 
La Dolce Vita Wine Tours is a boutique tour operator that offers gourmet wine tours throughout Italy for wine enthusiasts of all levels. The company was founded in 1999 by an Italian and American couple.Claudio Bisio is a native Italian from a village in Piedmont near the wine town of Gavi. For 10 years he has planned and led tours across Italy. Patricia Thomson is a journalist who writes about wine, food, and travel for Tastes of Italia, Gastronomica, and other publications.  We guarantee the utmost attention and service. As a boutique tour operator specializing in educational wine tours, we emphasize personal contact with the people directly responsible for the wine. Clients will talk in-depth with the Italian winemakers, winery owners, and the children who carry on their work and traditions. That personal contact is what makes our tours so memorable and provides lasting insight into Italian wine.   La Dolce Vita Wine Tours specializes in the wine regions of Italy. Tuscany, Piedmont (between the Riviera and the Alps), and Veneto (near Venice) are popular destinations. In addition, our tours explore the up-and-coming regions of southern Italy, particularly Sicily, the coastal zone of Tuscany called the Maremma, and Friuli, the pinnacle of white wines, near the Austrian/Slovenian border.  Each tour contains a carefully selected cross-section of wineries. Some are historically important, like the impressive Castello di Brolio where Chianti was 'invented' in the 1800s. Others are radical innovators, like Elio Altare, who rewrote the rules surrounding Barolo. Some are large cutting-edge operations, like Castello Banfi, while others are small family-run farms. And, of course, there are world-famous names, like those behind Sassicaia and Ornellaia. Itineraries can be structured around specific vineyards that clients request. This is useful for wine shops, wine clubs, educators, and collectors who might have relations with certain wine producers or an interest in particular wineries.   We work closely with clients to create a program that is in keeping with their interests. Some prefer wine-intensive tours. Others prefer to fold in some cultural, historic, and culinary activities. These might include:- tours of historic towns like Florence or Palermo - a hands-on cooking lesson - tasting at an artisan cheese factory or olive oil press - truffle hunting demo - medieval festivals & fairs BIKE TOURS La Dolce Vita Wine Tours offers custom bike tours for groups of 4 or more in Tuscany, Piedmont, and other parts of Italy. Our two sample itineraries can be booked as special departures for your biking group, or can be modified to suit your interests. All offer scenic back roads, challenging hills, and great Italian cooking a true biker's paradise. Our sample itineraries offer morning rides of 25-35 miles on rolling terrain, and shuttle by van to the vineyards in the afternoon. More bike-intensive tours are also available. To program a customized bike tour, email info@dolcetours.com or call 888-746-0022.   La Dolce Vita Wine Tours has relations with many charming hotels in the wine regions. These include countryside villas and renovated palaces in quaint wine towns - all with great service and character. In addition, we can provide top-level accommodations in the major cities within the wine regions, such as Florence, Siena, Verona, and Palermo.  As a wine tour company, we are very attentive to food and wine pairings. The restaurants we select emphasize gourmet regional cuisine and top wine producers from the area.  Custom tours are available for groups of 2-30 people. Small groups, of course, have more flexibility and options in terms of hotels, restaurants, and wineries and benefit from more personalized service.  Small groups (up to 8) travel in an air-conditioned minivan. Larger groups use either a mini-bus or two mini-vans (the latter are more practical on winding country roads).  Whenever possible, one or both company owners guide the custom tours. Additional guides are professionals who are native Italians (often from the region visited), fluent in English, and well-versed in wine.  La Dolce Vita Wine Tours offers reasonably priced tours. The final price depends on a number of variables. These include: - Number of participants - Accommodations (3-, 4-, or 5-star hotels) - Menu (3-course vs. 4-course meals) - Meals (breakfast & dinner is standard) - Special tastings (e.g., old vintages, vertical tastings) - Special activities (e.g., cooking lessons)  Planning ahead provides the best results. The further in advance a custom tour is discussed, the most options are available in accommodations and program. For further information, contact: LA DOLCE VITA WINE TOURS, INC. 888.746.0022 info@dolcetours.com  
"Claudio and Pat are gracious guides to Italy: tireless in their efforts to serve you; generous in their choice of hotels, restaurants, and wines; and masterful navigators of Italy's country roads, art, culture, churches, and vineyards."- Anita La Raia, wine educator, Atlanta, GA "I didn't know what to expect. I'd never been to Italy, knew very little about Italian wines, and never had been on an 'organized' tour. I kept saying 'tomorrow just can't top this,' and then it did. This truly was an awesome experience." - Mary Barton, Atlanta, GA "We've paid serious attention to wine, so we already knew about basic techniques. But we sure learned a great deal about Italian wines, especially Chianti and Super Tuscans. It was just as much fun, however, to learn about the history of the area, cultural sites, Tuscan foods and dining habits, and social customs." Phil & Karen Johnson, Burke, VA "Our favorite moment was the morning with the truffle hunter and his nephew, sipping great wines in the shed, eating local cheese and white truffle chunks (no slicer!). The nephew brought out his best bottle from the Golden Year, 1997 - it was a golden moment!" Herb & Sara Drower, Wilmette, IL "I've lived and traveled in a lot of countries, but I honestly can't remember a more beautiful experience - the countryside, the food, the wines, the people. Everything was about as perfect as could be." - Patricia Janof, New York City Copyright © 2005 - La Dolce Vita Wine Tours, Inc. - All rights reserved. Website Design & Programming: Canfield Design Studios, Inc.
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