Tuscany Honeymoon - 5 Nights

For wine in the Montalcino area you could stop into Biondi Santi for the Brunello. http://www.biondisanti.it/Eng/Visite_en.php The family is one of the earliest to make it and the best at it.

You can stop by a farm around Pienza for some cheese making demostrations. I enjoyed Il Casale. Our lunch was all items from the farm except the balasamic vinegar and we had sevearl courses of food. http://www.podereilcasale.it/farm

I"m doing a cooking class in Volterra next month that i found in Rick's book.

Also what dates will you be in Tuscany? You could always stop by a local festival in towns.

• Pienza Pecorino Fair and "Cacio al Fuso" on the first Sunday in September. They have a cheese rolling competition (saw this on one of Rick's tv episodes

• Greve in Chianti Chianti Classico Wine Festival - at Piazza Matteotti in Greve in Chianti on the second weekend of September and the preceding Thursday and Friday (11 - 14 September 2014). You buy a glass and are then free to try any wine offered at the many stands.

• Sansepolcro Palio della Balestra crossbow tournament held every year on the second Sunday of September

• Panzano in Chianti Vino al Vino Chianti wine festival is held on the third weekend in September and the two preceding days (18 - 21 September 2014) in the main square of Panzano. A smaller event than the Greve wine festival in preceding week.

• Impruneta Festa dell'Uva (Grape Festival) - is held on last Sunday of September. popular annual event in Impruneta s. Has a parade, which usually starts at 3.30 pm, consists of allegorical carts built by the four districts of Impruneta: Fornaci, Pallò, Sant’Antonio and Sante Marie. During the day of the festival, popular dances, performances, tasting of agricultural products and shows of the local handicraft products are held.

If you really like to hike or bike, invest in a good guide. You can research them online at Amazon. There are also companies that can set you up with a daytrip biking. Your hotel or B&B should be able to recommend.

There is a lovely abbey at Monte Oliveto Maggiore that is worth exploring.

Be careful with the wine touring. One of you should be a DD as the Carabinieri are waving people over in the heart of Tuscan wine country. Just got back from there and it was quite prevalent over the weekend.

Thank you for the information, this is all very helpful. I will definitely look into the wine festival in Chianti, that's the only festival that overlaps with our time in Tuscany that you listed but it sounds great. The cheese making/farm sounds amazing as well.

Also thanks for the heads up on driving from the vineyards, that's much appreciated.

Any favorite must-see Tuscan hill side towns? Will obviously see Cortona since that's where we will be based. We are also interested heading to Montalcino and Montelpuciano but was wondering if anyone has any favorite lesser known cities close by to Cortona that are worthwhile to visit.

Thanks!

Hi Sue, and happy honeymoon! I have never visited Cortona, except in the movies of course, but I see from the map that you will be quite close to Assisi, one of my favorite spots in all of Italy -- beautiful, historic, spiritual, lots of sites to visit, and fine food and crafts, etc. Certainly worth a full day, and there are other interesting towns nearby. Assisi is actually in Umbria, not Tuscany, but why not spread your wings a little in that direction?

Castiglione Del Lago is just south of you on the lake near Montepulciano. I had a friend who recently visited Citta Della Pieve on the Tuscany Umbria border. It's a little bit further south from Castiglione Del Lago.

Cortona is also just a short trip to Perugia and to Assisi, both cities are worth a trip. The Basilica of San Francesco is worth the trip.

Thanks everyone for all the suggestions!