grapes. Only the grapes coming from our vineyards have access to our winery. The multiple expression of the surrounding territory can elegantly be perceived through our organic wines. The excellent exposure of soil and altitude of approximately 550 meters (above the sea level) along with the strong temperature changes during the ripening phase give us delicious fragrant wines with a characteristic mineral tast. The atmosphere that surrounds the farm reconciles you with nature. It’s easy to get lost in the beauty of the surrounding hills of Pomaio’s oasis, the nearby valleys, the city of Arezzo, Valdichiana, and the Chianti hills which close upon the western horizon. The Podere di Pomaio wine cellar's production of wines is:

  • Porsenna Igt - Grape variety: Sangiovese, Aging: stainless tubs 15 months in chestnut and oak barrels 12 months bottled 6 months;
  • Clante Igt - Grape variety: Merlot, Aging: barriques 12 months bottled 6 months;
  • Chianti Docg - Grape Variety: Sangiovese 90% Merlot, Aging: in stainless tubs 9 months bottled 6 months;
  • Pomaio Igt - Grape variety: mainly Sangiovese, Aging: in stainless tubs 9 months bottled 6 months.

Fattoria di Petroio

Nestled in the heart of Tuscany’s beautiful Chianti hills  just a few miles North of Siena, lies Fattoria di Petroio.
The historic origins of this property may be found on the ancient medieval road between Siena and Florence which passes directly in front of the main villa and consequently “put Petroio on the map” as an important strategic place between the two cities. For this reason it is possible to find remains from various eras in time which testify to how Borgo Petrojo has always been inhabited long before it became the property of Luigi Pallini in the eighteen hundreds. Since then the Pallini-Lenzi family has always taken care of this Estate, up until the time when the actual owner, Gian Luigi Lenzi. Today, the 15 hectares of vineyards, which over the past 25 years have been gradually replanted, now enable Petroio to produce, with great passion and dedication. Today, the 15 hectares of vineyards, which over the past 25 years have been gradually replanted, now enable Petroio to produce, with great passion and dedication, a yearly average of 35000 bottles of traditional, territorial, Chianti Classico; 4000 bottles of the harvest’s best juice, the Chianti Classico Riserva and 5000 bottles of fresh, readily drinkable Igt Rosso Toscano called Poggio al Mandorlo. The Fattoria di Petroio wine cellar's production of wines is: 

  • Chianti Classico Docg - Grape variety: Sangiovese 90% Colorino Malvasia Nera, Aging: tonneaux 14 months in stainless steel 16 months;
  • Chianti Classico Riserva Docg - Grape variety: Sangiovese, Aging: tonneaux 20 months in large oak barrels 12 months;
  • Poggio Al Mandorlo - Grape variety: Sangiovese, Aging: stainless steel.

Podere il Carnasciale  - Il Caberlot -

Podere Il Carnasciale is situated in the southern Chianti mountains in the Valdarno region of  Tuscany, thirty kilometers north of Siena and Arezzo, and sixty kilometers south of Florence. While the grape has the organoleptic characteristics of Cabernet Franc, its ampelographic profile however is closer to that of Merlot, leading us to assume that the loose-cluster Caberlot is a natural crossing of the two varieties, a hybrid. The Caberlot variety is cultivated exclusively at Podere Il Carnasciale, and we are what one could call a ‘haute couture’ winery, where extreme care and craft go to detail, precision and quality. The work in the vineyards is carried out with the utmost respect for the soil and the plants, with minimal intervention, and entirely manually. Pruning, budding and leaf-management are all done by hand. We do not employ chemical fertilizers or pesticides, and all eventual sanitary treatments are natural. The grounds are labored, with partial greening.  We keep the wines in wood for a period of 22 months, racking them only once. Il Caberlot is bottled manually and unfiltered in magnums  which are matured a further 18 months in our cellar, prior to their release. The Podere il Carnasciale wine cellar's production of wines is:

  • Caberlot - Grape variety: hybrid of Cabernet Franc and Merlot, Aging: French oak barriques and fûts for a period of 22 months; 
  • Carnasciale - Grape variety: hybrid of Cabernet Franc and Merlot, Aging: French oak barriques and fûts for a period of 6 months.

This tour includes

  • SERVICE Pick-up and Drop-Off at your  Hotel
  • LUNCH in a traditional Tuscan restaurant with a menu choice or set menu 
  • TASTING of wines
  • SOMMELIER following
  • MERCEDES-BENZ luxury van with air conditioning and driver who speaks English
  • WI-FI in the car
  • PAYMENT by credit-card
  • DRIVER’S LICENSE vehicle enabled as required by law 21/92  for to travel in complete safety

Price per person Price provided upon request

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Tour schedule

09:00 Pick-up at your Hotel
10:00 Tenuta Sette Ponti, guided tour wine cellar and vineyard
11:30 Departure for Arezzo to see the frescoes of Piero della Francesca or guided tour of the city of Arezzo
13:00 Lunch in Typical Restaurant where traditional dishes are served
15:30 Il Borro guided tour wine cellar and vineyard
17:00 Return to Hotel

Tour duration one day - up to 8 hours

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