At the risk of sounding like a terrible mother.... How appropriate or not- is a wine tour w/kids? We have done them in the states and they are somewhat educational (really :) explaining the equipment and how the wine is made, ending the tour with small samples of wine for the adults. From the posts I've read, it sounds like it might be more of a "dining/wineing" experience in Italy. Is this more like the norm and are there any that aren't this way? Should I just pass on this experience because of my 2 kids? Thanks!
Posted by
Gettysburg, PA
1589 posts
It sounds very appropriate for a family outing to me. The technical side may have some interest for them. Who knows, perhaps one day these kids might open a vinyard! Have a great trip.
Posted by
Atlanta
800 posts
Michelle- we did bring both our kids to one winery in Tuscany. It was a day that we had planned to just drive and wander, but we saw a sign and just pulled in. It was wonderful and both kids, son 10 and daughter 12 enjoyed it. It was not really a big tasting - but a tour of the facility, including the "cave" (this was my son's favorite part) and they each had a taste at the end and we bought 2 bottles to take with us. All in all about a 20-30 minute experience. It was really fun.
Posted by
Pensacola
9110 posts
Take them.
Posted by
Fort Wayne, IN, USA
2349 posts
These will end up being the "terrible mother" stories they end up bragging about.
Posted by
Portland, Oregon, USA
320 posts
Michelle:
Our kids (13 and 8) were with us on our long 2004 journey. We had wine experiences at large wineries in Burgundy and Champagne and small family run places in the Rhone and Tuscany.
As a rule children are treated well all over Europe. The wineries were no exception.
The musty caves, the barrels, the funny looking equipment, tractors, etc - fed the curiosity and imagination of the children. Our visit to a small Tuscan winery was extended because my little 8 year old boy became friends with the owner's child and they played and played outside while we enjoyed a little more wine.
We were so pleased that the kids got to share the experience.
In Europe it is best to have a reservation for a wine experience - use the winery websites to find what you are looking for. With planning you can even arrange a snack or full meal at many wineries. Have fun.
Posted by
OP
boston, ma, usa
160 posts
Thanks All!!! For those of you who posted and took kids, can you make specific recommendations? We will be based in Florence. As always, your input is incredible!
Posted by
Portland, Oregon, USA
320 posts
Michelle:
Some of our favorites are:
Panzanello - located just outside of Panzano (about 30 km south of Florence) on the S222 (also known as The Chianti Road). Family run - nice wines - great atmosphere.
Volpaia - located near Greve (about 25 km south of Florence). Volpaia is a tiny hilltop village and the entire village has been subsumed into the wine making operations. Stunning views. By planning ahead on Volpaia we also organized a nice dinner with our tasting - it was a real value.
Vignamaggio - this is (I'm not kidding) the estate where Mona Lisa lived at the time Da Vinci painted her portrait. A magnificent estate. Great wines. This place was also the setting for Kenneth Branagh's version of Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing". Watch that film before you go to make your tour even more fun.
There are lots and lots of wineries that are great too - these are just our favorites. You will need a car to be able to do this in a practical fashion.
All of the wineries I listed have websites and all have English speakers on staff. Do yourself a favor and make reservations ahead of time via the web, phone or fax - it will improve your experience. Have fun.
Posted by
victoria, Canada
11507 posts
Michelle, we too have taken our kids on wine tours,, not in Europe ,, but in B.C.. and we consider it a fun and educational family outing. I very much consider it highly appropriate for kids to be WITH their parents.. learning about the art and culture of wine making,, as opposed to it being all hush hush,, and their first experiences are with other teens and some chug a lug contest at some wild house party, ... drinking cheap wine to get drunk..
So,, no you are NOT a terrible mother,, but a smart one.